AutoCAD Help Documentation RPC Interface
There are three ways to access RPC commands:
- Type-in Commands
Dashboard Menu 
RPC Toolbar 
Icons and Commands
Placement Command = rpcplace 
Editing Command = rpcEdit 
RPC Substitution Command = rpcSub 
Proxy Placement Command = rpcProxy 
Repulsor Placement Command = rpcRepulsor 
Detach Proxy Command = rpcDetach
RPC Thumbs Command = rpcThumbs 
Mass Edit Command = rpcMassEdit 
Edit Ruleset Command = rpcMassPop 
Attractor Placement Command = rpcAttractor 
Focus Placement Command = rpcFocus
RPC Selection
The RPC Selection dialog is the primary interface for selecting and placing RPCs. It displays currently available content and provides previews of specific content selections. To access the RPC Selection dialog type the command rpcPlace, or click on the rpcPlace icon.
Project List
The Project list displays collections of RPCs stored as a project. Projects are created using the ArchVision Content Manager. This allows users to customize which RPCs are available for projects.
Content Category List
The Content Category list displays the separate RPC library divisions. When open, the user will see one or more categories corresponding to the type of RPC content available through the current bitmap path configuration.
Content Name List
The Content Name list displays the currently available RPCs in a particular Category. Selecting an RPC from this list and “Clicking” in a view port will place that RPC object. The selected RPC will also display a corresponding Preview.
Thumbnail Browser
The Thumbnail browser allows users to quickly browse for RPC Content and to view multiple previews simultaneously. RPCs can be sorted by Project Name or Content Category. The RPC thumbnail browser can be expanded to view even more RPCs simultaneously. To open the RPC Thumbnail Browser select the Thumbnail Browser icon.
Configure Content
The Configure Content button contacts the ACM and retrieves the RPC Content currently in the Content Paths. This option should be used when new content is added to existing paths or when the ACM’s Content Paths have been changed. More information on configuring the ACM can be found in the Getting Started section.
About
The About button contains information regarding the plug-in version and contact information. Prior to contacting ArchVision’s Technical Support, please note the RPC Plug-in version number found in About.
ArchVision Media Launchpad
Launches help.archvision.com
Launches support.archvision.com for Live Chat assistance
Accesses the ArchVision Facebook page
Launches the Ask ArchVision Twitter feed
Launches blog.archvision.com
Preview Window
This window displays the currently selected RPC’s preview image. As well as providing an example of the RPC subject, the preview also indicates the type of RPC:
Still RPC (or 2D) previews are indicated by a green vertical stripe along the right side of the image.
Standard RPC (or 3D) previews do not show any additional information.
Motion RPC (or 2.5D) previews are indicated by a blue vertical stripe along the right side of the image, and show the number of frames in its animated sequence.
Walking RPC (or 3.5D) previews are indicated by a yellow vertical stripe along the right side of the image.
3D+ RPC previews are indicated by a red vertical stripe along the right side of the image.
Hi-Res RPC previews are indicated by a green vertical stripe along the right side of the image.
RPC Parameters
The Parameters dialog contains the controls for editing RPC properties. These properties can affect the visual characteristics and/or the rendering time for an RPC object.
The Parameters dialog can be accessed using the command rpcEdit.
The Parameters roll-out can be divided into a number of sections. The most common sections are the Parameters section and the Motion section.
SMART content RPCs can have a number of sections within the Parameters roll-out, but many of the controls will be similar to the ones discussed in the Parameters and Motion sections.
Note: Most motion controls do not have any effect in AutoCAD. Only the controls that change the start frames will function.
Parameters
The “Parameters” section of the RPC Parameters roll-out contains several controls for adjusting RPC properties. These properties can affect the visual characteristics and/or the rendering time for an RPC object. Some of the most common parameters for an RPC are:
Height: The height of the RPC in the current units.
Cast Reflections: Creates a “backside” for the RPC, allowing for more accurate reflections. Can increase rendering time.
Jitter: Make animations smooth at the cost of some image clarity.
Billboard: Sets the RPC to not change images based on camera location. This can reduce rendering time.
Cast Shadows: Sets the properties of the RPC to cast and receive shadows.
Height
Height controls the size of the RPC object. Each RPC has a real world default height. If it is necessary to change the height of an RPC to match the scale of a scene, it is better to adjust this value rather that apply a scale transform. The height of a RPC can affect the Speed property of an RPC.
