Fall Harvest: Custom Meshes for RPC Creation

November 9, 2011 by 1 Comment

Begin in 3ds Max by drawing the outline of your mesh. Users typically load an image that that they used for creating an RPC into the background and trace it using splines. Don’t worry about the size. This is determined at the time the RPC is created. Be sure and close the spline.

I have created an outline of the pumpkin from October’s blog and create a shape to represent the base of the RPC. The tip of the triangle depicts the front of the RPC. Right click on these and select Convert to editable mesh.

Once I have created the shapes for my RPC’s mesh I arrange them the way the final mesh will look.

To export the mesh, select the geometry to be exported and then click on the 3ds Max icon (File button), Export then Export Selected. Choose AutoCAD *.DXF as the file type when naming the file. Choose the option for Selected Objects and click on OK.

At this point a .DXF file should be successfully created, however we will need to convert this into a .msh file to use it with RPC Creator. This can be performed by using the Convert to RPC Icon Tool. This file can be downloaded here:

ConvertToRPCIconInstall.exe

Once installed open the Convert to RPC Icon Tool and select the .DXF file just generated and then select a name and creation path for the RPC Icon Mesh file that will be created. Click on Convert and the .msh file will be created.

This is the file that will be used during the RPC Creation process. Select the custom mesh option and then browse for this file.

When the RPC is added to a scene it will now have a mesh representation prior to rendering so that a better example is given of what the actual rendered object will look like. Custom meshes save RPC users the time necessary to have to reposition objects that could have been placed more accurately using this technique.

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Make Your Own Pumpkin RPC

October 31, 2011 by 1 Comment

It’s Halloween again and time to put your creativity to good use with the FREE RPC Creator tool or RPC Creator Pro. RPC Creator can create anything you can dream of. All you need is the Free RPC Creator software, an RGB (Red, Green, Blue) image and an alpha image. The possibilities are endless.

You can download the Free RPC Creator here.

You can view usage instructions here:help.archvision.com

Here are some sample images to test out creating your very own pumpkin RPC. Left click on these images to view them at high resolution. You can then right click and save to your hard disk.

RGB Image

Alpha Image

From all of us at ArchVision, we wish you a safe and Happy Halloween!

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The Power to Create: Rock on with RPC Creator

July 27, 2011 by Leave a comment


It’s free and it’s easy. RPC Creator software enables you to create custom RPC Content. Two versions are available, RPC Creator and RPC Creator Pro. The free version, RPC Creator, can be downloaded and authorized via the following link http://www.archvision.com/products/plugin#rpc-creator-pro. RPC Creator enables you to create 2D RPC objects that always face the camera. Users who desire greater flexibility with their RPCs opt for RPC Creator Pro ($399.00) which is able to create 2D, 2.5D, 3D and 3.5D RPCs.

The RPC format is easy to use and incorporate into the workflow. With RPC Creator, creating custom RPCs is a breeze. You can learn more about using the RPC Creator here:
http://help.archvision.com

Want to try it out? All you need is an RGB (red,blue,green) and Alpha image (opacity map). If you don’t have one handy, I’ve got one you can have below featuring one of favorite activities. Simply right click to save these to your computer.

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RPC Creator: Where Did You Get That RPC?

June 28, 2011 by 1 Comment

Every few days, we receive a customer submitted project that include unique “new” RPCs. My typical response is: “Cool, that’s a new RPC!” Where do you get these “new” RPCs — you create them yourself! Sure, we have thousands of RPCs available but, sometimes, you or more likely your client want custom content. For years, we’ve distributed a free tool to create 2D RPCs for your own use and a paid tool that enables you to create 3D RPCs. For RPC 2D Content, all you need is our ArchVision Creator software (free) and a matted out image (RGB and alpha).

My favorite summer inspired RPC is from WATG (Irvine). Expert, Scott Brown, used ArchVision’s RPC Creator to make custom RPC dolphins to enhance a project. (Dolphins remind me of the beach. I love vacationing at the ocean with my family and this time of the year is great for dolphin watching in South Carolina).

It’s a pretty easy process to make your own custom RPCs. We’ve seen branded coffee baristas and fast food counter clerks to IKEA chairs and a client’s dog. And, I also have users tell me how much they love adding their clients into their renderings.

Thousands of new RPCs are sitting on servers around the planet. And again, I say, “Cool!” Of course, I’m a little biased when it comes to RPC Content.

How do you get a copy of RPC Creator to create your own 2D RPCs for Free?

You can download the RPC Creator here. (Editor’s note: This product is currently under development for enhancement and will be released as a feature in ArchVision Dashboard in the near future, 8/12/2013). Once installed this tool creates an authorization request code. Send this to support@archvision.com and the Customer Service team will send you an authorization code.

Getting Started is Easy
All that you need is a photo editing software (to create the alpha mask), a photo, and the RPC Creator. You can view a usage tutorial here: Getting Started

Just a few steps in RPC Creator and you can output an RPC file that will work with all of the RPC tools, cross platform just like the 2D RPCs you purchase from ArchVision.com.

Beyond creating cool content, there are some other benefits that come along with creating custom RPCs. Complex 3D models can be rendered and turned into RPCs making them use much less memory and render faster as a planar RPC object instead of a high poly model. All of the Mass Edit and Population features can also be applied to the RPC format unlike other object formats.

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