Collection instancing does not include metaballs. #76759

New Issue

kursad k · 2020-05-14T19:07:35+02:00

kursad k commented

2020-05-14 19:07:35 +02:00

System Information
Operating system: Win 10 x64
Graphics card: Gtx 1070

Blender Version
Broken: blender-2.83-50ef801a79b5-windows64
Short description of error

Exact steps for others to reproduce the error

Add some objects to a collection. Then add a metaball to the collection. Once done instance the collection. The metaball is not included in the new instanced collection.

Please see the attached image and the scene for a quick look at.

NoMetaball.blend

**System Information** Operating system: Win 10 x64 Graphics card: Gtx 1070 **Blender Version** Broken: blender-2.83-50ef801a79b5-windows64 **Short description of error** **Exact steps for others to reproduce the error** Add some objects to a collection. Then add a metaball to the collection. Once done instance the collection. The metaball is not included in the new instanced collection. Please see the attached image and the scene for a quick look at. ![blender_fukI4OEZkJ.jpg](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F8535719/blender_fukI4OEZkJ.jpg) [NoMetaball.blend](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F8535718/NoMetaball.blend)

kursad k commented

2020-05-14 19:07:35 +02:00

Added subscriber: @kursadk

blender-admin commented

2020-05-14 19:07:35 +02:00

#84576 was marked as duplicate of this issue

kursad k changed title from ~~Collection instances does not include metaballs.~~ to Collection instancing does not include metaballs.

2020-05-14 19:07:50 +02:00

Ankit Meel commented

2020-05-14 21:00:31 +02:00

Changed status from 'Needs Triage' to: 'Confirmed'

Ankit Meel commented

2020-05-14 21:00:31 +02:00

Added subscriber: @ankitm

Philipp Oeser commented

2020-05-15 14:11:21 +02:00

Added subscriber: @lichtwerk

Philipp Oeser commented

2020-05-15 14:11:21 +02:00

Just noting that this has always been the case afaict [at least in 2.79 this was also a limitation...]

kursad k commented

2020-05-16 01:50:56 +02:00

@lichtwerk Thanks for confirming. I guess it would be nice if this limitation is considered a bug at this point given that it really undermines the power of metaballs and the collections used together.

I am also guessing that this must be the same reason why metaballs can't be used with particle systems as object instances.

@lichtwerk Thanks for confirming. I guess it would be nice if this limitation is considered a bug at this point given that it really undermines the power of metaballs and the collections used together. I am also guessing that this must be the same reason why metaballs can't be used with particle systems as object instances.

Evan Wilson commented

2020-05-16 05:20:49 +02:00

Added subscribers: @dr.sybren, @EAW

Evan Wilson commented

2020-05-16 05:20:49 +02:00

This was reported before as #71242, which was incorrectly merged into #69753.

@dr.sybren In https://developer.blender.org/D7478#179533 you said,

The patch could be extended to support other instancing methods as well, but these are relevant to #69753. Once this fix is accepted by the reviewers, we can look at extending.

Is this one of the instancing methods you were thinking about extending?

I am also guessing that this must be the same reason why metaballs can't be used with particle systems as object instances.

@kursadk I am not sure what you mean by this.

Particle system with particle rendered as object set to a metaball.

Particle system with particle rendered as collection that has a metaball and a glass icosphere.

This was reported before as #71242, which was incorrectly merged into #69753. @dr.sybren In https://developer.blender.org/D7478#179533 you said, >The patch could be extended to support other instancing methods as well, but these are relevant to #69753. Once this fix is accepted by the reviewers, we can look at extending. Is this one of the instancing methods you were thinking about extending? --- >I am also guessing that this must be the same reason why metaballs can't be used with particle systems as object instances. @kursadk I am not sure what you mean by this. ![Meta_particles_work.jpg](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F8538054/Meta_particles_work.jpg) Particle system with particle rendered as object set to a metaball. ![Meta_particles_work_In_a_collection.jpg](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F8538055/Meta_particles_work_In_a_collection.jpg) Particle system with particle rendered as collection that has a metaball and a glass icosphere.

