3ds Max - Troubleshooting & General Discussion

[Lindsaygaskell94 13]

I have got 8gb of ram, thought that should be enough

[Droric 101]

That is relative based on how much your system is using. How much free uncommitted ram do you have? Either way just remove some elements of the scene and test to see if it is the ram. You could also open task manager and monitor your RAM usage to see if it peaks out or gets within 2gb of your max. Also what OS are you running? 32 bit operating systems don't support more than 3.2 GB of ram or so.

[Lindsaygaskell94 13]

I am  doing a preview render now with just one small part of it and it seams to be working okay

it says that it is using 7.2gb and i have windows 8 with 64 bit

[Droric 101]

If it says in task manager you are using 7.2 GB of ram then yup your out of RAM. See if you have any other memory hogs open like photo apps or other graphics applications.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

Also make sure there's not objects that can trigger this problem and make sure your LOD's is the right size and not the size of the ground plane, that's if you have one.

[KonstantinII 1,106]

Is this free download page? Not pirated?

http://students.autodesk.com/?nd=download_center

 

Is it true that 3ds max contains c-dilla virus bundled with it?

[Droric 101]

Is this free download page? Not pirated?

http://students.autodesk.com/?nd=download_center

 

Yes that is the Student portal to purchase/obtain Autodesk software.

[KonstantinII 1,106]

 

Is this free download page? Not pirated?

http://students.autodesk.com/?nd=download_center

 

Yes that is the Student portal to purchase/obtain Autodesk software.

 

I researched 3ds max. There is information on other sites that 3ds max contains "c-dilla" virus bundled with  it.

[Jasoncw 11,949]

8 GB of RAM on a 64 bit system is definitely enough.

 

I personally don't know what would cause that problem (why it would try to use too much RAM) but you have enough.

 

 

 

If your images are big (in terms of pixel dimensions, not filesize), make them smaller.  That might help.

[Lindsaygaskell94 13]

I think i solved the problem, the ground plane was a lot bigger than it needed to be and there was a small line in the middle of nowhere

Seems to be working again now

thanks for your help

[Droric 101]

Soo.... you know that problem?  The one where MAX 2014 doesn't work with bat4max.  I just uploaded this here file to the stex...

 

 

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

I do not understand, my 3ds Max 2014 design do not need a gamma fix, just a quality fix in the render, the render is a little blurry. As you can see 3ds Max 2013 is more sharper. Now this will not stop me from export buildings in 3ds Max as a matter of fact I believe I can export with high quality with a technique I just came up with.

 

[Droric 101]

I do not understand, my 3ds Max 2014 design do not need a gamma fix, just a quality fix in the render, the render is a little blurry. As you can see 3ds Max 2013 is more sharper. Now this will not stop me from export buildings in 3ds Max as a matter of fact I believe I can export with high quality with a technique I just came up with.

 

Just turn up the in Samples per Pixel - Quality:0.5 in the Render options.  Something like .5 or .75 is good.

 

I thought everyone had gamma issues with 2014...  It normally renders things super bright.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

I have put the Samples per Pixel 0.5 and still the same. I can beat this so it's not like I lost, but for other that do not know how to solve it they I will get them angry.

 

3ds Max 2014 Render

 

 

3ds Max 2013 Sample Roll Out Change

 

As you can see in the images below 3ds Max 2014 Sample Quality Roll out is a little different from 3ds Max 2013. In 3ds Max 2014 has a Quality settings for the samples per Pixel.

 

Maybe you can right a command to change it or we can do it manually which I do not mind, we all need to learn a little more than just batting.

 

3ds Max 2013 Sample Roll Out

 

 

3ds Max 2014 Sample Roll Out

 

the first render I used the setting 0.5 and did not work, so what I did is make the settings go to the max to test it out and guess what, it worked.

So right now, I'm dropping the quality to see where the change begin. 10.0 seems to be just right and not as high as 20.0. I'm sure you can tell render length when it's a building.

 

[Droric 101]

Aaron,

 

I assume you have rendered these same models into the game correct?  I have no issue generating preview renders the Gamma is fine.  The issue is with the BAT4MAX export script.  I can't understand why you wouldn't have gamma issues the behavior changed in 2014 and the script needed to be modified. 

[Droric 101]

To get your render quality to match the older versions of 3ds max change your settings as follows...

 

Sampling Mode: Classic / Raytraced

Samples per Pixel: Minimum 1

                              Maximum 16

These are the settings that the BAT4MAX 5 script is attempting to set but is not aware of the new Unified/Raytrace mode and the settings are drastically different.

 

I started to notice the bluriness as well as I am working on tweaking my model so it looks right after a render.  I will have an update to the Gamma fix as well when I also update the Let There be Light script for Max 2014 to use the older Classic / Raytrace sampling since it displays a much clearer image and actually looks alot more like SC4 models.  The newer sampling mode when turned up high enough blurs the lines so much that it looks better in preview but in game it looks slightly worse.  The gamma script update will also address other image quality issues i've found.

 

Ugh why can't I just leave problems well enough alone... I have a student license and can get the older versions but persist I will.  I like 3ds max 2014's layout better too.

[Droric 101]

After doing quite a bit of testing it seems the Unified Raytrace method used in 3ds max 2014 causes render artifacts to appear in game.  Noticeably white lines and incorrect geometry.  I will be posting an updated BAT4MAX soon that supports 2014 so no trickery is needed to get it to function.  I guess nobody should mind if I hijack Simfox's work and modify it to work with 2014 as well... well considering I think he hijacked it from someone else anyways.