Cast Reflections
The RPC Plug-in has a “Cast Reflections” option that differs in meaning from the standard 3ds Max definition. RPCs are essentially specialized textures applied to a flat plane. However, as the texture applied also appears on the opposite side of the plane, unusual reflections can result. The RPC Cast Reflections option produces a more realistic result.
When Cast Reflections is checked, a second plane is created for the object. This plane faces away from the camera and has the image of the opposite side of the RPC applied to it. The reflection is only accurate when the RPC object is directly between the camera and the reflective surface. As the reflective surface moves to a more acute angle the reflection will thin out.
Turning Cast Reflections on can significantly increase memory requirements and increase rendering time. This option should only be used when the RPC is expected to cast a reflection in a vertical surface directly behind it. RPC trees (and other plants) may not always need this option turned on, even when expected to be seen in a reflection, as the front of a tree closely resembles the back.
Jitter
When representing objects with a large diameter (such as a tree) a rotation of one degree may equate to several inches at the edge of the object. If you rotate slowly around this object, you may notice the object “jumping” as it switches images during the rotation. We refer to this problem as “Jitter”. To address the issue of Jitter, the Plug-in will take two adjacent images and blend them together at each frame to achieve a smooth transition between images. The main drawback to this feature is that the RPC object will be slightly blurred due to the blending. Use of this feature can be turned off in the object’s properties on a per object basis. The Jitter control does not affect 2.5D (Motion) or 2D (Still) content.
Billboard
Billboarding allows you to “lock” an RPC to a fixed image. As the camera revolves around the RPC, the RPC will not update the image but will continue to face the active camera in the scene. Turning this option on greatly reduces the RAM required and can reduce rendering time. The actual frame that is displayed can be adjusted globally in the file. The Billboard option does not apply to 2.5D or 3.5D RPC files.
Cast Shadows
All RPC Objects can cast shadows if the light being used is casting ray-traced shadows, and the RPC is set to Cast and Receive Shadows. RPCs have a Cast Shadows option.
Enabling the Cast Shadows option:
- Sets the properties of the RPC objects to “Cast and Receive” shadows
- Creates a special shadow material so out of view objects will cast shadows
For the RPCs with a Cast Shadows option to actually cast shadows, the active scene light(s) must have:
- Shadows option turned On
- Shadow Type set to Ray Traced Shadows
In order for RPCs to cast shadows, they must also be included in a light source.
If an RPC is included in the light source, it may be necessary to configure the self-illumination value to compensate for the effect that the light source will have on the RPC.
Not all RPCs have a Cast Shadows option. This only applies to RPCs with a Cast Shadows option.
Filter Effects
To apply a filter to an RPC object click the Change button next to the current filter name (or None) if no filter is to be applied. Select a filter from the dialog box, and click OK. The filter will then allow you to alter its settings (if necessary).
Selecting/deselecting the Apply Filter check box will allow you to activate/deactivate the applied filter.
Motion
The “Motion” section of the RPC Parameters roll-out contains the controls for animated RPCs. These controls are available for 2.5D (motion), 3.5D (walking), and some SMART RPCs. The common controls that are available on the “Motion” section are:
Speed: The rate at which a walking RPC travels along its spline.
Start Frame: First frame displayed for the loop cycle.
Cycle: If the RPC plays its animated sequence in a loop.
Ping Pong: If the RPC will cycle from the Start Frame to the End Frame and back throughout the animation.
Start Frame: First frame displayed for the ping pong cycle.
Min Frame: The lowest numbered frame of the Ping Pong sequence.
Max Frame: The highest numbered frame of the Ping Pong sequence.
Use Specified Frame: If the RPC will display the specified frame.
Frame: The frame to be displayed (this can be animated for fine control).
If none of the motion controls are enabled then the RPC will display frame 0 of its animated sequence.
Sample Motion Sections
RPC Mass Edit
The RPC Mass Edit Dialog contains the ability to affect multiple RPCs at once. The user can select, sort, alter parameters, switch content and apply Photoshop filters to one or more RPC objects. These features are accessed by clicking on the Mass Edit icon in the RPC Ribbon or toolbar.
