Thomo

Blair has no apparent interest in making this work. Ok fine. Give me my money back and then I will send projects that his product does not work with. If he then has a renewed interest in selling something that works, then I will pay for it! Don't advertise a product that does not work. Simple. You saw it yourself Tomas, you were on my machine! Not good enough. All I am saying is; DO NOT SELL OR ENDORSE A FAULTY PRODUCT. The product is faulty, take it off the market. And refund my money.

Ok. PC Rama bug is noted on the forum. Yes I can reproduce it often. There is nothing to send. It can't be reproduced from one machine to another. I believe it is a camera / graphics card/driver problem. See mine and Diego's latest post on this. Thanks Tomas

I want my money back. And I am not saying please. Give it back!

What "bugs" me is that we have to wait for a whole new release for this to be fixed. Where are the "patches"? This is old code creeping back in. Fact. So Now I wait for a new release to solve a problem that is as old as the hills. I don't get it!!!

Hi Steve, Under 6 mins of viewing. http://www.ronenbekerman.com/linear-workflow-made-simple/ My setup. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t0j85v7jhti9jqe/AABtjCjlutdatwT1J15rLyWha?dl=0 Good luck.

Forgot the conclusion. I often have open on my machine simultaneously. EIAS, RAMA MAster, FormZ, AutoCad, Photoshop. And perhaps; Revit and 3DS Max. All are grapic "hungry" apps. If I have ANY of these open and try to open EIAS, EIAS will crash. Close all and it will open. Even if it is a EIAS file that was open before. See what I am getting at. So it is often a case that I have a FormZ model open, exporting to EIAS, checking drawings with AutoCad, checking renders in Photoshop and sending updated renders to RAMA. Then the RAMA problem occurs. In my simplified terms, RAMA keeps rendering, but when it gets no feedback (graphically cannot be displayed) it goes to sleep. Keep in mind I render in 10 strips for still images regularly. For the specific purpose that there is no other way to tell where RAMA is up to in the render process. Render as 1 image and wait and see. I sincerely hope this helps.

OK. I have a theory. This is not a network problem, it is a graphic card problem. I speak from an un-educated point on this. My fear is this will not be able to be replicated unless it is on a particular WIN system. My reasons and conclusions are as follows: - If I have several graphic orientated applications open, Rama is more likely to falter. QED: Rama (and EIAS camera window) struggle with large Rotoscope images. EIAS crashes regularly trying to refresh a camera window or a texture window (raytrace slot often). WORK AROUND: Close other graphic orientated applications, set camera window to wireframe. THEORY: Rama tries to refresh the input information from the slave graphically and cannot, so "goes to sleep". FACT: Rama master window shows un-updated information window. However, close Rama master window (showing 20% of strip renders, for example, completed at that point) and then re-open, it will show actual strips or frames rendered at a higher percentage. (40 or 60% for example) I have put together problems with EIAS, CAMERA WINDOW and RAMA as I think it is all related. If a graphic card is "overloaded" on a PC machine, rama cannot update itself and "gives up". I say this because Rama keeps rendering, displays less than it has actually completed in the Rama master information window, but after a re-set it displays what it has actually rendered. (as a percentage) I have related this to the actual camera window in EIAS on a WIN system because it has serious "crashing" problems. I was going to treat this as separate issues but I feel it is related. EIAS has trouble refreshing the camera window if other graphic using applications are also using the graphic card. Therefore RAMA experiences the same problems. As I said, I am not educated in these things but in my problem solving capacity this is the avenue to explore. This will not be able to be replicated as a "bug" is my feeling. Any thoughts anyone? Please don't ask me to send something and wait. By the same token, please tell me I am crazy, not right or a plain fool and I will test some more. Sooner rather than later please. After I have eliminated this, advised by experts, as an invalid theory. I will test some more. Any clarification of what I have tried to explain I will gladly provide. Best regards,

Hi Steve, It seems those materials will not work in Gamma 1.0 without adjusting. I have uploaded a comparison image 2.2 V 1.0. Don't be too critical, this is just a quick test. This is a simple sIBL scene one rendered in 2.2 with maps multiplied (in this case only the car paint has a map) and the other in 1.0. All settings that should work in either. No Photons. I can upload the scene if you want to explore but it has a trick I use. Not HDRI in HDRI slot and not "object Area light sphere / dome mapped with HDRI". Quicker than the latter (too many area lights) but similar result. Cheers,

I think they should look fine in gamma 1.0 as well. Dunno, never messed with them. Colour in the Spec for EIAS as opposed to colour in the reflection is the go I think.

