I am trying to render out a large image using MR and I saw a trick for Max 9 where you render with a high FG setting at low rez and save the .fgm then up the rez and render again. The renderer uses the .fgm file instead of computing FG all over again for the Larger image.

My problem is I am using Max 8 and everytime I try to render at a higher rez it tries to recalculate FG, then the system run out of memory and i have to ctrl+alt+del and reboot. I can’t seem to find an option similar to the option in max 9 to where it freezes the .fgm so it’s read only and doesn’t compute FG again.

Does Max 8 have the ability to do that? Since Autodesk redesigned the final gather renderer tab, it’s hard to follow some tutorials with Max 8 now 4 versions ago.

Max 8 (32-bit) w/ XP PRO SP2
Dell Dimension 5150 w/ 3.0 Ghz P4
2.5 Gb RAM, ATI RADEON X600

UhhHeem,… Max 8 does have FG & FG caching - Why it would ignore the proper settings, Rebuild OFF, Use File mapped and checked, I don’t know. Sometimes using that delete button, then caching and locking pleases the ones and zeros.

I have used the technique you are referring to with 64 2K tiles, although this was in Max 9 (or higher) where the FG code is much improved. So loosely alluding to the Lightracer was not a bad suggestion, quoting your whole thread and posting that image,…

-Shea

http://www.youtube.com/user/SheaDesign

http://www.shea-design.com/

I have been doing 3DS / Max for 17 years & if you had taken the time to look in the interface, well you could have saved face.

-Shea

http://www.youtube.com/user/SheaDesign

http://www.shea-design.com/

Here are SS of the render dialog box and the settings I am using to render. I still can’t stop it reCalculating FG everytime i render the same camera over and over again.

Thanks,
James

Max 8 (32-bit) w/ XP PRO SP2
Dell Dimension 5150 w/ 3.0 Ghz P4
2.5 Gb RAM, ATI RADEON X600

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That is ODD,..  have you tried it with a super simple scene? Perhaps it is somehow ‘aware’ you are rendering at a different resolution after the cache & this is why it re-calculates… so does it work (the cache) when using the same resolution? I’ve cached to networked drives so this should not be a problem… keep trying!

-Shea

http://www.youtube.com/user/SheaDesign

http://www.shea-design.com/

Hi James,

Max 8 doesn’t have the FG ‘Freeze’ option, which is what you need.

Because you have rendered the FG at a smaller Rez, Mental ray knows
there are areas of the map that are missing samples, hence why it
re-calculates the FG.

Regards
Bri

Video Training Modules for 3Ds Max - Mental Ray - VRay:
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Mr_game_man 03 July 2008 09:04 PM

Mr Bradley
I thought so but i got shouted down

Hi,

Don’t get me wrong, Max 8 DOES have FG! It is a part of Mental Rays
global illumination sytem. It just doesn’t have the ‘Freeze’ option needed
to prevent FG from re-calculating.

Hope that makes it clearer? :-)

Regards
Bri

Video Training Modules for 3Ds Max - Mental Ray - VRay:
http://www.mentalboutmax.com

MBM News & Updates:
http://www.mentalboutmax.biz/Blog