Mental Ray Render Speed Test (Updated with Trial Animation)

Sirs and Masters of MR,

I purposely posted here for a discussion regarding MR render speed.

Lately I rendered this Image 1 below in a low setting at 1200px max size. The render time took more than 8 hours.
Image 1


I couldn't understand why until tonight and made a render of Image 2, the same size at 1200px max in only 50min.
Image 2


If you guys can observe, Image 2 has no physical lights on. No portal light, no free light etc... I only have an MR sun and controlled brightness with MR Photographic exposure. But the output is quite ok... My question to the masters, did I do it right?

Conclusion:
1. In Image 1, I have too many lights and my intensity/multiplier si reaching from 10,000-100,000 which I think is the cause of slow rendering. So we avoid jacking up or lighting our scene this high, and we adjust brightness on exposure instead.

2. In Image 2, due to no-light at all, my exposure turned out to be:
Shutter Speed: 40
Aperture (f-stop): 5
Film Speed (ISO): 100
These setting is beyond normal or far from default which are: 512, 8, 100 respectively.

3. Anyway, my only point here and the mistake I've been doing, don't use too many lights and don't jack it up too high... my bad

I hope this experiment helps the newbie MR users like me.

Masters and teacher's suggestion and recommendation would be greatly appreciated!

Best Regards to all!!!

Please check out my first ever attemp on interior animation with max2010 and MR. PLease forgive me with the compressed version as it is my first time to post on vimeo. I'll try to upload higher quality later. Also, pasensyahan niyo na po, this animation is quite short and intended only for MR render speed test. Low MR setting of FG only in total 16 hours of 240 frames at 30fps, approximately took 5 min per frame. I am really hoping for tips and suggestions from the masters.

Hall 2_Animation Trial 1 from Marc Balao on Vimeo.

I'm not an MR fan as yet and I cannot offer any unsolicited MR specific advice but one thing strikes me:

don't use too many lights and don't jack it up too high

Is pretty universal whatver GI rendering software you use.

It would help you a lot discern the speed by using common parameters like exposure and ISO etc and compare the changes in the other factors like lighting or gi sampling or aliasing. Putting everything in the mix will confuse you and the comparison will be nil.

v_wrangler wrote:I'm not an MR fan as yet and I cannot offer any unsolicited MR specific advice but one thing strikes me:

don't use too many lights and don't jack it up too high

Is pretty universal whatver GI rendering sofware you use.

Sir V wrangler, thanks for dropping by. This is a big mistake been doing the whole time I am learning MR, just thought I need to share to the newbies in MR, like me.

thanks really for the tip sir!

this is a good one...i for one also did some mental ray tests way back, until i damaged the file...have not been able to do another one lately. Maybe if time allows, i'll give it another shot.

Normally the more lights you have on the scene the longer it will take to calculate. meron mga tips and tricks on how to speed it up.. first you need to calculate it using a draft FG on white plain materials once you've calculate it reuse the FG and read it on disk .. it will be faster and smoother .. so many ways to speed up rendering on MR .. if i have time i will share it with you guys i've beed an MR addict eversince i foung out about the tricks and its power.. anyway thanks for the test we will prove it soon

arkiedmund wrote:this is a good one...i for one also did some mental ray tests way back, until i damaged the file...have not been able to do another one lately. Maybe if time allows, i'll give it another shot.

sir ed, thanks for dropping by, glad to hear you'll be coming back for MR, sana po soon, eager kami matuto rin from you!!!

edosayla wrote:Normally the more lights you have on the scene the longer it will take to calculate. meron mga tips and tricks on how to speed it up.. first you need to calculate it using a draft FG on white plain materials once you've calculate it reuse the FG and read it on disk .. it will be faster and smoother .. so many ways to speed up rendering on MR .. if i have time i will share it with you guys i've beed an MR addict eversince i foung out about the tricks and its power.. anyway thanks for the test we will prove it soon

sir edosayla, ouR MR teacher, thanks for this. We'll be waiting for your more great tutorials special regarding tricks for MR power maximize!!!