Hi Steve, Just a tip. Use the specular colour as your reflection colour ( ie: same as diffuse colour) and keep refection as white (or tinted just a bit.). Don't use the diffuse colour in the reflection (Christmas Tree). Soft blur in Raytrace if you want. A reflection map in the raytrace world slot (HDRI preferably) and you should get close. Try that and let me know how you go, I can post some but I render in Gamma 2-2.2) so would be different. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t0j85v7jhti9jqe/AABtjCjlutdatwT1J15rLyWha?dl=0 Just put a few snaps here if that is what you are after. Some materials as well. I use maps in the Diffuse channel but they are just a plain colour flat mapped in diffuse. Don't use colour maps in the Spec, they are greyscale only. BUT, I multiply the diffuse map for 2.2 gamma. One more thing is to literally and another clear coat to your paint. I know you use FormZ so you could use the 'thicken" tool in FMZ and add another high reflective "glass coat" by adding the body as another "thickened" object. You can play with that a lot. Refraction, transmission etc. Just another option.

Hi Mate, Yeah it's a pain when it happens and then stopping it when it does happen. Amazon works perfectly for me from Mac master, but PC master it seems to get the problem more often than on my own renderfarm. Having said that I am right now trying to make it happen on Amazon and it hasn't yet. I'll keep trying and keep posting. Cheers,

Hi Diego, Ok understood. I also used to be Mac master based to PC renderfarm and never had the issue. I am now all PC and am encountering the problem. The main problem is re-producing the error. Once it happens, I re-start PC master and it goes away. Until next time when it appears again for no explainable reason. I am working on it daily to isolate an instance but it is proving difficult for the above mentioned reason. I am also going to setup a project to send up to Amazon as I was regularly getting the problem using that farm setup. This may also be a way of isolating the problem on a particular network that you and EIAS could use to replicate it. More on that later. Please keep trying at your end as well. Also Meester Smith if you read this maybe you can contribute as well please. Thanks,

Hi Diego, Just to clarify. You have never come across this problem before in your office with a PC Master to PC Slaves? Ever.

Hi Diego, Ok understood. In light of your comments perhaps it would also be beneficial if you posted a project that is not having the problem for you but may for me. Also if you have a project that was causing problems in Hamburg, but is not now for you, it may have problems with my network status. Let's try. It does seem to be a clue if you have those same projects that were having problems in Hamburg but now are not on your "home" network. Let's try. Let's to and fro between ourselves with some projects rather than bombard the EIAS crew with unnecessary information perhaps? I am aware of the EIAS beta testing methodology. I'll setup a dropbox link and we can both input to that perhaps. Thanks, Greg

Hi Diego, Please clarify what machine and OS (WIN 7 ??) you are sending the renders to Rama slaves from. I understand the slaves are i7 Win 7 (?). What is the master machine and specks please? Graphics card too. I am sure you understand the point also being that it does not seem to be a slave side problem as it is fine if the same project is sent from a Mac OSX machine to the same PC slaves. I use i7 and Win 7 Ultimate also, so that is not what causes the problem or prevents it. It happens from a Win 8 master machine also. I am guessing, but were the projects you have been testing produced on your Mac and then tested from a PC Master to PC slaves? Have you tried to import / merge or create a scene solely on PC and render from Master PC to a PC renderfarm? And by the same point, were the projects you produced in Hamburg produced on a PC Master? I have sent large projects to EIAS before where there are problems and they have not been well received. The problem being for me is that it happens more readily in a large scene, but not always. It is intermittent. Put it this way, I have a scene that I can send right now that is doing it right now but it is large. I'll post it later as a starting point, we might get lucky. The up side of this "bug" is that you do not have to wait for a large scene to render to find the fault. That is the point, it does not render. The down side it that it takes a minute or so to load.

I'm back on this again! Somebody DO SOMETHING. It is broken so fix it or don't sell it and don't recommend or endorse it!

