Clamp AA/camera samples?

[aaron_ross]

Hi,

I am not seeing a way to clamp antialiasing / camera samples. The edges of visible lights are very crunchy because antialiasing is being overwhelmed. I know I can reduce GI fireflies with "May Ray Intensity", but that is not what I am asking about. Please don't tell me to reduce the intensity of lights and/or adjust exposure; those are not solutions, and will cause more problems than they solve.

If there is no way to clamp AA samples, then I guess the only thing I can do is obscure the crunchy edges by adding a Bloom Lens Effect. But that is not a solution either, especially in a compositing or post-effects workflow.

Please add a mechanism to clamp AA samples.

Thanks,

Aaron

[Pixelcon]

It is available still via maxscript, but I do not know what the correct 'command' is to switch it on. Perhaps someone with the knowledge can enlighten us. I agree however, it would be nice to have this property back even if it's hidden under the expert properties?

[aaron_ross]

I looked in the Expert UI and did not find anything.

If this used to exist, but was removed, I ask that it be reinstated. I can't imagine why such a critically useful feature would be removed.

[kosso_olli]

If this used to exist, but was removed, I ask that it be reinstated. I can't imagine why such a critically useful feature would be removed.

Because it was tech that did more harm than good and stood in the way of render time optimization. It will not come back I'm afraid.

[aaron_ross]

Because it was tech that did more harm than good and stood in the way of render time optimization. It will not come back I'm afraid.

If a feature is disabled, how can it impact render times?

Anyway, speed is not the only factor. Features are also important. I would be willing to wait a few more seconds per frame for a clean edge around my lights. It would certainly save me production time in trying to work around the problem.

[^Lele^]

If a feature is disabled, how can it impact render times?

Because its requirements don't pollute the code path anymore.
It's a process called "streamlining".

Anyway, speed is not the only factor. Features are also important. I would be willing to wait a few more seconds per frame for a clean edge around my lights. It would certainly save me production time in trying to work around the problem.

Antialiasing light edges with output clamping isn't a solution, as that clamps also the rest of the image.
Aliased lights are a natural thing, they happen in real life and are only covered by bloom and glare (inside lenses, organic or not in nature).
It doesn't get in the way of compositing at all, as it can be rendered in its own render element.

Feel free to explore the vraySoftBox texture with "frame" mode active to help with light edges, at least square areas, without bloom and glare active.
Mind you, up to a point: there will always be a value high enough to show aliasing.

Left, plain light, right, light with softbox texture at defaults, "frame" turned on.
Left disc light, right disc light with sfotbox texture with black base color and "hotspot" turned on.
Top, geometry with vrayLightMaterial in direct emission mode (i.e. identical in performance to mesh-lights), and bottom, the same with a (customisable) falloff applied as material texture.

In all of these the core of the light intensity stays unchanged, the light flux *largely* unchanged (of course, the edges darken.)

[aaron_ross]

I would be quite happy to wait a few seconds for antialiased lights. Performance isn't the only factor.

But thanks for the tip about the SoftBox texture, that's very helpful.

[^Lele^]

I would be quite happy to wait a few seconds for antialiased lights. Performance isn't the only factor.

You asked a specific question, which i quoted, and to that -and only that- i replied.
I never tried to make a general point, please don't construe it as one.