 

For now use the settings above for optimal image quality in max 2014.

[Aaron Graham 4,417]

I have not rendered the gray model in the game. I have planned to export my latest building in 2014.

 

You can update Simfox files, please make the installer. I mean the file that can read and install the files automatically.

[Droric 101]

I have a working BAT4MAX for 2014 but there are really only a couple very minor changes that need to be made (so far).  One of which is the rendering sampling settings being changed from 'Unified / Raytrace' to 'Classic / Raytrace' as posted earlier.  The other is the gamma fix on Simtropolis and is still valid.  I will need to do further testing and become a bit more familiar with BAT4MAX before I have an actual release.  In other words download the gamma fix for now and set the sampling to 'Classic / Raytrace' and 1 and 16 samples respectively and you should be all set with max 2014.  I also want to see if it is possible to get the Unified / Raytrace working but I have issues where the models have small white borders around them.  Also the models are distorted when exporting from Max 2014 without selecting Classic / Raytrace.

[IL. 1,043]

Hi,

 

I'm back after a while, but I'm having a problem, when I use photometric lights, they don't show up in the rendering, but I do see them in the scene! :/ 

 

Thanks

[Droric 101]

Hi,

 

I'm back after a while, but I'm having a problem, when I use photometric lights, they don't show up in the rendering, but I do see them in the scene! :/ 

 

Thanks

 

Are you using IES profiles for your lights?  Have you tried turning the intensity wayyy up?  The exposure control of MAX will make Photometric lights appear very dark when rendered out.

[IL. 1,043]

 

Hi,

 

I'm back after a while, but I'm having a problem, when I use photometric lights, they don't show up in the rendering, but I do see them in the scene! :/ 

 

Thanks

 

Are you using IES profiles for your lights?  Have you tried turning the intensity wayyy up?  The exposure control of MAX will make Photometric lights appear very dark when rendered out.

 

 

I don't what's IES, but the only thing I did was, adding the BAT4MAX day light rig and sky, and when I added the photometric lights they didn't work, even when I make their intensity very high, could it be the mental ray or something that is hiding it? 

[Droric 101]

 

 

Hi,

 

I'm back after a while, but I'm having a problem, when I use photometric lights, they don't show up in the rendering, but I do see them in the scene! :/ 

 

Thanks

 

Are you using IES profiles for your lights?  Have you tried turning the intensity wayyy up?  The exposure control of MAX will make Photometric lights appear very dark when rendered out.

 

 

I don't what's IES, but the only thing I did was, adding the BAT4MAX day light rig and sky, and when I added the photometric lights they didn't work, even when I make their intensity very high, could it be the mental ray or something that is hiding it? 

 

You don't have them on a hidden or non render able layer do you?  The other thing that might not cause them to display would be if they are not enabled on the light settings.  Or hidden individually via object properties.  There are actually quite a few ways the lights could not display as you would expect them too.

[IL. 1,043]

You don't have them on a hidden or non render able layer do you?  The other thing that might not cause them to display would be if they are not enabled on the light settings.  Or hidden individually via object properties.  There are actually quite a few ways the lights could not display as you would expect them too.

 

 

 

No they're in plain sight, maybe they are not enabled on the lights setting as ou say, how to know? 

[Droric 101]

It's in the photometric light rollout under general parameters.  Check this help document for more information on lights.  The 3ds max help is excellent for these sorts of things.

 

http://docs.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/16/ENU/3ds-Max-Help/index.html?url=files/GUID-57B15284-C5F3-46A8-BBD3-6333FE5E80DE.htm,topicNumber=d30e438247

[IL. 1,043]

It's in the photometric light rollout under general parameters.  Check this help document for more information on lights.  The 3ds max help is excellent for these sorts of things.

 

http://docs.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/16/ENU/3ds-Max-Help/index.html?url=files/GUID-57B15284-C5F3-46A8-BBD3-6333FE5E80DE.htm,topicNumber=d30e438247

 

Thank you very much

[Memph5 0]

I was looking at Jasoncw's basic poly modelling tutorial:

 

How do you do a zoom 5 preview?

[Jasoncw 11,949]

You can set the zoom and rotation in the area around where the preview button is.

[Memph5 0]

I have 3ds Max 2013, it looks like "make preview" was changed a bit in 2011, now it's create "still image/animated sequence file", but I can't find anything related to camera zoom and rotation there. It seems like the camera isn't too important, but do most tutorials use 3ds max 2010? Would it be easier to learn with that?

 

edit: the polygon editting seems different, or at least I'm having a hard time replicating the results from the tutorial.

edit2: nvm the tutorial was for gmax, I think this post can be deleted

[Droric 101]

I have 3ds Max 2013, it looks like "make preview" was changed a bit in 2011, now it's create "still image/animated sequence file", but I can't find anything related to camera zoom and rotation there. It seems like the camera isn't too important, but do most tutorials use 3ds max 2010? Would it be easier to learn with that?

edit: the polygon editting seems different, or at least I'm having a hard time replicating the results from the tutorial.

edit2: nvm the tutorial was for gmax, I think this post can be deleted

I'm almost positive it's still preview in 2013. That's how it works in 2014. Are you sure your going to the right spot in the sidebar? The preview script is found under the Utilities portion the one with a hammer icon. It is then under the preview rollout. It's a script being run to generate the orthographic views like you see in game. You will need your LODs set to use the preview rollout.