PTranslator Viewer for max2008

[Balu]

Hello,

today I wanted to install the PT Viewer on a new Win Vista (32 bit) machine for network rendering.
Unfortunately I did not find a 2008 version of the viewer on the customer download site.

I tried the Max9 version instead. But it did not work.
Backburner returns this errors:
"Missing dll: BrepObject.dlo - Pwr_EditNRS; Missing dll: BrepObject - Pwr_Assembly"

Where can I download the max2008 version?

[PiXeL_MoNKeY]

The Max 9 version and 2008 should be the same. Make sure it actually installed into a location that is in the plugin.ini. Simple solution do a search for BrepObject.dlo and add the path to the folder containing it to the plugin.ini. NOTE: There are various dlls related to nPower viewer that will need to be in the Max root as well.

Hope that helps,
-Eric

P.S. Personally I handle it a totally different route by installing to an empty folder and copying those files to a central server. From there I have a batch file that is scheduled to run every morning that copies over all the files to the Max install folder. That way all machines are kept up to date. This isn't that big of a deal with nPower Viewer, but other plugins that do have regular updates it does help.

[Balu]

Hi Eric,

thanks for this advice. I have realized that PT has created another max folder (called '3ds max 9'). All *.dll files had been inside this folder.
I moved them all to the max2008 Folder and everything works fine now :)

Thank you!

[zemmuonne]

will there be a new viewer compatible with 5.0?

[PiXeL_MoNKeY]

There is a viewer posted compatible with 5.10 posted both to the demo download page and the customer download page.

-Eric

[zemmuonne]

There is a viewer posted compatible with 5.10 posted both to the demo download page and the customer download page.

-Eric

*blush* sorry Eric, I'll check better next time :D

[ior=0]

Will there be a new viewer for v6 and max2009+ or can we use the 4.82 max9 version?

thanks

[PiXeL_MoNKeY]

It has already been posted to the customer download page and the demo download page. Max 9-2010 are supported with 6.x.

-Eric

[ior=0]

Not on the one I seem to have access to...all I can see are the v6 translators, max9 v5 translators and a translator for max 7&8 but there is no viewer.
On the products page:-
http://www.npowersoftware.com/translators/ptviewer.htm
...the ones here seem to be the Max9 R282 release.

Can you confirm that max2010 support is the only change in v6 over v5?

thanks

[PiXeL_MoNKeY]

If you fill out the information here (http://www.npowersoftware.com/download.htm), then you should get access to the demo downloads and the updated viewers. Version 6 also adds support for native Max modifiers, not sure if that is implemented in the Viewer code or not.

-Eric

[ior=0]

If you fill out the information here (http://www.npowersoftware.com/download.htm), then you should get access to the demo downloads and the updated viewers. Version 6 also adds support for native Max modifiers, not sure if that is implemented in the Viewer code or not.

-Eric

ok done that, I now have access to a v6 viewer - for some reason my old bookmarked "Power Translators Basic 6.0 official Download Page" doesn't have any viewers available.

Could you explain what the "native Max modifiers" are please. I only bought the plug-in last year and I haven't moved to max2010 yet so I need to understand if the $150 upgrade is really going to be worth it.

I also need to get hold of the v5 viewer if that is possible as I'm having trouble DR rendering with vray. If I install the v6 viewer on the slave will it be compatible with a v5.3 plug-in on the workstation?

[PiXeL_MoNKeY]

Could you explain what the "native Max modifiers" are please. I only bought the plug-in last year and I haven't moved to max2010 yet so I need to understand if the $150 upgrade is really going to be worth it.Watch the Video here (http://www.npowersoftware.com/PN6.0_WatchModeling.htm) for some info. Basically prior to 6.0 if you added any native max modifiers to your models (bend, taper, xform, ffd, etc) it woudl convert the model to a mesh and it would no longer be usable as a BREP. With 6.0 most native max modifiers (the ones that ship with Max) work without converting the data to a mesh. This gives you the ability to shape your models easier and keep the in the BREP/NURBS data.I also need to get hold of the v5 viewer if that is possible as I'm having trouble DR rendering with vray. If I install the v6 viewer on the slave will it be compatible with a v5.3 plug-in on the workstation?AFAIK, it should work fine, however I haven't tried it myself.

-Eric

[ior=0]

Eric,
thanks for the video link, that explains nicely.

I use The npower basic translators mainly for importing IGES/STEP models that I rarely have to modify.
Hence I am of the option that an upgrade for 30% of the purchase cost after little over a year just for 2010 compatibility and some new features that I will rarely, if ever use is rather expensive.:eek:
I find it a little alarming that I will also be locked out of my recent purchase when I upgrade to 2010. Maybe I'm just too used to VRAY type upgrades - but surely there should be a basic version with 2010 compatibility and no new features that existing users can get for their existing purchase or at least a somewhat more minimal upgrade price.:(

On a happier note can also confirm that the v6 viewer works on the DR slave with my v5.3 workstation plug-in.:)

[PiXeL_MoNKeY]

I find it a little alarming that I will also be locked out of my recent purchase when I upgrade to 2010. Maybe I'm just too used to VRAY type upgrades - but surely there should be a basic version with 2010 compatibility and no new features that existing users can get for their existing purchase or at least a somewhat more minimal upgrade price.:(This is how must developers work, once you move to a new major version you don't recompile for previous releases. I am guessing you will see the same thing once Vray has a major version change. I doubt once they move on from 1.x you will see recompiles of it for the next versions of Max that require version recompiles.

-Eric

[npower_Gary]

This is Gary owner of nPower/Integrityware. Let me explain why we have to charge an upgrade cost. There is a cost for us in terms of developing the plug-ins and maintaining them. For 2010 here are some of the things we had to do:

1) Upgrade our development environment from Visual Studio 2005 to Visual Studio 2008 (required by Max 2010).
2) Spend between 3 and 4 months of development and testing with 4 people working nearly full time on it.
3) Spend significant time and effort to do all of the web site enhancements, marketing and publicity.
4) We spent time to work out issues involved with upgrading our Turbosquid licensing.
5) We also have to support the products on a continual basis and we have someone available during the day to answer phone calls and E-mails.

The bottom line for us is that we need to make at least enough to justify continuing to develop and support the 3ds Max plugins. Upgrade revenue is a substantial percentage of our plugin income and without it we would not be covering the cost we put into the software. We have a very talented team here at nPower/IntegrityWare. This is not just a hobby for us it is how we pay the bills. Three of us have kids in college and one of us just had their fourth child. I need to pay everyone a reasonable salary or they will go elsewhere.

I understand your frustration at having to pay upgrade costs because we have to do the same ourselves every year. I think the real question you might want to ask is what is the value of our software to your business. Over the course of the year did you get a return on the investement you made in our software? Did it save you time or help you to get jobs done with quality results?

I hope that helps you to understand better why we do business the way we do.