The RPC Mass Edit dialog contains several icons indicating the current properties of the listed RPCs. The properties for selected RPCs may be adjusted by clicking in the column under the appropriate icon. The following list describes the meanings and effects of the icons:
Object Name: Displays the object name Filter: Applies Filters 
RPC Cast Refections option (C = ON) 
RPC Jitter option (J = ON) 
RPC Billboard option (B = ON) 
RPC Cast Shadows option (S = ON) 
RPC Height Value 
Self-Illumination Value 
RPC Start Frame Value
Mass Edit Height
When the Height column is clicked, all currently selected RPCs will be affected by the changes made in the Height section, which will appear to the right of the RPC list in the Mass Edit dialog. All changes are applied when the Apply button immediately below the entry is clicked.
Height: The height in current units
Height Factor: A multiplier applied to all RPCs selected (Multiplies the Height)
Random Min/Max: Provides a range in which selected RPCs will be assigned random height values
Mass Edit Self Illumination
When the Self Illumination column is clicked, all currently selected RPCs will be affected by the changes made in the Self Illumination section, which will appear to the right of the RPC list in the Mass Edit dialog. All changes are implemented when the Apply button immediately below the entry is clicked.
Self-Illumination: The percentage of lighting that comes from the image
Mass Edit Start Frame
When the Start Frame column is clicked, all currently selected RPCs will be affected by the changes made in the Start Frame section, which will appear to the right of the RPC list in the Mass Edit dialog. All changes are applied when the Apply button immediately below the entry is clicked.
Cycle: If the RPC plays its animated sequence in a loop.
Start Frame: First frame displayed for the loop cycle.
Randomize Start Frames: If this is checked the value in Start Frame is ignored, and each item will receive a randomly generated Start Frame between 0 and its maximum frame number.
Ping Pong: If the RPC will cycle from the Start Frame to the End Frame and back throughout the animation.
Start Frame: First frame displayed for the ping pong cycle.
Randomize Start Frames: If this is checked the value in Start Frame is ignored, and each item will receive a randomly generated Start Frame between Min Frame and Max Frame.
Min Frame: The lowest numbered frame of the Ping Pong sequence.
Max Frame: The highest numbered frame of the Ping Pong sequence.
Use Specified Frame: If the RPC will display the specified frame.
Frame: The frame to be displayed (this can be animated for fine control).
Mass Edit Filters
Filters can be applied to objects in the Mass Edit dialog just like in the Parameters dialog.
In order to turn off filters from the Mass Edit dialog, first select the items that you want to remove the filter from, click the filter column, select a filter to apply (any selection will do, the filter will be turned off), and then cancel from the filter settings dialog. This will remove the previously applied filters from the objects.
Mass Edit Switch
The Switch option allows the user to change selected RPC objects with an RPC chosen from the Switch Content list. This list appears after user presses the Switch Content button located above the RPC list in the Mass Edit dialog. Switched RPCs maintain the orientation of the original RPCs.
Mass Edit Selection
RPCs may be selected in the dialog either singly, by holding down the Shift or Control keys, by dragging a box around the items, or by using the All, None, and Invert buttons. All adjusted modifiers will be applied to selected RPCs.
Mass Edit Sorting
RPCs may be sorted alphabetically or by category type. Additionally, RPCs can also be sorted using the icons located at the top of the Mass Edit dialog box. Selecting an icon toggles it between active and inactive, alternately adding or removing the particular RPC type from the list.
Icon Meanings:
RPC 2D: Still content – (example library: Plantscape)
RPC 2.5D: Motion Content – (example library: Motion Casual Volume 1)
RPC 3D: Standard Content – (example library: Business Volume 2)
RPC 3.5: Walking Content – (example library: Walking Business Volume 1)
RPC 3D+: 3D+ Content – (example library: Office Clutter Volume 1)
RPC Mass Populate
The RPC Mass Populate feature allows you to quickly fill a scene with selected RPC Objects. To use the Mass Populate feature you must first place a series of RPC Proxy objects in your scene. RPC Proxy objects can be placed using the rpcProxy command.
To access the Mass Populate dialog use the command rpcMassPop.
After placing RPC Proxy objects you may also wish to place RPC Attractors, RPC Repulsors, and RPC Foci in the scene. These objects will modify the results of the RPC Object placement.
After placing the RPC Proxy, Attractor, Repulsor and Foci objects you need to define a Rule Set. You define a rule set in the RPC Mass Populate – Rule Set Editor dialog. You can access the RPC Proxy Rule Sets dialog using the command rpcMassPop.
When you Mass Populate your scene, each proxy knows which RPC belongs to it. If you want to break this association between proxy and RPC object, you can use the detatch proxy feature with the command rpcDetatch. This will allow you to repopulate a proxy without removing the RPC that was previously associated with it.
