LuxCoreRender v2.2

oaschwab · July 4, 2019, 1:04pm

Luxcore is doing some absolutely amazing things. In my opinion it’s surpassing cycles in a lot of areas. Can’t wait for it to be ported to 2.8.

lacilaci86 · July 4, 2019, 1:37pm

Luxcore can now render pathtracing on gpu and lighttracing on cpu so you get hybrid rendering with super fast caustics. There is still SDS path missing. But solution is in the works

Kumaran_sip · July 5, 2019, 1:29am

Where can i see luxcore roadmap ?

B.Y.O.B · July 5, 2019, 1:56pm

There is a user-managed trello board: https://trello.com/b/SelXNgqf/luxcorerender
(created by @lacilaci86)

For v2.3 there is a thread here where we collect ideas from the users: https://forums.luxcorerender.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1080
At some point we will probably make a poll about these feature requests, so we can prioritize the most requested, like we did for v2.1/v2.2.

The status of the 2.8 port of our addon can be checked here:

github.com/LuxCoreRender/BlendLuxCore

Blender 2.8 [$430 awarded]

opened 06:51PM - 26 May 18 UTC

closed 08:54AM - 03 Oct 19 UTC

Theverat

refactoring bounty

This issue is used to track the progress of the Blender 2.8 port of LuxCore's Bl…ender addon. You can contribute to the development by [raising the bounty](https://www.bountysource.com/issues/58875521-blender-2-8?utm_campaign=plugin&utm_content=tracker%2F80143047&utm_medium=issues&utm_source=github) on this issue. ### Info about the required changes: * [Changes Overview](https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Reference/Release_Notes/2.80/Python_API) * [API Docs](https://docs.blender.org/api/blender2.8/) --- * https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Reference/Release_Notes/2.80/Python_API/UI_API * https://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:2.8/Source/Python/UpdatingScripts * https://github.com/nortikin/sverchok/issues/1783 * https://devtalk.blender.org/t/prepping-addons-for-2-8/265/8 * interesting stuff about the new depsgraph: https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Source/Depsgraph * new opengl draw api: https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Reference/Release_Notes/2.80/Python_API/Draw_API * New callbacks: https://developer.blender.org/D3977 * new timer API: https://docs.blender.org/api/blender2.8/bpy.app.timers.html * https://blenderartists.org/t/2-80-cheat-sheet-for-updating-add-ons/1148974 * Changes in depsgraph handling: https://developer.blender.org/rBe693918d40741b0839cea84d2e0c386cc262e0c3 * https://docs.blender.org/api/blender2.8/bpy.types.Depsgraph.html ### Todo: #### Preparation (still 2.79 compatible): * [x] Move all classes that need to be registered out of `__init__.py` files (so auto_load.py can find them) * [x] Base nodes * [x] Node trees * [x] Operators * [x] Change all inheritance chains involving `bpy.types` classes into multi inheritance (e.g. if we have base class `LuxCoreNode`, then subclasses like `LuxCoreNodeMatte` should use multi inheritance: `LuxCoreNodeMatte(bpy.types.Node, LuxCoreNode)`) * [x] Nodes * [x] Node trees * [x] Node sockets * [x] Operators * [x] Menus * [x] Use auto_load.py instead of `bpy.utils.register_module` (deprecated in 2.80) #### 2.80 Port Basics: * [x] Register node trees * [x] UI * [X] Port our custom UI panels, adapt to single-column layout * [x] Fix ui/texture.py, a lot has changed in the API (I think it was mostly copied from Blender code, so we can try to do that again) * [x] Move our custom imageviewer panels to the right side (out of the tools panel) * [ ] Can we impose an order on Blender panels? Currently they are sometimes mixed with ours in a non-optimal way. * [x] Create a unified cache panel that contains PhotonGI, DLSC and Env. Light Cache settings (the latter will be used for all environment lights, which shouldn't be a problem because usually there's only one) * [x] We can't use the `template_ID()` function from the Blender API for our material UI because we need not only a custom "new" operator, but also a custom "copy" operator (otherwise the node tree is not copied and two different materials share the same node tree). So we need to build our own UI that looks as close to the `template_ID()` result as possible (see the 2.79 BlendLuxCore code for an example) * [x] Check if we should use `depsgraph.scene` or `depsgraph.scene_eval` (documentation is missing, read the Blender source code or ask in devtalk) -> Cycles uses `scene_eval`, so we should do the same * [x] Scene export/conversion * [x] Port mesh export code * [x] port pyluxcore conversion function (C++) * [x] new mesh api: https://wiki.blender.org/wiki/Reference/Release_Notes/2.80/Python_API/Mesh_API * [x] Object export (I want to rework this so it works with shared meshes and instances out of the box and reliable in viewport render) * [x] Instance export * [x] Transformation update in viewport * [x] Mesh update in viewport * [x] Motion blur (important: https://developer.blender.org/T60771) * [x] Autosmooth * [x] Light export * [x] World light export * [x] Material export * [x] Material viewport updates * [x] (Waiting for a fix of https://developer.blender.org/T66521) looks like we won't get one, we'll have to find a workaround (probably property update methods) * [x] Pointiness export * [x] Hair export * [x] Fix Export of Vertex Colors and UVs for hairs * [x] Port viewport render draw code (there's a good example in the [Blender API docs](https://docs.blender.org/api/master/bpy.types.RenderEngine.html)) * [x] Viewport render * [x] Do session init in separate thread for responsive UI (maybe also mesh conversion) * [ ] Rework camera screenwindow calculation (can we use `context.region.view2d.view_to_region`?) * [x] Final render * [x] Basics * [x] Tile Draw Handler * [x] Fix halt conditions not being updated during render (perhaps use `depsgraph.scene` instead of `depsgraph.scene_eval` in render engine for halt conditions) * [x] Port the function that ensures that a material and it's custom node tree always have the same name Extras: * [x] LuxCore will have to change the Python version to the one 2.8 uses (3.7.0) * [ ] Reopen issue #38 * [ ] Choose new icons for better/worse/equal states in the statistics panel * [x] Material preview * [x] Fix hair preview * [x] Check if we could replace blender shader ball with LuxCore shader ball * [X] Use Cycles' "shadow_soft_size" property instead of our custom "radius" for point lights * [ ] Cycles scene reader: #272 * [ ] Make it easier to find the denoised result, e.g. by replacing combined once a denoised result exists and writing the noisy raw output into an extra "NOISY" pass (the "DENOISED" pass would be removed) * [ ] Fix motion blur for viewport renders * [ ] Rewrite the main readme file, it is outdated <bountysource-plugin> --- The **[$430 bounty](https://www.bountysource.com/issues/58875521-blender-2-8?utm_campaign=plugin&utm_content=tracker%2F80143047&utm_medium=issues&utm_source=github)** on this issue has been claimed at [Bountysource](https://www.bountysource.com/?utm_campaign=plugin&utm_content=tracker%2F80143047&utm_medium=issues&utm_source=github). </bountysource-plugin>

