Can't render animation in 3.6

[iCreate]

Hi all.


We've recently updated from 3.4 to 3.6.

I need to render an animation for a client ASAP but can't. I have no idea what's going on.... Can anyone help?

I was expecting/expected to get the ball rolling on this render over the weekend.

So, I either need to an answer to fix my issue using my method below OR an alternative method while the process below that I've used for years is figured out.

The scene is rendering statics absolutely fine.

If we have to go back to 3.4 we will but we have got a few jobs in the works using 3.6. Will they work with 3.4? This is the first animation we've put onto render with 3.6.

I don't know if there's a bug in 3.6 or the process has changed since 3.4 but here are the steps we have always taken..... They have always given us perfect results.

1: RENDER LIGHT CACHE

+ Set to single frame

+ Tick 'Don't render final image'

+ In GI ----- Set to Light Cache & Light Cache

+ Subdivs = 2500 (varies per job)

+ Tick 'Use camera path'

+ Scale = World

+ Sample size = 0.15m

+ Mode = Fly-through

+ Untick Autosave

I first thought something was odd when rendering the light cache because what I'd usually get is something like this: This is from the chaos site and happens when use camera path is ticked.





This is what I get.... As you can see I'm not getting the usual use camera path action.



This is showing the last frame of the animation.... even though I have the timeline at frame 0

I saved the light cache file and it was just over 1gb.

I tried the above a few times and I got the same result.

--------------------------

I went ahead and went onto the next step anyway.

2: RENDERING IRRADIANCE MAP

+ Set shot 1's frame range

+ Set increment to 25

+ Didn't want to see render tests so left 'Don't render final image' ticked (as I'd done manual tests)

+ In GI == IM (Primary) & LC (Secondary)

+ Tick 'Use camera path'

+ Medium animation

Mode = Multiframe Incremental

+ Untick autosave

+ In the light cache section I set it to from file and load the LC

===============

Press render in the render setup window

Computer says no.

It seems to start then just hangs.

=============================

Can anyone help?

Thanks,

Sean

[iCreate]

I think I've narrowed it down to being an issue with the camera.

I've never had this problem before.

I loaded up a project from a couple of months ago (I'll call it PINVIN, for clarity). I did a light cache test on the scenes animated camera...... it worked fine.

I deleted everything in the scene except for the hdri & the animated camera

I merged my problem scene in (I'll call this ORCHARD, for clarity).

I did a light cache test on the PINVIN camera. It rendered as I would expect.

I then did a light cache test use the ORCHARD camera..... it didn't work. I got the same result as the previous post.

-------------------------------

I tried parenting a new camera to the ORCHARD camera.... didn't work

I then deleted 90% of the keys from the ORCHARD camera..... this seemed to give better results

I then deleted the last shot and it SEEMED to work.

Until this morning when I came into work to start getting this animation done....... I'm now stuck with the same situation.

It's driving me MAD

[anthonyh]

Whenever I`ve pre-calced IR/LC I`ve never used `Use Camera Path` ticks on either IR or LC`, I`ve only ever used `Incremental add to frame` and `Flythrough` for LC with autosave plus reset IR after each shot. Same 25 frame skip and `don`t render final` then switch to from file and send them to the network. Don`t know if it`s correct this way but it`s worked every time.
I have had a recent issue with larger pre-calced files bottle-necking(maybe?) and our ThreadRipper rendering slower than our i7`s using pre-calced GI. Brute force it`s 3 times as quick.
I seem to remember someone else having animation render issues as well posting here.

[iCreate]

Hi... Yeah....

So, I seem to be going through the same-ish process as you.......

I'm baffled. It's still not working...... I don't understand what's going on...... This has never happened to me before......I want to go to bed.

Can anyone from Chaos help with this?

Can I send a scene to someone?

[anthonyh]

How much pc power do you have ? Have you tried resetting Vray and using BF/LC(single frame). It tends to be slower/noisier than pre-calced IR but doesn`t tend to have these headaches and it`s fairly competitive in outdoor scenes.
You could try the latest Vray Nightly update it might be a thing that was fixed. Getting access can take a few days though if you don`t already.
Easiest solution I`d think is to downgrade to 3.4 for now if you know it works especially with a deadline due. I`d imagine it`ll take Chaos a while to troubleshoot it, if it even goes wrong on their end in the same way.

[iCreate]

Hi.

PC power is fine....

Haven't used BF before.... Don't really have time to test it.

We have a load of 3.6 jobs on the go so can't risk downgrading now.

-----------

I'm currently using

Primary = IM
Secondary = LC

IM:

Multiframe incremental
Use camera path = UNTICKED

LC:
Mode = Single frame

The light cache info is saved into the IM file

================

When rendering:

Primary = IM
Secondary = NONE

----------------------------------------------------------

This however, is annoying..... It's taking a lot longer to create the cache's

In my previous method, I'd create the LC.... then the IM.

For the IM I'd use dist rendering.

The pc's would pick up each incremental frame quickly.

This method still isn't working. I can render the LC but it won't render the IM.

-----------------

With this new method, it creates the LC + IM at the same time.

However, this means that the distributed systems don't help with the render until I'm over 3/4 through the frame.

This seems to be because the LC only uses my system to compute..... and then the dist systems pick up the task only during the IM stage.