Hans Goudey commented

2021-01-08 19:29:38 +01:00

Added subscriber: @HooglyBoogly

Evan Wilson commented

2021-01-11 03:42:10 +01:00

Added subscriber: @Maur1

Benjamin Meyer commented

2021-02-20 23:53:06 +01:00

Added subscriber: @Anvilarion

Paolo Furani commented

2021-05-09 19:08:55 +02:00

Added subscriber: @pafurijaz-4

Meow commented

2021-05-30 16:30:03 +02:00

Added subscriber: @meowxiik

Meow commented

2021-05-30 16:30:03 +02:00

@EAW It does not when metaballs are instanced from another scene. I.e. create two scenes one with collection of metaballs, other with a particle system and attempt to render metaballs from the particle system. It does not work on my machine ( Blender 2.92.0 )

Sybren A. Stüvel commented

2021-06-04 15:53:03 +02:00

In #76759#932685, @kursadk wrote:
@lichtwerk Thanks for confirming. I guess it would be nice if this limitation is considered a bug at this point

Having a limitation is not considered a bug, even when that limtation has been in Blender for a long time. It's just a fact of life that it's not possible to implement everything at once.

In #76759#932698, @EAW wrote:
Is this one of the instancing methods you were thinking about extending?

I wasn't thinking about any specific case, just that in general I wanted to fix only what was reported/considered as broken.

> In #76759#932685, @kursadk wrote: > @lichtwerk Thanks for confirming. I guess it would be nice if this limitation is considered a bug at this point Having a limitation is not considered a bug, even when that limtation has been in Blender for a long time. It's just a fact of life that it's not possible to implement everything at once. > In #76759#932698, @EAW wrote: > Is this one of the instancing methods you were thinking about extending? I wasn't thinking about any specific case, just that in general I wanted to fix only what was reported/considered as broken.

kursad k commented

2021-06-14 19:19:05 +02:00

@dr.sybren

Is this the same instancing issue why the metaballs cant be used inside a geometry nodes setup via the object infor or the collection info nodes?

@dr.sybren Is this the same instancing issue why the metaballs cant be used inside a geometry nodes setup via the object infor or the collection info nodes?

Sybren A. Stüvel commented

2021-06-15 10:56:36 +02:00

Metaballs have their own implementation, and are quite a special case (there is all sorts of special handling of metaballs in Blender's code). Even though in the end they are converted to meshes in order to be rendered, they are very different from meshes in nature, and thus cannot be produced by a system (like geometry nodes) that outputs meshes.

Meow commented

2021-06-15 12:07:13 +02:00

Removed subscriber: @meowxiik

Alexander Mitzkus commented

2022-05-18 11:13:05 +02:00

Added subscriber: @zuggamasta

Alexander Mitzkus commented

2022-05-18 11:13:05 +02:00

We're currently facing this issueagain. We have created a small library of Meta Objects and need a way to handle these, collections come to mind, to make sure that changes in the original also propagate to the rest of the new derivates.

Metaballs and impicit surfaces are a very valid tool for visual designers to create organic and soft shapes.

Beeing not able to instance these basic geometric (and parametric) shapes is a real turndown. (Especially with rounded caps for curve objects nowhere near the horizon?)

I understand that Metaballs and meta objects use really old code and are no priority for highend game asset or movie production, but Blender being for anyone these objects deserve some love as an amazing level of entry for visual thinkers.

In #76759#1177017, @dr.sybren wrote:
Metaballs have their own implementation, and are quite a special case (there is all sorts of special handling of metaballs in Blender's code). Even though in the end they are converted to meshes in order to be rendered, they are very different from meshes in nature, and thus cannot be produced by a system (like geometry nodes) that outputs meshes.

And of course we'd only need some form of static mesh representation of the meta object in a collection.

We're currently facing this issue*again.* We have created a small library of Meta Objects and need a way to handle these, collections come to mind, to make sure that changes in the original also propagate to the rest of the new derivates. **Metaballs and impicit surfaces are a very valid tool for visual designers to create organic and soft shapes.** **Beeing not able to instance these basic geometric (and parametric) shapes is a real turndown. (Especially with rounded caps for curve objects nowhere near the horizon?)** I understand that Metaballs and meta objects use really old code and are no priority for highend game asset or movie production, but Blender *being for anyone* these objects deserve some love as an amazing level of entry for visual thinkers. > In #76759#1177017, @dr.sybren wrote: > Metaballs have their own implementation, and are quite a special case (there is all sorts of special handling of metaballs in Blender's code). Even though in the end they are converted to meshes in order to be rendered, they are very different from meshes in nature, and thus cannot be produced by a system (like geometry nodes) that outputs meshes. And of course we'd only need some form of static mesh representation of the meta object in a collection.

Philipp Oeser removed the

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Collection instancing does not include metaballs. #76759