Topic: Competition & Comparative Render Times: Queries

[blendman]

Hi Guys,

I have been lying low working on my competition entry.  It was to be two, but now looking like one entry only.    So far all is going okay, although I need to play a sound file, in a loop, to stop my computer going into hibenation mode - another story!

Okay,

I have a number of queries.  First one is getting an idea of comparative render times.  I am now making approx. 1 minute video clips - each, and they take 9-10 hour to render.  My Platform etc. is:

Lumion Basic (Latest Build 7)
on Toshiba Satellite L505-13X Laptop with Intel Core i3-330M (2.13 GHz) 4GB DDR3 1066MHz, ATI Mobility Radeon HD5145 512MB DDR3 dedicated HyperMemory 2.26 GB
Windows 7 Home Editionorder

Question 1:  I am low in HD space and wondered if the time to render would speed up if I created more space?  At the moment I have only 15 Gigs freespace left.

Question 2: Follows Q1, but is there any tricks to reduce render times?

Question 3:  Hard one to answer I feel.  To win is it likely to be a great design or more on using all the inbuilt features?  Any suggestions on emphasis.

Question 4:  What in blazes is a billboard and how do I use this?  Any recommended tutorials?

Question 5:  More a comment.  I love using Lumion, but I have learnt it is unsympathetic with any multitasking.  If you stray away from Windows in built features, the whole process stops.  So I have resoughted to using two computers.  I would love this company to enable an owner to be able to install on two computers and I know of such software agreements.  This would enable designers to have some flexiblity.  Can you guys think of a away to enable this to happen that still protects your investment too...?

Okay enough said, back to work...

[Gga_Mars]

Hi,
1:it depend :how long is the video which resolution ?
2: buy a phantom 580 3go
3-
4-
5- deactivate lumion on the first pc and activate the second... There is a post about that...

Ok back to sleep  

[blendman]

Hi,
1:it depend :how long is the video which resolution ?
2: buy a phantom 580 3go
3-
4-
5- deactivate lumion on the first pc and activate the second... There is a post about that...

Ok back to sleep  

Thanks for this.  I'll let you sleep now, now...hehehe.

[Morten]

Question 4:  What in blazes is a billboard and how do I use this?

The 2D people in Lumion are using Billboard materials. They're basically just flat textured planes.

Try to add a few to the scene, and notice how their heading changes so that they face the camera.

With the Billboard material, you can create your own billboard models, such as trees or people.

Billboard textures usually have a socalled alpha channel mask which is black/white. This mask tells the 3D application which pixels are visible/invisible. 100% white pixels are visible and 100% black pixels are invisible.

To create a billboard model, simply make a flat plane which faces the front view in your 3D modelling application, and add a texture with an alpha channel mask. Then import it in Lumion and apply a Billboard material to the model. It should now rotate to face the camera at all times.

[Morten]

my point is , that if lumion allows a video to replace a texture in the billboard section,..then a green screen talent ,could be targeted by lumion's camera. this would open up the possibility of a placing a person into all of Lumion's  environmental backgrounds,.. but  Lumion would have to create an ALPHA clipping parameter, to remove the green screen.

Yes, that would have to be the case. I know that Ferry would like to make video textures available at some stage, but I don't know if alpha channel masks are a priority for him though.