Consistent File output procedure and interface

[trixian]

Well here is something that has been bothering me lately.
First off, when rendering through the vray frame buffer (with or without channels), it seems pretty strange that the imap and lightmap calculation is only done in the max frame buffer and the render is done in vray's. This also affects if you happen to have an active file output in the common tab, and set up the framebuffer to save out the files, the Max VFB saves out the image of the imap. Can vray's FB not show the imap calculations?
(I seem to remember that Brazil's way of doing this is that if you set it up for brazil's own FB, it automatically disables max's VFB).
Personally I would like for the vray frame buffer to be just that, a frame buffer, so even though I wan to see it, it still should save the images through the file output dialogue in the common tab (that is what its there for).
The whole interface to set up a file output from the vray FB dialogue is too cumbersome, and one can't even see the path and filename after one has entered it. Nor does it remember what you typed if you enter it again after giving it an output path and file name.

I might add, that the ability to save out the specific channels/g-buffers with their own custom names, and at custom locations would be very welcome.

In addition to this, after submitting a job to backburner that saves out multi channel Vray FB images (assigning say 2 machines to it), if you happen to want to remove (or assign to another job) one of those machines from the job as they are rendering the frames, they will then save out the image at what ever state of progress they are at before quitting or starting the other job.
This results in half rendered images and bucket "holes", thus forcing us to rerender those specific frames.

I hope my rambling makes some sense.

[trixian]

Oh...and I might even be so cheeky as to suggest that one use the existing ui for rendering and managing g-buffers and passes that discreet so kindly provided. It is pretty nice and allready resides in its own tab. Would it not be possible to remove the vray framebuffer rollup and use the Render elements tab in stead?

As such one should still be able to view the rendering (and prepasses) in the vray framebuffer, but set up all passes and gbuffers in the elements dialogue. This should of course also include that adding say diffuse and reflection as passes (elements), automatically flags the corresponding item in vrays g-buffer/pass list. In fact, this list would no longer be needed, and one would have cleaned up the interface even further.

Frankly I'm suprised no one else has mentioned these things, and if they have, it goes to show how little I searched through the forum before posting this

[cocolas]

I actually asked vlado about the whole "split" rendering where the Imap is rendered in the max buffer and final image in the vray buffer.

he said that they were working to have everything in the vray buffer (imap and rendering).....so hopefully that will be in the final 1.5.

I do agree w/ you about the somewhat cumbersome interface in the vray buffer....it works but could be more slick like the max's elements setup.....
the thing that trows me off the most right now is the saving of the max buffer of a view that's just an Imap calc ...... one time I rendered out something w/ max and vray buffer thinking that that output saved image was teh final rendering and almost closed the scene, but I realized that max has ONLY saved the Imap calc and not the final......so I almost lost the final image from the vray buffer ......that would've sucked.

all that to say that the UI for the vray buffer needs some improvments or as you said dissable entirely the max buffer.....


paul.

[percydaman]

frankly, I like that the max buffer shows the irrad map and the vray buffer the render.

[trixian]

I assume you like it becuase you can compare your samples with the final image? If so, would it not be better to put the imap calculation image as a layer in the Vray FB with all the other ones?
Is there som other use you have found for the VFB with the imap?

[Geddart]

I assume you like it becuase you can compare your samples with the final image? If so, would it not be better to put the imap calculation image as a layer in the Vray FB with all the other ones?
Is there som other use you have found for the VFB with the imap?

That's what we thought, when we introduced "analyze" layers in our Interface Suggestions Package. The Idea is that you can add "analyze Layers" in the render elements rollout (max's native or vray's own...) like any other layer and compare them with your rendered image. Analyze Layers could be Imap Samples, AA Sampling Information, (colors) Photon density and so on. The Beauty to have them in Layers (saved in the VrayImg Format or in OpenEXR) is also that they would be "non destructive".

Agree with you about the other stuff trixian. We have thought about some things in our Package.