command batch render memory problems

[staffanlincoln]

Maybe I misunderstood you, but as I understand it you are starting batch render from the Maya Render menu. If you're doing that you're really using up twice as much memory as neccessary. The batch rendering is a completely separate thread that you can invoke either from a command prompt or from explorer.

Do this:
1. Close Maya
2. Start up Windows Explorer and right click on your scene file and choose render from the menu. The batch render will now start without the overhead of running the Maya user interface. (The project must be set beforehand in Maya though, by Set Project in File Menu, so that the filepaths are correct.)


If this doesn't solve your problem try using the command Render Diagnostics from the Render Menu in Maya. This can help a lot. Sometimes when importing from CAD you will have a small surface with 100 000 polys that isn't even visible in your scene because it is inside something else, or behind it. The diagnostics can sometimes alert you to this and you can hide those surfaces and not waste render effort on them.

[alexx]

some tips on that:

- like written before: be sure you close maya GUI before rendering.
- a poly count of 2 mio will be close to what is possible with 1 Gig ram..
- try instancing parts of the model: maybe there are same groups of parts. delete the original ones and duplicate them with the instance option. like that you save LOADs of memory.
- if groups are not the same, but the objects are symetrical, use the cut tool to split them in half and make the other half an instance again.
- check highend 3d for the plugin: polyReducePlanar. works great on poly objects imported from CAD.
(i guess you are using polies.. if not: be sure to propperly set the tesselation for your nurbs surfaces)

good luck

alexx

[pivot]

hey guys

i do use the command line rendrer. haven't tried the right click render thing, but i believe the command line is even better to use.
don't think i got a polycound at 2 millions. dunno why the rendrer postst it, but it says (for instance) 'frame triangle count: 2452863'.
That's probably the highest i've got when it still rendered...

i also use polyReducePlanar. works great, but obviously
not great enough. i know there are methods to decrease the
geometry, but the main issue here is that it fills up the memory
withough actually needing to. other 3d packages render the
scenes really nice, without raping the memory. maya don't :|

[alexx]

Originally posted by pivot
i know there are methods to decrease the
geometry, but the main issue here is that it fills up the memory
withough actually needing to. other 3d packages render the
scenes really nice, without raping the memory. maya don't :|

so then i dont get the point.. render it in max..

[pivot]

i like maya....
and we don't have the seamless connection between maya
and max... yet. should have polytrans for maya and max.

but. there isn't any other ways to solve the maya problem?
no settings of any kind to make it use less memory?
i would really like the 'use cache' function to work
on geometry too, but I haven't had any luck on that yet...

any suggestions on other rendrers for maya then?

[alexx]

hmm.. if you mean is there a button or setting somewhere that when checked makes maya only use half the memory?
no.. i am quite sure there isnt.
one last thing that can help a bit in lowering the mem usage:
- dont use and if so limit the mem usage for motion blur
- when rendering command line:
limit the bucket size to small values. (tile height and width)
that will prevent having maya to load huge amounts of polies into ram while rendering.
- dont use ray tracing

sorry.. but i dont think threre is a real solution.. if so: i want to hear it as well :)

cheers

alexx

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