Oops! Three hours into batch render... somethings wrong.

**shonymat** · 08-02-12 at 06:20 PM

Not sure how many of you do animations in programs such as Maya or 3ds Max, but if you have, have you ever started a batch render only to realize that a few hours in, you didn't have something set right and you have to scrap the whole thing?

I'm doing an animation in Maya and on my third camera move I had to reset the coordinates, and in haste, I forgot to change the front, up and side twist to equal the camera I had deleted. SOB! I hate wasting so much time like that.

**Method512** · 08-02-12 at 07:41 PM

I'm not into that, but I know that rendering something may take a while...depending on the details.

It's always a pain when something like that happens. It takes so long to do, that if you correct it, you will most likely do it on the next day (if you don't leave your pc rendering at night).

Only similar experience was with a simple copy paste....where by mistake I copied the wrong 500gb of data. Whoohoo!

**shonymat** · 08-02-12 at 08:10 PM

500gb?? That sucks. I've never lost anything that large, but have had my fair share of wrongfully deleted stuff.

This render is running over night now and it shouldn't take more than 6hrs at 1080p. It's only 240 frames or 8 seconds of video, but still it's irritating as hell to have to do over.

**Gandolph13** · 08-03-12 at 02:49 AM

I purchased the original Autodesk Animator back in the early 90's ($$$$$ thousands) and on the current (then) top of the range 486's available, rendering was something you prepared a packed lunch and sleeping arrangements for.
That program was the precursor to 3D studioMax

**shonymat** · 08-03-12 at 08:15 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Gandolph13

I purchased the original Autodesk Animator back in the early 90's ($$$$$ thousands) and on the current (then) top of the range 486's available, rendering was something you prepared a packed lunch and sleeping arrangements for.
That program was the precursor to 3D studioMax

Couldn't imagine the time needed back then.

I've only been able to recently upgrade to a better laptop, and before this, the 6hrs of render time would have easily been 20+.

whaaats · 08-03-12 at 09:42 PM

This has happened a lot to me(I use maya as well). When I first started using Maya I had very little understanding of how the rendering worked, still don't. The first time I rendered something was a camera panning through a scene with a bunch of texture that I had linked in my flash drive. Half way through the render I had to leave and pulled my flash drive out, not thinking anything about it. I re-rendered 3 times before I realized what was happening.

Excess noise in the shadows cast by Environmental Sun and Sky also springs to mind.

**shonymat** · 08-03-12 at 10:05 PM

Ohh man. That sucks. I've done the same thing with an sdhc that I had textures on. Didn't even dawn on me that when I took it out, the batch was still going.

It's also happened with objects I thought were invisible and find out 200 frames in that they were in fact visible.

whaaats · 08-03-12 at 10:26 PM

oh man definitely on the invisible objects. Every so once in a while I'll forget to turn off Cast Shadows and similar things. I'll get a random shadow popping up out of nowhere. A friend of mine went bald trying to get VUE environments working with Mental ray. Suffice it say he never quite accomplished an accurate render.

**Gandolph13** · 08-04-12 at 12:44 AM

Quote:

A friend of mine went bald trying to get VUE environments working with Mental ray. Suffice it say he never quite accomplished an accurate render.

Crap, I'm staying away from it!

**shonymat** · 08-04-12 at 04:55 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by whaaats

oh man definitely on the invisible objects. Every so once in a while I'll forget to turn off Cast Shadows and similar things. I'll get a random shadow popping up out of nowhere. A friend of mine went bald trying to get VUE environments working with Mental ray. Suffice it say he never quite accomplished an accurate render.

Man.. Vue can be a little b1tch! I've rarely had anything transfer to Maya worth anything. It's such a cool program. I just need to spend more time with it.

Have you ever worked with Realflow? Now that's a cool program!

whaaats · 08-04-12 at 06:12 PM

Vue is mad cool and my friend did to get some things working, but then he'd have random rendering issue. Eventually he just decided it wasn't worth the hassle. I haven't tried Real Flow. I mostly just entertain myself in maya, currently I'm learning Zbrush. I've seen some stunning effects with real flow, wish I understood dynamics better. I was learning that field for a while, but it's been so long that I don't remember anything other the most basic things.

**shonymat** · 08-04-12 at 09:16 PM

If you're able to find the time, you should download some of the Digital Tutors tutorials on Realflow and they've just recently started up Vue tutorials as well if you're interested.

Zbrush is great and I'm going to try and work through DT's tuts on that as well during the winter. Do you have a tablet you use with it or just the mouse?

whaaats · 08-05-12 at 06:53 AM

I do have a tablet for the moment, but in these early teachings it's not making much of a difference which I use. I think when I move into actually laying real detail the tablet will help a lot. Lol, just notice your avatar. Was it made in realflow?

