Geometry Cache > Create New Cache

Note

Geometry caches only store the XYZ positions of an object’s vertices, not the translation, rotation, or scale of the object’s Transform node.

Creates a new geometry cache for the current object.

If you have multiple objects selected, geometry caches are created for each of the selected objects (One File per Geometry) or a single cache (One File per Frame, One File) is created for all the selected objects. See Create or import geometry caches.

Geometry Cache > Create New Cache >

Opens the Create Geometry Cache Options window. This window lets you specify the name, type, and location-on-disk for the geometry caches you want to create.

Cache Directory: Specifies the location on your server or local disk to which the geometry cache is saved. The folder icon () allows you to browse to a different directory than the default.

If your scene has been saved to disk, then your geometry cache files are saved to folders named after their scene files in the \maya\projects\default\data\ directory by default. If your scene has never been saved, then your geometry cache files are saved to the \maya\projects\default\data\cache directory by default.
Cache Name: Specifies the base name for the geometry caches you want to create.

Use Cache Name as Prefix: Sets the Cache Name as a prefix. When on, the base names of your geometry caches are the current object’s names plus the specified Cache Name as a prefix. For example, the cache file names for an object named Ball with the prefix ted are as follows: ted_BallFrame1, ted_BallFrame2, ted_BallFrame3 and so on. This option is only available when One File Per Frame or One File per Geometry is on.

Cache format: Specifies the Maya cache format.

mcx: Creates cache files that use 64-bit indices. These cache files can exceed 2.0 GB.
mcc: Creates cache files that use 32-bit indices. These cache files cannot exceed 2.0 GB.

File Distribution: Set one of the following options:

One File Per Frame: Specifies that one geometry cache file per frame of the specified Cache Time Range is created. If multiple objects are selected, one geometry cache file per frame is created for all the objects.
One File: Specifies that one geometry cache file for the specified Cache Time Range is created. If multiple objects are selected, one geometry cache file is created for all the objects.
One File per Geometry: When on, one geometry cache file (if One File is on) or one geometry cache file per frame (if One File Per Frame is on) for each of the selected objects, for the specified Cache Time Range, is created.

When off, one geometry cache file (if One File is on) or one geometry cache file per frame (if One File Per Frame is on) for all the selected objects, for the specified Cache Time Range, is created.

This option is only available when multiple objects are selected.

Note
When a One File or One File per Geometry cache exceeds the 2GB geometry cache size limit, it is automatically split and the resulting cache segments are blended.

Store points as

Specifies the type of array in which the geometry cache point data is stored. The geometry cache array type determines the numeric precision or accuracy (in decimal places) of the point data being stored.

Double: This vector array is more accurate than Float, but is double the size.
Float: This vector array is less accurate than Double, but is half the size.

Cache Time Range: Set one of the following options:

Render Settings: Specifies that your current Render Settings determine the Cache Time Range.
Time Slider: Specifies that the current playback range in your Time Slider determines the Cache Time Range.
Start/End: Specifies that the range of frames between (and including) the specified Start and End times determines the Cache Time Range.

Start/End: These fields let you specify a Start and End time for the Cache Time Range.
Evaluate every frame(s) and Save every evaluation(s): When creating a geometry cache, one sample of your object’s deformations is taken every frame and saved to your cache by default.

Evaluate every frame(s) specifies how often samples are taken during geometry cache creation. For example, a value of 2 caches the deformations of the current object at every other frame of the Cache Time Range.

Save every evaluation(s) specifies which samples are saved during geometry cache creation. For example, a value of 2 specifies that only every other sample specified by the Evaluate every frame(s) option is saved to your geometry cache.

For more information, see Geometry cache creation.

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