Dual Athlon
Bandit521
I am new to the group and fairly new to Lightwave. I am only up to
chapter 6 in the manual but I have some rendering questions. My system
specs are:
Dual Athlon MP2400
1gig ram
40g system drive
80g striped array
Asus Ti4200 w/128 ram
Pinnacle DV500 capture
Lightwave 7.5c
Testing the difference between single and dual thread rendering, it
seems single can be faster depending on the scene (complex scenes render
faster using the dual thread option?). Does this sound correct? Does
anyone with a similar system have any speed/optimization tips? Also,
does anyone use a tablet in LW? Which one?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Jeff Kilgroe
news:Ra6Aa.263864$pa5.2...@rwcrnsc52.ops.asp.att.net...
> Greetings,
Hello.
> Testing the difference between single and dual thread rendering, it
> seems single can be faster depending on the scene (complex scenes render
> faster using the dual thread option?). Does this sound correct? Does
> anyone with a similar system have any speed/optimization tips? Also,
Yep, that pretty well sums up Lightwave's "multithreading". Lightwave's core
raytrace engine and some portions of their Global Illumination model are
multithreaded, but it acts like they only have it sequentially spawn X threads (X
being the number set in the render options panel). There doesn't appear to be any
specific thread management or load balancing or attempt at concurrent thread
processing... In short, the amount of speed up is minimal and in some situations
speed can actually decrease. Additionally, most peripheral functions of the
renderer as well as most plugins (even those included with LW by NewTek) are not
multithreaded. A lot of post-process operations like pixel filters will actually
not function properly if any multithreading abilities are turned on.
All that said, the best way to make use of multiple CPUs in the system with
Lightwave is to load a separate instance of LW (or Screamernet, which is not
multithreaded at all) and render individual frames on individual CPUs. This can be
done manually by assigning CPU affinity via the Windows task manager or by using a
sheduling utility for that purpose. There's a quick and dirty one called xCPU that
I wrote available at www.appliedvisual.com -- it's free too. If you're rendering
just a large image, then you can manually split the render into multiple pieces
using LW's Limited Region function and render each piece on a spearate CPU. There
are also plugins to aid in the splitting of large renders. Some of the better LW
render managers available out there can also aid with the splitting of scenes, and
combined with a utility like xCPU, can easily allow setup and management of
multiple render nodes on a system - one for each available CPU -- or virtual CPU on
a HyperThreaded P4 machine.
> does anyone use a tablet in LW? Which one?
Wacom tablets... There really is no other option, IMO.
--
- Jeff Kilgroe
- Applied Visual Technologies | DarkScience
- www.appliedvisual.com
- Have a multiprocessor Windows system? Download xCPU, it's free!
Kevin Carrico
be the best for most scenes... you're going to find that certain scenes are
faster set to "1 Thread" though. I always do a little low-res test to see
what's going to be best.
"Bandit521" <jimis...@attbidot.com> wrote in message
news:Ra6Aa.263864$pa5.2...@rwcrnsc52.ops.asp.att.net...
Tesselator
I'm not sure about the threads... someone else (who knows) will
speak up. I've never turned multi-tread renders on for a single
CPU machine. Lots of render errors last time I did that, For
dual and quad CPU machines it almost always speeds it up. By
about a minimum of 20% I think. On the tablet thing tho I've
been watching this and other LW groups with an eye out for any
mention of "tablet" sinse I became interested in them about 3
years ago and it seems that about one of 7 or 8 guys have them.
About 80% of thoses people have Wacom. And of the total it seems
to be pretty much divided right down the middle as to whether it's
usefull in LW or is just good for painting textures and stuff.
"Bandit521" <jimis...@attbidot.com> wrote in message news:Ra6Aa.263864$pa5.2...@rwcrnsc52.ops.asp.att.net...
CWCunningham
LW, actually sort of detrimental because you can only slide a mini slider
til you reach the edgo of the tablet .. I often end up moving dialog boxes
to the other edge of the screen just so I can get some slider range ... the
mouse doesn't have this problem.
For painting though ... a good tablet *doubles* the value of a good paint
program.
--
CWC
=========================
Beer
More than just a breakfast drink.