RPC Helpers
RPC Helpers are the objects that help you generate mass placement of RPC Objects.
- RPC Proxy – These objects are placeholders that may be filled in with an RPC Object. They can also be empty (providing randomization of empty spaces). RPC Objects will be oriented like the proxy object unless they are modified in the RPC Mass Populate – Proxy Rule Set Editor.
Proxy command = rpcProxy
- RPC Attractor – These objects are used to attract RPC Objects to an area of the scene. An attractor will cause the RPC Proxies nearest it to be filled with more RPC Objects than empty spaces.
Attractor command = rpcAttractor
- RPC Repulsor – These objects are used to repel RPC Object from an area of the scene. A Repulsor will cause the RPC Proxies nearest it to be filled with more empty spaces than RPC Objects.
Repulsor command = rpcRepulsor
- RPC Focus – These objects are used to make RPC Objects face toward the Focus.
Focus command = rpcFocus
RPC Proxy Rule Set
The Basics
Editing RPC Proxy Rule Sets is like defining a script for placement of RPC Objects. The RPC Proxy Rule Sets dialog helps you define the placement script.
When you first access the RPC Proxy Rule Sets dialog a new Rule Set is created for you.
The first thing to do is to select the Proxies that you want to assign RPC objects to. There are four ways to select the Proxies. First is to select them in the List View. Second is type in the edit box above the list, this will select any items whose name matches the type-in text. Third is the Use Scene Selection button. This will cause any Proxies that are selected in the scene to be selected. Fourth is the Select All button, which will select all of the proxies in the list.
The next step (and the last required step), is to define which RPC Content will be used as the objects placed where the Proxies are located. This is done by clicking the Select RPC Content button. The RPC Mass Selection dialog will appear. Select the RPC Content that you want to use for placement and click the Accept Selection button. The items you selected will be added to the content list, and the distribution percentage will be evenly distributed amongst them.
At this point you can hit the Populate button, and the RPC objects will be randomly placed among your proxies.
Intermediate
To further control your RPC object placement there are 4 other types of options that can be assigned to a Rule Set: Attractors, Repulsors, Foci, and Random Transforms. You must scroll down in the rollup window (or minimize the Proxy Selection and/or Content Selection roll-ups), in order to see the Attractor, Repulsor, Focus, and Random Transform lists.
In order to use an Attractor, Repulsor, or Focus setting you must be sure to enable them in your rule set. Once you have placed them in your scene, scroll down to the appropriate rollout in the Mass Populate dialogue and check the box to activate your setting. For example, if you have placed an Attractor, you will scroll down to the Attractor rollout and then click the checkbox to the left to select that option in your rule set.
Random Transforms will effect a rule set when they are added to the Random Transform list.
- Attractors and Repulsors
Notice in the RPC Content list the final entry is <Empty>. This is the percentage of proxies that will not be assigned an RPC object. Attractors and Repulsors affect the distribution of these <Empty> Proxies.-
Attractors
Attractors are used to attract RPC objects to them. If an Attractor is being used by a Rule Set then Proxies closer to the Attractor are less likely to be assigned <Empty>. The higher the Strength of the Attractor, the more the RPC objects will be clustered close to the Attractor.
For example, if you were creating a parking lot, you would put an Attractor close to the building, since most people would park near the building. -
Repulsors
Repulsors are used to keep RPC objects away from them. If an Attractor is being used by a Rule Set the Proxies closer to the Repulsor are more likely to be assigned <Empty>. The higher the Strength of the Repulsor, the more the <Empty> assignments will be clustered close to the Repulsor.
For example, if you were creating a parking lot, you would put an Attractor on the outskirts of the lot, since most people would park near the building.
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Foci
Foci affect the rotation of the placed RPC Objects. By default RPC Objects face the same direction as the Proxy they are associated with. If a Focus is being used by a Rule Set then the RPC Objects are going to rotate to face the Focus. How closely they face the Focus depends on the Strength of the Focus.
For example, if you were placing a crowd watching a speaker on stage, you would place a Focus where the speaker would be located. This will cause the people to look at the speaker. -
Random Transforms
Random Transforms affect the position, rotation, or scale of the placed RPC Objects. Random Transforms are applied in the order that they appear in the dialog. You can move a transform up in the order by clicking its Move Up button. You can remove a transform by clicking its Delete button. The available transforms are:
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Percent
This Transform starts a group of transforms. The Percent transform determines what percentage of the RPC objects being placed that will be affected by the transforms that follow it. If no Percent transform is specified then all of the placed RPC objects will be affected by the listed transforms.
