Using ICE to drive time source at Object Scope

[claudevervoort]

Hi!

I've been looking at that for a little while now and since I still can't it figure out, I'd thought it was time to ask for help

So it is rather simple: I have a counter texture (10 pix, digit_00 to digit_09) which makes a sequence. I use that in my shader, but I want the value to come from an attribute, not the actual time. So I set up an ICE tree and set the data. Those appears in the image clip, I choose them as the source, but on render it stubbornly is driven by scene time. It is the 1st time I use an ICE attribute to drive an object scope attribute, I do not remember having issue when I was using it for object instances.

What's wrong?

Thanks!

Claude

[csaez]

Seems like a problem with the attribute's evaluation (ICE is quite aggressive with optimizations). Try logging (AttributeDisplay property or just inside ICE), this way you force them to be evaluated.

Cheers!

[Letterbox]

claudevervoort, relevant to your question? ...http://xsisupport.com/2010/02/21/sprite-sequences-on-ice-particles/

[claudevervoort]

Thanks for chiming in!

Unfortunately that does not solve it. The attributes do get updated (I have them to show in the viewport and they show they expected value). Maybe that is just a plain old bug, and i'll have to use scripting rather than ICE

Claude

[olivier jeannel]

Hey Claude !
In 2013 I had Particle clip driven by IDs to work very well.
Here's the setup I'm using. You need to set it up to "cycle" with a "Number of Cycle" to loop through values to.
Just in case, I'm posting it.

[claudevervoort]

Thanks Olivier, it is now cycling through... time So did not change really, still picking up the value from global scene time and ignoring my ICE attribute. Again I think my main difference here is that I am not using it to drive particle instances, but rather a plain shader attached the polymesh object that have the ICE tree. No particles whatsoever. Object scope attributes.

I tried through scripted op, but it does not seem to see any attributes I am adding there in the image clip time source. So I am a bit at a dead end for the approach of having the digit textures being driven by ICE (or by anything but time on that matter...).

Anyway thanks for chiming in!

Claude

[dwigfor]

Have you seen this? http://caffeineabuse.blogspot.com/2011/ ... g-ice.html

Maybe problem is with your render tree?

I tried out your problem, and it pretty much worked okay, except I'm not sure how to add the last 8 and 9 to the Multi Color Switch (only 0-7 inputs). I tried putting it in another Multi Color Switch, changed values to 8 and 9, and tried to mix with Mix 2 Colors.

This was done on a grid with 2 polys (I only did 2 digits), each poly had it's own material applied to it. I also placed the digit counter ICE tree on that grid (non sim). Changing the source number updated my rendered grid (has to be rendered to display correct image). I used the sample number images that are included in the Sample project/pictures.

-Dave

[olivier jeannel]

Thanks Olivier, it is now cycling through... time So did not change really, still picking up the value from global scene time and ignoring my ICE attribute. Again I think my main difference here is that I am not using it to drive particle instances, but rather a plain shader attached the polymesh object that have the ICE tree. No particles whatsoever. Object scope attributes.

I tried through scripted op, but it does not seem to see any attributes I am adding there in the image clip time source. So I am a bit at a dead end for the approach of having the digit textures being driven by ICE (or by anything but time on that matter...).

Anyway thanks for chiming in!

Claude

That's bizarre, I remember having it working on an instanced polymesh, and the shader was on the original polymesh too.
What's your Softimage version ?
You're not doing it on the default Scene Material, are you ?
Is it working in OGL (Textured) and failing in MR ?

[claudevervoort]

olivier: I am not using shaped instances, just a plain mesh with an ICE tree on it to drive the counter texture on it. In the OGL view (high quality) it is showing the same number...

dave: color_switch, that sounds like a great alternative. Going to try that and let you know.

Thanks!

Claude

[claudevervoort]

The multi switch works! Sure a lot less convenient than using time source on the texture itself, but at least it's a work around. Sucks it's only up to 7, I think I'll need 2 switches to handle my 10 digits, and 2 attributes for each counter: one boolean for 0-1, and another one for 0-4 so that I can use a switch and 2 multi switches.

Thanks for pointing that one out!

Claude

[TwinSnakes007]

claudevervoort,

Can you post a sample scene, or the actual scene. I've never worked with clips before, but I still dont understand the problem.

-TS-

[claudevervoort]

I recreated a simple scene to illustrate the problem. You might have to point the image clip to the right location (i've included the images in the zip). In the image clip, I use time source the value of the attribute digit10 which is set by the ICE tree. It's a global object attribute and the display debug on the viewport shows it has the current value (2). But the texture is still driven by time...

Claude

[TwinSnakes007]

I started with a fresh scene and just wanted to see if it worked at all. So, I used 1 particle, set to the shape of a rectangle, with 0 speed and used that to display the clip, and I set an integer custom property on emission, and used that custom property in the render tree, and it worked. It displayed and rendered as expected.

Now, if that's not gonna work for your setup, I can see if I can get it to work on a non-particle object.

edit: I know the pics might not line up, the image is displaying 1, the property is displaying 4 and the viewport is showing 3. But, that's because I kept testing different scenarios in between taking the screenshots and writing this post. You also have to set the Extrapolation Type to Cycle in order for this setup to work beyond Frame 1.

[TwinSnakes007]

From the User Guide

If you're using an object with ICE attributes, such as ICE particles, the time source allows you to use that object's attributes to control the animation of the image sequence.

So, the Time Source only works with particle ICE attributes. You can verify this yourself. If the ICE tree on the object that has the image clip does not have particle data, it does not matter what ICE attribute you select as the Time Source, it will not effect the image clip [at least in my test it didnt]

So, this setup your attempting can be done, you just have to use particles.

-TS-

[claudevervoort]

Thanks TS for looking at it so closely! Obviously not the answer I hoped, it's a bit confusing that it does show the attribute in time source, that it works when you use the attribute on the shader tree directly (switch), but doesn't when you use it in the clip itself when looking directly on the object but then works on a particle instance of that same object. But that is the way it is!

Now I have a few options: switch, 1 particle of that mesh, ... I'll see what is the shortest path to go where I want to go.

Thanks again,

Claude

[claudevervoort]

Actually I re-read the doc and I would tend to think it works on any object with ICE attributes, including ICE particles but not solely:

The list includes ICE attributes only from objects used by this image clip (either directly on the object or indirectly if it's used via shape instancing).

If it's in the list, it should work. Or it should not be in it...

So after all I still think that is a bug oh well!

Claude