This page provides information on the VRayEnmesh Modifier.
Overview
The VRayEnmesh modifier generates a render time patterned geometry over a mesh surface. The modifier can be used to create crochet fabric, chain mail, nets, and anything that requires inflex geometry tiling.
Multiple objects can be included in the modifier's Objects list to form a complex pattern sample and tile together over the mesh surface.
The modifier's gizmo encloses the sample to be tiled. You can adjust it to fit all the listed geometry or crop it conveniently by modifying the size and position of the gizmo. Therefore, the gizmo is also referred as crop box.
V-Ray Enmesh patterns are available in the Chaos Cosmos Browser. For more information, visit the Cosmos page.
The VRayEnemsh UI is slightly different in 3ds Max 2018 due to limitations in the Qt embedded version.
UI Path:
||Select a geometry|| > V-Ray menu > Create > Modifiers > V-Ray EnMesh Mod
||Select a geometry|| > Modifiers menu > V-Ray > V-Ray EnMesh Mod
||Select a geometry|| > Command panel > Modify tab > Modifier List > VRayEnmeshMod
Object Parameters
Add – Adds mesh objects to the Objects list. The listed objects form the repeating pattern in accordance with the gizmo setup.
Remove – Removes selected meshes from the Objects list.
Remove all – Removes all meshes from the Objects list.
Crop box size X/Y/Z – Sets the gizmo size along X/Y/Z axis.
Fit in object space – Adjusts the size and position of the gizmo to fit all listed objects.
Height % – Sets the resulting VRayEnmesh height based on the Crop box size Z. 100% means using original crop box height.
Height offset % – Sets the VRayEnmesh geometry offset along the surface normals based on the Crop box Z size.
Use mesh UVW mapping – When enabled, uses the mapping of the listed objects for shading the result VRayEnmesh. This option is disabled by default and the mapping of the original base mesh object is used for shading. See the Use mesh UVW mapping example below.
Use mesh IDs – When enabled (default), shades the VRayEnmesh using the polygon materialIDs of the objects that form the pattern. This comes handy with shading setups that include VRayMultiSubTex or Multi/Sub-Object material. If disabled, the polygon materialIDs of the base mesh object are used. See the Use Mesh IDs example below.
You are able to use VRayMultiSubTex and VRayUVWRandomizer for texture variations on a single pattern level of VRayEnmesh with the help of the By Instance ID randomization mode.
Basic Parameters
Map channel – Specifies the mapping channel of the base surface to use for pattern tiling.
Tiling U/V – Sets a tiling factor for the pattern. For more information, see the VRayEnmeshMod Tiling example below.
Offset U/V – Sets a pattern offset along the base surface local mapping.
Rotation – Sets pattern rotation around the base surface normal.
Random offset U/V – Sets a random offset along the base surface mapping to every pattern in its tile.
Use rotation steps – When enabled, the random rotation is snapped to distinct angles as formed by using the Random rotation value as steps count to cover the full 360 spectrum. For example, if Random rotation is set to 4, the pattern mesh is randomly rotated on a 90 degrees step (360/4) - 0, 90, 180, 270, 360 (0). If there is also a Rotation set, for example to 30 degrees, there is a 30 degrees offset - 30, 120, 210, 300, 390 (30).
Random rotation – Sets random rotation up to the given angle to each pattern around the base surface normal. Rotation happens in positive and negative direction.
Step counts – Sets rotation steps count when Use random rotation steps is enabled.
Examples
Example: VRayEnmeshMod Tiling
The following example shows how а VRayEnmeshMod is used on a simple plane to coat it with a pattern of torus objects. The pattern is controlled via the Tiling parameters and the tori are included in the Objects list.
The Crop box X, Y and Z are set at the following values respectively: 12.6, 17.056, 4.5.
Download the example scene here.
The VRayEnmesh gizmo box is set in such a way that its edges are in the center of the tori's periphery. Thus, the tori tile seamlessly.
The tiling pattern changes considerably when the Tiling values change:
Tiling U and V = 8
Tiling U and V = 12
Tiling U and V = 16
Move the slider to see the example renders.
Example: VRayEnmesh Randomization
The following example shows how a VRayUVWRandomizer texture randomizes several other textures on a VRayEnmesh's single pattern level. The VRayUVWRandomizer's randomization mode is set to By instance ID.
Material setup in the Material Editor.
Texture variations are visible in the following render:
VRayMultiSubTex can also add variations on a VRayEnMesh's single pattern level. In the following example, the texture's randomization mode is set to By instance ID as well.
Material setup in the Material Editor.
Color variations are visible in the following render:
Example: Use Mesh IDs
The following example shows the effect of Use Mesh IDs parameter. The scarf geometry has a VRayMtl applied with a VRayMultiSub texture plugged in the Diffuse map slot.
Example: Use mesh UVW mapping
This example shows the effect of the Use mesh UVW mapping parameter. Keep in mind that the geometry used for pattern has its own correct mapping so that textures are placed and tiled properly on that single geometry. The VRayEnmesh option simply controls whether to use the mapping from the pattern or from the base object.
On the left is the material setup in the Material Editor used for the scarf geometry. On the right is the geometry used as a pattern for the VRayEnmeshMod.
The following renders show how the Use mesh UVW mapping parameter controls the mapping source for the shading.
And here is the final image with enabled Use mesh UVW mapping.
Notes
- VRayEnmesh is incompatible with render-time created geometry like displacement and V-Ray Fur.
- When using VRayEnmesh on V-Ray GPU the gizmo’s amount on the Z axis should be slightly greater than the bounding box size of the source object to avoid Z-fighting.