Work with nCache clips

In the Trax Editor, nCache nodes are represented by nCache clips. With these cache clips, you can clearly view the relationships between your nCaches and edit your cached simulations in a nonlinear manner. This allows you to visually manage, manipulate, and direct all your objects’ caches at the same time.

Note: nCloth, nParticle, and nHair caches store only the XYZ position of the nCloth, nParticle, or nHair object’s vertices, not the translation, rotation, or scale of their Transform node.

To view nCache clips

  1. Before you can view your object’s cache clips, you first need to cache your object’s simulation. See Create or import nCaches.
  2. In the scene view, select the Nucleus or fluid object for which you want to view cached clips.
  3. Open the Trax Editor (Window > Animation Editors > Trax Editor).
  4. In the Trax Editor menu bar, select List > Load Selected Characters.

    All the selected object’s cache nodes are loaded into the Trax Editor as cache clips. Each clip is placed on its own track, and all your object’s cache clips are grouped under your object’s cache label: outputCloth for nCloth caches, nParticleShape for nParticle caches, and fluidShape for fluid caches.

To select your object from Trax

  1. In the Trax Editor, select the nCache clip for the object you want to select in your scene.
  2. In the track view, -click the cache clip and choose Select Geometry from the context-sensitive menu that appears.

    The cache clip’s object is now selected in your scene.

To move nCache clips

  1. In the scene view, select the object whose cache clip you want to move.
  2. In the Trax Editor, select List > Load Selected Characters.

    All the current object’s caches appear as clips in the track view.

  3. Do the following:
    • To move your nCache clip forward or backward in time, drag the cache clip from side to side.
    • To move your nCache clip to a different track, drag the cache clip upward or downward.

To move multiple nCache clips in time

  1. In the scene view, select the object whose cache clips you want to move.
  2. In the Trax Editor, select List > Load Selected Characters.

    All the current object’s caches appear as clips in the track view.

  3. - the cache clips you want to move.

    The translate handle appears.

  4. Drag the translate handle to the left or right to move all the selected cache clips at the same time.

    The selected cache clips move forward or backward in time, changing their Start Frame values.

To move all of an object's nCache clips in time

  1. In the scene view, select the object whose cache clips you want to move.
  2. In the Trax Editor, select List > Load Selected Characters.

    All the current objects’s caches appear as clips in the track view.

  3. Drag the object’s summary cache clip to the left or right.

    All your object’s cache clips move forward or backward in time, changing the Start Frame of all your object’s cache clips.

Lock, solo, or mute nCache tracks

To lock an nCache track

  1. In the scene view, select the object whose nCache clip track you want to lock.
  2. In the Trax Editor, select List > Load Selected Characters.

    All the current object’s caches appear as clips in the track view.

  3. In the track control area, click the Lock button to the left of the nCache track you want to lock.

The Lock button freezes the nCache track. When a track is locked, you can not edit its cache clips, but its cached simulation is present during playback. You can lock an nCache track so that you do not accidentally modify its cache clips.

To solo an nCache track

  1. In the scene view, select the object whose nCache clip track you want to solo.
  2. In the Trax Editor, select List > Load Selected Characters.

    All the current nCaches appear as clips in the track view.

  3. In the track control area, click the Solo button to the left of the geometry cache track you want to solo.

The Solo button isolates the nCache clips on the selected track so that they are the only caches used during playback. Soloing is useful when you want to isolate and review the effect of a specific track’s cache on your simulation.

To mute an nCache track

  1. In the scene view, select the object whose nCache clip track you want to mute.
  2. In the Trax Editor, select List > Load Selected Characters.

    All the current object’s caches appear as clips in the track view.

  3. In the track control area, click the Mute button to the left of the geometry cache track you want to mute.

The Mute button hides the cached simulation of a selected track without removing that track from the Trax Editor. Muting is useful when you want to view a simulation without the effect of a certain track’s cache.

Note:

Changing the names of geometry cache nodes in the Attribute Editor or Channel Box also changes the names of their corresponding geometry cache clips in the Trax Editor.

Enable or disable nCache clips

Note:

Enabling or disabling nCache clips also enables or disables their corresponding cache nodes and Attribute Editor tabs.

To enable or disable individual nCache clips

  1. In the scene view, select the object whose cache clip you want to enable or disable.
  2. In the Trax Editor, select List > Load Selected Characters.

    All the current object’s caches appear as clips in the track view.

  3. Select the nCache clip you want to enable or disable.
  4. Do one of the following:
    • In the track view, -click the selected cache clip. In the context-sensitive menu that appears, turn on Enable to make your cache clip active or turn off Enable to make your cache clip inactive.
    • In the Trax menu bar, select Modify > Enable/Disable to make the selected cache clip active or inactive, depending on its current state.

Enable or disable all of an object's nCache clips

You can enable or disable all of an object’s nCache clips by enabling or disabling the object’s nCache. See the procedure below.

To disable all of an object's nCaches

  1. Select the object for which you want to disable all of its caches.
  2. In the FX menu set, select nCache > Disable All Caches On Selected.

    All your current object’s active cache nodes and cache clips are disabled and are now not used by their object on playback.

To enable all of an object's nCaches

  1. Select the object for which you want to enable all of its caches.
  2. In the FX menu set, select nCache > Enable All Caches On Selected > .

    All your current object’s inactive cache nodes and cache clips are enabled and are now used by their object on playback.

To enable or disable individual nCaches

  1. Select the nCloth object for which you want to enable or disable individual caches.
  2. In the Attribute Editor, select the tab for the nCache you want to enable or disable.
  3. In the Cache File section, do one of the following:
    • Turn Enable on to activate the cache.

    The nCache node and its corresponding cache clip become active and are now used by their object on playback.

    • Turn Enable off to deactivate the cache.

    The nCache node and its corresponding cache clip become inactive and are now not used by their object on playback.

Parent topic: nCaching