Imported Alembic (made editable) no longer works with Cloth/Subdivition Surface in? (Does not Update) c4d 2024

[ball-subject]

Hello I recently experienced an issue where both the subdivision surface and cloth surface caused the Alembic to malfunction upon collapse.

Additionally, collapsing it resulted in the loss of the Phong tag.

Is there's any workaround or solution currently available for this issue ? btw Im working with c4d 2024.3.2

thanks

[Dr. Sassi]

Hi ball-subject,

Yes, I can confirm that the Phong Tag is missing. 2024.3.2, but if I delete the normal tag and place a copy or a new Phong tag on the object, my results are fine. I would always convert a copy.

I checked four versions, each with a disc or the disc in a Cloth SDS, while the collider was the typical sphere setup.

The animation stays in each case.

However, the animation is lost if I click on the "a" icon and delete the links to the abc. This is similar to saving the c4d file and moving it, so I lose its connections. To avoid this

Make sure you "Save Project with Assets." If you just save the file as a single "c4d" (again), then the abc file, native or converted, is not included.

Please note that if you don't want to use PLA to store it internally in the file, the Point Cache might be an option as well. Besides that, Animation Clips allow for a lot of options as well.

All the best

[ball-subject]

Thank you for your reply,
Perhaps I didn't express myself well. The problem I'm encountering is collapsing an alembic, and once collapsed, using a cloth surface / subdivision surface on it.
The 'a' tag is correctly linked and even works if I turn off the subdivision / cloth. However, when I turn them on, the animation doesn't update.
The animation is still there but for some reason it doesn't update. Maybe it's a display problem, or is it just some bug?

[Dr. Sassi]

Hi ball-subject,

That sounds like a refreshing problem.
I recreated it here and then placed the Cloth Surface as a parent to the "polygon" alembic-driven object.
Works here.

When you uncheck the Cloth Surface, does the animation continue?
Another question
If the playhead has moved but the object stays static, pressing the key (refresh editor view) doesn't change the outcome

Based on the outcome, I would say that is a case for tech support.
https://www.maxon.net/en/support-center

My workaround would be to use a Point Change before adding the Cloth Surface.

OK, since I do not have your file here, including the abc file (please share it only with Dropbox, Google, Apple, Adobe, or Wetransfer), what is the idea behind making it editable?
Perhaps we can find something that works for you.

All the best

[ball-subject]

Hello,

Exactly as you mention, if I uncheck the Cloth, the animation works.

I've share here a basic c4d to show the problem> https://we.tl/t-4tRetEmieX

Object A works perfectly, Object B (which is the collapsed alembic) works while the Cloth is not active.
The problem is that we have multiple collapsed alembics in a production project, and they were working fine until this latest version(2024.3.2).

I would like to know if this is a problem with 2024 and I need to revert to 2023 temporarily, or if it's a technical issue .. if it works for you, I probably need to talk to support

Thanks!

[Dr. Sassi]

Hi ball-subject,

Yes, I can see the "effect" clearly. Pressing the "a" key changes the animation, which is otherwise static.

Thank you very much for your file. It took me a while to find a new workaround, and any older options didn't work.
Please have a look here: 20 sec.
https://stcineversityprod02.blob.core.windows.net/$web/Cineversity_Forum_Support/2024_Clips_DRS/20240309_ClothSurfaceRefresh_Alembic.mp4
Please test this carefully in your file; thank you.

The change of position of the Cloth Surface is countered by the Polygon_abc-driven object, so no change is visible. I have no idea about your whole setup.
If this parameter is already used, do the 1 and -1 workarounds with the freeze coordinates. I also checked if rotation +/- works, and it does. So, hopefully, you have at least one option here.

My best wishes for your project

[ball-subject]

Wow! It works like a charm

I'm amazed at how you arrived at this solution. I think it's perfect for what I needed to do and solves the problem very easily.

Thank you so much

[Dr. Sassi]

Hi ball-subject,

Sounds great that it works for you.

Refreshing problems happen occasionally, for example, when the code is rewritten(e.g., for speed) and then a tiny little something is not put back into the code.

I then search for what object or situation could trigger that. Typically, the first step is the Connect Object, as it rebuilds the whole content.

Long story short (many setups later), I noticed it works sometimes and then not. So, my impression was that when the Cloth Surface does not provide the same position as the recorded Alembic data set, it will not work. Exploring that led me to the exact opportunity: It needs that difference in this specific case. This is not logical, but in some weird way, it is.

I hope it works for you and the problem is fixed ASAP (I wrote a report).

Have a nice Sunday