I'm experimenting with using bundles as a means to create light rigs. I used the Bundle List pane (not the mantra pop-up) to create two bundles with various area lights. When I go into the objects tab of the Mantra ROP and click on the ‘floating bundle chooser’ button all the way to the right of the ‘force lights’ field I don't see my bundles in the left column. I can create bundles within this pop-up window instead and I will see it show up in the aforementioned Bundle List pane but the reverse isn't true. Is there any reason for this?


If I use the @ syntax in the ‘force lights’ field to call my bundle directly (@env, @rgbLights, etc) it works just fine either way but I am curious as to why the way they are listed is inconsistent.

It's always been this way. In my experience, nobody uses bundles.

It's a weird one but in the Bundlelist you need to set the Filter, on the lower right, to ‘Object: Light Only’.

When you create a bundle via the Mantra node you can see the Filter is automatically set.

Ah, interesting.. thanks!

Jsmack, in your experience how would one “group” lights? Is it more common to just prefix your lights with something unique and then use wildcards to filter them?

jsmack
It's always been this way. In my experience, nobody uses bundles.

We do use bundles and smart bundles quite extensively and we're glad they are there

Have fun
Andy

drossxyu
I'm experimenting with using bundles as a means to create light rigs. I used the Bundle List pane (not the mantra pop-up) to create two bundles with various area lights. When I go into the objects tab of the Mantra ROP and click on the ‘floating bundle chooser’ button all the way to the right of the ‘force lights’ field I don't see my bundles in the left column. I can create bundles within this pop-up window instead and I will see it show up in the aforementioned Bundle List pane but the reverse isn't true. Is there any reason for this?


If I use the @ syntax in the ‘force lights’ field to call my bundle directly (@env, @rgbLights, etc) it works just fine either way but I am curious as to why the way they are listed is inconsistent.

I am also wondering the same…But I found the reason..you need to set the filtering which is at the bottom right of the Bundle list viewer. Or you can check on the “Set bundle filter based on initial node” in the Bundle list viewer settings menu. So it will set the filter type base on what type of object you added first.

Bundle are very convenient way to manage large scenes. You can create bundles from the selected objects and it becomes easy to manage mantra node as it looks more clean. Not only for light rigs but while defining matte objects and reflection/ refraction masks. I highly recommend using them.

-Cheers

I avoid bundles too cause they live in the scene it's difficult to populate multiple shots with the same setup if they are dependent on bundles

It's much easier to name properly, use wildcards and also categories for all the masking and lightlinking

If bundles were defined by some nodes that could be included in assets and passed over with setups, copy/paste together etc. Then I would happily use them as then I could update all the bundles for all the shots by just updating one asset

That being said bundles still need a lot of work as smart bundles could be much smarter than just pure name pattern matching, could take type or specific parm value filters, etc.

Currently seeing bundle name in someone's mantra tells me nothing, seeing pattern directly is very clear