Convert polygons to NURBS by selecting parallel edge loops. to install : Extract the script to a folder, drag-n-drop the vbs script onto the shelf Select some parallel edges and press the button of the script. NOTE: sometimes the extracted curves need to be inversed (Modify->Curve->Inverse) or shift...

i'll be posting a fixed video as soon as possible.
(seems Vimeo doesn't like the Xvid codec)

Averages the positions of points with similar U or V coordinates. Usefull with TGen and cylindrical objects, for making growing vines NOTE: it relies on the correct (default) path for UV cluster. if it doesn't work, open the compound and set the UV path name (without the "self." at the beg...

Here is a Nuke gizmo, for the mentalray ObjectID+Coverage workflow. extract it to your "[Nuke]\plugins" directory restart or "etc->All Plugins->update" and add the following line at the end of the file "menu.py" in the same "plugin" dir : nuke.menu("Nodes...

Or you can use the built-in mentalray framebuffers : 1. Add an "Object ID" and "Pixel Coverage" Render Channel Output (as tiff, or any other format you compositor can read) 2. make a mask from the ObjectID you want 3. mask(multiply) it with the Coverage channel see here : http://...

The problem seems to be with the grass normals looking on the wrong side :
' WARNING : RCFG 0.6 warn 542002: angle between normal and geometry normal > 90 degrees

the only solution i found is setting the Mode to "Expert"
and the "Filter Size = 0"

here is the 2011 scene

That's weird i never had any problems with sun/sky setup
(using Pass->Edit->Initialize Sky Shader)
maybe its the way you create your sun/sky

care to share a scene file?

read the 2nd message

Uncompress the file in a folder (for ex. ".....\Softimage_XXXX\Data\Scripts\") drag-n-drop the file onto the XSI Shelf (View->Optional Panels->Main Shelf) to create a button (VB Script) make or load a scene with objects that have different materials press the button you previously created,...

Irrelevant info of the day: "Thea" means goddess in Greek

glad to see more Greek 3D graphics developers
cheers

In the "..._Copies" object that contains the duplicates
drag the ICE tree in the Animation section
and temporarily disable it
now all the duplicates will be at the same SRT
apply the GATOR in the Modeling section (above the duplicate op)
and optionally freeze
then re-enable the ICE tree

Duplicate,
use GATOR to transfer attributes,
optionally freeze the operator stack.
then move the duplicates

I did some more tests here are the results on my 6GB Ram Core 2 Quad with 2010sp1 64bit: (with Raytraced Shadows) 65000 hairs 0:03:53.24 146561 strands 0:00:24.99 (with 1024 Shadow Map, looks like crap though) 65000 hairs 0:00:49.73 (with 2048 Volumic Shadow Map) 65000 hairs 0:00:15.60 146561 strand...

I forgot to mention that the code i posted goes into a Fragment shader.

the "gl_FragColor", "gl_FragDepth" and "gl_DepthRange" are predefined