Questions:

1. Regarding lighting, is there a limit to setting CD or Resulting %, like 1000 or lesser?
2. Does unit do a lot about this Render speed? Because I normally use millimeter. Should I be using centimeter instead? Is there any difference?

Thanks really sir! I appreciate all your help to us and the upcoming more!!! cheers po!

and by the way sir, just to emphasize, my render time is still long even if I already calculate the FG and GI map, so render alone without calculation anymore is so long... And my analysis so far is because of the light settings and counts... so in Image 2, I tried not to include even a single light except for the MR sun, and the render turned out so fast... experiment lang po, that's why I have proven myself it's due to the lights.

hi marcelinoiii, im just new here in CG Pinoy.. and an amature in 3d max.. im just starting to learn it... paturo namn ng mga tamang setting sa lighting using MR. pwede ba?? thanks..

maninang wrote:hi marcelinoiii, im just new here in CG Pinoy.. and an amature in 3d max.. im just starting to learn it... paturo namn ng mga tamang setting sa lighting using MR. pwede ba?? thanks..

Sir, good day po. Welcome to CGP!

Sure, no problem regarding helping out sir. But the first thing we should do is not to neglect our tutorials here at CGP: http://www.cgpinoy.org/mental-ray-tutorials-f44/

Dito rin po ako nagstart, so it would be great for you to start out with our Master and Sirs' Edosayla's video tutorials and Logikpixel's great easy to follow tutorials. Makikita po lahat sa link.

Kung may questions po kayo, just let us know. But definitely, our tutorial section here is the best place to start.

Here are the recommended tutorials you can start with:
1. http://www.cgpinoy.org/mental-ray-tutorials-f44/mental-ray-resources-courtesy-of-marcelinoiii-t10772.htm
2. http://www.cgpinoy.org/mental-ray-tutorials-f44/pinoycad-3dsmax-advanced-lesson-4-part-2-t4677.htm
3. http://www.cgpinoy.org/mental-ray-tutorials-f44/rendering-interior-with-mental-ray-t196.htm
(these are the best videos I watched so far, and the most important for me.)
4. http://www.mrbluesummers.com/

thanks for the immediate response... i appreciate it very much..

nice thread kapatid!

pandagdag lang, gusto ko i-share din tong link, hindi ko sure kung galing din to dito sa CGP o dahil sa kakahalukay ko rin ng mga tutorials sa net about MR, sana makatulong...
http://www.i3dtutorials.com/tutorial/73_global-illumination-and-final-gather-in-mental-ray-for-3ds-max-2010
this tutorial uses the technique for fast and easy rendering, the Global Illumination-Final Gather COMBO!

... hope this one helps in your study...

naku naman.. salamat ng marami....

markuz23 wrote:nice thread kapatid!

pandagdag lang, gusto ko i-share din tong link, hindi ko sure kung galing din to dito sa CGP o dahil sa kakahalukay ko rin ng mga tutorials sa net about MR, sana makatulong...
http://www.i3dtutorials.com/tutorial/73_global-illumination-and-final-gather-in-mental-ray-for-3ds-max-2010
this tutorial uses the technique for fast and easy rendering, the Global Illumination-Final Gather COMBO!

