Table of Contents

This page provides information about the Start Chaos Vantage tool in SketchUp.



Overview

The Start Chaos Vantage tool helps you send your SketchUp scene to Chaos Vantage with a click of a button. It initiates a Live Link session between SketchUp and Chaos Vantage, instantly sending any changes you make to the scene to Vantage without reexporting the scene.

The Start Custom Live Link tool starts a Live Link server with settings specified in the Customized Live Link menu.

The Customize Live Link tool sets specific settings for performance.



Installation

The installation of the tools comes with the installation of V-Ray 5 for SketchUp, update 2 and later.

For detailed instructions on installing and setting up Live Link from SketchUp to Chaos Vantage, see the Live Link from SketchUp tutorial.



UI Path

To access the Start Chaos Vantage tool, in SketchUp go to:

||Extensions menu|| > V-Ray > Live Link > Start Chaos Vantage

||V-Ray toolbar || > Start Chaos Vantage


To access the Start Custom Live Link, in SketchUp go to:

||Extensions menu|| > V-Ray > Live Link > Start Custom Live Link



To access the Customize Live Link tool, in SketchUp go to:

||Extensions menu|| > V-Ray > Live Link > Customize Live Link





Specify address and port

The Specify address and port dialog, available by selecting Customize Live Link, allows you to specify IP address and port. 

Address – Specifies the IP address that the Live Link connection connects to.

Port – Specifies the port at which the Live Link connection is started.

Always make sure you are using the same port in both SketchUp and Chaos Vantage!




Usage

To use the tool, just click the Start Chaos Vantage button and a Live Link session will be initialized between SketchUp and Chaos Vantage. The tool automatically:

  • Starts Chaos Vantage if it is not already running.
  • Sends the scene to Chaos Vantage on 20701 port.

To stop a Live Link session, click again the Start Chaos Vantage button.



Live Link Supported Features

The following changes made in the V-Ray compatible DCC are propagated through Live Link:

  • Editing, creating and deleting of:
    • Camera
    • Geometries
    • Lights
    • Materials
    • Textures
    • Environment



Known Limitations

The following actions can be done inside Chaos Vantage during Live Link:

  • create cameras;

  • create camera animation in the animation editor;

  • edit environment and fog;

  • add color correction effects;

  • Render:

    • snapshots;

    • HQ still image;

    • HQ sequence;

  • save .vantage file with the changes from above.

The following actions cannot be done inside Chaos Vantage during Live Link:

  • transform objects;

  • hide/unhide objects;

  • reassign materials;

  • edit lights;

  • import external(including cosmos assets) files;

  • animation playback.

The following requires a restart of the Live Link session in order to be updated properly.

  • Updating of:

    • animated V-Ray Proxy files (.vrmesh)


During Live Link session the UI in Chaos Vantage adapts to the limitations mentioned in the Known limitations section. The following is hidden from the Top Toolbar and Side panels:

  • Select, Move, Rotate, Scale, Move Pivot tools
  • Chaos Cosmos Browser,
  • Create Scatter, Fur, Decal, Lights, Camera and Scene State tools
  • Lights and Object tabs
  • Material lister in Material tab
  • Sun properties in the Environment tab if there is a Sun light already existing in the Host application

When in Live Link session, changes made to the camera, render resolution, environment and scattered fog inside Vantage will be reset to their values or states in the host platform when:

  • playing animation/scrubbing the timeline in the host platform
  • navigating or camera manipulating
  • using Render animation with Chaos Vantage tool (available in 3ds Max and Maya)

When the Live Link session is closed, the scene is still loaded inside Vantage but it is considered dirty and the aforementioned limitations are still in effect. A .vrscene file from the host application needs to be exported and loaded inside Chaos Vantage to enable full manipulation, editing and playback.

If a .vantage file is saved in an active Live Link session, it can be loaded in a next session or applied to a loaded .vrscene.


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