--- Sign on a tavern wall ---
=========================
"Bandit521" <jimis...@attbidot.com> wrote in message
news:Ra6Aa.263864$pa5.2...@rwcrnsc52.ops.asp.att.net...
phaedrus
lightwave photoshop word avid after fx
everything..
I personally couldnt go back to a mouse..as I type this I have my pen
between my fingers
I've got an intuos 6x8
if you get to try one, see if you can use it for longer than 5 minutes..they
take a while to become accustomed to.
hth
phaedrus
"CWCunningham" <charlesw-at-blackfoot.net> wrote in message
news:bar01...@enews3.newsguy.com...
uncomm...@uncommongrafx.com
I, too, am holding it as I type.
Lw is GREAT with a stylus.
Acclimation is the key to using one. Once done, a mouse is a biological
being. ;)
Robert Wilson
UnCommon Grafx
Brizon
package like that? Don't get me wrong, I love my tablet as is probably
obvious, and I swear by it for all kind of drawing now, hell its been months
since I actually used a real pencil haha. But I've tried it, and tried it
for a length of time in LW, and can't see the benefits of it, especially
with the slider issue Cunningham brought up, and as I understand it, many
tablets wont actually work across dual displays (mine doesn't, yet the
optical mouse with it does heh) but seriously, I would like to know the
benefits of using a tablet with LW (other than the obvious tablet choices:
weight painting, Maya paint effects, Artisan and so on)
Cheers
Robert Wilson
For me its as much about not getting carpal tunnel as anything. The
slider thing is only a problem for that moment; like you would with a
mouse, pick it up and reposition.
I'm running on a dual setup and mine goes across both so that wasn't an
issue for me at any point and time.
At first, and it seems a lot of people do this, I thought lw was bonkers
that I couldn't use my stylus: it would go all over the place. Then I
found that toggle. hehe LW life has been great ever since.
I know I am faster with it than a mouse. Points aren't a hassle to grab
with it. Nay, seems they are easier to grab.
I think the benefits are what the user makes of them. Here, I might
tout a stylus. In a consultation gig, never. I would never want that
responsibility of such a personal decision backfiring on me. Some like
it. Some use a track(yuck)ball.
To each is own.
Robert Wilson
UnCommon Grafx
CWCunningham
news:3ed18609$0$30...@echo-01.iinet.net.au...
> I swear by my tablet for everything...
> lightwave photoshop word avid after fx
> everything..
> I personally couldnt go back to a mouse..as I type this I have my pen
> between my fingers
> I've got an intuos 6x8
> if you get to try one, see if you can use it for longer than 5
minutes..they
> take a while to become accustomed to.
> hth
> phaedrus
>
tablets attached when I wrote that last message. The only time it becomes an
issue is that mini slider thing. I run modeler with the numeric panel always
open on the right side of the screen, so if I need to slide a mini to the
right, it hardly slides before I've reached the limit. After about 10 tiny
adjustments, I move the dialog to the left side ... but now it's in the way.
Of course if I had two monitors, might not be a problem. Just a bit more
convenient to use the mouse so I don't have to move dialogs back and forth.
Tesselator
> I run modeler with the numeric panel always
> open on the right side of the screen, so if I need to slide a mini to the
> right, it hardly slides before I've reached the limit.
Hmmm, I always use a numberpad for those. Even when I was mouse only.
I hate those slider things.. It's like trying to get it set to 99
but not 99.1 or 89.9 takes me soooo much longer than [9][9][enter].
Maybe it's my 10-key expirience as an invertory taker when I was in
HighSchool or something but I wouldn't mind a bit if [L]8 shipped
without any of those little bastards.
O :-)
Tesselator
needed a new toy so I got an Intous2. It's pretty big, I dono,
I think it's the 9x11.. It's about the same size or slightly
bigger than the face of my 21" monitor. Anyway for the 1st
2 months I thought I had totally wasted the cash but after that
it became obvious to me whet the advantages were. It's easier
to do some stuff over a mouse and more awkward than a mouse at
yet other stuff. But that's not it. No, it's the rhythm and the
resulting mind-set said rhythym put you in. With the mouse it's
like click-click-whist_movement-click repeated many times with
a few pickup-the-mouse-&-repositions every so often. Mechanical,
petite, mild, sedentary, concentrated yet unsaturated. The Tablet
can be set-up like that too but usually it's used with sweeping
arm movements. Like the motions a pianter on a large canvas might
make or a skilled calligraphist. Organic, robust yet precise,
saturated and concentrated.
