NOX Updates

[marchewa]

Here is a sticky thread where I put info about new versions of NOX.
Please don't respond here, so there could be clearly informations.

[marchewa]

Update to version 0.3.40

Changes:
- plugin for 3ds Max 2012 added
- fixed bug discussed in this thread concerning oversaturated sky:
http://www.evermotion.org/vbulletin/...ad.php?t=87706
- fixed bug discussed in this thread:
http://www.evermotion.org/vbulletin/...ad.php?t=87712
Also this made us a clue to make it as temporary transluent material. Now on rough 100 turning on transparency allows to make it as transluent material. Also as temporary solution this will use tex map from Color90 as texture for other side - opposed to normals dir. And ratio reflection/refraction is equal.
- fixed bug with listing memory usage, on very big scene it crashed

New version can be updated automatically or you can download it manually.

[marchewa]

Update to version 0.3.41

Changes:
- nox logo turning off
- merge scene function - it merges render buffers from other file - for those who render on multiple machines, requested here: http://www.evermotion.org/vbulletin/...ad.php?t=87740
- blender script: fixes concerning export failure, added deleting texture, added render button
- new VC++ 2005 redistributable, due to Visual Studio update you are forced to install new version of redistributable, it can be done from NOX installer or downloaded manually, NOX autoupdate will NOT do it. You can get it here:
32 bit: http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...redist_x86.EXE
64 bit: http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...redist_x64.EXE

[marchewa]

Here comes NOX 0.3.42

... and Path Tracing (PT) with it. It is selected as default rendering engine. You can choose old Metropolis Light Transport (MLT) in first tab in NOX window.
Comparing PT to MLT in NOX... it evaluates render faster in most situations, actually caustics are main problems that may happen - difficult material and small emitters, PT will die and MLT will calculate it, however not so fast anyway.
Also skyportal has been added. It works only on PT engine. It can be set in material, near emission stuff. But don't turn them both at once.

PT is still in testing phase so unexpected bugs may happen. Some PT, skyportals and MLT comparisons are welcome.

Also some bugs concerning material with rough other than 0 and 100 has beed fixed.

Have fun and great renders.

[marchewa]

Update to version 0.3.44

Changes:
- added instances, actually whole geometry engine was rewritten to work only on instances
- speed up
- normal maps
- added control on cautics, you can make fake caustics - glass materials will work like a fake glass except for first camera intersection (visible one). You can set which roughness value is border value for material to be caustic source. You can turn off bounce from caustic, it will render caustic but will deny any more light propagation from that caustic to scene. All of it is set on Render tab (first one). Also caustics should be redirected to GI buffer, so you can turn it off (Post tab) for the case of scene render difficulty.
- added fill algorithm choice - it allows to choose sequence for pixel filling
- added pseudorendering engine - "Intersections", which only eval first instersection and shades it to camera.
- added another filter - Box2 - no more big pixels on box filter
- Metropolis Light Transport temporarily does not work (due to instances)
- scene format changed a bit, old NOX scenes will not work (due to instances)
- fixed bug that made red appearance in Max 2012 realistic viewport


If you will have some problems with running it (crash on start) you may check these redistributables:
For NOX:
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...redist_x86.EXE
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...redist_x64.EXE

For Max 2010 and higher:
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...redist_x86.exe
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...redist_x64.exe

[marchewa]

Update to version 0.3.45

Only few fixes:
- glossy transmission materials gives less energy, older version was bugged
- better balanced emitter random. Bug came out on Zed scene, where textured sky was on geometry and was muuuuch more bright than other emitters on scene. This caused most of sample going on sky and made very small number of crappy samples for other emitters.
- Negative GMT on Sunsky in Blender bug fixed

EDIT:
Now works with Blender 2.62. Here you can download script:
http://www.evermotion.org/files/noxR...ender_2.62.zip

[marchewa]

Update to version 0.3.46

Changes:
- rewritten texture management, now textures does not duplicate (also in 3ds Max), less memory needed
- environment mapping (spherical), yet to be optimized for high contrast hdr - viewport preview does not work in Max's Nitrous engine, also no viewport preview in Blender
- IES profile file usage, partly implemented: vertical angles only used, for horizontal rotations same values are taken - this is because of lack of orientation information in triangles, also third very simple scene added in material editor for IES preview

[marchewa]

Update to version 0.3.47

Changes:
- *.hdr file format partly supported - if you catch unsupported *.hdr file, please send me
- material override in 3ds Max, still to be done in Blender
- setting post/final/blend files in 3ds Max to be loaded in NOX after scene load
- changed IES scene in mat editor
- bug fixes:
* turn off env map in 3ds Max on Reset,
* sun is default turned off
* multilayered material shading on scene with skyportal, was rendered with wrong reflectance power before

[marchewa]

Update to version 0.3.48

Changes:
- Blender now has color on models in vp
- added override material feature to Blender
- added preload Blend/Post/Final file to Blender
- due to separation of sun and sky, sun is now turned off by default in Blender
- Blender now won't open NOX in case of missing emitters on scene (unless you set ignore option)
- in NOX added 'Reset all' buttons for Blend/Post/Final settings
- in NOX added 'Redraw final' buttons in Post and Blend tab - feature requested by Zed for creation of his Corridor animation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF9AejRoCCE
- in NOX fixed bug with crash when opening texture dialog for aperture/obstacle in Final tab

[marchewa]

Update to version 0.3.49

Changes:
- motion blur - check this thread for technical stuff
- script for Blender 2.63, tested on build x64 46620
- no more older versions of Blender supported, only newest one
- in Blender textures and material preview images now are assigned by name, not ID - careful naming strategy advised
- in Blender some stability issues occurs while exporting,
- fixed texture bug explained here

For competition reasons here are links for older versions:
0.3.47 zip exe
0.3.48 zip exe