Rendering with Bongo and V-Ray : a better / simpler process?

[schultzeworks]

I have read the tutorials which document how to animate by first rendering out a separate IR map (every 4 or 5 frames.) The problem is that it requires a generation of the IR map from the Rhino Animation tools (not Bongo) and then another render pass with Bongo. I typically render a sequence of stills, so that's yet another step to composite in AfterEffects.

I now have access to a render farm -- and want to simplify this process for myself and others in a classroom by eliminating the IR Map pre-render.

Questions:

1) If I were to skip the IR map pre-render, what settings would you recommend to minimize potential flickering?

2) Does it help if the IR map is set to "Incremental add to current map"? A test with this setting looked pretty good.

[schultzeworks]

Update : no luck yet

Following the detailed instructions re: building an IR-map pre-render, I run into two problems:

1) The IRmap does not autosave AND the images of each frame still render. This might be a Bongo problem, so I am still testing.

2) The IRmap does NOT WORK for my scene, since the pre-render IRmap it is designed to be an average of many frames. My scene has illuminated / glowing materials which are moving -- so I am seeing their "glow" from future frames -- not good!

Back to my original question : What settings can be used to smooth or eliminate flickering without the IRmap pre-render? This would be a frame by frame solution. No IRmap pre-render.

FYI : The instructions are missing links and images.
http://software.asgvis.com/index.php...d=37&Itemid=55

[schultzeworks]

Some progress

Here's the scoop: if you have any objects moving in your scene, you should not use IR-mapping. It just plain does not work. ASG should update their tech docs to address this, not to mention fixing all of the missing links.

Anyway, the good news : I was tipped off by folks on other forums to a solution using a combination of DMC (primary) and LightCache (secondary.) The render time is higher than I like, but it looks like it will definitely work. I am still experimenting with a few remaining settings and running some animations overnight to verify. As soon as it is done, I will share the 'visopt' rendering solution and my hopefully cool animation.

[schultzeworks]

The final solution for V-Ray + animation

I will provide the exact settings for all the individual options in an upcoming post, but the best strategy for animating with V-Ray is to use the combination of DMC (primary) + LC (secondary)

You can see the first test here http://www.vimeo.com/7733594 which is just the intro animation for a much longer presentation. The full video is nearing completion and will be posted soon. I will update this thread when its ready.

[schultzeworks]

Recommended settings are finished

The good thing about using DMC+LC for animation is that there are far less settings than with other engine combos. Even though the renderings may take slightly longer than with IR-mapping, using DMC+LC is a great way for beginners to get started.

The full documentation for animation has been organized into a 2-page PDF handout. Enjoy it and feel free to share any additional tips or work examples.

http://professor3d.com/pdf/bongo-animation.pdf

Special thanks to Brian James at McNeel for pointing me in the right direction