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+ | ====== Flamingo Performance Tips ====== | ||
+ | |||
+ | > **Summary: | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Processor===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | The speed of the main processor in your computer is the main factor in Flamingo performance. A dual-processor or dual-core computer (when correctly enabled in Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP or Vista) will speed up rendering, probably by 85% compared to a single processor. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Power supply unit===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Make sure you have a good PSU, especially in the case of multiple processors and cores. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Graphics cards===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Graphics cards don't speed up Flamingo rendering. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====RAM Memory===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Rendering with inadequate RAM memory is a major reason for slow Flamingo performance. | ||
+ | |||
+ | To recognize a RAM shortage, watch disk accesses, or use Task Manager, as below. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Watch your disk drive light while the image is painting on the screen. You should see very little disk activity (unless some other application is working hard). | ||
+ | |||
+ | If the rendering process causes a significant amount of disk accesses (paging, swapping) Flamingo slows down. More RAM speeds up rendering. | ||
+ | |||
+ | For more precision about RAM on NT, Win2000, XP, or Vista, run **Task Manager**. On the **Performance** tab, note the PhysicalMemory/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | If during a rendering the CommitCharge/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | For these 32-bit Windows versions, more than 2GB of RAM memory probably isn't cost-effective. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Out of memory errors===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Because of the Windows (32-bit) 2GB limit of memory space per process, Windows can't allocate more than 2GB of Virtual Memory to the Rhino/ | ||
+ | |||
+ | For more precision on this, use // | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Virtual memory===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | You should allocate more than 2GB of disk space to Windows Virtual Memory. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Preparing the model in Rhino===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | To save rendering time or to avoid out-of-memory problems: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Run **SelBadObjects** on your model, and replace any bad objects. Bad objects usually cause big delays in the render meshing process, and make bad render meshes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Minimize the number of mesh polygons that Flamingo must handle by the methods below: | ||
+ | |||
+ | Hide or turn off the layers of any objects in your model that don't contribute to the rendering, particularly things that are far away, behind other surfaces, or inside solids. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Geometry outside the camera view can slow Flamingo down, for example ground planes made as surfaces or polygons which are much bigger than the scene you are rendering. Keep such geometry as small in extents as is possible for the rendered scene. In the case of ground planes, use the Flamingo Environment' | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Meshing technique===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Set //Rhino > File > Properties > Mesh// to **Jagged& | ||
+ | |||
+ | An alternative we recommend is the Custom setting at //Rhino > File > Properties > Mesh//. Set all the numeric parameters to zero except for **Maximum distance edge to surface**. Set it to a reasonable value for the size of your model and how closely your rendering camera will look at the objects. For a small jewelry item in millimeters this distance could be 0.1 or even smaller. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Custom meshing===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | If a specific rounded object appears faceted in profile or silhouette, you can use a custom mesh for that object. (For example, the objects that are close to the camera may need more detailed meshes.) In Rhino 3.0, use Rhino' | ||
+ | |||
+ | If cracks appear between adjacent surfaces, join them into the surfaces into a polysurface. The render mesh will be recalculated to fill across the joined boundary. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Important=== | ||
+ | See also [[rhino: | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Render mesh only===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Use the **Mesh** command to mesh the model and then **Hide** the NURBS polysurface. Render the mesh only. This is a really good solution when you have tried everything else and the rendering fails. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Flamingo settings for speed===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leave //Rhino > Raytrace > Properties > Flamingo > AntiAliasing// | ||
+ | |||
+ | In some special situations increasing AntiAliasing may be required, but usually it is more economical of rendering time to increase resolution (//Rhino > File > Properties > Flamingo > Resolution// | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you are using soft shadows on any lights, turn this setting off for test renderings. Keep the number of lights using soft shadows as small as you can. Setting the sample number high on soft-shadowed lights is much more expensive in rendering speed than setting the jitter number high. Use the smallest number of samples that makes an acceptable rendering. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Quick test rendering===== | ||
+ | In //Rhino > File > Properties > Flamingo > Resolution// | ||
+ | |||
+ | To save time during test rendering, use the **RenderWindow** or **RenderPreviewWindow** command to render small portions of your image quickly. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Also use the **RenderPreview** command to make a trial full-resolution rendering on your screen that shows the colors, light and shadows, just one level of reflection, etc. but doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Transparency and reflections===== | ||
+ | Making objects transparent and reflective greatly increases the rendering time. You can experiment with reducing the number of bounces at //Rhino > File > Properties > Flamingo > Bounces// | ||
+ | |||
+ | Turn off anything outside your view that you don't need to affect your rendering. Flamingo takes them into account in reflections if they are turned on in Rhino. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Pixel size of rendering===== | ||
+ | Choose a Custom resolution (pixel size) such as 1024x768 or higher in //Rhino > File > Properties > Flamingo > Resolution// | ||
+ | |||
+ | We recommend that you multiply your desired paper printing size in inches by 85 to get the horizontal and vertical resolution (pixel size) for your image. In many printing situations, pixels-per-paper-inch higher than that level do not significantly improve the result. It only adds unneeded processing time. It depends on the type of paper used, the printer' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Increase your final-rendering resolution above our suggested 85 pixels-per-inch-of-printout only if you find that your printed output is not clear enough. Doubling the resolution (number of pixels horizontally and vertically) quadruples the rendering time because it quadruples the number of pixels to calculate. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Printing your rendering===== | ||
+ | For control of your printing, open your rendered image in a program like Adobe PhotoShop or JASC PaintShopPro. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Note that some image printing programs tend to default to printing your image only at 72 dpi scale. You should change the printing scale to your needs, without changing the XY (pixel) resolution of the image. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Adobe PhotoShop is tricky to print with. It is locked in on the concept of DPI. You never want to rescan or change the resolution (X and Y dot counts) of your image, but you do want to print it the size you want. So you may want to use PhotoShop to change the DPI value stored in the image file from 72 to something higher, up to about 150, or even 300 for very dense photo quality printing. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Some may complain that the DPI setting in an image file from Flamingo 1.1 is 72DPI. DPI merely is a suggestion on how big to print the image. Unfortunately we use resolution to mean the number of pixels in x and y directions (which you should not change once you have created the rendered image), and PaintShopPro uses resolution for what we call DPI. Your instructions to the user should be to not change the pixel size, but rather | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====Pixel size for efficiency===== | ||
+ | Experiment to find the minimum pixels-per-inch-of-paper that you need to get adequate printed images. Anything higher is wasted time in rendering. | ||
+ | |||
+ | =====More help===== | ||
+ | If all this doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[tech@mcneel.com|Technical Support Email]] tech@mcneel.com | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ---- | ||
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