CompuServe Messages

Martin, >>I suspect your cache type is reponsible for a slight 4-10% speed increase over my system. I remember Gary Yost saying that that new cache design could boost performance up to 10%.<< Its good to know that some of the new technology is translating into real world performance gains. >>I think the RAM speed is less significant. I've tried 70ns versus 80ns with no speed difference in 3ds.<< It only cost me another $40 for the 60ns versus the 70ns, I didn't get hurt anyway. >>Interestingly, with mapping off your speeds are only 4-5% less, but with mapping on they are 8-9% less. I have a fast disk sub-system (Seagate Barracuda 2.1gb Fast and Wide on a Adaptec 2940W PCI controller) but no disk cache (hardware or software).<< I have the same controller although I don't have the wide Quatum Atlas 2.1MB SCSI drive, just fast. It seems as though my drive has a 1mb buffer, I guess thats the same as a hardware cache. >>Are you using any disk caching software? (smartdrive) Hardware? (eg. on the controller board). What type of disk sub-system do you have? Caches might help on repeat renders of the same scene<< I disabled smartdrive and tested again. The only difference was an additional 2-3 seconds at 1024×768 with mapping ON, all the others were the same within 1 second. I have the Adaptec 2940w without any cache, unless Mark gave me something we didn't discuss. >>As a guide to disk access and it's effects, my HD light shows my hardrive is working for about 6 seconds when I render with mapping on. << I tried to time my HD light with a stop watch and got around 4 to 4.5 seconds with mapping on. This just does not make sense, you have a fast & wide SCSI drive, it should be faster. >>Course, it doesn't go on at all with no mapping (no disk access at all).<< With no mapping my system still hits the HD for 1 second or less, at the very end of "Transforming Objects". You mis-read my numbers for METAL shading, the "( )" numbers should have been subtracted from the adjacent number to get back to phong shading. The following numbers in ( ) are for my METAL shading times: SuperMicro P55CMS; P100; 256k Pipelined Burst Cache; 32mb-60ns Ram File: Chevy.3ds/936,668kb/1-15-95 @ 12:00am Pixel Size: 1.1 Display: Null Save File: No Shading: Metal Dither 256: On Mapping-Off Mapping-On 640x480x1 (1:03)1:10 (1:28)1:40 1024x768x1 (2:08)2:22 (2:57)3:23 Regards……….Rick – Technical Animations