Hi John,
Yes, resolution limit is at 10,000x10,000
I've tried cache settings as low as 150 (and as high as 1250) on two PCs (one with 1.5 Gig memory and one with 4 Gig memory) … same problem.
When I've run tests I don't see it going into swap space, although it might overnight when I'm not looking. I consistently get the problem when I know it's not into swap.
On looking at more bad frames I see that there is intermittent garbage on the right side, as well as the glows (blurs) not being present. I found that deslecting “Fast Blur” (Gaussian) helps remove the garbage, but not the main problem.
The full res network ends in some crop COPS that slice it into three screens, for a three screen video projection. In short tests I found that bypassing the crop COPs eliminated the problem. So last night I set it up to output full res, then read back in and crop. As I've frequently found in the past I got “Fatal Error - Segmentation fault” after a couple hundred frames. I've seen this alot with the COP2 nets, but never with the old COP nets, so it appears that there is some underlying memory managment issues with the COP2 nets. I get this same problem on two different PCs.
Right now I'm setting it up to crop the rendered files, then apply the COP nets … hoping that it will handle each slice of it. It would have been alot easier to use a compositing program (such as Combusion or After Effects) that is known to be reliable with large files.
If you have any more ideas I'd love to hear them!
Thanks,
Robert
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Technical Discussion » Composite Bug!
- RobertP
- 48 posts
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Technical Discussion » Composite Bug!
- RobertP
- 48 posts
- Offline
I'm using H7.0.493 (although it also happens with H8.0.440).
I'm doing some simple compositing on images that are 5092 x 768. The problem is that bluring (to produce a glow) stops at the left half of the screen … just simply stops. The right half of the screen has no glow. It only happens on frames around 7300 and later. Very odd.
It's a simple blur, with ramp color inside blur. A separate blur and gamma of the file is used to “cut out” the center (so I'm only bluring the Outside of translucent objects). Then the blur is composited with the original file.
Any ideas what might be causing this? I've tried adjusting cache sizes to no avail.
Thanks,
Robert
I'm doing some simple compositing on images that are 5092 x 768. The problem is that bluring (to produce a glow) stops at the left half of the screen … just simply stops. The right half of the screen has no glow. It only happens on frames around 7300 and later. Very odd.
It's a simple blur, with ramp color inside blur. A separate blur and gamma of the file is used to “cut out” the center (so I'm only bluring the Outside of translucent objects). Then the blur is composited with the original file.
Any ideas what might be causing this? I've tried adjusting cache sizes to no avail.
Thanks,
Robert
Technical Discussion » Polys Copied to Particles
- RobertP
- 48 posts
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Hi,
I'm looking to copy many polys (letters) to the points of a particle system with a one-on-one correspondence. (ie: poly 0 -> point 0, poly 1 -> point 1, etc). I can do it manually by using the delete COPS for each letter, but I'm looking for a way to do it automatically for several hundred polys.
I know there has to be a simple way …
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Robert
I'm looking to copy many polys (letters) to the points of a particle system with a one-on-one correspondence. (ie: poly 0 -> point 0, poly 1 -> point 1, etc). I can do it manually by using the delete COPS for each letter, but I'm looking for a way to do it automatically for several hundred polys.
I know there has to be a simple way …
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Robert
Houdini Lounge » License Handoffs
- RobertP
- 48 posts
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I have Houdini Master and it occurs to me that it would be very useful to be able to “hand off” a license to a laptop that I could use to bring to a client's location. This would enable me to interactively rotate/move objects, do renders … even adjust timings of an animation on the spot. And it would be very useful to take a full project home on the weekends to continue my work.
But since every PC needs a connection to a “SESI authorized” license server this is not possible. Even trying to get an internet connection at a client's location (to grab a license) is not reliable or practical.
The apprentice version saves to a non-commercial format so any changes made with the client would be unusable later.
A “hand off” might involve the laptop getting a license from the server and keeping it until it is “handed back” (whether power is on or off).
The SESI programmers are a creative bunch … I'm sure they could come up with a way to limit licenses to those actually purchaseed, but give us users more flexibility in how to use them. It would also be to their advantage, since this would expose our clients more to the impressive features of Houdini … and help build Houdini name recognition.
Any thoughts?
But since every PC needs a connection to a “SESI authorized” license server this is not possible. Even trying to get an internet connection at a client's location (to grab a license) is not reliable or practical.
The apprentice version saves to a non-commercial format so any changes made with the client would be unusable later.
