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View Full Version : working around memory exceptions?

JasonA
11-22-2002, 09:47 PM
I'm in a bit of an unfortunate position. I'm converting some models which have extrememly hi resolution texture maps and have now found that Maya stops the render about 1/4 into a frame with a message about a memory exception.

This of course is most annoying since now I can't even render the model (and I only have half the textures reapplied!). I never had any problems rendering this same model with same maps in two other apps. They rendered fine, although gobbled a fair amount of memory. But Maya doesn't want to handle it??

Is there some sort of ceiling I need to re-adjust or something? I really don't want to have to drop the res on the textures. Why is Maya being such a memory hog? :shrug:

I have 1GB ram.
gmask
11-22-2002, 09:49 PM
This is more of an issue with the Operating system than with Maya as Maya is more effecient on windows and irix.

Convert you texture files to bot files and they will use less ram. Also rende rfromt he command line and use the tilewidth flag to limit how much ram the rnederer needs per bucket as it renders.
JasonA
11-22-2002, 10:20 PM
ok sounds like a plan... mmmm but whats a bot file? never heard of that format
gmask
11-23-2002, 12:37 AM
Look it up makebot in the mel dictionary
beaker
11-23-2002, 06:39 AM
What is the resolution of your texture file and what file format do you have it saved as?
JasonA
11-23-2002, 03:28 PM
well the texture maps vary in size, smallest being 256x256 but I have 4 or 5 that are somewhere around 4500x3000 etc where edge crispness and detail was really important. They're currently saved as JPEG's. I was thinkin of trying to reduce the bit depth, but 8bit just won't cut it.

I have noticed that I can reduce the liklihood of the problem on a fresh boot with no other apps running.

this makebot function looks pretty useful, and I didn't realize you could force the bucket size.. very cool...
JasonA
11-24-2002, 05:59 PM
gmask,

wow that had a serious effect on rendering time. I looked up makebot in the online help, but unfortunately the descriptions were kinda cryptic.

Basically I went into all of the big map settings and clicked "use cache" on the big maps. Anyways, the first render took forever (about 5.5 minutes whereas in max it renders in 50 seconds). The output window said it created bot files for the specified textures. Anyways, all subsequent renders only took 45 seconds! wow major improvement :applause:

Ok so here's a question. how can I make permanent bot files for the big texture maps? I searched my system after I did the above, but I couldn't find any bot files. were they just loaded into memory? And if so, does this mean that my first frame will always be totally slow while it creates bot files for that particular session?

Thanks for the pointers
:buttrock: :airguitar :airguitar :buttrock:
gmask
11-24-2002, 07:31 PM
You use makebot to convert textures files into bot files. Then sub those bot files for your textures just liek they were a regualr image. There may be a script at highend3d.com that makes doing this easier
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