Vray - Smoothing by adding Edge Texture in "additional" Bump slot of existing material?

vray
unhandled
#1

Hey all,

So, I modeled a Kitchen, and instead of filleting all the solid edges, I want to use Vray’s “Edge Texture in Bump Map channel” to create smoothing of rendered edges.

But how do I ADD that Edge Tex Bump to another material that already has something in the Bump slot?

For example, in a Vray Concrete Material? The Bump Channel is already being used by the concrete bump map. How do I add another Bump Map channel to have both the concrete texture, and the smoothing Edge Texture?

I know there’s the “layered” dropdown menu but it doesn’t include a “Bump” material. I tried MultiMaterial, and doesn’t work. Adding a BRDF just overpowers my other Concrete Material settings, it seems.

Anyone who knows how to accomplish this, your advice would be appreciated, thanks!

(Pascal Golay) #2

Hi Alan - this does not answer the Vray question, but ApplyEdgeSoftening might help, without the need for Vray fanciness. On the other hand you might (I don’t know) need to ExtractRenderMesh and render that in Vray directly - anyway worth a look perhaps.

-Pascal

#3

Ok, thanks. Will check it out.

#4

Well, I always wondered if the softening tool would render or if it was just for the viewport. Good to know it actually renders … But unfortunately I think maybe b/c RH5 isn’t as advanced as 6, this is what a 12x12x12" cube softened by 1.0 (I’m assuming 1 project unit) looks like after export render mesh and brought into RH5 and rendered - super chamfered instead of smooth

6%20%20in%20rh5
soften and export render mesh - vray 3.6 in rh5.png800x450 539 KB

(Pascal Golay) #5

Hi Alan - the edge softening is a chamfer in 3d, but with smoothed/welded vertices so it renders as smooth, BUT it is for ‘killing’ hard edges not for faking a real fillet with a true radius. i.e. it becomes less convincing with larger numbers or closer zoom in. I don’t know if the Vray material does anything more elaborate than that - it might…

-Pascal

#6

Ok, understood. I’ll post if I figure something out. Hopefully a kind soul will post something about how to get the Edge Tex in an additional Bump spot…:thinking:

#7

It was called Comp Tex in 3.4, but the texture you are looking for is called mix in 3.6. . https://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/VRAYRHINO/Mix+Operator

#8

Thanks so much! “Operator” better than “simple” or others?

#9

Hi @mnewberg and @Jonish

Yes, this does the trick! But as a next level question:

It’s a bit cumbersome to have to copy/paste bump textures into the Mix slots, and combine them into an existing material. Would possibly be easier (not sure) if you could do a multi-layered material and use a “Bump” material named “Soft Edges” with, say, an existing vray “Wall Paint” material and come out with a wall painted material that has the softer edge.

Possible, or stick with the still much helpful Mix+Operator route?

Thanks again!