A “hand off” might involve the laptop getting a license from the server and keeping it until it is “handed back” (whether power is on or off).
The SESI programmers are a creative bunch … I'm sure they could come up with a way to limit licenses to those actually purchaseed, but give us users more flexibility in how to use them. It would also be to their advantage, since this would expose our clients more to the impressive features of Houdini … and help build Houdini name recognition.
Any thoughts?
Technical Discussion » Hserver Communications Error
- RobertP
- 48 posts
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An additional note: When i look at the service called “Houdini License Server” I see that the actual exacutable is “sisinitd.exe” … and this is what I STOP/START to get the renders moving again.
Oddly, the service called “Houdini License Client”'s exacutable is “hserver.exe”.
Oddly, the service called “Houdini License Client”'s exacutable is “hserver.exe”.
Technical Discussion » Hserver Communications Error
- RobertP
- 48 posts
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I upgraded the license server PC (Win2K) to Service Pack 4. Now I don?ft get the ?gcommunications error?h, but it does still hang from time to time when rendering with more than one PC (specified in mantra?fs hosts command). When I go into services and Stop/Start Houdini License Server then the renders come alive again.
I used this exact combination of PCs with H6x (many, many times) and never had this problem.
It does die everytime with H7 License server, although how many frames it takes to die varies.
I also did a test running a render on two PCs (one was the license server), when I burned a CD on the license server PC, the renders hung. Although it was a bit of an extreme test since I won't be burning CDs during renders it showed that it isn't only license serving that kills it …. other intensive processes running simultaneously can kill it too.
Is mantra waiting for data from hserver and waits indefinitely until it receives it? The question is why isn?ft hserver sending the data and why doesn't hserver try several times?
Any more ideas? I really need to get this fixed.
Thanks
I used this exact combination of PCs with H6x (many, many times) and never had this problem.
It does die everytime with H7 License server, although how many frames it takes to die varies.
I also did a test running a render on two PCs (one was the license server), when I burned a CD on the license server PC, the renders hung. Although it was a bit of an extreme test since I won't be burning CDs during renders it showed that it isn't only license serving that kills it …. other intensive processes running simultaneously can kill it too.
Is mantra waiting for data from hserver and waits indefinitely until it receives it? The question is why isn?ft hserver sending the data and why doesn't hserver try several times?
Any more ideas? I really need to get this fixed.
Thanks
Technical Discussion » Hserver Communications Error
- RobertP
- 48 posts
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I just upgrade three PCs to H7.0.341 and tried running a render test using all three (specified as Hosts on the Mantra command line).
Hscript and the license server are on the same PC (win2K SP2) (others are Win XP)
All seemed well at first. After about 15 minutes the render stopped with the message:
License: Hserver communication error
This is strange since the license server and hscript are on the same PC.
Then when I tried to open a .hip file, nothing happens. I see that there's an hserver.exe and a mantra.exe listed in the process list (although they are not changing size). So I'm guessing that hserver died.
Has anyone else encountered this? What can I do?
Hscript and the license server are on the same PC (win2K SP2) (others are Win XP)
All seemed well at first. After about 15 minutes the render stopped with the message:
License: Hserver communication error
This is strange since the license server and hscript are on the same PC.
Then when I tried to open a .hip file, nothing happens. I see that there's an hserver.exe and a mantra.exe listed in the process list (although they are not changing size). So I'm guessing that hserver died.
Has anyone else encountered this? What can I do?
Technical Discussion » Bundles
- RobertP
- 48 posts
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Two questions about bundles:
1) How does one reference a bundle in a string field? (Groups are referenced with a “@” prefix. ie: @group1). How does it work with bundles?
2) I think I understand how bundles work, and can see their usefullness in creating a light group across networks for an object's light mask string. But how else are people using bundles in everyday production?
Thanks,
Robert
1) How does one reference a bundle in a string field? (Groups are referenced with a “@” prefix. ie: @group1). How does it work with bundles?
2) I think I understand how bundles work, and can see their usefullness in creating a light group across networks for an object's light mask string. But how else are people using bundles in everyday production?
Thanks,
Robert
Technical Discussion » IGES Support
- RobertP
- 48 posts
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Ditto to what Simon says. The only way I found to get reliable transfer from Unigraphics was through Rhino. They have an evaluation version that gives you something like 25 saves.
