< Previous |

BryceTalk Q n A with Engineers
July 15, 1999
Part 5 of 5
1 2 3 4 5

BryceTalk Q & A with Engineers, July 15, 1999
part 5

AuntiAlias: gdmsynth, you're on!

gdmsynth: When I removed objects from a scene that were behind the camera my render time improved by 400%. Will hiding the objects (Hidden in Attributes) result in the same rendering improvements or is the file size the governing factor here?

MetaBrian: The number of visible objects has a great deal to do with the render time.

The file size isn't much of a factor other than it usually implies a large number of objects in the scene.

gdmsynth: We're talking behind camera or hidden.

DonaldSGriffin: (visible in the frame? or not set as Hidden?)

ahole: Where any of your "visible" objects in the scene reflective or transparent?

MetaBrian: If you make objects hidden, it will improve your speed

gdmsynth: So why did removing objects improve rendering so significantly?

Steve Lareau: (Crash is back)

?

gdmsynth: Yes, I had some lights but nothing transparent.

MetaBrian: Less objects make the optimizers work better...

gdmsynth: Slightly reflective only (terrains).

MetaBrian: Also, those objects may have been "visible" by other relfective/transparent objects (as Ales said)

AuntiAlias: People calmly waiting: Clay, Yojimbo, Hilofoz, DonaldSG, 3e~?~elf , Calyxa, SteveLareau .....If you have got a reason to fidget in line waiting to ask Ales and Brian sumthin', please type "?"

ahole: Even slightly reflective makes the renderer works very hard

MetaBrian: If so, you merely avoided what should have been rendered. If the reflection was only slight...you probably didn't notice

gdmsynth: Less obj optimize but what about "Hidden" obj?

MetaBrian: A "hidden" object does not appear to the renderer

Therefore, hidden means less in this case

Done

AuntiAlias: comment re: hidden object.. last week we were talking about working with large scene files, and lights; someone suggested hiding lights rather than getting rid of them. I tested a light as "hidden".. still rendered

gdmsynth: So hidden = removed to the render engine?

MetaBrian: Yes, exactly

AuntiAlias: excetp for lights

gdmsynth: Huh?

renato!: hmmm!

gdmsynth: Did your hidden lights not improve render time?

AuntiAlias: create light. click hidden in object attributes. still shows up; i.e., casts light

ahole: Yes, lights still shine but even if turned visible will not show up.

If you don't want the light shine set the intensity to 0

dawn: ? (actually a question for DTE Queen)

gdmsynth: Hiding lights improves movement like soloing doesn't it?

AuntiAlias: kinda the same as when lights are in solo mode; if visible they aren't but their light is in the scene

MetaBrian: Yes, "hidden" only applies to being visible (in terms of the physical object itself)

Calyxa: wireframe yes, gdm.

ahole: gd, that does not have anything to do with movement. hidden applies only to rendering not the wireframe preview

Solo takes stuff (hides) in the wireframe as well as from the renderer

gdmsynth: Hmm isn't Calyxa right? Hidden improves wireframe I think.

ahole: no

gdmsynth: (I was refering to wireframe movement)

ahole: gd, take it from me, i know :)

AuntiAlias: maybe in the same way that getting your car washed makes it run better, gdm! : )

it's all in yer mind!

gdmsynth: Right I gotcha!

Ringo: how about in OpenGL?

gdmsynth: Thanks guys. Done.

AuntiAlias: Clay! It's YOU!

Calyxa: if your nano preview is on and auto-updating, that'll appear to slow movement 'till the nano figures out it shoudl stop...

ahole: The same thing, like the wires

Clay: When using "cylindrical" parallel volume lights (the secret one) why is it that sometimes when the sun is in front of the lights, and I have 2 of the volumetric infinit lightbeams crossing paths, that a solid Black area appears where the beams meet?

sorry I don't have a sample to show

MetaBrian: First of all, intersecting volume lights don't work right.

Clay: LOL!!

MetaBrian: Second, volume visible lights have been fixed up for the update, BUT intersecting ones won't work until 5.

MetaBrian: Done

Clay: thanks Done

gdmsynth: <Calyxa> Yes, by hiding objects the Nano renders faster improving wireframe.

Clay: good answer by the way:-)

AuntiAlias: Yojimbo!.. you are ON!

Yojimbo: This is pretty much a nit pick, but I was wondering if there was any way you could use different shaped brushes within the terrain editor.

Because Paint programs are limited to the 256 grayscale pallette I can't get the smooth transition I can in the terrain editor.

I can't use the circular brush for everything either however.

Clay: good one Jim

Calyxa: I turn the nano autoupdate off when my scene gets complex...

Yojimbo: :)

ahole: Look into 5. There might be some changes. But no promises made.

Yojimbo: ahh

good enough for now then ;)

Clay: ( could we incorporate the brush pallettes like the filter pallettes?)

AuntiAlias: Hilofoz.. you are on!