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Scale
This modifies the height of the RPC Object (not really the scale).
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Z Rotation
The Z Rotation affects the rotation of the RPC Object. This is applied in the RPC Object space, and is applied after any rotation caused by a Focus.
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X, Y and Z Translations
The X, Y, and Z Transforms affect the position of the RPC Object. These transforms are applied in the Proxy space.
For example, if you place a series of Proxy objects along a bench, facing the front of the bench, then an X Transform would move the RPC Object along the bench, regardless of what direction the RPC Object ends up facing.
For Example, for a Parking Lot we would like some of the cars to be facing backwards in the parking space, and we would like the cars to not be at the exact same position in the parking space. The first thing we would do is add a Percent transform of 25 percent. Then we would add a Y Translation with Min -2 m, Max -2 m and Step 0. Then we would add a Z Rotation transform with Min 180, Max 180, and Step 0. This will cause 25 percent of the cars to be rotated 180 degrees, and the Y Translation corrects for the fact that the pivot of the cars in at the rear axel instead of in the center of the car.
Then add another Percent transform of 100 percent, followed by a Y Translation with Min -1 m, Max 1 m, and Step 0. This will cause all of the cars to be moved backwards or forwards slightly.
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Advanced
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Rule Sets
- If you need to define multiple Rule Sets you can click the New Rule Set button. A new Rule Set will be added to the list of Rule Sets, and it will be selected.
- You can switch between Rule Sets by selecting the desired Rule Set in the Rule Set Name combo box.
- If you want to change the name of one of the Rule Sets just select it and then edit the name in the combo box.
- If you want to get rid of a Rule Set select it in the combo box and click the Delete Selected Rule Set button.
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Proxy List
- If you want to remove the populated RPCs from a set of Proxies you can select the Proxies in the Proxy list and click the Depopulate this will delete the RPC Objects and reset the Proxies to the unassigned state.
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Object Selection List
- If you added an RPC Object to the Object list, and then decide that you do not want that RPC Object used in the placement you can select the RPC Object and click the Remove Selected button. This will remove the RPC Object from the list and add its weight to the <Empty> pool.
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Settings
- If you like the settings you have configured, but Bob just happens to show up right next to himself when you click Populate, you change change the seed used for the randomization to get a different result. To change the seed, select Change Seed on the Settings menu. You will be prompted to specify a new seed. Select a new value and hit OK. Click the Populate button again and you will get a new distribution. If you decide that you liked the old distribution better, just change the seed back to the previous value.
RPC Mass Selection
The RPC Mass Selection Dialog allows the user to select multiple RPCs at once. Content is listed in a tree view on the right of the dialog, sorted by Category.
You can also Update your content list, get information about your RPC Plug-in, and access this Help file from the RPC Mass Selection Dialog.
Using RPCs
With an RPC you can add rich content to your scenes with as few as two mouse clicks. Choose content from your RPC library, click to place in the scene and render. You can also substitute RPCs in place of specially prepared block and multi-view block content.
Choosing Content
Open the RPC interface by entering the command rpcplace. This can also be accessed by clicking on the RPC Place button on the ribbon or toolbar.
For example, choose Auto_Coupe/Sport from the Content Type menu. A list of cars available in this category will appear below the pull-down menu. An image will appear below the content name giving a thumbnail preview of the content selected.
Placing Content in a Scene
Select an RPC from the Content List, click OK. Click in the viewport. An icon will appear indicating the RPCs position Move the mouse to select the RPCs rotation. Click again to set the rotation.
The RPC is now ready for rendering.
Rendering a Scene
The scene can be rendered from any viewport or camera angle after RPC content has been placed. An exception to this rule is rendering non 3D+ RPCs from the top or bottom viewport. The icon that is used to identify it’s placement and orientation in the scene will not be visible in the finished rendering. The scene may be rendered normally, with no additional settings.
Updating Content
If you have added or changed a path in your ArchVision Content Manager you will need to Update your plug-ins content list. To update the content list in AutoCAD or AutoCAD Architecture you must click on the Update Content button found in the Content Configuration dialog.
Substitutions
Using the RPC Plug-in for AutoCAD/AutoCAD Architecture, it is possible to replace entities in the scene with RPC entities.
Each item that is displayed in a scene is an entity. If it can be selected, moved, scaled or rotated it is an entity. When multi-view blocks are added to a scene, the outline of the person, tree or object that you see is a Multi-view block entity.
