Large Project WIP Need HELP!

[Atom]

I have taken on a large scale project, condos not by choice but it should be a good experience. There are some images I've attached if you'd like to view the model. The problem is i am fairly new to rendering with passes since i think that's the only way i will be able to complete these renderings. The total file is at 150mb and i seem to get mental ray errors about memory because i tried to render the whole thing together.

 

Now rendering in passes is the only way to fix this correct? please let me know my options and what i can do to get the job done. I've also done some research and found Cebas PSD Manager has anyone used this software? Or would it help in the process for me to complete my renderings? The software's only $150.00 i can afford that but is there another way to avoid using this software.

 

And last I've done some research on this forum looking for answers I've found many people with the same problem but you guys mention rendering with matte/shadow or something i don't get this can you please explain?

 

Lastly the model was drawn in ArchiCAD 9 not my choice but when imported into 3dmax as a 3DS. all of the geometry are meshes and every single last object is on its own layer so the file has over 50,000 objects which sucks i like everything its own layers.

 

Any help at all would be GREAT! Thanks in advance.

 

Adam

[ecastillor]

I know this wont help you, but when i get archicad files or archicad imported files to max, I prefer to remodel everything in a clean way to speed up my renderings. Especially if its animation.

[Atom]

Yeah i would but TIME is not on my side this TIME.

[Andrew Schroeder]

Just looking at the model, what is the reason for the high file size? Does the model contain _everything_ (interior/exterior)? Because I've worked with a lot of exteriors that size and haven't had file sizes like that. If everything is on it's own layer, that would be a good reason for slow performance. I just completed a MAX file with 2,028 different layers inside it, and it took MAX 1.5 days (that's right, days) to load the thing. Once it's loaded, the performance is fine, but so help you god if you need to reboot.

 

If you're only rendering exteriors, I would strip out what you don't need to see, and otherwise optimize the model. If you do have to interiors as well, I'd copy the file and keep 1 for exteriors and one for interiors, stripping out details that won't be seen.

 

To get better render times, I'd suggest checking the materials/lighting in the scene (it looked textured and lit in your screen shot). Could be your GI settings too... Also, I would suggest downloading VRayFree from http://www.vrayrender.com. It's a hell of a lot easier than MR if you're just starting out and gives damn good results for a free program.

[bokkins]

projects this big, i suggest you use default scanline renderer, with 1 directional light with raytraced shadow and 1-5 omnis with decay. then post process it in photoshop. you will have almost the same effect with vray. this is best for hopeless case scenario. hope this helps

[Tim Nelson]

For a scene like this I'm sure you could get away with a lot less detail in your model than you currently have.

 

I would check out this plugin http://www.mootools.com/plugins/us/polygoncruncher/index.asp

 

As Ted Boardman would say "only use the amount of detail that you are going to need",....err something like that. Unless you plan on animating this, I'm sure you can greatly reduce the poly count and save your rendering size & time.

[bokkins]

ya! tim is right, if you could delete the back part of the buildings, the better. I usually do facades only if a scene need not be animated. another is, you hide 2 buildings alternately, and then merge all 3 pics in an editor.

[Chad Warner]

For a scene like this I'm sure you could get away with a lot less detail in your model than you currently have.

 

I would check out this plugin http://www.mootools.com/plugins/us/polygoncruncher/index.asp

 

As Ted Boardman would say "only use the amount of detail that you are going to need",....err something like that. Unless you plan on animating this, I'm sure you can greatly reduce the poly count and save your rendering size & time.

 

Tim-

 

Is the polygoncruncher any better than the optimize or multires tools inside of Viz?

[Eric]

It's hard to tell from the images you posted, but are the majority of the floors the same? Meaning, could you remodel one of the floors in max and duplicate it to all the identical floors? I didn't count, but if you have 30 floors, and you're able to replace 25 of them with a single "instanced" copy of your max drawn floor, you might be able to get it to render the whole scene. I would also suggest deleting the back sides of your buildings that will not be visible in reflections. And make sure your reflection amounts are turned down to just one or two reflections, instead of the default, which is what, 9??

 

I know you said time is not on your side, but if you can get it to render the entire scene by remodeling the duplicate floor, you'll have less post processing and passes to composite. It may ultimately save you time because you've decreased the overall rendering time.

[Eric]

Also, do you have any other options for exporting from Archicad that might allow you to keep all the elements from one layer together? When I export a 3D model from autocad as a 3DS file, I tell it to derive 3DS objects from "Layer". When I insert my 3DS file back in, all the elements from my "grass" layer are now merged into one object, which you could then break apart by element inside of Max if you needed to.

[Atom]

Thanks for all the tips, I thought about remodeling the whole thing again since every obect seems to have its own layer due to archiCAD. Theres only a few floors that differ other then that the tower are identical besides what in the back. No animation will be done so I think i will try to delete the back portions since there just takeing up memory.

 

Also last night i went throught the whole model and grouped each tower individually along with grouping the glass railing for each tower. So i have 6 files one with just the first tower and another file with the railing for that tower, and so on for the other 2. The tower file without railing is about 25mb and the railing for each tower is about 20mb. I'm thinking i could try to render in passes each tower alone with the railing then render the site and composite in photoshop does that sound like an idea? Let me know thanks for all the feedback.

 

As for the model only the exteriors were modeled no interiors, i need only 2 renderings from this model the screen shot i have already and one with just One tower. I have not set up and GI settings yet all i have is 1 directional light for the sun and 2 MR Omnis.

 

Thanks For the HELP. I'll keep posting with updates.

 

Adam

 

P.S. So is PSD Manager plugin not necessary for this?

[Tim Nelson]

Tim-

 

Is the polygoncruncher any better than the optimize or multires tools inside of Viz?

I know an avid 3dsMax modeler that swears by it. He says he would not use anything else.

 

I don't know a whole lot about it, but this is a quote from their website: " Polygon Cruncher uses an exceptional algorithm, which gives incomparable results, really better than what you can get with optimizer provided with 3DS Max or Lightwave".

[Wayne Harney]

I see you're using MR but I thought I would suggest vray proxy anyway. It let's you get away with murder in high poly scenes.

[Wokka]

Just a quick note. If you could contact the original Cad operator, there are several option when saving an ArchiCad file. I save it as an *.obj file so all materials are grouped in individual CAD layers. This creates a pretty logical object hierachy thats easy to clean up. The operator may also be using parametric objects that enable the railings to be a much lower resolution as the deault is usually pretty high as the architectural elevations are also produced directly from the model.

Cheers

[mangalore]

First of all, i use Archicad too, but insted using max i use it with Cinema 4D, and archicad have an interchange plugin to bring everything into cinema with all textures, color or anything you have applied to the project as if it were done in cinema.

 

Cinema can handle large projects specially when is involved with the theme of radiosity. You can email me at ipedrazapeluffo@yahoo.com and i would gladly exchange any info that would help you on this project.

 

Actually i am doing a big project with a bigger size than yours and everything is working perfectly.

[kulbir bal]

i am facing same kind of problem ............ pls let me know if any thing worked out