CompuServe Thread

#3d Studio Problems

7 messages in this thread
#36387From: DAN SPOMERMar 3, 1993 8:41 AM
I am experiencing 2 problems with 3DS 2.0. Any help or suggestions will be appreciated. Hardware: 486/33 with 32meg RAM, 210 mef hard disk. Problem 1: When rendering a 500 frame flic and wanting to stop somewhere before its finished, using the escape key cancels rendering and does not give me the option to save frames rendered so far. Right back to the 3d editor. I used to be able to hit the escape key at anytime during rendering and it would give me the option to save the work done. ????????????? Problem 2: When loading a large (5.5 meg) DXF file into 3DS, after 13 objects I get the message..Not Enough RAM for that operation. On another machine with only 8 meg of RAM, I get the same message after only loading 12 objects. It appears that the additional RAM is not helping with these large DXF files. Any suggestions. Using Qemm. Thanks, Mike
#36434From: Craig Sharp [Mem TM]Mar 3, 1993 5:35 PM
Dan: Well, I don't know if 3DS can use virtual memory when it loads a DXF file… but you would probably need a lot of disk space if it does… You can separate the DXF into sub-components by freezing layers and outputting smaller DXF files, then bring each of them into 3DS and then combine them after they are imported. I don't know about saving work after an escape… I never had the guts to try it in the first place <grin>. C#
#36735From: DAN SPOMERMar 8, 1993 12:17 PM
Thanks for the reply, Craig. Breaking the drawing in sub-components is the way I have been working around the problem. Mike
#36649From: MARTIN G FOSTERMar 6, 1993 8:01 PM
Dan, what pallette mode are you using for your flic rendering. If it's low or custom (which you should be using) then your flic will exist up to the last frame and you will not have to go through any more steps. If it's high or medium you should be prompted for the pallette process. I suggest splitting up large dxf files in Autocad at the .dwg stage and saving them as several smaller .dxf's – if you don't have much disk space. How much disk space do you have (for virtual memory use). Do any of the objects have more than 64k faces? That is the limit for objects coming into 3ds.
#36736From: DAN SPOMERMar 8, 1993 12:21 PM
Martin: I think you have answered my problem. My drawings usually contain way more than 64K faces. Palette is usually set high. Escape sometimes works and sometimes not. It does not seem to be governed by flic size or amount of frames already rendered. Thanks for your help, Mike
#36792From: Yost GroupMar 8, 1993 10:23 PM
Drawings aren't limited to 64K faces, but individual entities within each drawing _are_. If your escape key isn't working sometimes, my guess is that you've got a keyboard problem. Do you have another keyboard that you can swap with it? – G
#36813From: DAN SPOMERMar 9, 1993 8:15 AM
I have considered the keyboard escape key malfunctioning. I may be doing a double click. I will borrow or purchase a different one. It can be quite frustrating to loose 2 days of rendering. While I have your ear, I have a suggestion for future release of 3DS. I use the software for designing stage sets and lighting for touring artists. I am continuosly changing the lighting for stills and in animations. It would be a great help to have the light icon in the editor be the same color as the light itself. I just received 2.01a and am anxious to use my new IPAS routines. Love your products. If you get a chance to see the upcoming Clint Black/Wynonna Judd tour it was concieved and presented to the artists with 3D Studio and Animator Pro. The animations had them on the edge of their seats. Dan