Multi-view block entities reference the Multi-view block data for the information that will be displayed. Unfortunately, Multi-view blocks cannot be rendered. However, it is possible to replace a Multi-view block entity with an RPC entity using the rpcSub command. RPC entities reference RPC files for the images that will be rendered at render time.
Multi-view blocks also contain the information about which RPC file the RPC entities will be used for the substitution.
To easily Substitute Multi-view block entities with RPCs type-in rpcSub or click on the rpcSub icon. The following dialog will open:
Left click on the RPC Name column to reveal RPCs referenced by the Mult-view entity.
To change the RPC Name for only one entity in the scene select. Only substitute currently selected scene entities. Checking this box will cause only SELECTED entities to be replaced. If more than one entity is selected in the scene, then this check box will result in more than one entity in the scene being replaced.
Note: If a red X appears next to the Block Name, then this indicates that the entity is referencing an RPC file that is not present in the path of the ACM.
Configuring Lighting
There are a few methods one may employ to correct blown-out RPCs.
Method One: Changing the lighting units
The first method of altering how your RPCs render is to change AutoCADs lighting units.
AutoCAD has a system variable named LIGHTINGUNITS that controls whether generic or photometric lights are used, as well as the current lighting units. Changing the lighting units will often provide you with much better looking RPCs. The LIGHTINGUNITS variable may be changed by entering LIGHTINGUNITS into the command text box and pressing return. Next, simply enter 0, 1, or 2 and press return.
The three values that LIGHTINGUNITS accepts are:
- 0 No units; generic lighting
- 1 International units; photometric
- 2 American units; photometric
AutoCAD sets LIGHTINGUNITS to 2 by default. For best results, we recommend setting it to 0.
If you’d rather leave your lighting units as-is, there are still more methods to fix the appearance of your RPCs.
Method Two: Changing the Physical Scale
A second means by which to make your RPCs render better in AutoCAD is to alter the Physical Scale in the Render Preferences.
First, open the Render Preferences by typing RPREF into the command text box and pressing return. Next, simply change the Physical Scale property from the default 1500 to a smaller number; about 500-600 should work well.
Method Three: Changing the Exposure Type
Yet another means to alter the appearance of your RPCs is to change the Exposure type in the Render Preferences.
Open the Render Preference by typing RPREF into the command text box and press return. Next, change the Exposure Type from Automatic to Logarithmic.
You’ll probably wish to combine this method with method two, as sometimes it is not enough to change only the exposure type. You might start with the settings below and then tailor them to your needs. RPC Self-Illumination may be changed through the RPC Mass Edit window.
- RPC Self Illumination=25
- Exposure Type=Logarithmic
- Physical Scale=1100.0
When using these methods, keep in mind that any changes you make in the Render Preferences dialog will be applied to your entire render, so you may want to run some tests first using a small scene with only a couple of RPCs, some geometry, and lights. Ultimately, the best results with RPCs will likely be achieved by using method one. Also, feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at support@archvision.com.
Troubleshooting
Occasionally, RPC will produce unexpected results. The following sections describe common problems and appropriate actions to resolve them. Please read this section prior to contacting ArchVision’s technical support.
Frequently Asked Questions
The following questions are frequently asked to our cutomer service department. These may help you to address any difficulties you are encountering using RPCs. Of course if you do not find the answers you are seeking here, please contact our helpful staff.
What is RPC?
RPC stands for Rich Photo-realistic Content. The term RPC is used to describe the software and content associated with ArchVision’s award-winning Image-Based Rendering Technology. RPC is also the file extension for our image-based content. RPC is supported in the most popular 3D graphics and design visualization applications including 3D Studio Max, Autodesk Viz and Viz Render, Accurender from Robert McNeel and Associates, Bentley Systems Microstation, New Tek’s Lightwave, and Adobe Photoshop.
What does it do?
RPC provides a way to represent complex objects economically in computer visualization projects without relying on extensive polygonal geometry. The RPC approach results in faster rendering time and in a marked improvement in finished image quality over traditional geometry-based solutions.
How does it Work?
RPC technology uses hundreds of high quality 2D images to create the illusion of 3D. By carefully controlling the display of the right images at the right time, relative to camera position and movement, these images effectively reproduce the appearance of a three dimensional object without relying on complex polygonal geometry.
Why are RPC Objects Watermarked?
