shadow/reflection flicker in product shot animation

[DaForce]

1.48.03 is the EXACT same as what you were using.

Download RC3 and choose to install with the software dongle. you dont actually need the hardware dongle at the moment.

[highpoly]

ok..will do! thanks

[DaForce]

Ok, i just rendered the anim out with RC3 and its still flickering as it was in yours. I will have a look better when i get home shortly (in the next hour or so) and try and solve it then.

Its a little tricky to do at the moment thru VNC.. haha

[highpoly]

yes. VNC would be a little tough eh? lol

This seems like a pretty simple scene..dont know why its so hard to solve the GI flicker...

If you get a chance later to play with the scene thats great..thanks so much for your help..I will keep at it too!

Thanks!

[DaForce]

I think i stumbled across it just then.

Just rendering now to confirm.. but untick store with irradiance map in the lights and drop the subdivs to like 8
Rendering now will report back soon.

hmm that didnt really help.. wait till i get home.

[DaForce]

OK try the following and see if it helps.
Weird scene seems to render rather slow.. anyway...

In both of your lights untick "store with irradiance map" and lower the subdivs to 10 or so to start with.
In your glass material tick "affect shadow"

Try it in an animation and see if it helps get rid of the splotches.

[highpoly]

ok..is that using LC for both or just for second bounces and QMC for first?

[Neilg]

Yeah, what I was going to say.

'store with irradiance map' looks like shit in my experience.


Try Ir - qmc, although you'll need fairly high IR settings.

[highpoly]

ok..
so the basic step for doing this kind of shot (big, empty backgrond and some animating objects) is roughly..

-NO STORE with IRR MAP in the vray lights
-LIGHTMAP in both slots (screen or world?: this is not quite outdoor but..) and precalcd and loaded from a file.
-adaptive AA setting 1/3 to clean up the area shadow noise (or QMC AA 2/4)?

Is this about right?? I know it varies scene to scene but i just want to have an overall plan for this type of shot..

[Neilg]

Personally I dont use the LC for anything other than light distribution previews.

QMC 1/4 works well for animation.

[DaForce]

I was only suggesting LC/LC for testing. Stick with IR/QMC or QMC/QMC or QMC/LC

I prefer QMC AA for the detail, but Adaptive often gives smoother rsults quicker.

[highpoly]

hmm...thats about what i was using...IR/QMC with fairly high IR and i got the flicker. only difference was I used 'store with IR map' on in the lights. i dont see why yo would have high IR settings and then not take advantage of that by having it calc the shadows?
thanks, just trying to understand...

[DaForce]

Using Store with IR map for the lights gives you quick light calculation but significantly lower quality light and much higher subdivs are needed.
Not storing them means you get a more accurate but slower light.

I would say 95% of people dont store them.

Also you need to tick affect shadows in your glass if you want light to pass thru it.

[highpoly]

thanks Da Force..that makes sense now.

so now i can lower the IR map a little since its not doing any shad calcs but keep QMC high to smooth out vray light shad noise right?

[DaForce]

Yeah you can probabaly lower the IR abit as its not all that detailed anyway. Just put like 15-20 for th vraylight subdivs should be enough and start the rQMC sampler at 0.01 and work your way down to say around 0.005 if needed to clean up the smaller noise