Judging right amount of samples for network render

Started by mattjgerard, August 02, 2017, 01:29:31 PM

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mattjgerard

We render out all of our images specific sizes. 3200x2400 @300dpi is what we use for our print items.

We just installed the 32 core network render and got that running on a couple VM's (only at 24 right now, but that's the IT guy's problem).

When we render on our own 24 core workstations we got in the habit of using Max Time for our render settings, and had a good idea of how long to let something cook until it would look good. And we could stop it at any point it did look good and save the file.

Now with the network render, mox time isn't an option, only max samples or advanced. In the HUD for the live view window, I know I can watch the number of samples that will allow an image to look good. But that is only for the size window that my live viewer is set at. I normally set my Image size to 1000x750 as it gives me the proper aspect for layout, and is large enough to work in and small enough to fit on my monitor.

So, my question is, how to extrapolate what looks good on my monitor to what the settings need to be on the network render, since I can't monitor or stop an image from rendering in the Network Render Queue? Say my image in my 1000x750 (72dpi I assume) screen resolution looks good after 150 samples and takes 7min to get there. How do I then multiply that for the larger 3200x2400 300dpi image I will send to the network?

Or am I just thinking about this too hard, and 150 samples is 150 samples no matter what the size is?

And now I get to upgrade the whole lot to 7!

TGS808

As far as I can tell (using your example) 150 samples is 150 samples no matter the size. The difference is that the higher the resolution, the longer it will take to reach 150. An image that is set to 700x700 will reach 150 samples faster than the same image set to 2000x2000 but the end results will be the same.

Will Gibbons

Quote from: mattjgerard on August 02, 2017, 01:29:31 PM
Or am I just thinking about this too hard, and 150 samples is 150 samples no matter what the size is?

This. lol. I frequently use the Real-time Region Region to dial in materials. Because samples aren't subjective, they're a good metric. Like, a mm is always a mm regardless of how large the object you're measuring.

Cheers.

mattjgerard

Quote from: Will Gibbons on August 03, 2017, 07:25:13 AM
This. lol. I frequently use the Real-time Region Region to dial in materials. Because samples aren't subjective, they're a good metric. Like, a mm is always a mm regardless of how large the object you're measuring.

Cheers.

I figured it was something simple, dang it. I tend to way over complicate stuff like this!

Allrighty, onward. Now to get KS7 network render installed :)




Robb63

We have the Network render, and send most renders to it with Max Samples set to 128. That works for just about everything. We could probably go to 64-96 for a lot of stuff, but once it's on the NR it's so fast and I'm usually working on something else that it's done before I realize it.
When I render animations, I'm usually a bit pickier about getting the samples at a good compromise rate. for those I'll go down to 64 samples if needed (and if the renders still look good at that range).