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Vray Proxy

VrayProxy allows you to use geometry from an external mesh at render time only. The object geometry is not present in the memory or scene and does not take many resources. This allows the rendering of scenes with many trillions of triangles - more than Cinema4D itself can handle.

Materials are not saved in the .Vrmesh file, so use Cinema4D materials with proxy objects, like with any other Cinema4D object.

You can convert .obj files to .Vrmesh files with the help of the ply2Vrmesh converter tool, it`s MS-DOS command line utility or use Vrmesh Exporter Tag.

  • Export c4d object to .obj (File - Export - Wavefront).
  • Download ply2Vrmesh tool.
  • Use it in any free commander, like simple ms-dos utility.

ply2vrmesh .obj .vrmesh

This converts the given .ply or .obj file and writes it to the given .vrmesh file. Note that you must specify the file extension, it will not be added automatically.

For example:

  • ply2vrmesh.exe grass.obj grass.vrmesh -smoothNormals

There are also additional options that you can specify:

  • -smoothNormals - generates smooth vertex normals. Only valid for .obj files.
  • -flipNormals - reverses the face normals. Only valid for .obj files.
  • -mapChannel - stores the UVW coordinates to the specified mapping channel (default is 1). Only valid for .obj files.

VrayProxy Object (from file)

Basic Properties

Name - here you can enter a name for the object.
Layer - If an element was assigned to a layer its layer color will be displayed here. This field reflects the layer color in the Layer Palette. You can drag & drop layers from the Layer Browser or similar layer fields onto this field. You can also assign layers or remove elements from current layers using the menus located behind the small triangle.
Visible in Editor - Controls whether the selected objects are visible or invisible in the Viewport.
Visible in Renderer - Controls whether the selected objects are visible or invisible in the renderer..
Use Color - Determines whether the selected objects use their display color. Off switches off the display color so that material colors are used instead. Automatic means the display color is only used if the object has no materials. Always means the display color is always used, even if the object has materials. If a primitive is assigned to a layer, selecting Layer will color the primitive using the color of that layer.
Display Color - Defines the display color. Click the color box to access the system color chooser or click the small triangle to access CINEMA 4D’s color chooser. Choose the desired color.
Shaded Wire Mode - controls when the Shaded Wire Color will be used: never Off, only if the object has no materials Automatic or always Always.
Shaded Wire Color - You can define a custom wireframe color for the object that will be used when the object is inactive. Wireframe colors are visible in the following Viewport display modes (set the desired mode from the view’s Display menu).
Enabled - Switches generators, deformers and primitives on or off. Disabled objects are not visible in the Viewport.
X-Ray - If this option is enabled, the selected objects will be semi-transparent. All points and edges can then still be seen when using a shaded display mode, such as Gouraud shading.

Coordinates

P [XYZ m] - Displays the position of objects lying within a hierarchy, based on the world coordinate system the prevailing coordinate system.
S [XYZ ] - Displays the scale of objects lying within a hierarchy, based on the world coordinate system or the prevailing coordinate system.
R [HPB °] - Displays the rotation of objects lying within a hierarchy, based on the world coordinate system or the prevailing coordinate system.

Object Properties

Vrmesh file - this is the source .vrmesh file. Choose it on your computer.

VrayProxy Object (from Vrmesh Exporter)

Basic Properties

Name - here you can enter a name for the object.
Layer - If an element was assigned to a layer its layer color will be displayed here. This field reflects the layer color in the Layer Palette. You can drag & drop layers from the Layer Browser or similar layer fields onto this field. You can also assign layers or remove elements from current layers using the menus located behind the small triangle.
Visible in Editor - Controls whether the selected objects are visible or invisible in the Viewport.
Visible in Renderer - Controls whether the selected objects are visible or invisible in the renderer..
Use Color - Determines whether the selected objects use their display color. Off switches off the display color so that material colors are used instead. Automatic means the display color is only used if the object has no materials. Always means the display color is always used, even if the object has materials. If a primitive is assigned to a layer, selecting Layer will color the primitive using the color of that layer.
Display Color - Defines the display color. Click the color box to access the system color chooser or click the small triangle to access CINEMA 4D’s color chooser. Choose the desired color.
Shaded Wire Mode - controls when the Shaded Wire Color will be used: never Off, only if the object has no materials Automatic or always Always.
Shaded Wire Color - You can define a custom wireframe color for the object that will be used when the object is inactive. Wireframe colors are visible in the following Viewport display modes (set the desired mode from the view’s Display menu).
Enabled - Switches generators, deformers and primitives on or off. Disabled objects are not visible in the Viewport.
X-Ray - If this option is enabled, the selected objects will be semi-transparent. All points and edges can then still be seen when using a shaded display mode, such as Gouraud shading.

Coordinates

P [XYZ m] - Displays the position of objects lying within a hierarchy, based on the world coordinate system the prevailing coordinate system.
S [XYZ ] - Displays the scale of objects lying within a hierarchy, based on the world coordinate system or the prevailing coordinate system.
R [HPB °] - Displays the rotation of objects lying within a hierarchy, based on the world coordinate system or the prevailing coordinate system.

Object Properties

VrMeshExporter Tag - link Vrmesh Exporter Tag from object with proxy, so object will be used like proxy without making proxy instance manualy. It`s good for making proxy instance from object in scene.
Optimization (0=Bounding Box) - The adjusted proxy preview.
Max distance to trace proxy - distance to proxy that will count to other that box preview.
Max angle to trace proxy - view angle of proxy that will count to other that box preview.
Draw a single Bounding Box - This option force proxy to presented like box.

VrmeshExporter

VrmeshExporter

Vrmesh Exporter Tag used to quickly make proxy from object, so object will be used like proxy without making proxy instance manualy. It`s good for making proxy instance from object in scene. Just add in to object and use in Vray Proxy Object.

Name - here you can enter a name for the object.
Layer - If an element was assigned to a layer its layer color will be displayed here. This field reflects the layer color in the Layer Palette. You can drag & drop layers from the Layer Browser or similar layer fields onto this field. You can also assign layers or remove elements from current layers using the menus located behind the small triangle.
Enable Smoothing - generates smooth vertex normals.
Don`t delete VrMeshes - when this option on, vrmesh files in User folder will no be deleted after rendering completed.

Notes

  • The geometry generated by the proxy object is not modifiable, but you can replace proxy object on hard drive with new version of object.
  • If you need to create several VrayProxies in Cinema4D linked to the same .Vrmesh file, it's better to make them instances - this will save memory since the .Vrmesh file will be loaded only once, especialy it good with Mogrpah.
  • For now in Cinema4D VrayProxy object can`t be used with material Selection, so you need make separate proxy object for different parts of one c4d mesh, for example, if you want make Proxy Tree, you need to make Proxy bark object and Proxy leaves object, and apply different materials to it.
  • You can use .Vrmesh files generated in other applications, like 3ds Max - for example.
  • The ply2Vrmesh tool understands most of the popular .ply formats, both ASCII and binary, big-endian or little-endian.
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