Some of ArchVision’s newer content requires a license. Licenses are handled by the ArchVision Content Manager (ACM). If a license is not present in the ACM for particular content groups, the content will be rendered with a watermark. To remove the watermark, the license needs to be assigned to the ACM that the user will be connecting to when placing the RPC Objects.
From what angles can I view RPCs?
All RPC content can be viewed from eye level. We have found that all RPC content holds up very effectively until the camera reaches an angle of approximately 40 degrees above the ground plain.
However, some RPC content can be viewed from any angle. Content that can be viewed from any angle will be a member of the SMART content type. Not all SMART content is viewable from any angle, but some is. Each library should indicate if it allows any angle viewing. If you are unsure if a library you possess allows any angle viewing you can check the ArchVision web site, www.archvision.com.
We encourage you to experiment to better understand these limitations.
What is a Serial Number?
The serial number is a number used to track specific copies of RPC products. It is used to confirm the owner of a given copy of ArchVision software to allow for more efficient customer service. The serial number is printed on the invoice and/or can be found by looking under “My order history” at the ArchVision web site (www.archvision.com) up on the web site.
What is Jitter?
The Jitter option controls the transitions between images as the RPC loads and displays the images required in the scene. The option should be used when the camera in the scene is relatively close to an RPC and/or moving slowly around it. When the jitter option is unchecked, it is possible to see small image jumps or ticks in an animation. Setting jitter to “on” results in a smoother appearance during an animation, but may cause the RPC to appear blurry in stills.
What does “Cast Reflections” Do?
The Cast reflections option creates a double-sided material that contains the front and back views of the selected RPC image-object. This allows for a reflection that is accurate when the RPC is between the camera and the reflective surface. The reflected image will become increasingly distorted as the angle between the RPC and the virtual camera increases, relative to the reflection.
What does “Speed” Do?
Speed determines the rate at which an RPC object with a spline travels.
For Walking People and RPC Automobiles, Speed does not alter the speed of the character’s legs or rotation of the car’s tires, so care must be taken when adjusting this value to minimize any sliding that may result. Generally, best results are achieved using the pre-selected speed set by ArchVision.
The units for Speed are based on the units you are displaying:
In Generic units speed is expressed in inches per frame.
In English units speed is in miles per hour.
In Metric units speed is in kilometers per hour.
What does “Cycle”?
Cycle is an option that determines whether a 2.5D RPC will repeat continually. When unchecked, the RPC will not play its animated sequence. 2.5D RPCs contain 600 frames or 20 seconds of animation.
What does “Start Frame”?
Start Frame allows you to specify at which frame the 2.5D RPC animated cycle should begin. 2.5D RPCs are 600 frames, or 20 seconds long. You may determine that the best result for your visualization animation would be obtained from having the 2.5D RPC begin midway through its cycle. Start Frame allows you to specify the beginning point as any frame from 0 to 600.
What is “Current Frame”?
Current Frame is an animatable option that allows the user to select a particular frame from a 2.5D RPC animation cycle and “key” it to occur at a specific frame of the animation sequence.
What is “Billboard”?
Billboard allows you to “lock” an RPC to a fixed image. As the camera revolves around the RPC, the RPC will not update the image, defeating the 3D illusion. The locked RPC image will continue to face the active camera in the scene. This option offers advantages in both RAM savings and in rendering speed. This option is best used for RPCs of trees and other plants that occur in the scene’s background.
Why Don’t My Lights Affect RPCs?
This section pertains only to RPCs that have a Cast Shadows option.
The default condition for RPC content is to be unaffected by lights and to not cast shadows. There are two reasons for this: First, RPC content is actually a series of flat, two-dimensional images. As the plane rotates to a 90 degree angle relative to a shadow casting light in the scene, a distorted shadow appears. Secondly, the flat plane onto which the RPC image is projected can flash when the plane becomes perpendicular to the light source.
See also: The section on Cast Shadows in the help docs.
How do I adjust the brightness of RPCs?
By default many RPC objects are not affected by lights in the scene.
To match the brightness of the scene you can adjust the self-illumination of the RPC object. You can alter the self-illumination of the RPC object in the Mass Edit dialog.
If you would like a light in your scene to affect an RPC just move the RPC object to the include list of the light.
Why Don’t the Shadows meet the Base of an RPC?
