rendering

[ccb]

I am still getting used to TG2.  I made a 1000x800 simple picture - no surface layers, no clouds - and set it to high quality render.  Hours went by and it wasn't getting anywhere so I stopped it, reset it to lesser quality and it still had to run overnight.  I have 4 processors, a good video card with 1G memory, etc.  I am planning on going back to the old TG.  2 questions - can I import a TG file into TG2 if I decide to import objects?

Also, in TG2 I run into words that don't mean anything to me - "jitter", "chan".  Can anyone define them for me?

Many thanks.

[Henry Blewer]

Did small dots appear, from the left and appearing to the right of the upper right hand corner? Terragen 2 pre-calculates the color information. Try rendering at 320 x 200. See if something happens. It should be quick to render.
You can import T1 files. You can use the height field load function to load Terragen 1 planet files. Select the height field and go to add operator/heightfield load.
Someone will have to explain chain files. I have not used them.
Jitter is for samples. It causes the samples used to appear rougher.

[rcallicotte]

Everything is so interdependent within TG2, someone would need more information specifically to your situation to find out why it took so long.  Renders take time, but usually not that long unless something is set to a very high quality in pairs.

Jitter and chan?  Matt explains jitter here - http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=5342.msg55174#msg55174 - ""Microvertex jittering" option in the renderer, which reduces the appearance of parallel lines in the subdivison pattern of surfaces. This was often a problem on water, for example."  

I don't have TG2 in front of me, but chan has to do with channels for animation, if I remember right.

[ccb]

Thanks to both of you for your replies.

I had set the quality to a bit less than high but I never thought it would take so long.  I think I'll go back to the old TG and maybe give TG2 a try again later.

[rcallicotte]

I'd encourage to not give up so easily and consider lowering your setting so that you can do some practice runs, then keep raising your settings until your satisfied.  Use the CROP function to just sample pieces of your image - this is much quicker.

Thanks to both of you for your replies.

I had set the quality to a bit less than high but I never thought it would take so long.  I think I'll go back to the old TG and maybe give TG2 a try again later.

[Aagam]

Don't give up! Read the rendering sticky so you understand the best way to render images. I've been using Terragen 2 for years and the info in the sticky helped me immensely.

[neuspadrin]

Just because its taking a long time doesn't mean give up, TG2 just has a steeper learning curve on what settings you really need to pick. Some settings you mightve set unnecessarily high or checked things you shouldnt, etc.  It isn't like TG .9 where you can just throw everything on high and go.  You have to think about your system, and what quality you want  Many times the sliders arn't ment to go to full except in very rare cases, and the numbers arnt supposed to be changed by too much.


Also, for chan im assuming you are looking at those "import chan" areas and such, and yes, its for animation.  A .chan file (or even a normal .txt formatted correctly) allows you to import the camera movement from an external source.  Some people animate the camera around in other software and then move into TG2.

[ccb]

Thanks, you are all so supportive.  I'm going to download the rendering info.  I tend to be impatient and give up too easily.  I went back to TG and found I missed the navigation button and the procedurals on TG2!  (Some people are hard to please!)

One thing I haven't found is a way to alter the terrain as with the little View/Scupt window in TG.  But I'll keep at it!

Christina

[rcallicotte]

Start here with the beginner's tutorial - http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?board=2.0  Then, I recommend finding Volker's tutorial on terrain (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=2287.0) and nvseal's planet tutorial (http://forums.planetside.co.uk/index.php?topic=2747.0).  Finally, once you get your feet wet, start perusing the TG2 Wiki for more to experiment (http://www.planetside.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Main_Page).

Most of all, as you learn, take time to just enjoy your imagination in what you can create.

[ccb]

Thanks, I've printed them all off - and now off to school!  I really would like to make some headway as TG does more beautiful and realistic landscapes than any program at all.

[Seth]

Most of all, as you learn, take time to just enjoy your imagination in what you can create.

agree !

[kevnar]

I only have an average speed computer (not even as good as yours) and I can do renders on the default quality settings with objects, layers, etc. in about 20 mins. I only jack up the quality to higher settings when I'm doing a final render. Then it takes anywhere from 12-30 hours, depending on the complexity of the scene.

[ccb]

12-30 sounds awful!  Would using .ter files instead of fractals make it faster?  I have a lot of those from the old TG.

[rcallicotte]

Depending on your computer, 12 to 30 hours isn't typical.  Some do quality renders in an hour or less with up-to-date PCs.  My last good render, which I believe I'll post today, was about 8 hours.  And that's about as long as I like a render.  Most of my renders are between 30 minutes and 4 hours.  Anything more than 8 needs to be for a contest (like the NWDA contest).

TER files can be imported into TG2 via the Load Heightfield Shader.

12-30 sounds awful!  Would using .ter files instead of fractals make it faster?  I have a lot of those from the old TG.

[ccb]

I had tried some imported .ter files but hadn't rendered them so I didn't know if there was a difference in time.  Your rendering times sound more reasonable.  I think I just pushed everything up to high level and perhaps didn't need to.  I will be going over the rendering post and some other material tomorrow.