Animation previews?

[medeamajic]

With Open GL I get faster previews than with Eovia software previews but they still get slugish using only a few primative objects that flip and rotate. How do you folks have your previews configured?

[medeamajic]

Wow!!!!

I was using a Geforce FX 5200 with 64 MB of RAM on a P4 at 3.2 GHZ. I built my new system this weekend and just now installed Carrara 5 Pro. I have a Core 2 Dual with a Geforce GS 7600. It is night and day with Open GL and the Eovia software previews with primatives. I can not wait to try landscape scenes. My investment in new hardware was not a waste.

I still want better preveiws in Carrara 6 but only because Poser plays back figures much faster than Carrara on a slower system.

[medeamajic]

I tried some complex scenes and Carrara got slugish. My new system is faster but not as fast as it should be. Just adding a few more primatives flipping and rotating slowed Carrara down.

Better animation previews with a Carrara 5.3 patch would be nice.

[markbremmer]

I'll usually get a slow down with a bunch of transparent objects but not with simply primitives in OpenGL. It's not uncommon for me to jump between both renderers on a project, depending on subject matter.

From what I've read, the ATI cards seem to play a little nicer than the Nvida cards (which I have myself) with Carrara's Open GL. It's definitly a card/driver issue. Double check that you actually have the most recent drivers for the best performance.

[medeamajic]

I think the drivers are OK because it is much faster than my old system. I use a lot of glass and chrome shaders. If I load a Poser figure the new system gets slugish like my old laptop. This system is much faster (about 5 times faster) but I still think Carrara needs a better preview engine.

Can your system handle Poser figures? I do not use them myself but I would like to think Carrara could compete with Poser for animation previews of Poser figures. It is a key selling point for some. I will have to try more of my old scenes in Carrara soon.

[markbremmer]

I do get slow downs when my working Carrara files start bumping 200+M (which they do very often)

Poser files haven't been a problem so far. But then again, I'm working with a GeForce 6800 Ultra with 256M Vram. Computers are never fast enough, are they? ;)

[medeamajic]

My system is a GeForce 7600 GS with 512 MB of RAM. Helix is the Poser robot that I imported.. I think Carrara 6 will be much better with Poser/Daz models because Daz makes good money selling them. I am not a big fan of pre made content but it is a good way to test a new system. If Poser can get fast previews I am sure it can be done in Carrara.

[medeamajic]

My new system is much faster but using surface replicator or a Poser figures will make it slugish. I now know why some folks run dual SLI video display cards. I can only image that a dual SLI system would be night and day when compared to a single Geforce 7600 GS.

[Nichod]

Things to take into consider with Poser models. Which I think I've brought up many times. You are loading in the following:

1. A huge amount of textures.
2. A large selection of morphs, which I believe are more like sequenced obj files that are cached, not VM morph targets.
3. An extremely high poly model that is all polys and not SDS.

Carrara can handle the textures fine. And does well with the others. But it must be realized that Poser will always handle Poser models better because they are Poser files. The format is a poser format, etc. If poser could accept Carrara files, I'm sure we'd see issues with performance in Poser. The native program will always run better.

[medeamajic]

Are you sure about that? I don't think the Poser format is even an issue at all. I think Carrara adds several more polygons than what the Daz/Poser figure would have if imported into Poser. Once the models are in Carrara I think Carrara's rigging kicks in. I think the models would have a lower polygon count in Poser and play much better in Poser because of that but that does not let Carrara of the hook. Carrara bogs down with high polygon counts. I imagine Poser would bog down with a high polygon count.

The need for Carrara to handle higher polygon count is a much needed feature.

[bwtr]

Read the actual size of a Poser file. that file saved as a .car. that file saved as an .obj. Poser file sizes are a pain and should be saved out and reintroduced back into Carrara as a .car or a .obj file at every suitable oportunity.

[Nichod]

Are you sure about that? I don't think the Poser format is even an issue at all. I think Carrara adds several more polygons than what the Daz/Poser figure would have if imported into Poser. Once the models are in Carrara I think Carrara's rigging kicks in. I think the models would have a lower polygon count in Poser and play much better in Poser because of that but that does not let Carrara of the hook. Carrara bogs down with high polygon counts. I imagine Poser would bog down with a high polygon count.

The need for Carrara to handle higher polygon count is a much needed feature.

I'm pretty sure. But then again I could be wrong. But common sense would go to reason that a program's own file format will run better in itself than elsewhere.

But I probally have no clue what I talking about.

[medeamajic]

The file format gets converted so the Poser format is a non issue. I admit Carrara is going to add extra data and I admit it would be a burden for Carrara as opposed to Poser but it is not a Poser issue my friend. It is a Carrara thing. In other words if I use surface replicator and several complex figures modeled in Carrara with morhps Carrara will get slugish. All software will get slugish at some point but I want Carrara to be a little better with the previews. I do not need to use Poser figures to bog it down.

Think beyond Poser files.

Some one posted even Vue has better previews for fly through scenes with a highpolygon count.

[Nichod]

I tend to disagree with you. For instance check out this clip. (video clip .avi DIVX ~4mb) On my laptop I was able to get up to over 4 million polygons with tolerable scene navigation even with camtasia recording in the background. The scene contained 1282 objects. Keep in mind I used software rendering. Which goes to show that Carrara can handle it even without OpenGL. And my laptop isn't a powerhouse. (see specs in siggy below)

If you still think its Carrara and not Poser objects themselves...ok. But in my experience I would not agree.

[medeamajic]

I can not get the clip to play.

I can get Carrara to become slugish when doing fly throughs. Some one posted Vue was better when using surface replicator for fly throughs. I am not sure if it is true. I just know Carrara gets slugish for me real quick on my P4 at 3.2 GHZ. My new Core 2 Dual is much better but I can bog it down using surface replicator with fly throughs. If the preview windows is 1024 X 768 my system plays better with Open GL previews but at 400 X 300 they play much faster with the Eovia software preview. I hate using a little 400 X 300 preview window. Carrara just needs a little boost in my opinion. I admit you may be 100% satisfied with the previews but others have made mention of the preveiws getting slugish.

[bwtr]

The avi is a DivX which--everyone?--should be able to play if there system is up to date.

I have been using Carrara since version 2 and reports of "slowness"--certainly as compaired to other apps--have been miniscule to say the least. Most reports have been found to be where equipment is not up to minimum specs OR, most regularly, cards have not been regularly kept updated! (Another HUGE ATI Catalist update only a week or so ago.)

[Nichod]

Ok. here is a view of the scene. My screen size is 1280X800. And I use most of the screen as my view. As you can see in the screengrab. And no those aren't instances but actual models.

[medeamajic]

The models do not look like they are highpolygon count with morhps and the texture is plain grey. I think replicated trees would bog your system down more than those figures. I would also like to mention you do not have a texturized infinite plan or a complex terrian with shaders. Just replicate 3 or 4 trees about 50 times and see if Carrara bogs down at all while doing fly throughs in preview mode.

[medeamajic]

I have a zipped Carrara file for you to test out. It is not that complex but it will bog down a P4 at 3.2 GHZ very easy. Keep in mind it would be nice to see all 4 views play at the same time instead of just one.

[bwtr]

Yes, your file is slow. Comment1--You work in a "different" way to me!(I think this may be where your problems reside)

Do the changes in the Renderroom default settings add to the problem?

I have done a trial exercise which I hope is similar to attaining the end aims of yours. Go through all the workings to see how I have gone about things.

I hope it helps.