topic Re: nParticle objects cannot be hidden in Arnold in Maya Forum

nParticle objects cannot be hidden in Arnold

sbest58 — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 11:54:20 GMT

When using nParticle system with Instance geometry

I can hide the original particle objects by setting Opacity to 0, but this only works in the Viewport 2 display.

When rendered in Arnold the only way to hide particles is to make them smaller and inside of the Instance geometry.

Re: nParticle objects cannot be hidden in Arnold

Stephen.Blair — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 12:31:09 GMT

Object Display > Visibility on the particleShape?

Re: nParticle objects cannot be hidden in Arnold

sbest58 — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 12:42:33 GMT

That just hides everything.

I want to render the Instance and not the original particle

Re: nParticle objects cannot be hidden in Arnold

sbest58 — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 12:50:28 GMT

Viewport and Arnold images

Re: nParticle objects cannot be hidden in Arnold

Stephen.Blair — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 13:06:18 GMT

@sbest58 wrote:

That just hides everything.

I want to render the Instance and not the original particle

No it doesn't. In this example, the tori are the instances. The cards are the points.

the particleShape is exported as a points node, and the instances as ginstance nodes. And those nodes have separate visibility controls.

Re: nParticle objects cannot be hidden in Arnold

sbest58 — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 13:18:39 GMT

What do you mean "It doesn't"

It certainly does on my system - see images

Re: nParticle objects cannot be hidden in Arnold

sbest58 — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 13:28:34 GMT

What you have not done is replay the animation - if you do that after switching off the visibility on the particles then try a render you will see absolutely nothing!

Re: nParticle objects cannot be hidden in Arnold

Stephen.Blair — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 14:15:36 GMT

@sbest58 wrote:

What you have not done is replay the animation - if you do that after switching off the visibility on the particles then try a render you will see absolutely nothing!

Ah. I made a mistake.

How about putting visibility 0 in the Arnold > User Options of the particleShape?

That worked when I played back the animation and then rendered.

There doesn't seem to be a way to avoid the export of the particles. Maybe there is, but I don't see it yet.

Re: nParticle objects cannot be hidden in Arnold

mspeer — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 14:26:52 GMT

Hi!

You are right you can't simply hide the nParticleShape, it will not be rendered/evaluated and also not dependent graphs like instances.

For your needs there are 2 other options in nParticleShape -> Object Display:

1. Intermediate Object (which still evaluates the object but doesn't display it)

2. Template (which displays wireframe in Viewport)

Re: nParticle objects cannot be hidden in Arnold

sbest58 — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 16:03:27 GMT

Hi Steve,

'visibility 0' works.

Cheers

Steve