Cineversity

Hello everyone!

I need to bake volume shadow map calculations in PyroCluster for i could sed a scene to render farm.
I want to render some puffy clouds with self shadow mapping. I tried one and got a jitter in illumination.
Is it possible to bake this scene somehow?

Thanks in advance.

Hi TNT- Designer,

There is no option to bake anything volumetrically in Pyrocluster.

Do you use “Soft shadows” for your scene?  If so, please have a look here:
http://www.cineversity.com/forums/viewthread/674/
I hope I have answered the problem, with these simulation of “shadowing”, in a sufficient way.

If you use a different shadow, you might share an example scene, perhaps there are some parameters that are too large to get the precision you need.

The only kind of shadow that can be baked is the Soft-shadow, but to be more precise, it stores only these points as discussed (see link) and from there you get something like an result.

You might check as well with the support, if there is any technique to get what you need.

All the best

Sassi

Hi Sassi,

Thank you for explanation about how soft shadow works. When i use it with pyrocluster and render it on a single machine in works fine for me, without flickering. But when i do render the scene on render farm it starts flickering.
You mentioned some way to bake soft shadows or did i misunderstand?

Thanks

Hey TNT-Designer,

If the there is a “single” vs “net-render” difference, chances that it is not based on Softshadow calculation are great.

Baking these kind of shadows should be only done when the light as well the illuminated object is not moving at all. The idea is to “remember” the first calculation and use it for any following frames. Then this option is very fast. For Pyrocluster scenes I assume movement, and then the option (from the Render-settings>Options>Cache Shadow Maps) is not longer useful.

My suggestion, as these kind of problems needs a render farm and some time to test, check this out with the support. I couldn’t find any hints in the manual, regarding limitations and Net Rendering. I hope the support has more luck, as they will need perhaps your file. I assume that each render instance has exactly the same C4D version installed, with every digit even after the period 13.xxx.

All the best

Sassi

Hi Sassi,

Thank you very much for the answer. I think i’ll better try to avoid rendering on renderfarm this kind of scenes.
This is usefull possibility to cash shadow maps anyway.

Thank you for this tip and for an explanations about soft shadows in whole.

Hey TNT-Designer,

If that works for you on a single machine: certainly great! It is years ago that I had set up Net Render, and with my MacPro, I never felt the need for my projects. But I hope that we see this year an all new generation of Macs and screens, so I will expand here and dive into that theme again. I think it is time… hehe.

Thanks for the feedback on the Soft-Shadow. I notice in my hands-on classes, that the idea of a shadow “texture” (like an image) that people had from other sources, had blocked a good understanding of the “tech” behind it. I think it is more than often essential to get this kind of “behind the curtain” look, to have a better grasp on the parameters. :o)

Have a “create” weekend

Sassi