translation time using IBL only

[Matt McDonald]

I've noticed that if I light a scene exclusively via IBL (a skylight object & an EXR in the background) I have very high translation times (nearly equivalent to the render time). If I enable FG the translation time drops dramatically (say from 10 minutes to 3 minutes).

 

Has anyone else noticed this and/or have any idea why it might be?

[blank...]

Has anyone else noticed this

 

 

Nope, all good here.

Are you sure it's translation time and not "sampling the environment" (open render message window and look there). By default it's set to 64 samples (one more thing that is not exposed in UI) and that can take some time.

Also, have you tried plugging exr into the skylight (which should be done anyway)?

[Matt McDonald]

Thanks Dario

 

I had a big long response all typed up but Max flaked out on me on my last test. It seems that the translation time thing pops up only on the second or third render in a max session, not the first. The message window indicates that it is at a particular percentage of a placeholder. I tried copy the EXR into the environment slot rather than allowing the skylight to reference the environment and it made no difference. When I add final gatehr to the scene (leaving IBL on) the long translation time is gone but render time goes up as well.

 

Right now I'm not too worried about it, and I am even having difficulty reproducing it (though I've noticed it on multiple occasions) so no point in further troubleshooting. I was mostly curious if anyone else had experienced that.

[padre.ayuso]

Thanks Dario

 

I had a big long response all typed up but Max flaked out on me on my last test. It seems that the translation time thing pops up only on the second or third render in a max session, not the first. The message window indicates that it is at a particular percentage of a placeholder. I tried copy the EXR into the environment slot rather than allowing the skylight to reference the environment and it made no difference. When I add final gatehr to the scene (leaving IBL on) the long translation time is gone but render time goes up as well.

 

Right now I'm not too worried about it, and I am even having difficulty reproducing it (though I've noticed it on multiple occasions) so no point in further troubleshooting. I was mostly curious if anyone else had experienced that.

 

I have had long render times trying to use IBL in the past, and I believe it was also to do with Translation times. However, I saw somewhere that putting your bigger EXR file, full of High Res and all as the environment is not such a hot idea, and to use a smaller map (still EXR) on your environment.

 

I'm not very proficient at IBL rendering in Max, so I can't give you many ideas here, when and if needed (IBL) I turn IRay on or go with Corona whilst still free.