GI Lickering & Renderfarm Companies

[schroeder]

Hi Guys - we're in a position where we need to use a commercial renderfarm to complete a particular job, and I was wondering what the general opinion is as far as GI flicker. When we submit the jobs, they'll be handled by different systems and there's no opportunity to use a pre-calc'd IR map.

Ideas?

[Clifton Santiago]

That's not true. Just precalc your IR and LC and submit them with your job.

[werticus]

yeah I don't see why you cant get the farm to do those calculations also... using job dependencies with back burner its mostly automatic anyway.

[QuakeMarine1]

if u provide the GI map then the map will be used for the calculation - otherwise will the farm admin do the precalculation
but thats is taking the same time as if u do it inhouse
so if sending the renderjob send the GI as well

see my signature

[DIGITAL_FACTORY]

if u provide the GI map then the map will be used for the calculation - otherwise will the farm admin do the precalculation
but thats is taking the same time as if u do it inhouse
so if sending the renderjob send the GI as well
see my signature

There are many ways to calculate irradiance maps, including full use of a render farm. Generating an IR Map in a render farm can be much, much faster than on a single node.

[Clifton Santiago]

Actually you wouldn't calculate IR on multiple nodes, except with DR. Unless you want your animation to flicker...

[ene.xis]

Generating an IR Map in a render farm can be much, much faster than on a single node.

no way!?

[DIGITAL_FACTORY]

Actually you wouldn't calculate IR on multiple nodes, except with DR. Unless you want your animation to flicker...

That's almost true, yes.

There are two new calc methods that do very well in network render.

[Clifton Santiago]

Do very well, is fine. I prefer perfection. IR is an approximate method and will always be calculated differently between machines. With high settings the differences might be imperceptible, but why take the chance? If you going to do that just use QMC.

[DIGITAL_FACTORY]

So let's settle on "perfect approximation" if you prefer.

[percydaman]

yes the IR map can be distributed across your render farm now, BUT only if your using the new blended animation irmap modes.

[DIGITAL_FACTORY]

no way!?

Sorry, oversaw your reply although my subsequent replies to C.S. obviously apply.

[Clifton Santiago]

Oh yeah. I saw that feature at Vlado's presentation at Siggraph. Haven't upgraded yet. I'm old school...

[DIGITAL_FACTORY]

yes the IR map can be distributed across your render farm now, BUT only if your using the new blended animation irmap modes.

Yes, that's what I was alluding to, i.e. "Animation (prepass)"

[percydaman]

yes the IR map can be distributed across your render farm now, BUT only if your using the new blended animation irmap modes.

Yes, that's what I was alluding to, i.e. "Animation (prepass)"

ya i was just confirming it in case someone wasn't on board. Actually if you have a pretty large render farm, you can render this irmap quicker every frame then you could rendering every nth frame on one machine. So technically there's a really good reason to render everyframe of the irmap for arch walkthroughs. Again as long as you have a good size render farm.