**shonymat** · 08-05-12 at 07:49 AM

Yes. It was made in Realflow. Gif's never do any animation justice. :(

08-02-12 at 07:41 PM	#2
Method512 Is there a character limi Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Jersey (GMT) Posts: 3,302	I'm not into that, but I know that rendering something may take a while...depending on the details. It's always a pain when something like that happens. It takes so long to do, that if you correct it, you will most likely do it on the next day (if you don't leave your pc rendering at night). Only similar experience was with a simple copy paste....where by mistake I copied the wrong 500gb of data. Whoohoo!

08-02-12 at 08:10 PM	#3
shonymat Elder Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 2,887	500gb?? That sucks. I've never lost anything that large, but have had my fair share of wrongfully deleted stuff. This render is running over night now and it shouldn't take more than 6hrs at 1080p. It's only 240 frames or 8 seconds of video, but still it's irritating as hell to have to do over.

08-03-12 at 02:49 AM	#4
Gandolph13 Legendary Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Australia (GMT+10) Posts: 12,327	I purchased the original Autodesk Animator back in the early 90's ($$$$$ thousands) and on the current (then) top of the range 486's available, rendering was something you prepared a packed lunch and sleeping arrangements for. That program was the precursor to 3D studioMax

08-03-12 at 08:15 AM	#5
shonymat Elder Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 2,887	Quote: Originally Posted by Gandolph13 I purchased the original Autodesk Animator back in the early 90's ($$$$$ thousands) and on the current (then) top of the range 486's available, rendering was something you prepared a packed lunch and sleeping arrangements for. That program was the precursor to 3D studioMax Couldn't imagine the time needed back then. I've only been able to recently upgrade to a better laptop, and before this, the 6hrs of render time would have easily been 20+.

08-03-12 at 09:42 PM	#6
whaaats Novice Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 180	This has happened a lot to me(I use maya as well). When I first started using Maya I had very little understanding of how the rendering worked, still don't. The first time I rendered something was a camera panning through a scene with a bunch of texture that I had linked in my flash drive. Half way through the render I had to leave and pulled my flash drive out, not thinking anything about it. I re-rendered 3 times before I realized what was happening. Excess noise in the shadows cast by Environmental Sun and Sky also springs to mind.

08-03-12 at 10:05 PM	#7
shonymat Elder Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 2,887	Ohh man. That sucks. I've done the same thing with an sdhc that I had textures on. Didn't even dawn on me that when I took it out, the batch was still going. It's also happened with objects I thought were invisible and find out 200 frames in that they were in fact visible.

08-03-12 at 10:26 PM	#8
whaaats Novice Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 180	oh man definitely on the invisible objects. Every so once in a while I'll forget to turn off Cast Shadows and similar things. I'll get a random shadow popping up out of nowhere. A friend of mine went bald trying to get VUE environments working with Mental ray. Suffice it say he never quite accomplished an accurate render.

08-04-12 at 12:44 AM	#9
Gandolph13 Legendary Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Australia (GMT+10) Posts: 12,327	Quote: A friend of mine went bald trying to get VUE environments working with Mental ray. Suffice it say he never quite accomplished an accurate render. Crap, I'm staying away from it!

08-04-12 at 04:55 PM	#10
shonymat Elder Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 2,887	Quote: Originally Posted by whaaats oh man definitely on the invisible objects. Every so once in a while I'll forget to turn off Cast Shadows and similar things. I'll get a random shadow popping up out of nowhere. A friend of mine went bald trying to get VUE environments working with Mental ray. Suffice it say he never quite accomplished an accurate render. Man.. Vue can be a little b1tch! I've rarely had anything transfer to Maya worth anything. It's such a cool program. I just need to spend more time with it. Have you ever worked with Realflow? Now that's a cool program!

08-04-12 at 06:12 PM	#11
whaaats Novice Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 180	Vue is mad cool and my friend did to get some things working, but then he'd have random rendering issue. Eventually he just decided it wasn't worth the hassle. I haven't tried Real Flow. I mostly just entertain myself in maya, currently I'm learning Zbrush. I've seen some stunning effects with real flow, wish I understood dynamics better. I was learning that field for a while, but it's been so long that I don't remember anything other the most basic things.

08-04-12 at 09:16 PM	#12
shonymat Elder Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 2,887	If you're able to find the time, you should download some of the Digital Tutors tutorials on Realflow and they've just recently started up Vue tutorials as well if you're interested. Zbrush is great and I'm going to try and work through DT's tuts on that as well during the winter. Do you have a tablet you use with it or just the mouse?

08-05-12 at 06:53 AM	#13
whaaats Novice Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 180	I do have a tablet for the moment, but in these early teachings it's not making much of a difference which I use. I think when I move into actually laying real detail the tablet will help a lot. Lol, just notice your avatar. Was it made in realflow?

08-05-12 at 07:49 AM	#14
shonymat Elder Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 2,887	Yes. It was made in Realflow. Gif's never do any animation justice. :(