I have a bunch of Dynamics dops.. (glue objects) which I'm parsing thru and exporting each curve to a chan file.

Once I run up a simulation, I want to make and update the dynamic chops
to use the cache..
but its INCREDIBLY slow.

I have about 300 objects in the scene and I have tried 2 different approaches.. the first would be preferred as I don't need to have a separate dynamic dop for each output.. where I just switch the object its pointed to, hit the update, and then write out the chan data (tx rx and pivot only)

but in between “hitting” update (either in the interface or using an hscript) and actually even displaying the curve in the interface (switching from obj to chops for example..) the actual update time is over 10-30 seconds per object…

So I'm trying different approach.. where I build a separate dynamics node for each object and then update them all at once which still takes quite a long time.. maybe a little faster than the one by one approach but compounded by doing them all at once (we're talking MINUTES here.. to update an interface??? from data in memory? )

either way the actual writing out of the chan file is pretty quick..
but its taking me upwards of 4 hours to write out 300 objects worth of chan files…..

what is causing this slowdown… the cache exists already… and I don't have the re-sim button on in the dops node..

anybody got any hints?

thanks

-john

My problem apparently was memory and disk swapping… my sim got too big for the dopnet setting of 500 meg cache memory.. upped it to 2gig and I'm now back to zippy exporting. (sigh of relief)

however, The dopNetwork object has no help card..

can someone at sideFX fill in the ?????????? for me and the rest of us?

what are the other settings in there..

settings “Simulation” tab of DOP network node…

Display ????
Display Data Mask.. (assuming something like a group mask?)
initial State ????? (can you point this to a sop of the orig geom? )
time step = timeStep
Offset Time = simulation offset once cached?
scale time = pseudo time-warp of simulation
Max Feedback Loops ?????????
recook simulation button = resets the simulation
enable Automatic Resimulation = this one, if on, seems to make the sim re-cook every time you update anything outside of the DOPS context.. ( I usually turn this off)

Provide Data Hints ????
Interpolate Display Data ????
Cache Simulation = caches the sim to memory
allow caching to disk = assumedly allows you to save .sim files using a file DOP
cache SubStep Data ??? simulation subsampling usefull for timewarping simulations (see above)
Cache memory… the amount of memory for the cache to take up..
(it would be awesome to have a formula to be able to figure this out, especially for folks with limited memory configs)


thanks

-john

If you're using multiple chops I've found the “unload” button very useful

Hi redpaw,

The helpcard path is wrong & I reported it here [sidefx.com] with the right path.

Cheers!
steven