Hilofoz: If rayspray is used, it sometimes does not render the wireframe beneath it. This seems to do with the res. Also, you cannot scroll further to continue with it, what is happening? A follow on from Yojimbo - what about doing the same thing BSmooth does?

ahole: Yes, that's right Caly. Nano is a rendering and you can turn it off. It does not have anything to do with the wireframe

MetaBrian: That rayspray bug has been fixed for the update. It's much better now!

ahole: BSmooth, is good. We'll see......

Clay: ?

AuntiAlias: People calmly waiting: DonaldSG, 3e~?~elf , Calyxa, SteveLareau, dawn, Clay .....If you have got a reason to fidget in line waiting to ask Ales and Brian sumthin', please type "?"

ahole: done

AuntiAlias: Donald!

DonaldSGriffin: Could we get Landing to work where you drag and it keeps landing the next Touch point and the next until no more will land? I was trying to crash land a snow speeder on a hillside and I could not get it to look like it had actually come to a rest.

Hilofoz: ?

MetaBrian: For that we would need to have a full dynamic simulation engine in Bryce

gdmsynth: ?

MetaBrian: We have no plans at this time, but its on our Bryce Dream List

DonaldSGriffin: Not simulation, I just wanted All four corners to touch ground.

AuntiAlias: Queue: 3d~?~elf , Calyxa, SteveLareau, dawn, Clay, Hilofoz, gdmsynth [it's gettin' late; I'm closin' da queue at this point!]

MetaBrian: We would still need to incorporate rigid-body simluation for it to work effectively

AuntiAlias: 3D elf!!

3d~?~elf: a simple one for youse guys...for bryce, what are the current ram allocation '''alms''' for the mac os 8.6...?

DonaldSGriffin: Beyond my understanding I guess. Done.

ahole: what's "alms" ?

3d~?~elf: set ram allocation for bryce

ahole: Stays the same 32MB

3d~?~elf: alms= offerings...>g<

ahole: huh ???

AuntiAlias: (if anyone offers me more ram, I don't turn 'em down!)

MetaBrian: Is "alms" an acronym?

Ohhhhhh

3d~?~elf: lol...no...

MetaBrian: We're stupid

Gigabyte: hi again

3d~?~elf: that's ok, we won't let it leave the lobby

AuntiAlias: Calyxa, go for it!

MetaBrian: Do you want to know how much RAM Bryce needs?

Calyxa: no q this time, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about all my harping on features that "used to work"... I do appreciate all you guys are doing and despite all the problems, I think that Bryce rules!

3d~?~elf: 96...seemed to be the amt. for B3...has this changed any?

MetaBrian: We want you old-school users to be happy too...we don't mind a bit. In fact, we're glad you're out there!

ahole: No Caly, we love it. Fern send you an e-mail about all this, so please send us all the problems you have ran into and

MetaBrian: You don't HAVE to have 96, but more is always better!

ahole: we'll try to do something about it.

Calyxa: yes, I got it, thanks!

AuntiAlias: SteveLareau... your question?

ahole: send = sent

my english sucks :(

3d~?~elf: well, i used the wengerrender to test and adding more than 96 (of 256) didn't have any improvement

MetaBrian: Well, that all depends on the scene size...

Large scenes will certainly need more RAM to render without impacting render times greatly

gdmsynth: <ahole> You're English is great. Its your handle that sucks! <g> ducking....

MetaBrian: There is no way to put a single number on it.

ahole: DUDE!

gdmsynth: Yeow! sorry....

ahole: My hanlde rules!!!!

ahole: and my english still sucks

AuntiAlias: metalascubalascu!

ahole: LOL

Clay: LOL

MetaBrian: Are we done?

AuntiAlias: I guess Steve didn't want to be in the queue.. nearly.. couple more

AuntiAlias: dawn.. you're up!

(last part of queue: Clay, Hilofoz, gdmsynth)

dawn: ok, I'm working on a texture in the dte

Steve Lareau: argh....

Clay: Any chance we could get something like Infini-D's particle effects and lens flares integrated into BR5?something we can not only animate, but change colors and styles etc...

oppps wrong button sorry

AuntiAlias: well, since yours is tsyped and since dawn still seems to be typing, let's take yours, Clay

Clay: :-) my bad

ahole: Maybe and maybe not. You know how this things go. We're looking into reusing some technology from infini-D

AuntiAlias: while dawn continues it get the question typed : )

dawn: the alpha and bump are just black and white lines straight up n down - i put the blue dot for transperency under the column for that mat. but when applied to the object it is all swirled

Clay: cool Ales

ahole: But timeframe - we don't know yet.... There is a lot of stuff on our plate right now.

Clay: I totally understand that..

dawn: not striped

MetaBrian: What mapping mode are you using, "World space, Object space, Parametric, etc."

dawn: let me check

MetaBrian: you do that

dawn: world

AuntiAlias: and... do you have any phase applied to texture in the final combination?

MetaBrian: Ok, what shape is the object?

dawn: no phase, it is a box

MetaBrian: What is the scale/freq???

AuntiAlias: how many texture sources you got in your material setting? more than 1?

