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preview doesn't match render?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 3:16 am
by JPMays
Anyone know why my render is not matching my preview?

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Enlarged preview:
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You can see that the preview window shows nice shadows and sun coming in through the glass, but the actual render does not match. What gives?

Re: preview doesn't match render?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 10:41 am
by Half Life
I looks like you are using real glass instead of AGS -- with the lighting you have set up it will take a very long time to resolve... see here:

http://www.maxwellrender.com/forum/view ... p?p=340525

Best,
Jason.

Re: preview doesn't match render?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 2:32 pm
by JDHill
Just to clarify, there are two distinct scenarios here, JP's, and the one being discussed in the linked thread. In JP's, we have sunlight entering through glass, bouncing off objects, and coming to the camera; in the other, it has to bounce back through the glass before it gets to the camera, and that makes a big difference. AGS is a decent solution in either case, since due to the relative thinness of the panes, you are not likely to perceive the missing refraction.

Re: preview doesn't match render?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 2:39 pm
by Half Life
You are right of course -- that's what I get for answering a question right after I get out of bed :oops:

I notice you are only at SL 8 there -- maybe it should cook for longer? I know there have been many changes to the number of SL required to achieve the full look of certain effects -- for instance to get the same amount of specular effect (from additive layers) as before (the recent update to 2.6.10) you need to render to SL 16-18.

Best,
Jason.

Re: preview doesn't match render?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 3:51 pm
by JPMays
Is there a way to know what SL the preview is based on? I'd like to farm out this rendering and want to know what to set it for.

Also, you all are correct that I am using real glass instead of AGS. It's too late to mess around with switching that, but I will keep that in mind for the future. It also is beginning to show the shadows/sunlight, as predicted - I'm just not patient enough :).

Re: preview doesn't match render?

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 3:56 pm
by Half Life
I'd say (based on nothing but my own experience) SL 18 is a good target for things to look "clear" from what I see -- however if you have any SSS materials in there it would be more like SL 23-24... the issue here is almost all of your lighting is caustics in there which is why AGS would clear faster.

Best,
Jason.

Re: preview doesn't match render?

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 8:52 pm
by eric nixon
He's really in a hurry, put 'hide to gi' tag on glass, this one time ;) prob too late ofcourse.

Re: preview doesn't match render?

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:34 pm
by JPMays
Yeah, the deadline for that passed. I ended up farming it to SL20, and it came pretty clear and looked good.

I started a new topic on how to achieve the same effect with AGS - please comment there if you have suggestions.

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