rsuleyman

In the network connection properties there is the option to set it as a metered connection. With this setting, Windows won't automatically download the latest updates. You will have to download and install them manually. Go to Network & Internet settings>Status>Change Connection Properties. Then switch on 'Set as metered connection'. You may get warnings from other applications such as Outlook and OneDrive but it's better than having your PC restart during a render.

I've been using Octane with C4D for several years now. I'm only using a 6GB GTX Titan Black but I've been able to render some very heavy scenes. You certainly have to manage your scene well and use proxies/instances wherever you can. The latest release of Octane can now use the system RAM for textures and geometry with a slight decrease in render speed. I haven't really used VRay RT though so can't say anything about that, but I do know that it supports hybrid rendering on both the GPU and CPU. I don't know if that is still limited by the VRAM though.

I started using Grove3D a couple of months ago and I love it. I use Cinema 4D so the difficulty for me was learning Blender well enough to generate and export the trees. They export really well as .obj and I use Forester Multicloner to distribute the twigs as instances. Using this method, an average tree comes in at around 100k polys. Here's an image I did recently with VRayC4D. The foreground trees, including the two framing the view, and some of the background ones were generated from Grove3D.

Thanks for your input. Your suggestion seems like a better idea in the long run. I would be moving from the UK to France. My PC is starting to get a little old so I was looking into whether to upgrade it or take a different route. I'll probably end up getting a mid-range, more portable machine and use an online service when I need it. I think it will work out cheaper too. I've been looking into Zync which is integrated into C4D R18. It will become more interesting once it supports VRay C4D. Thanks again, Rico

Hi all, Does anyone have any experience in using virtual machines for their everyday work? I'm talking about Google Cloud Platform, Amazon WorkSpaces, etc. I am considering moving abroad and looking at possible alternatives to having to take my PC with me. I mainly use ArchiCAD, Cinema 4D & Octane Render. Any advice or recommendations would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance. Rico

I use the Epson Stylus Photo 1500 at work for glossy prints. I'm very happy with it. I used the 1400 previous to that for about five years until it stopped working. It can print an A3 at very good quality on glossy paper in about two minutes. That may not be fast enough for you though. I rarely have to do much high volume printing. You can get a good quality/speed/ink balance if you play around with settings. I haven't tried any others so I can't compare it but overall I think it's a good printer. Rico

I've only tried it on a wifi connection. It seems as though it's possible to do it an ethernet connection as well but it's a bit more complicated. Here's a link to a step-by-step guide I found: https://www.cnet.com/uk/how-to/meter-your-ethernet-connection-in-windows-10/ It looks fairly straightforward but it does involves editing the registry so make sure you know what you're doing before you attempt it.

If they're rebooting because Windows is installing updates then the only solution I found was to switch on the metered connection option in the network settings. This makes Windows think that you have a data limit so it won't download updates automatically. Rico

Which version of Photoshop are you using? Photoshop CC has the option to create Guide Layouts. You could create a layout with 12 columns and 1 row. Then with the Slice tool, click the 'Slices From Guides' button. Finally, go to File>Export>Save for Web. It will then save each slice as an individual file in a folder. There's probably a better way of doing it but that's what I came up with off the top of my head. Rico

There are some good tutorials here that may be the kind of thing you're looking for: https://visualizingarchitecture.com Rico