Well, that's a mind full. So if they start out as red. Where does that come from? The thing for me is that I have never used red as a colour material because it is the "highlight" colour of a selected object in FMZ. Never do I use red. Yes I think it is a start and well done for starting the conversation. However there are more issues associated than just that "transparency" problem. I actually came across this again tonight, hadn't since FMZ 5. (I went from 5 to 7), where FMZ "hangs / crashes" on export to .fac. The easy fix is to select my whole model in FMZ, triangulate it, then export to .fac. (if you forget and save it....well!). So not a good solution. Even if "triangulate" is set in the export options it hangs. Must be triangulated before exporting. Smooth objects are the culprit mostly (nearly always)! But then if you tessellate all your smooth objects in FMZ just to cater for export to .fac then it becomes a problem to work in FMZ. Funny thing is I addressed this with FMZ nearly 8 years ago, EIAS as well. It's like working under water sometimes, but glad to hear that someone is looking into things. Good luck and keep us posted.

Hi Hal, good to hear you are keeping up communications with FMZ. I find them to be extremely helpful and open nowadays, it's great! FormZ has become a very good tool in our work flow since the re-build. If the issue of .fac to EIAS gets solved it'll be very powerful. If we could to and fro (import / export) textured models between the two...wow! Even if EIAS could export any format with textures we'd be on a winner! Best regards,

Good to hear! That's a big drop. Try reducing raytrace recursion in the render tab, maybe 5. I don't think you will notice anything in the output at that resolution, but it would reduce render time. Just a thought. I still have that MacBook myself and still used it up until 8 months ago as my main station connected to 3 monitors with a ViBook adapter. I went PC after 22 years on Mac. Hmmmm....! Keep at it, it's looking good. Few other tips later so keep posting, but now bed is really calling! :-) Best regards,

Good to hear it all worked out! On a final note with FormZ export o .fac. If you have the textures tab checked on export it can play havoc with models. Weird transparency and reflections. Exporting from Form Z as .obj has no such problems. Just a side note.

Quick question, I'll come back on other things later, time for bed here. But what render resolution is 5 mins? Seems long. I can't tell from the image. Speak soon, Another thing to try is to increase the accuracy of the reverse illumination to 2 or 3 and then can drop down GI primary ray count a lot. High pres shadows, I've not had much use for since EIAS went to raytrace. (long time ago!). Try turning off GI sampling in the shadow tab. Glossy surfaces don't reflect glossy surfaces and it is view dependent. IE: A surface with glossy won't reflect another surface with glossy applied. (correct me if I'm wrong). I always use reflection blur and bump / normal maps for results that are the same. Used to kill render time with reflect blur in V9, V 9.1 I don't see the same. Dunno why? Reflect blur, bigger angle, 10, 12 , 15, = bigger disperse of reflection when combined with specular falloff and size. Use specular colour to reflect colour not reflection colour.

Looks good, any info on your setup? Photons, light sources, normal maps, specular maps, etc? Hard to critique without info on the setup. Thanks for sharing!

Ok that looks like what I need. I'll have a look and see. Thanks mate. BTW. Tomas and the crew want to try to fix the Win RAMA problem. If you have any input as to your problems maybe email me. The problem lies in larger files mostly, but they want a small file to test. The reason it "hangs" is because of the size / time of render as far as I can see but that apparently doesn't suit the "bug finding work flow"! Let me know if you have any thoughts and I'll pass them on. Looks like it has been left to me to provide the file that has the answer! I hope not! Oi!

Ok, I'd be interested. ( Ill still send it if either of you wants too challenge your selves and texture it and do my job FOR ME!! LOL) Send the file please. Reason being to see what export directly from Max can do with textures applied as they were originally. I don't think .fbx will bring textures not as 2013. From 2014 yes. Oh yeah it won't export from Max with textures when Vray is "applied", have to go back to standard materials and it will export with textures, in place! :-) I do it lot's with Arch vis from clients. If you do this it is straight out with maps applied. Scriptspot.com converts Autodesk Materials But you have to have a MAX app.

These are the .OBJ settings for import to EIAS. .OBJ should also have a .MTL file by the same name. This will bring in all textures and EIAS interpretation of .max standard materials. If UV mapped textures it should be fine. https://www.dropbox.com/s/0nsqpf3yzo276nz/Imac%20G3.JPG?dl=0 Yes FormZ will do it. .obj or .3ds. Not .max though. Maybe need to get export from .max right since has VRay materials already assigned. Probably not. Let me know if you want me to do, it's not a problem. :-)