... hope this one helps in your study...

bro markuz, thanks dito... napanood ko na din to... pero salamat ulit kasi this is really a nice reference, I'll sure to watch it again.

hi... pwede bang makahingi ng installer ng 3dmax8 or 9?? kasi nung i-install ko tong max ko... there was an error... di ko din ma-install yung vray... basta kung meron... thanks...

maninang wrote:hi... pwede bang makahingi ng installer ng 3dmax8 or 9?? kasi nung i-install ko tong max ko... there was an error... di ko din ma-install yung vray... basta kung meron... thanks...

sa site po ng autodesk ma'am may trial versions po sila

lalaki po ako... hehehhee... gusto ko sana yung may crack file na.. para permanent na sya...

sorry sir maninang, but they don't allow piracy here. baka po malock ang thread natin

Please check out my first ever attemp on interior animation with max2010 and MR. PLease forgive me with the compressed version as it is my first time to post on vimeo. I'll try to upload higher quality later. Also, pasensyahan niyo na po, this animation is quite short and intended only for MR render speed test. Low MR setting of FG only in total 16 hours of 240 frames at 30fps, approximately took 5 min per frame. I am really hoping for tips and suggestions from the masters.

Hall 2_Animation Trial 1 from Marc Balao on Vimeo.

Here's mine:
Rendered in 3dsmax2009. Settings are basically much the usual.
Mitchell filter. Image precision AA=1 / 16. Spatial contrast RGB at 0.031 each for smooth output. Pre-computed FG. Medium FG for final render. No bounces. *TIP: when using GI and FG together, bounce is never computed. Leave it at zero(0).
Finished at 25 minutes with a resolution of 1330x1200.

Note: Summary Info. Rendering. Last frame time. 0:24:58.


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Sir Logik, thanks thanks na naman, isa kayo sa hinihintay ko magbigay ng tips dito... salamat talaga, I'll follow your setting mabuhay kayo!!! cheers sir!

makicontribute na rin ako as a mental ray user din share ko lang tong lagi kong settings na ginagamit may kabagalan din ang laptop ko dami ko din ginawang test para maachieve yung mabilis pero effective na lighting technique & i ended up with this setting ganito lang lagi setup ko.











Dyan lang ako sa encircled more or less naglalaro hindi ko ginagamit yung GI sa setup ko nadodoble ang rendering time kapag ginamit ko halos pareho lang naman output tapos puros default lang din halos lahat hindi ko na ginagalaw yung iba, diskarte na lang sa lighting oo nga at nkakatulong sa pagdami ng liwanag yung bounces (assuming mrSun lang ilaw) pero dagdag computation din mas maraming photons mas matagal.
Here's some rendering with & without GI halos pareho lang din torture lang yung with GI ang tagal.

With GI checked it took 2hrs & 53mins




Without GI 1hr & 26mins




Sana nakahelp tong maliit na share ko mostly sa studio lighting i suggest (para sa akin lang naman kanya-kanyang diskarte naman yan) uncheck it(GI) kung gusto nyo mabilis.



Special thanks kay sensei Edosayla nung nagsisimula pa lang ako magmental ray sya lang napagtatanungan ko
here's my other samples without GI turned on,
http://www.cgpinoy.org/misc-f4/para-sa-aking-mahal-mental-ray-t11801.htm

aeroll bro, thank you sa share mo. I appreciate this.. makakatulong itong tip and trick mo sa marami, especially it's a testimony with test renders din!

nice scene and render by the way.

Tanong ko lang bro, nagaadjust ka ba sa MR photographic exposure? pwede mo pa siguro laruin yun ng konti, baka nososobrahan mo ang brightness... although for this scene bagay yun timpla, sa iba pwede pang matimpla.

eto favorite reference ko for the exposure: http://3dsmaxrendering.blogspot.com/search/label/exposure

cheers bro!!!

oo ginagamit ko din yan depende sa scene bro dyan kasi gusto ko parang daylight yung liwanag thanks as link bro ok yan ah.

GI and FG are best used TOGETHER in interior scenes. It can give accurate lighting solutions to any scene. I have an example in my site of what I am talking about. Also you can check http://www.i3dtutorials.com/tutorial/73_global-illumination-and-final-gather-in-mental-ray-for-3ds-max-2010 for further explanations.
Anyway, for exteriors you can get away with just Final Gather. Then you can add bounces, a maximum value of 2 is more than enough. Learning the mr photographic exposure settings would help a lot.