Norman Nave Reconstruction

[dom_g]

For my university project I am working with a client to create an animation of a Cathedral's Nave in Norman times. It involves lots of repeating architecture which I have almost completed.

 

The problem is how to go about with the rendering - I have only access to 3ds Max/Mental Ray, therefore it might be a problem with computer intensive options. Does anyone have any suggestions? My first idea was to go GI, but for a 1 minute animation, running on the computer I have, it`s a no go.

 

Thanks.

[AJLynn]

Have you tried any rendering tests using GI photons with the map saved to a file, then a saved FG map file with a first run through doing the FG at every 10th frame or so and the final render using FG freeze? That would front-load the lighting calculation and make it not recalculate lighting at every frame.

 

The obvious alternative would be a fakeosity technique, or something illustrative that doesn't require realistic lighting.

[JamesTaylor]

how about using abient occlusion via mental ray. You could either do a beauty pass in scanline or mental ray and then a further pass or two with mentral rays ambient occlusion shader and composite together in post to give the GI feeling.

 

i'd have thought even on low spec machines you should be able to pull this of given a reasonable time allowance.

 

do a search for occlusion in the forums there has been an interesting thread recently on the subject.