sp4:Composite map slow down the render process at all stages

[evgen]

Hello.
if composite map has a few channels with masks, while rendering objects with assigned it, it slow downs render so much (ir map,light cache and rendering)
If you open task manager, you will see than not all cpu time used, i say more - at big scene composite map slow down render to cpu usage 30%!!!!!! so now i have a big problem - my scene used composite maps in more than 50 materials.
maybe there is some tips to make render this map correctly and faster?
thanks
this is really dissapoint me so much

[evgen]

i've uploaded sample scene.
http://www.files.evgen3d.com/chaos_c...ap_problem.zip

[Paul Oblomov]

24 seconds is it slow ? or what ?

[evgen]

I mean cpu usage while rendering composite map.
just disable single composite map in this scene and you'll see difference in rendertime and cpu usage
When scene cotains a lot of this maps, render process using 30-60% of available cpu time. its really slow down big scenes

[Paul Oblomov]

Actually, I don't see here any cpu weirdness like you are telling. But making ur material consist of 20 layers - i have 50 seconds vs 24... and why shouldn't it be slower...

[evgen]

unfort, this trouble persist not always.
I've added many layers to show result of it. Maybe in some conditions, it uses 100% of cpu.

[evgen]

!

that what I mean.
this scene doesn't contains a&d materials, or standart materials, but composite map is used frequently.
geometry is ok, because overridematerial of scene renders at 100%.
I am trying to find all possible reasons of this, and two are found by me -
A&D
composite map

Maybe somebody else get this situation too, or I must go to medics?

[vlado]

Hm, I can't reproduce this here; renders in 24 seconds will full CPU utilization, both for a normal 3ds Max session and through backburner (actually 3dsmaxcmd.exe) Do you have perhaps a more complicated example that you can send us?

Best regards,
Vlado

[evgen]

Vlado, i've tested attached scene at 4-cores (q6600) at another computer - it takes 100%.
and the same time at another machine same scene takes 50-70% at 2x XEON 5335
and 25-30% at i920

My problem computers has 8 cores (first - 2x XEON 5335, second - i920)
Which core count machine did you used?
Could it be the reason?
it seems i have a big problem with this map or something else

Add:
this problem appears then bitmap map used in composite map. with procedural noise or checker it's all ok.

Maybe trouble in compositemap itself? not in vray

DAMN! Mental ray has the same render problem with this map! 20-30%

[vlado]

Then it could be a problem with that bitmap pager stuff... have you tried disabling it?

Best regards,
Vlado

[evgen]

I can't find this setting in 3dsmax2010, it seems that autodesk removed it

quote from help of max:
As of Autodesk 3ds Max 2010, bitmap paging is always active, and managed automatically, so there is no need to set an explicit Memory Limit. See also, System Paths.

[vlado]

Yeah, the bitmap pager stuff didn't make much of difference (you can actually turn it off from MaxScript); however, here is another question: do you have SP1 for 3ds Max 2010 installed? We do have a dual Xeon 5355 machine here; initially I could reproduce the slowdown on that machine and the scene rendered in 31s using only 50% CPU; however once I updated 3ds Max to SP1, the render times went down to 7s (!) and full CPU utilization.

Best regards,
Vlado

[evgen]

Yep, i didn't have a sp1 instailled.
Thank you so much,Vlado - turning off bitmap pager + sp1 + latest hotfix fully resolve the problem!
Incridible cpu load from vray guaranted
Thanks again