light cache and irradiance map from file-

[Kwerch]

I am trying to render a scene using a the light cache and irradiance map from the file. I was having crashing problems and this has been the suggested route to take. It started out working but for some reason, now when I render the scene using the saved files, the image renders but is very dark.

It seems like a pretty basic procedure and that makes it more frustrating because I know I am obviously missing something.

Just don't know what...

[DaForce]

Sounds like its not loading the files properly. Plus you should only need to load the IR, as the LC info should be stored in the IR map if you did it properly.

Unless you have use LC for glossy rays ticked in which case you need to load the LC as well.

Can you post 2 images one of how it should look and one of how it does look.. the dark one.

That should help us work out what has gone wrong.

[QuakeMarine1]

on renderstart look in the vray-message window (turn on in vray system pannel if you havnt)
one line should say "irridiancemap load successfull"

[Clifton Santiago]

Are you using DR or BB? If so make sure all your nodes are seeing the IR map.. either UNC or shared folder, depending on your setup.

[Kwerch]

Thanks for responses-It says that the irradiance map loads succesfully-
Here are two images-
Low res so i could get it rendered-When I up the size,turn on displacement, up the detail, that is when I get the crashing probs. So I am starting to save the light maps-


Don't know how to post images here. I posted at CGarchitect.
Here is a link to the images there.

Thanks-

http://www.cgarchitect.com/vb/24391-...-passes-4.html

[DaForce]

hmm strange.

How are you calcing the IRmap?
It looks like its not being loaded properly. Or the LC isnt being loaded.
check the file size of the IRmap? how many KB/MB is it?

Are you just rendering this on a single machine?

[Kwerch]

This is on one machine-

the irradiance map file is 8 kb (vrmap)

the light cache map file is also 8 kb (vrlmap)

[DaForce]

ok, well there you go.. what ever your doing your not actually saving any information in those maps.
Hence the dark renders.

What process are you going thru to save those maps?

[Kwerch]

In the irradiance map rollout I set my settings-
Medium, least squares,Overlapping,Multipass-

In the "mode" area, the SINGLE FRAME choice remains and I press the save button. I specify the file location and name.

I do this for the Light cache as well.

I do this before I render anything.

I just thought that I may be needing to run the light calcs first and then save if the calcs are stored somewhere and can only be saved after they are created.

[DaForce]

ok, sounds like you got something wrong somewhere.

Choose incremental add, set the save location.
Now you need to pre-calc the IRmap before you can render it.
Set your rendering to say every 10th frame. in the vray: global switches set it to not render final image. (depends on your animation type, if you give me more details i can help, is it just a simple camera animation with no moving objects?)

then render, this will just calc the IRmap and save it to a file. then you can use that map to render with.
Also setup your LC as well to flythru and like 3000subdivs, and that will all be stored in the final irmap.

for the final render dont forget to load the save IRmap and choose from file, and set the 2nd bounce to none, and untick "dont render final image"

then just load the irmap and render.

I think what I said was right..see how you go and let me know.

[Kwerch]

This is just a single frame I am trying to render-
2.5 million polys with alot of vray proxies-

EDIT-That is pretty much how I set it up but with the single frame option checked. I understand it that when I set the save location and then render, that the maps will be sent to that location. Then when I go to render the image, I simply choose, FROM FILE, and that should be that.

Hmmmm

[DaForce]

Ok try this.

ir map, setup how you want.
mode = single frame
on render end = all 3 options ticked, click browse and choose the file to save to.

LC setup how you want.
mode = single frame
on render end = all 3 options ticked, click browse and choose the file to save to.

then on vray: global switches tick dont render final image

now if you render this it should calc the LC first, then the IR , and then save the IR map.

at this point you dont actually need the 2nd bounce turned on as its all stored in the irmap so go back into vray: indrect illumination and disabled the 2nd bounce (set it to none) then go back and untick "do not render final image" and then just make sure that the IR map is set to from file.

that should be it.

in all honest I would be suprised if this made any difference to your crashing but its worth a shot i guess.
How have you done your proxies? a few selected trees/plants then alot of instances of those proxies?

[Kwerch]

will try it now- I don't recall looking at the "On render End" boxes- Am hoping that this might be the ticket-

I'll turn off the memory frame buffer too as I am crashing on the calc stage-

cheers!

[DaForce]

Yeah the on render end is what actually saves the file for you. That is why your getting empty files.
Thats the ticket

Let me know how you go.

glad to help

[Kwerch]

That makse sense-Am giving it a go now-

I appreciate you appreciate you taking the time to help.