MR - .pmap and .fgm files on Backburner

[MegaPixel]

MAX 8 - MR 3.4 - Backburner 3

 

Has any one else done any network rendering through Backburner reusing the Photon Map and Final Gather map? When I submit the rendering job in the backburner dialog, I get some kind of can't find file issue. It goes away if I select the Rebuidl option for both maps. I'm trying to do whatever I can to improve frame times on the render farm by using these files but so far, I can't do it. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

Also, I'm questioning the performance gain by reusing the map files. I ran another render of this scene this morning reusing the Photon map and Finbal Gather map and saw little if no render time improvement at all. The scene still had to calculate the final gather pass. Am I doing something wrong here?

 

Thanks - Mega

[abicalho]

Hi Mega,

 

You need to treat them as maps. Make sure they can be found just as any bitmap does.

[MegaPixel]

That's what the "Include all maps" check box is for in the Network render dialog. With max 8, it should say "Include all assets".

 

I've even copied the map files to a visible path on the network and "unc'd" the paths to them. The farm pc's still will not use these files. There are many posts in the Autodesk MAX forums that seem to cooberate this issue. Don't you still work for Autodesk Abicalho?

[abicalho]

I still work at Autodesk, but on a different line of products.

 

Sorry I cannot help you further.

[svan3d]

I have the same problem in 3ds max 2010! I create a renderjob with include maps checked, but the netrender doesn't use the precalculated .fgm file from the zipped renderjob.(zip contains it).

Edited July 29, 2011 by svan3d

[Justin Hunt]

I have had absolutly no problem at all with this.

 

Be sure that the maps are saved to a folder ALL machines can see.

Be sure that the path is correct in the render dialogue

 

Can you render through max on the render machines? ie can the individual machines see and load the maps?

 

jhv

[svan3d]

The include maps function is checked on netrender so all the maps should loaded from the packed zip file.

Edited July 29, 2011 by svan3d

[Justin Hunt]

are you sure the fg and P maps are included? I was under the impression that "Include maps" only does texture maps

 

jhv

[svan3d]

I use only Final gather, and it's included.