Technical Discussion » light glowing
- RobertP
- 48 posts
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I almost always do glows in compositing. One problem I run into is if I'm using Z depth files. Without Z-Depth I take the file and blur based on the alpha, mult by some ramp to get a colored glow. But does anyone know how to do a similar thing with Z-Depth info? I can't blur the Z-Depth plane because that changes the depth. Since the glow extends outside the alpha and Z-depth info, it becomes problamatic. Anyone else find a solution to this?
Technical Discussion » IGES Conversion
- RobertP
- 48 posts
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I need to import CAD files from a Unigraphics system. I tried having the CAD guy export as .dxf, but found that the edges were torn apart when two polygons met. The points on each surface were not close, and the resolution is too low. Although we could try increasing the data density of the .dxf model, I'm wondering if IGES would work better since it can handle NURBS and Beziers.
Anyone have any experience along this line … any suggestions?
Thanks,
Robert
Anyone have any experience along this line … any suggestions?
Thanks,
Robert
Technical Discussion » Assigning materials/shaders in SOP possible or not?
- RobertP
- 48 posts
- Offline
Sorry about all the repeating messages … everytime I posted it gave me an error .. so I thought it wasn't posted.
Anyway, the Attribute SOP has a “delete attribute” field. That did it!
Robert
Anyway, the Attribute SOP has a “delete attribute” field. That did it!
Robert
Technical Discussion » Assigning materials/shaders in SOP possible or not?
- RobertP
- 48 posts
- Offline
Steven,
I needed to use an Objectmerge and use part of an object in another object .. however the Shader SHOP had assigened the materials high up in the COP tree. How do you remove materials at the SOP level??
Thanks,
Robert
I needed to use an Objectmerge and use part of an object in another object .. however the Shader SHOP had assigened the materials high up in the COP tree. How do you remove materials at the SOP level??
Thanks,
Robert
Technical Discussion » Assigning materials/shaders in SOP possible or not?
- RobertP
- 48 posts
- Offline
Steven,
I needed to use an Objectmerge and use part of an object in another object .. however the Shader SHOP had assigened the materials high up in the COP tree. How do you remove materials at the SOP level??
Thanks,
Robert
I needed to use an Objectmerge and use part of an object in another object .. however the Shader SHOP had assigened the materials high up in the COP tree. How do you remove materials at the SOP level??
Thanks,
Robert
Technical Discussion » Assigning materials/shaders in SOP possible or not?
- RobertP
- 48 posts
- Offline
Steven,
I needed to use an Objectmerge and use part of an object in another object .. however the Shader SHOP had assigened the materials high up in the COP tree. How do you remove materials at the SOP level??
Thanks,
Robert
I needed to use an Objectmerge and use part of an object in another object .. however the Shader SHOP had assigened the materials high up in the COP tree. How do you remove materials at the SOP level??
Thanks,
Robert
Technical Discussion » Assigning materials/shaders in SOP possible or not?
- RobertP
- 48 posts
- Offline
Steven,
I needed to use an Objectmerge and use part of an object in another object .. however the Shader SHOP had assigened the materials high up in the COP tree. How do you remove materials at the SOP level??
Thanks,
Robert
I needed to use an Objectmerge and use part of an object in another object .. however the Shader SHOP had assigened the materials high up in the COP tree. How do you remove materials at the SOP level??
Thanks,
Robert
Technical Discussion » Assigning materials/shaders in SOP possible or not?
- RobertP
- 48 posts
- Offline
Steven,
I needed to use an Objectmerge and use part of an object in another object .. however the Shader SHOP had assigened the materials high up in the COP tree. How do you remove materials at the SOP level??
Thanks,
Robert
I needed to use an Objectmerge and use part of an object in another object .. however the Shader SHOP had assigened the materials high up in the COP tree. How do you remove materials at the SOP level??
Thanks,
Robert
Technical Discussion » Draping an object on or wrapping it around another?
- RobertP
- 48 posts
- Offline
You might also look into the Ray SOP, which projects points along their normals until they hit something. Maybe use a grid with few points, and then refine it after.
Technical Discussion » Need to animate an environment map
- RobertP
- 48 posts
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Technical Discussion » Hyperthreading
- RobertP
- 48 posts
- Offline
Since Hyperthreading is only using one CPU you don't gain any performance by splitting Mantra into two processes. I did some speed testing on XP Pro with and without Hyperthreading and Without was a tad faster (probably due to less overhead).
It is standard for CPU usage to only show 50% if you are running one process on a Hyperthreaded enabled PC. It IS using all the CPU power.
Robert
It is standard for CPU usage to only show 50% if you are running one process on a Hyperthreaded enabled PC. It IS using all the CPU power.
Robert
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