Krakatoa PRT Update Never shows any channels

Krakatoa for 3ds Max
1

Any thoughts as to why I wouldn’t see any channels in the Krakatoa PRT Update Channel list when I am trying to get PFlow particles to move like a PRT Loader?

I have a PRT Birth set to the same PRT Loader. I then have a PRT Update, but the update shows no channels, and the particles do not move (they are born, but are static). I feel like I have forgotten something basic, but I cannot figure out what.

Thanks.

2

Thank you for your report! The current version of Krakatoa MX (2.3.1) does not correctly display the available channels in the PRT Update Channel List. This issue should be fixed in our next release of Krakatoa MX.

3

Oh, so it’s a bug?

Will the current version update the position of particles from a PRT Loader? I can’t get the particles to move!

You would think somebody would have noticed this long ago, as this current version has been out for a while.

4

With the current version is there a way to get pFlow particles to update based on a PRT Loader? Mine just won’t update.

Thanks.

5

You can set the channel list via MAXScript. I am on my phone on a Hawaiian beach right now, but will send the code as soon as I get to a computer…

You can call SHOW on the prtupdate object to find the property…

6

Here is how to access a PRT Update via MAXScript:

obj = $Krakatoa_PRT_Update_001
$Krakatoa_PRT_Update:Krakatoa PRT Update 001 @ [0.000000,0.000000,0.000000]
show obj
  .PickPRTLoader (test_node) : node
  .UpdateChannels (Names_of_the_channels_to_be_blended) : string array
  .ChannelAlphas (Channel_Alpha_Values) : float array
  .ChannelUse (Channel_Use) : int array
  .ChannelOptions (Channel_Use) : int array
false
obj.UpdateChannels
#("Position", "Velocity", "Color")
obj.ChannelAlphas
#(100.0, 100.0, 100.0)
obj.ChannelUse
#(1, 0, 0)
obj.ChannelOptions
#(0, 0, 0)

This is from a build where the checkboxes show up, and only the Position channel is checked, the rest of the options are left at defaults.
So you would have to decide which of the channels in your PRT Loader you want to update, and set the property like this:

obj.UpdateChannels = #("Position", "Velocity", "Color") obj.ChannelUse = #(0, 1, 1) --this will enable Velocity and Color updates, but disable Position

The ChannelAlphas values set the Blending factor (default is 100), and the ChannelOptions set the radio button for Blend With Existing (0) and Add To Existing (1).

Hope this helps…

The bug is fixed internally, but due to some major changes in the particles’ display performance in 2015+ builds, we could not post a new build as we need to finish some work for the next release…

7

Thanks, Bobo.

Enjoy Hawaii!