controlling irradience map quality with "use camera path"

[timmatron]

I was just wondering for animations, using "use camera path" option with irradience maps, how you control quality. I know with Light cache you just turn up the subdivs.

I only ask because I noticed some splotches in my static animation that I rendered. That was using the medium preset with 70/25 subdivs. Now I am trying the same using the very high preset, and it seems to be taking a lot more samples. I guess I'm just thinking out loud right now since I'll find out in a couple minutes if it worked. But if anybody has insight or recommendations when using this I'd love to hear it.

I have to say I really love this new option so I don't have to render through all the frames to get my precalculated maps.

[timmatron]

Actually, that did not work at all. Its weird, because I rendered this at 640x480 the first time and it looked pretty clean. Now at 1280x720 its all a mess.

Here is a frame...

[timmatron]

That might have been my light cache actually. I changed the sample size from .01 to .02 and now the splotches are gone. Not a very conclusive test though.

[QuakeMarine1]

i am also curriouse abut that GImode - what is the logic behind and when to use it and not

[natty]

Hi Tim,

Have you got the latest version of vray? there were a few issues that have now been fixed I believe with splotches ect, I have just completed a 6000 frame Ani using this method perfectly, All the camera's were no more than 500 frames which this method is an absolute God send.

Depending on your scene and frame counts I would set your LC to around 2000, on Fixed and have pre filter on.

Irradiance again nothing special, just use your normal settings but maybe just push them a little higher.

Dr works perfectly in this mode also, so you can really push to the limit.. Perfect for you QuakeMarine !

Just ask Vladimir for the latest build if you already haven't got it, this build also fixes issues with Interpolation miss match DR buckets!

Seriously guys this new feature is superb, I can create Animation Irr maps in minutes not hours.... experimentation is the key ..

@ QuakeMarine ... Off topic ..

I presume you have Max 2010 on your farm? I'm having very odd fluctuations in time from frame to frame on BackBurner .... all 200 machines are identical in spec But say frame 10 will be 16 minutes on one machine and frame 17 could be 30 minutes on another machine .. then frame 18 could be 24 minutes? all these machines are quad 2.6 .... now the really odd thing is we have another quad (workstation) that has 12 gig ram and the cpu is 3.2 Quad, but through the whole animation it will be slower than the 2.6's ??

I'm going to start a thread but would like your thoughts ..

[QuakeMarine1]

I can not second such a delay @ natty

[timmatron]

Oh sorry, got pretty busy there.

Natty, I think I have the latest build, sp3a. Whatever was causing those splotches seems to be totally gone now - must have been user error. I really do love that new feature. It makes life so much easier for animations, and I didn't even know about it until I got into this project. It really takes away a lot of the stress of sending animation jobs to render.

[Q-Bix]

Im looking at using this method too. My first attempt left me with artifacts, now on a sepearte project im trying to get the ideal settings for the 'Use Camera Path' mode. This method is soo much quicker than incremental frames!

Its a 2000 frame animation using IRR map and Light Cache. The light cache has been calculated with 5000 subdivs and other settings as default (thinking about it i may have used 'use LC for Glossy rays' option as per the tutorial in the vray help file). The IRR Map at the last try was Hsph. 25, Interp. 75 on the high preset. But i have noise / artifacts!

Im in the process of calcualting another IRR Map pass on Very High Hsp. 40 and Interp. 100. Fingers crossed.

[Da_elf]

interp 100 would make it more blotchy in my oppinion. i usually use 60/30 and sometimes 80/30

[timmatron]

interp 100 would make it more blotchy in my oppinion. i usually use 60/30 and sometimes 80/30

Yeah, I agree, you should try the inverse of those numbers, hemis at 100, interp at 40. I used 75/25 on mine and seemed to work well.

[natty]

Also 2000 frames maybe pushing its capabilties to far, try splitting it into two camera's.

But yes you have your numbers round the wrong way....