MetaBrian: Is it a pict texture, or a 3D texture?

dawn: just one , no pic,

Clay: use parametric

MetaBrian: Could you email me the scene????

ahole: IS the texture a preset?

MetaBrian: I'll look at it and get back to you with the answer.

dawn: sure

ahole: Or did you crafted it your self?

dawn: well, i started with a preset

MetaBrian: send it to bwagner@metacreations.com"

ahole: What preset?

done

dawn: warm gradient stripes - then i adjusted the filter to remove most of the gray

AuntiAlias: Hilofoz!

Hilofoz: Can we have more types of DEM imports into Bryce - higher rez and different formats - the Aussie DEMS can only be read in DEMReader 2.0? Also, is the updater to Bryce 4 available yet, I canna see it on the MC site?

MetaBrian: We'll check it out, please send the scene also...

ahole: Look for the update. Done

MetaBrian: The update will include VistaPro DEMs and WCS ELEV files

And the DEM importer is more forgiving on bad DEM files

Clay: !

Hilofoz: I mean, is it ready yet?

MetaBrian: It's done and going through BETA

Hilofoz: Ok, thanx

MetaBrian: To be released RSN...

AuntiAlias: gdmsynth!

gdmsynth: It would be nice if "Hidden" could be recorded in an animation so we could turn objects on/off as with After Effect layers. This would allow "Landing of objects" as discussed earlier. They could be replaced with a new one entering the animation.

Hilofoz: Yes yes, we need that. Wish....

gdmsynth: Too late to add to update?

DonaldSGriffin: (and you could orchestrate it to speed up renders by hiding only while out of frame.)

gdmsynth: Yes yes yes

ahole: Right now, you can work around it by scaling the object really small in one frame or moving it out of the view of the camera

gdmsynth: Yeah, that works too but extra steps.

ahole: Right now the animation system does not animate states. The hidden attribute is beeing considered a state.

gdmsynth: It would also be nice to see which obj are active as with a sequencer.

ahole: That would be nice.

gdmsynth: Just some ideas...dreaming before bedtime.

MetaBrian: Cool.

Calyxa: total pie-in-the-sky -- I'd like to be able to select objects by material!

ahole: Done

gdmsynth: Thanks everyone.. Done.

DonaldSGriffin: Good Idea Caly

AuntiAlias: Time to wrap up!!! :D Thanks, Brian, Ales and Ken!!

MetaBrian: We agree, Cal

Clay: Are you guys tired of us yet? or just plain tired? we want you to add 48 more hours to your schedule to get these probs fixed! HEHEHEHEHEH! OH,Was that out loud? You guys are the best! Thanks again for all your hard work!

Steve Lareau: Radial lights- if half is embedded into a wall, no light emits. Is is the actual light source the absolute center, and if so, does the "outer edges" act as a diffuser? Does resizing it affect the light radiance at all?

argh.. of coure,I crashed this window waiting my turn... grrrrr....

ahole: Steve make sure that the ceneter of the sphere is what emits the light

AuntiAlias: oh.. oops. Steve got knocked outta BryceTalk...

Hilofoz: Thank you all

Steve Lareau: Ales- that's the answer I was looking for- thanks!

gdmsynth: Yeah, B4 and the Enginering Team RULE! (handles aside).

ahole: Ooooopsss

Calyxa: the light is emitted from the origin point of the light object, is it not?

MetaBrian: The very center is where the light comes from!!!

ahole: Make sure that the center is not in the wall

MetaBrian: Yes, Calyxa

Yojimbo: But you can change that can't you?

AuntiAlias: does changing the light's origin point change the light emitting?

Yojimbo: for radial lights?

Steve Lareau: then why the shell, and resizing it if it doesn't have anything to do with it?

Calyxa: yeah, move the origin handle

Yojimbo: the origin point that is

MetaBrian: No, I'm sorry... it's not the green point origin...

AuntiAlias: cause you can make a light object visible

Calyxa: ah well...

Yojimbo: dang

MetaBrian: Oh yeah, it does come from the green point

Yojimbo: be handy though

doh

hehe

DonaldSGriffin: I had to quit using B2 because it crashed so much. B4 hasn't crashed once. That's the best compliment I can think of.

gdmsynth: Thanks everyone bye 8^p

Clay: cya

Calyxa: yes, thank you, thank you, thank you!

MetaBrian: You're all very welcome...thanks for coming, drive safely

ahole: Thanks everybody

Clay: much thanks comes from this end of the line

Danny: CLAY !!!!!!!!!!

Clay: DAN!

JeffP: Thanks guys...this is the support model of the future...

Clay: got your e-mail

Danny: Good what do you think ?

ahole: OK, night everybody.......

Yojimbo: Night and thanks

MetaBrian: nighty all

DonaldSGriffin: We better not drive home dressed like THIS! (in the buff)

>>>> Next week: Bryce Skies

< Previous |

Opinions expressed in this BryceTalk Event belong to the individuals who stated them;
they do not necessarily reflect the opinions and position of MetaCreations, Corp.