using BIG Maps 12000x12000 in Max !!!

[hot chip]

hi Guys,

we have found on the GMRF a way for using very big bit-maps 12000x12000 or higher and it is very fast. :o

german thread: http://forum.german-mentalray-wiki.info/viewtopic.php?t=430

the way:

a) you must unhidden in the base.mi the shader mib_texture_lookup2 and Lookup Background (for enviroment mapping)

b) you need the imf_copy.exe tool from mental images, for converting a .tga or .jpg to the .map format. When you have xsi-demoversion or the mr reference book, with have include a cd-rom with all tools and a demos version of mental ray stand alone.

command: imf_copy -p -r name.tga name.map

-p -> pyramidial filtering
-r -> divide into blocks

c) for example: archi&design-> diffuse color -> mib_texture_lookup2 -> klick on load a map and select in the list of format "AllImages File". Now select the name.map file.

mfg
hot chip

[moid]

Thanks very much, that is really interesting. I am using Max 9, which refuses to recognise the .map file as a valid bitmap type :( I see from the imf_copy info that it also exports to .exr maps, do they give the same benefits as .map? Or has any nice person at the GMRF written a Max 9 32bit .map bitmap input/output plugin?

Thanks for any info you have, nice of you to share this :)

[Steve Green]

Seems to work for me, although I had to use all files.

I wonder why it's hidden though?

Very handy, providing it's stable :)

Cheers,

- Steve

[moid]

Ignore my last request; I've got the map files working:D

I have a suggestion for those who are using Zbrush to output displacement maps and need to add the -0.5 RGB Offset adjustment to ensure the maps render correctly. This is impossible in the mib_texture_lookup2 shader, but if you place a falloff map to the displacement slot first, then set the RGB offset in the falloff map and then adding mib_texture_lookup2 to both slots of the falloff and everything is fine.

Is there a way to get this technique to use more than map channel 1 though? That would be helpful...

[Steve Green]

I'm pretty new to Mental Ray, I only really got into it with R9.

I would have thought that there would be other wrapper materials that could be used to replace the functionality that's in a regular Max bitmap, e.g. tiling, offset, levels, output - all that stuff.

- Steve

[Steve Green]

Hi,

Is 12Kx12K the upper limit for the converter?

I get a memory allocation error above that, and the newer version I tried gives the same error at 12Kx12K as well.

(2GB with 3GB switch, XP 32 bit)

Thanks,

Steve

[chaka]

nice hot chip , great tip:cool:

[hot chip]

hi steve,

I don´t know it must work. JB_alvarado from GMRF have test this:

-texture: 16.000px (size on harddisk 1,33gb)
-memory bevor rendering -> 1,1gb
-memory in use the rendering ~1,45gb
-polycount ~1,1 million
-rendertime with daylight-system and fg 5:47 min

[Steve Green]

Hmmm,

maybe he's got more RAM in the first place while running the converter, or is running it under Linux or XP64?

Thanks,

Steve

[hot chip]

i can tomorrow ask jb_alvarado for you. Have he a 34Bit System or 64 Bit system. On my 32Bit system, i have test a 9000x4500 file (213MB on Harddsik) and it´s work fine. WinXP32 can use 2-3GB Ram, so i don´t know why it is not work on your system. Have your command.com windows a limit of memory?

[Steve Green]

Hi,

I don't know to be honest.

What is strange is that one day I converted a 12Kx12K image fine, the next day a different image of the same resolution ran out of memory.

Cheers,

Steve

[nisus]

Hi All,

Is this not all just 'automatically' activated when using the 'Use mental ray map manager' (Processing Tab)???

From the book, I know there are different ways to 'write' the image (some kind of pixel order) and 'read' the map (partial or not, useful for DBR)... I don't know how to specify these... Anyone here who can shine a light on this?

For what I remember from the manual, it's handy to turn ON the 'use MR map Manager' when using DBR because it only loads partial information from bitmaps...

I have however not a clu how these 'MR maps' work together with the 'Rendering Proxies'... Couldn't find any info about them yet... Anyone?

rgds,

nisus


rgds,

nisus

[moid]

Apparently not... I was told by one of Mental Image's staff that the Max help files for MR contain a few errors, this particular problem being one of them. Apparently the bitmap manager system only works if you give it .map files or .exr files. It works well with .map, but .exr files need to be in a certain format, unfortunately I can't read what I wrote in notes at that point, I was writing too fast :( I remember him explaining that only the .map and .exr files are broken into tiles and have a tileable pyramid filtered mip map system created. If you are using these formats, MR only loads the tile (part of the texture) required for the bucket you are rendering into RAM from disk, thus saving enormous amounts of RAM, but slowing the render down a little. All other image formats have to stay completely in RAM all the time and so potentially cause lack of memory errors, and crashes.

No idea about rendering proxies, I doubt Max can make them for MR.

[nisus]

mmm... good to know about the "map"files ;-) tnx!
will check into it ,-)

nisus

[Maynard]

I really wonder why such useful features/shaders are in a "hidden" status in MR. This sounds pretty weird to me. Why hide those? Hope this "treasure hunting" gotta have an explaination.:mad:

[maxplugins]

I've written a MAXScript that automatically goes through your scene and converts all of the bitmaps to .map files, and then replaces all of the bitmaps with mib_texture_lookup2 + .map.

It works great (and scenes render faster), but the problem is that if you've used UV offset, mirror, blur etc in your bitmap, I haven't found a way to transfer these settings to the .map file.

Still, maybe it will be useful to someone...
http://www.anidesign.de/mapcon/mapcon.htm

Dave
www.maxplugins.de