halulam · July 5, 2019, 2:20pm

You guys are doing an incredible job, thanks for all the efforts.

Kumaran_sip · July 6, 2019, 1:07pm

Can you add feature like cycles image rendering system where Luxcore keeps on rendering.

B.Y.O.B · July 6, 2019, 1:29pm

Can you rephrase that? I’m not sure what you mean.

oaschwab · July 6, 2019, 2:14pm

I think he means how you can set the samples to zero and it will just keep rendering until you stop it.

B.Y.O.B · July 6, 2019, 3:55pm

That is the default in LuxCore. Just leave all halt conditions disabled (render properties).

Kumaran_sip · July 7, 2019, 2:14am

In cycles if i render default cube scene it takes 8 sec and render will finish in certain amount of time according to samples set also see render progress bar in fills in cycles.but in luxcore the same scene keeps rendering and progress bar stays zero.

lacilaci86 · July 7, 2019, 6:56am

In render settings there is a “halt condition” tab check it out.

Kumaran_sip · July 7, 2019, 7:06am

Thankyou it’s working.

Fatesailor · July 8, 2019, 8:04am

I am uploading a HDRI image in the ‘world’ tab but nothing appears to be happen. Is there a need for activating some other thing in some other tab somewhere in Blender?

Also: how do we regulate the light intensity in HDRIs’ in Luxcore? I am not finding something related in the ‘world’ tab.

And furthermore: I do see all those so fast rendered caustics scenes here in the thread… I do not find the way to achieve such things in the renderer (and in such short rendering times). Why not making a very simple video tutorial showing the way of achieving such results? It would be very helpful to many people.

Luxcore is a great renderer but it needs much more easy to follow video tutorials. It is very important to have such tutorials in making much more people want to use it.

B.Y.O.B · July 8, 2019, 9:35am

No, but maybe you have other very bright light sources in the scene (e.g. a sun) and the tonemapper is adapting to those? The HDRI light intensity can be controlled by the “gain” property in the world tab. Try to use a higher gain (e.g. 100,000).
Maybe our FAQ could help in this case: https://wiki.luxcorerender.org/BlendLuxCore_FAQ#Why_is_my_HDRI_environment_black_and_not_showing_up.3F

About tutorials: It would be great to have more, but we need volunteers to make them.
Maybe these resources help you:

The enhanced caustic rendering techniques shown here are very new (introduced about one week ago) and not yet part of any official release (not even a beta), only available through daily builds. They need to be tested and refined more before it makes sense to create tutorials about them (for example, the UI has changed in the last days).

Thank you for your feedback, I hope I could help.

Fatesailor · July 8, 2019, 10:31am

I did try to see what happens when all the other light sources in the scene are deactivated but it was in vain, the resulting render was totally black. I will try, however, to experiment again with the HDRI files. Thank you very much for the answer. Will give you feedback after making more tries.

B.Y.O.B · July 8, 2019, 10:37am

You could also upload the .blend file with packed textures and I take a look (a stripped down version that still shows the problem is enough).

B.Y.O.B · July 10, 2019, 8:20pm

Short status update on the 2.8 port:

What works

Viewport render
Node editor/materials
Michael has ported most of the UI panels
Lights/World
Objects (including particles and all other kinds of instances)

Todo

Final render
View layers
Motion Blur
Hair
Material preview
… and a lot of polishing and probably tons of minor bugs that will pop up

For more details, see https://github.com/LuxCoreRender/BlendLuxCore/issues/166
Thanks to all the donors for their support! I appreciate it a lot.

Fatesailor · July 10, 2019, 8:34pm

At last I did find what was happening with the HDRI issue: In Luxcore HDRI files have to be uploaded with a Hemi light and its settings have to be regulated from the tab of this light source kind. But I still am wondering if it is so why there is a HDRI upload option in the ‘world’ tab options too.

Anyway, HDRIs are working. Now I did meet a problem with the glass material. In some scenes is not appearing at all. I will look at it again and will see.

B.Y.O.B · July 10, 2019, 9:25pm

It doesn’t matter if you use the world or a hemi light to set a HDRI.
Without a scene or some error messages I can’t guess what could be wrong in your specific case.

If you upload a .blend file, I can take a look.

Fatesailor · July 11, 2019, 5:34pm

Here is a very simple scene: the smaller cube on the ground has glass material on it. It is not rendering. There only appears some strange shape on the ground suggesting its base.

Luxcore_glass problem.blend (959.7 KB)