I think it's more natural. Ever grab your rig and do silly stuff
with it moving your mouse in large meaningless sweeping circles?
Why? I think cuz the brain needs a break from the meticulous
shunted movements and clicks that mouse operation requires.
Anyway, I've had mine for about 8 months now and I go back and
forth from mouse to tablet on half-day intervals. I like both.
I better cuz there's no way I'm gonna get my school to fund 120
Tablets at $600 a pop!
O :-)
"Robert Wilson" <UnComm...@UnCommonGrafx.com> wrote in message news:3ED2C34B...@UnCommonGrafx.com...
Robert Wilson
For me its as much about not getting carpal tunnel as anything. The
slider thing is only a problem for that moment; like you would with a
mouse, pick it up and reposition.
I'm running on a dual setup and mine goes across both so that wasn't an
issue for me at any point and time.
At first, and it seems a lot of people do this, I thought lw was bonkers
that I couldn't use my stylus: it would go all over the place. Then I
found that toggle. hehe LW life has been great ever since.
I know I am faster with it than a mouse. Points aren't a hassle to grab
with it. Nay, seems they are easier to grab.
I think the benefits are what the user makes of them. Here, I might
tout a stylus. In a consultation gig, never. I would never want that
responsibility of such a personal decision backfiring on me. Some like
it. Some use a track(yuck)ball.
To each is own.
Robert Wilson
UnCommon Grafx
CWCunningham
news:bav3qs$pbu$1...@catv02.starcat.ne.jp...
> ... About 8 months back I
> needed a new toy so I got an Intous2. It's pretty big, I dono,
> I think it's the 9x11.. It's about the same size or slightly
>
My initial tablet was a 4x5, about the size of a mouse pad. Though I figured
I was missing something ... when I got a 6x9, it became apparent that for
mousing around, the required arm motions got larger, not to mention the
desktop real estate. My latest tablet is once again a 4x5 ... larger would
be better for hand digitizing, but I never do that. The 4x5 works in a mouse
sized space, and screen zoom makes up any resolution I need. Much cheaper
than the more serious cousins as well.
Tesselator
"CWCunningham" <charlesw-at-blackfoot.net> wrote in message news:bb0hg...@enews1.newsguy.com...
> "Tesselator" <jimm...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:bav3qs$pbu$1...@catv02.starcat.ne.jp...
> > ... About 8 months back I
> > needed a new toy so I got an Intous2. It's pretty big, I dono,
> > I think it's the 9x11.. It's about the same size or slightly
> > bigger than the face of my 21" monitor....
> >
> My initial tablet was a 4x5, about the size of a mouse pad. Though I figured
> I was missing something ... when I got a 6x9, it became apparent that for
> mousing around, the required arm motions got larger,
I have 6 pens. 4 of them are the same type. I donno how but it knows
which one I'm using. You can use the setup utility to customize for
each one. Err I mean it'll automatically use a different set of settings
for each pen. In the settings you can specify the size of the area
on the tablet that you want to represent the screen.
Not only can you have a completely different set of behaviors per
pen but also per-pen-per-application. You can even set it up so
that a pen behaves just like a common mouse so that things like
the slider-buttons you're having troubles with don't occur.
The setup software that mine came with is really nice. Sophisticated.
CWCunningham
> I have 6 pens. 4 of them are the same type. I donno how but it knows
>
Oh yeah
> In the settings you can specify the size of the area
> on the tablet that you want to represent the screen.
>
Oh yeah
> Not only can you have a completely different set of behaviors per
> pen but also per-pen-per-application. You can even set it up so
> that a pen behaves just like a common mouse so that things like
> the slider-buttons you're having troubles with don't occur.
>
Oh yeah
> The setup software that mine came with is really nice. Sophisticated.
>
Wacom ... Sweet!
Bandit521
jimis...@attbidot.com says...
tablet and be my own judge, it sounds like it will be a great addition
to my Photoshop work at the least.