Dynamic memory limit question

[Julien BOLBACH]

Hi guys,

What kind of data is vray storing in the Dynamic memory ?
We are using split renderfarm boxes for our renders (2x64 GB of RAM), but even if we put the memory limit to 55000 MB, it sometimes goes over 80GB, and start swapping while we have the other render using the remaining memory of the renderfarm box.

Please let me know if you have any idea why this would happen.

Thanks a lot,

Julien

[vlado]

The dynamic memory is used for proxies, displacement/subdivision surfaces (unless you have turned on "static geometry" for these), hair/fur and tiled mip-map images (.tx and OpenEXR). If you have regular geometry and non-tiled bitmaps as well as any other data required for rendering, it's on top of the dynamic memory limit.

Best regards,
Vlado

[bigbossfr]

Hi guys,

What kind of data is vray storing in the Dynamic memory ?
We are using split renderfarm boxes for our renders (2x64 GB of RAM), but even if we put the memory limit to 55000 MB, it sometimes goes over 80GB, and start swapping while we have the other render using the remaining memory of the renderfarm box.

Please let me know if you have any idea why this would happen.

Thanks a lot,

Julien

80GB, wooo, it is a lot !
1) Do you have a lot of textures ? If yes, convert all your textures to .tx files format for the memory.
2) Do you have bigs geometries ? If yes, convert them to VRay proxy.
3) I you have big resolution : set the image format to .vrimg, Set the frame buffer memory to None. Convert your .vrimg image to exr with the tool vrimgToExr by ChaosGroup.

.tx and proxy is in dynamic memory for example.

[Julien BOLBACH]

What about .tex texture files ?

[Julien BOLBACH]

All our geometries are VrayProxies, and we render 2K/4K images

[vlado]

One of our support guys is coming over later this month I believe, so he'll be able to perhaps look at what's going on, until we figure out a more reliable way to print memory statistics. Other than that, without a scene it's hard to say what's going on.

Best regards,
Vlado

[Neilg]

All our geometries are VrayProxies, and we render 2K/4K images

Are are they all unique, or do you have copies of the same object set up as instances?

80gb is insane, I cant even imagine what you've got going on to hit that.

[bigbossfr]

What about .tex texture files ?

Yes, you can.
Are you using mipmapped tiled .tex ?

[bigbossfr]

Are are they all unique, or do you have copies of the same object set up as instances?

80gb is insane, I cant even imagine what you've got going on to hit that.

You can use a lot of memory if you use GI map on bigs geometries.
For memory, best setup is :
1) all textures to .tx or .tex mipmapped tiled
2) vray proxy
3) image output to .vrimg with framebuffer to None (if you have big resolution like > 10k. If your resolution is 2k/4k, you can use what you want (exr, png...))
4) GI to brute force.

Question to Vlado : it is possible to "tile" the GI map ?
It looks like VRay loads the entire GI map when the render start.

[vlado]

Question to Vlado : it is possible to "tile" the GI map? It looks like VRay loads the entire GI map when the render start.

Right now, the entire map is loaded, yes. In principle, it can be made tiled too if someone ever needs it. But it might turn out faster and more efficient to just use brute force GI.

Best regards,
Vlado

[Julien BOLBACH]

Hey guys,

One on the reasons might be that at the moment, be cant use the mipmap of the tex files. We have really weird results with the tiled tex, with saturated splotches appearing on the objects. And this is probably one of the main reasons why we have memory going up to roof.
I will send a separate email to you guys with examples of the results we get, but do you have any idea why it would do that, or do you heard/experienced the same thing before.

Thanks,

Julien

[vlado]

One on the reasons might be that at the moment, be cant use the mipmap of the tex files. We have really weird results with the tiled tex, with saturated splotches appearing on the objects. And this is probably one of the main reasons why we have memory going up to roof. I will send a separate email to you guys with examples of the results we get, but do you have any idea why it would do that, or do you heard/experienced the same thing before.

Nope, nothing that I can think of, I don't remember it being reported. I will be able to tell you more after we get the scene.

Best regards,
Vlado

[Julien BOLBACH]

I've gone to the bottom of it, it's a bug we reported regarding 1 channel tex files. We got the fix this week and tested it successfully, but we didn't roll it yet for production. So far it seems that it's fixing the problem, but still need to test it on a big scene.

Cheers,

Julien

[vlado]

Ok then; let us know if there is anything else.

Best regards,
Vlado

[Julien BOLBACH]

Our tests didn't work either unfortunately, we will send you some tests and textures to tests.

Thanks,

Julien