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Image AddedScatter Object Modifier

Maxwell Scatter allows you to easily distribute trees, stones, or entourage elements throughout your form•Z formZ project. With Scatter is a parametric render-time object modifier, which means that it simply 'grows' on an existing form•Z base object, such as a terrain model: it places object instances only when the scene is rendered. This approach can dramatically reduce formZ's memory footprint and storage requirements on complex projects.

The general workflow for setting up Scatter through the plugin is outlined below. See Refer to the sections that follow for details on each step.

Workflow

1. Create Source MXS Reference: Scatter places MXS references. ot necessary if you have already built or These may be references you create, or have purchased as purchased a collection of MXS entourage.
2. Define Scattering Parameters. Set up density, random scaling, and random rotation in a Scatter Definition . are created in the project's (Located in Object Modifier Library).
3. Apply. Any number of Scatter Definitions may be applied to a base object, via the objects object's Maxwell Attributes.
4. Render. Scattered objects are generated at render time.

Create MXS

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Source MXS Reference

References can be created from existing formZ Objects (or even from entire formZ projects) with the Create MXS Tool. Alternately, render-ready MXS entourage may be found online.

Define Scatter Definition

The form•Z formZ plugin introduces the concept of Scatter Definitions, which are defined and stored in the Object Modifier Library. Scatter Definitions are stored with your project.

To invoke the Scatter Library, select Extensions> Maxwell Render> Object Modifier..., or click on  in the Maxwell Object Attributes pane. Click on the Scatter tab.

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Descriptions of the remaining parameters may be found here: Maxwell Scatter.The Scatter Library is stored with your project.

Apply Scatter Definition to

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Objects

To apply one or more a Scatter definitions Definition to a base an object, such as a terrain model, see: form•Z | Object Attributes and Modifiersselect the object, Click on the Pick Tool Attributes tab, and select Maxwell Attributes... from the pulldown menu. In the resulting Maxwell Attributes dialog, Definitions may be added or removed from the object. More than one definition may be applied to the same object.

Render

There are a few things to keep in mind when using Scatter, from a resources point of view:

• Scatter uses very little storage space. A form•Z formZ project with many scattered objects will be pretty much the same size as one without (other things being equal).

• Using Scatter will not affect performance of form•Z formZ during modeling in any way (compared with, for instance, millions of components).

• Scatter can consume a great deal of memory when it is rendered. Fire rendering with a lot of Scatter objects on OSX (32-bit) or Windows 32-bit can lead to out-of-memory issues.

• However, rendering in Maxwell Render (standalone renderer) will use all the memory available on your system, so rendering very complex scenes is possible.

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