Quote from: Oshyan on March 22, 2007, 10:21:09 PM
Dark Fire, I don't expect the commandline structure to change significantly, but Matt would know more than I.
- Oshyan
I can deal with insignificant changes as long as somebody tells me about them. Thanks Oshyan.
Quote from: bigben on March 22, 2007, 07:36:13 PM
I've been thinking about what direction my database tools should take (generate frame specific TGDs or generate animation settings files to embed in the TGD) and I'm still undecided. One of the things I was looking at was parsing the TGD file to extract each of the variables with cross checking of output field values (text/numeric, number of values etc...) against an xml specification... from this.... the process of locating external file information could be simplified by only checking those tags that contain filenames and excluding node names which might also contain filenames (e.g. the XFrog tree models). This would reduce the chance of affecting other data.
I really need to have a good look at the TGD file format. One problem that I have realised since yesterday is that the format may still change, which may cause problems later.
Quote from: bigben on March 22, 2007, 07:36:13 PM
Using your software is a step further along the approach I have taken with my own crude render farms.
Hehe. My software is actually quite crude too.
Quote from: bigben on March 22, 2007, 07:36:13 PM
I'd generate a .bat file for each computer and then manually start it (via VNC to save walking around the building). The main reason for this was that with long animations I ran progressive renders, rendering every 64 frames, then every 32,16,8,4,2,1 frames. I could still do this using you software with a simple modification of my database to generate a single joblist with a job for each frame. This would be vastly more efficient as it won't matter that there's a mix of PC specifications in the farm (and believe me, they go from race horses to cows ) or one or more get turned off along the way.
You may have noticed that the job list file is actually an '.ini' file in disguise. It appears that you are trying to exploit two of the great features my software has - the ability to keep fast computers supplied with work to do, and the ability to work out when a computer has been turned off, crashed or been disconnected from the network.
Quote from: bigben on March 22, 2007, 07:36:13 PM
I'll look forward to the next testing round Drop me a line off list if there's anything else you want me to test along the way.
OK. Thanks.
ANNOUNCEMENT:This is an announcement that I've been trying to put off for a long time, but I'm afraid I can't put it off any longer. In order to actually get some work done on my software and also to get work done for
my exams this summer (and beyond), I will have to almost completely stop using for forums. I will keep an eye on general developments and topics like this, which I seem to have become an intrinsic part of, as well as the two topics I started (yes, only two - despite being the third highest poster). This post will put me on 567 posts - 67 posts ahead of
old_blaggard (the closest person behind me), 364 posts behind
Oshyan and 395 posts behind
Will (who both seem to live on these forums). I will undoubtedly drift down the rankings now and people will probably start to forget me as I will only post very occasionally, but I am glad that I have been a significant early force on these forums. So, in conclusion, goodbye and good luck everyone! (Especially the Planetside team).
While I still have a decent opportunity, I am going to pour a final list of suggestions onto these forums:
1. Terragen needs a proper logo.
2. Once Terragen has a proper logo, merchandise should be sold (I can't afford T2TP, but I will be able to buy merchandise)!
3. The eternal suggestion: make it render faster!
4. Make the icons in TG2 reflect the quality of the images that can be produced with TG2 - at the moment, the icons look very old...
5. More features in the free version. I think TG 0.9 had a good balance - reasonably large images, animation features and a working command line. It seems strange that as screens get bigger and better, the free version of T2TP won't let you render images bigger than 800x600.
I could put down more, but the five suggestions above are probably my top five.