Pre-Calc

[glorybound]

I have some questions about pre-calculating the irr/lc and passes. Here are the steps I know.

• Turn off reflections (using VMC script)
• Turn off Glossy in the Global settings
• Render
• Save IRR and LC
• Set to From File and select your saved files
• Turn on reflections (using VMC script)
• Turn on Glossy in the Global settings
• Render

Questions: Do I need to do a final render when I am creating the passes? (Tested and it looks like I don't) When using the passes why is it still doing a pre-calc? (Although much faster) Am I missing anything else?

[glorybound]

I am doing everything right, but it's just not working. I loaded my LC and my IRR map, the log says that it was loaded correctly, but when I hit render it doesn't start. Right now I am 14 minutes into nothing renderings. I am stumped.

[glorybound]

Stopped and started and now at least I have buckets, but they are not moving.

[3dcrgr]

Can you please share a link for that?

[glorybound]

Everything is working now. I had to fiddle with some settings and it's all coming together now.

[glorybound]

Since I have my pre-calculated LC and IRR I can use them for different views too, correct?

[flino2004]

The lighting is calculated from the camera, if you have different view won't work....on the other hand you could get several pre-calculated views and merge them together.... If you cover all the surfaces you may use it for additional views

[glorybound]

I have been pre-calculating at 1/2 size, resolution and it seems to be working. Is there anything I should worry about? I haven't had time to test both ways, side-by-side (full and 1/2), but the 1/2 looks good. I don't want complicated, but is there a better way? Currently, it is taking 16 minutes to pre-calc 1/2 size, so I can only assume it'll be 4x longer for full size.

[Neilg]

I hope you're also checking on 'dont render final image' while doing the IR map.

I always render 1/2size ir maps - if I need more detail then I change the preset from med to high.

[glorybound]

The pres-pass is so fast I just cancel it when it starts to render; I am afraid I'll forgot to turn it back on.

I hope you're also checking on 'dont render final image' while doing the IR map.

I always render 1/2size ir maps - if I need more detail then I change the preset from med to high.

[Neilg]

Some day you might want to render a few in one night - so you could send 3 to backburner queued up with the main render set with dependency.
If you did forget to turn it back on you render would finish in 5 seconds. are you not afraid of forgetting to turn glossies back on too?

[Svetlozar Draganov]

I have been pre-calculating at 1/2 size, resolution and it seems to be working. Is there anything I should worry about? I haven't had time to test both ways, side-by-side (full and 1/2), but the 1/2 looks good. I don't want complicated, but is there a better way? Currently, it is taking 16 minutes to pre-calc 1/2 size, so I can only assume it'll be 4x longer for full size.

1/2 size will generate lower quality GI than full res - it will work for sure but if you have some small details in the scene the GI will be a bit blurred there in full resolution.
In general when you increase/decrease resolution twice the render time increase/decrease by four - but there might be some exception of that rule depending on scene complexity, RAM usage and etc.

[Deflaminis]

I've also found that doubling the resolution means I can reduce my min/max passes for IRmap. So it shouldn't be 4x longer because you can reduce those numbers a bit. (Usually.) I've gone down to -6/-3 for renders 20000x20000 and it looks totally fine and doesn't take too long. If I left it at -3/-1 or what I normally use with a HD render it was going to take 2 weeks to generate the map.

Used to save a lot of time doing the half res but these days seems very similar, though I don't know how complicated your scene is. I've seen some of your other renders in the past and there is no lack of details so the half res bit might do more harm in a complicated scene vs. a wide open room with a couch at the window.