maximum references...? maximum lights?

[Arkitec]

Is there a maximum number number of vray lights max can handle? Are there issues with referencing files?

We are currently working on a 6500 frame animation. We have 9 files where we are referencing - basically one reference for each space (that space has its own ADT file link).

The model is made of a corridor and rotunda space (1 file) and individual spaces off the corridors (the other 8 files) with pretty heavy geometry for each space.

We have a total of 5,837,000 faces all in all. We have 12,000 objects. 146 vray lights.......

We continue to get crashes!!!! Im sure many of you are saying "DUH".....

We have tried modeling most things in max, however, each space does reference a ADT room with windows and doors.

That said. Are there specific maximums that we are missing based on what we have in the files? I know alot of ADT stuff doesnt import very clean... So another question I have is: Would it be worth looking at a plugin like POLYBOOST or other to reduce the face count?

Any advice would be appreciated....

Arkitec

ps. We are using MAX 8 and Vray 1.5 RC3

[percydaman]

well whats your memory at when it crashes? Try dynamic geometry setting?

[studioDIM]

As for polyboost, i'd use it as a tool to HAND clean the objects which exhibit issues, in case.
PB won't get rid for you of crap geometry, but rather give you a set of semi-intelligent (the other half of intelligence is upon the user shoulders) tools to help achieve the goal.

This said, there's more likely to be a bad result in rendering from bad geometry (odd speculars, black spots, and so on), rather than a full max crash...

Lele

[n6]

Re: maximum references...? maximum lights?

Is there a maximum number number of vray lights max can handle? Are there issues with referencing files?

We are currently working on a 6500 frame animation. We have 9 files where we are referencing - basically one reference for each space (that space has its own ADT file link).

The model is made of a corridor and rotunda space (1 file) and individual spaces off the corridors (the other 8 files) with pretty heavy geometry for each space.

We have a total of 5,837,000 faces all in all. We have 12,000 objects. 146 vray lights.......

We continue to get crashes!!!! Im sure many of you are saying "DUH".....

We have tried modeling most things in max, however, each space does reference a ADT room with windows and doors.

That said. Are there specific maximums that we are missing based on what we have in the files? I know alot of ADT stuff doesnt import very clean... So another question I have is: Would it be worth looking at a plugin like POLYBOOST or other to reduce the face count?

Any advice would be appreciated....

Arkitec

ps. We are using MAX 8 and Vray 1.5 RC3

Sorry to tell you that, but you are talking on an international forum where people are not speaking a perfect "texan" tang...
Plz try to make your questions more anderstable for guys outside your state; and with some luck... outside you country...
PS : your gun would not help you in this discussion ...

bang bang...

[CCS]

Re: maximum references...? maximum lights?

[quote="n6"]

Sorry to tell you that, but you are talking on an international forum where people are not speaking a perfect "texan" tang...
Plz try to make your questions more anderstable for guys outside your state; and with some luck... outside you country...
PS : your gun would not help you in this discussion ...

bang bang...

What on earth are you talking about?

[n6]

Re: maximum references...? maximum lights?

[quote="CCS"]

Sorry to tell you that, but you are talking on an international forum where people are not speaking a perfect "texan" tang...
Plz try to make your questions more anderstable for guys outside your state; and with some luck... outside you country...
PS : your gun would not help you in this discussion ...

bang bang...

What on earth are you talking about?

I dont know...

[DaForce]

Re: maximum references...? maximum lights?

[quote="n6"]

Sorry to tell you that, but you are talking on an international forum where people are not speaking a perfect "texan" tang...
Plz try to make your questions more anderstable for guys outside your state; and with some luck... outside you country...
PS : your gun would not help you in this discussion ...

bang bang...

What on earth are you talking about?

I dont know...

You can say that again

Anyway, back to the top it at hand.

I agree with percy, your probabaly just running out of memory. With that many lights and such large amounts of geometry, your probabaly just running low on mem.

Given your using max8 that rules out 64bit, so are you using the 3GB switch?
Also are you using any displacement, that can be a real memory hog.

[instinct]

Agreed it should be memory issues. I dont know for vray lights, but you can handle quite a SHITLOAD of references given you get the memory. Currently am referencing approximately 250 source files totalling to over 12mio polys. No Fun at all...but it DOES work :P

To save memory, you could render to vrimg (or exr in newer builds). e sure to turn off "get resolution from max" and set max screensize to 1x1. (If you dont max will still create a memory frame buffer even tho not really used). Use dynamic geometry in Vray System settings and see if that helps.

Regards,
Thorsten

[studioDIM]

Some nice tip to slip in, Thorsten.
Cheers.

Lele

EDIT: a 50k x 50k pixels vrimage rendered this way takes up 50megs of ram for an empty scene.
HOLY COW.

[Arkitec]

Wow, I got the big hitters on deck helping me out!!! Thank you for your suggestions.

Percydaman - Memory from the dialog box says 1300MB. I just tried changing to dynamic geometry.... still crashed. The file kills while building static raycast accelerator.

DaForce - I have 4 GB of Ram..... and I do not have the 3GB switch setup... At this point i have not applied any displacements yet.

instinct - just to clarify since i have never changed these setting. I turned off the "get resolution from and set the width and height to 1. Am I suppose to turn off "render to memory frame buffer? And turn on "enable built in Frame Buffer? When doing this - it does not crash but the Vray frame buffer comes up with nothing in it.

When I disable built in Frame Buffer and deselect all other options in the buffer it seems to be rendering and going through the prepass process. Using up and down 875MB of ram.


I think at this point im confusing myself! lol

Arkitec

[instinct]

yeah that is all expected behaviour. By not using a memory framebuffer you can save a LOT of memory. Instead simply enter a target-file in the vrimg file-slot (right within the vfb). Then it will directly write each bucket to the vrimg (or .exr in newer betas) without needing the memory for the whole image (wich can be a LOT at 32bit float*res*channels)

Regards,
Thorsten

P.S. for preview rendering switch off elements, or render cropped or at smaller res.

[DaForce]

Ok, well having 4GB in a machine which is running windows xp 32bit and not using the 3GB switch is abit of a waste, as max will never use more than about 1.75GB before crashing.
I guess tho you can have PS open at the same time without problems so .. but still max cannot use more than 1.75GB (or so) without using either the 3GB switch or 64bit windows.

Bring up the windows task manager (CTRL+SHIFT+ESC) and then render, watch the memory usage of the 3dsmax.exe process at the point that it crashes. I would imagine its around 1.7GB.. well thats if its memory thats causing the crash.

Well it seems you got past it anyway.. good

[dbuchhofer]

also be sure you're looking at the correct number for ram usage. you should be looking at the VM size column (add it from View->select columns) as that is the combined number of Physical ram and hard drive swap file that the process is using, and THAT is the number that the 1.75gb is the pain limit.

[Arkitec]

I didnt realize it was a waste if not running the 3 GB switch!!!! Ill have to get this done.

Thanks for tip!

Arkitec