nParticle objects cannot be hidden in Arnold

[sbest58]

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.

[Stephen.Blair]

Object Display > Visibility on the particleShape?

[sbest58]

That just hides everything.

I want to render the Instance and not the original particle

[sbest58]

Viewport and Arnold images

[Stephen.Blair]

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@sbest58 wrote:

That just hides everything.

I want to render the Instance and not the original particle

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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.

[sbest58]

What do you mean "It doesn't"

It certainly does on my system - see images

[sbest58]

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!

[Stephen.Blair · Accepted solution]

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@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!

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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.

[mspeer]

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)

[sbest58]

Hi Steve,

'visibility 0' works.

Cheers

Steve