RPC entourage - custom make in Revit - how?

[ro]

Hello Revit World,

Is there a way to freely add images and customise RPC entourage using Revit?

I don't want to use Envision, Archivision or any other third party software.

RO

[ro]

Thank you constantin.stroescu,

This makes me hopeful indeed.

So, for the sake of exhausting the topic, do you create families or just have a series of mass surfaces?

[constantin.stroescu]

I've made distinct families - Mass Elements- Surface ( I've used a curve surface in order to make easier to work with camera that has to be perpendicular on the map)

Every Family is basically the same object but with different materials ( people or tree maps with alpha mask). So, every people or tree is a distinct family in my library.

how it looks in Realistic View display and the settings made in family editor-Material Browser:

placing camera and Mass Family in Project:

and in render in camera View:

[Anonymous]

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@ro wrote:

Just to clarify, I don't want to know about Archivision, Enscape or any third party softwares.

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So you must have read over what @barthbradley said...RPC's were created by Archivision.  Lots of Archivision's library was created by users using their RPC Creator and 3D Studio.  Archivision does have an easy process to create 2D RPC's now, but the 3D RPC's require existing OBJ files or custom ones created in 3D Studio.  In order to render the RPC's properly you must have a license to do so and is the reason there is a much larger library.

I'm going through the same process since we are using Enscape more and more and want more specialized RPC's to personalize our renderings for the client.  Basically I need to start taking more classes on 3D Studio.

You may also want to check out Twinmotion since it is free, for now, until November.  There are lots of content to work with and the cool thing is it is animated. https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/twinmotion?sessionInvalidated=true

[ro]

Amazing. Perfect. Thanks.

[ro]

Hello again World of Revit,

Actually, it's nearly perfect. I'd like the mass face to not appear but the image to appear. I've found a couple of discussions discussing how to cut a mass with thickness but it's a laborious approach.

I think the ideal outcome would be discovering how to add images freely to the rpc library. Thoughts anybody?

Regards

RO

[ro]

Hello again constantin.stroescu,

Can you tell us more about the alpha channel formatting? I've been experimenting and I can see there's many way to do this. Is your cutout image a separate image with the masking?

What is the best way to get the masking to allow anti aliasing around edges?

Regards

RO

[constantin.stroescu · Accepted solution]

we use two bitmaps edited in Photoshop :

•  A-the first one is with the image in RGB colors
•  B-the second in in Black and White - where black is transparency(level of greys give semi-transparency) and white opaqueness - this file has to be the same size and resolution as file A. Normally B is worked in Photoshop from A

AB

I use for the first bitmap(A) either a .png or a .tiff file because they already come with incorporated alpha mask. Such a file can be used directly to insert in rendered image usually in Photoshop  or use it in a Revit Sheet  with a linear drawing (and not only ) as shown below :

• When using Entourage Families -as shown in my previous posts, Revit needs two mappings for images with transparent background.
• In Material Browser >Appearance we have to place two bitmaps:
  • one for Generic -A
  • and the other one for Cutouts -B
• Transparency mapping is another choice ( it is used in 3dMAX) , but in Revit, Cutout option a is better one.

[ro]

Thank you constantin.stroescu.

 They say ask and you shall receive. That has been proven to be true here.

[barthbradley]

@constantin.stroescu : I'm impressed.  Not RPC. CPC. CONSTANTIN PHOTOREALISTIC CONTENT.  

[constantin.stroescu]

thank you Barth!

It's a pity that Revit has no other plugin for entourage. That's why for special renderings I prefer to use 3d MAX that has more plugins for trees especially (like Laubwerk), many with free items that in my opinion are much more elaborated then RPC. If my memory serves me right ,in 3dMAX the method with mapped bitmap with alpha mask (transparency mask) on a plan (vertical surface) is more elaborate allowing that camera and target object to be locked together( so, if you move camera, the target object linked to it ,is always normal to camera-target axis)

[David125]

How do you apply the images to entourage family? Is that in previous link, if so can you provide link?

[David125]

What do you use for a mass surface? Is it a curved extrusion. I've tried that but I can't find a way to hide the extrusion without hiding the image.

[Anonymous]

@constantin.stroescu Do you mind to upload one to take a look how was it made? Thanks in advance.

[constantin.stroescu]

I use Mass Element because I need one single face to map on...so a surface without any thickness (otherwise it will be a mapping on two faces ). For details,  have  a look to my previous posts.

I add some .rfa files ( Mass Elements) entourage that contain examples of People and Trees ...

As they have a single face there are some drawbacks ( as the reflection into a window pane - we'll have to use image of people seen from side profile otherwise we'll see reflected the same image as that directly seen not a mirrored image..)

I've made a screencast to show how I work with these families when I have to transfer them into another network..

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/screencast/238f9065-fd05-4fe9-8470-95b49c0f814a

[aRcHiTeCt.JM]

.. hi @constantin.stroescu 

… thanks for sharing

… amazing job

… they blend perfectly with the RPCs

[constantin.stroescu]

yeah, ...I use them especially for trees ...It frustrates me using RPC trees (especially for close views). So I prefer either to use MAX (because it allows some good vegetation plugins)....or to use my own entourage in Revit....

[rosendo.casarrubias.7]

can you better describe  your proccess?