One of the limitations that result from the way that RPC images are captured is that the apparent depth changes around the feet of the RPCs. This causes the “feet” of our human content to rise in the texture as they spin on the turntable. In most scenes this will be un-noticeable. You can carefully tweak the position of the RPC by moving it up or down relative to the ground plane to compensate for this shift. If you are creating an animation you can animate the physical position of the model to keep the bottom of the RPC content against the floor. Again, in most cases this problem is not noticeable.
Why Aren’t My RPCs Touching the Floor?
Because the texture maps are really two-dimensional maps, the illusion of depth in the texture maps varies as objects are placed in close proximity to an RPC. In this case moving the RPC content a foot or two away from other objects should fix the problem.
Why Don’t Modifiers Affect RPCs?
RPC was not designed to work with modifiers. Because RPC uses 2D image data instead of geometry to represent an object, there is no geometric model to modify.
When I open my file, I can’t select my RPCs – Why?
This happens most commonly when a file is opened and then saved on a computer without an RPC license. Part of the security in the RPC Plug-in is to prohibit manipulation of RPC content on licensed machines, yet still allow rendering to occur. The solution to this is to open the file on a licensed machine and un-freeze the RPC objects.
Known Issues
This section contains some known issues to keep in mind when working with RPCs.
Copy, Instance & Reference
In this version RPC content may be copied, instanced and arrayed just like any other object, but they may not be referenced.
Edge around some of the people
If you render against a very dark background you may see artifacts around the RPC content. As hard as we’ve tried to completely remove all effects of the blue-screen process some artifacts still exist. These are most apparent when viewing the content against a dark background.
One way to further eliminate any artifacts is by shifting the position of a mask in the opacity channel of the RPC material. Go to the Maps area of the content in the Material Editor. Click on the Opacity map .rpc file setting. Change this map from a Bitmap to a Mask. Keep the old map as a sub-map of the Mask. Copy the .rpc file from the Map position into the Mask by dragging and dropping. Edit the Mask offset parameter in the U direction to tighten the edge of the RPC content. A positive value will move the mask tighter on the left edge of your content. A negative value will tighten the mask on the right edge. It only takes a slight adjustment to get positive results. Try a setting of .002 and check the results. Large values will adversely affect details such as facial contour, etc.
Modifiers
The RPC geometry in any scene can be scaled using the scale tool or by adjusting the Height Parameter for the object. Modifiers can cause unexpected results on the mesh of RPC content. Modifiers can affect the transformation of the object.
RPCs fail in network rendered job
Check to make sure that each machine has a properly configure map path pointing to the location of the RPC content files. For best performance, each machine should refer to the location in the exact same fashion.
Semi-transparent rectangle around the people
Chances are some type of environment effect is on in your scene such as Volume Fog or Volume Light. Many environmental effects do not correctly work with alpha masked images by default.
Many environmental effects have an option that will allow them to work with alpha masked images. As an example Volume Light and Volume Fog have a check box called exponential that will fix the problem if it is checked. Some other environmental effects will have an option similar to “Use Alpha”.
One known conflict is with UltraShock 1.0®, but can be resolved by upgrading to UltraShock 1.1®.
Shadow Casting
This section pertains only to RPCs that have a Cast Shadows option.
The RPC content libraries have been designed to contain subtle shadows in order to “ground” the content placed in a scene. By default, RPC content does not cast shadows based on scene lights. The RPC option Cast Shadows sets the object properties necessary for casting shadows with an RPC. However, there are a number of other considerations when casting shadows with RPC objects:
- * To produce a detailed shadow from RPC content each light source casting a shadow must use the raytraced shadow option.
- * Because the plane used to render the RPC content is always facing the camera it is best to keep shadow casting light sources behind the camera at all times.
- * If the shadow casting light source will be behind the RPC then you may need to use the Cast Reflections option.
See Also in the help docs: User Interface → Cast Shadows
Backwards Compatability
RPC 3.x is designed with several features not available in previous versions of the Plug-in. Because of this, files utilizing RPC 3.x will not function with older RPC Plug-ins. However, files created with older versions of the Plug-in may be opened with 3.x. A warning message may appear indicating that the content is obsolete and to re-save the file. Once the file has been saved it can no longer be opened with the older Plug-in.
Failure with Material Editor using file created wth previous RPC version.
If a file that was created with a version 1.x RPC Plug-in, and the RPC materials were modified in the material editor and then the RPCs were deleted, RPC materials can get stranded, and accessing the material editor may result in a crash.
The fix is to place an RPC into the scene, and render a frame. This will cleanup the stranded materials, and the material editor will be usable again.
Need help? Please e-mail support@archvision.com.
