GPU or not GPU

[WhoCanDo]

Hi all.

 

I'm looking at a new computer because I'm fed up with waiting 5min for a stair tread to render/refresh "Final Quality Renderworks".

 

While it is rendering, I am watching the Task Manager.

 

I have read articles from VW that say that the GPU is the priority, but in Task Manger, it's hardly doing anything.

 

The problem I see is maxing out the ram, and the CPU is running at 98%. My ram is doing a small amount of caching.

 

You can see my current computer specks in my footer.

 

If I'm going to get an upgrade, I think it should be a top of the range CPU and fast ram.

 

Why does VW suggest the GPU is the main component to aim at ?

[Pat Stanford]

It depends on your render mode.

 

Shaded runs on the GPU.

 

Hidden Line and Renderworks run on the CPU.

 

I think Redshift runs on the GPU on Windows and the CPU on Mac.

 

I am certain others will provide better suggestions.

 

Have you considered using Cloud Services to do the rendering? It might actually be slower, but at least you don't have to watch it run slowly and can do other work.

[WhoCanDo]

Thanks Pat.

 

I'm using "Final Quality Renderworks" rendering.

 

We are adding realistic pictures to our brochure.

 

As far as I am aware, cloud services only works with Sheet layers, and I'm using "Export to Image" with "Save Alpha Channel" to remove the background.

 

Unfortunately, the cloud services (or Sheet Layer) result leaves a lot of unwanted background pixels around the perimeter of the objects, giving a pour result at 300dpi.

 

The abrasive nosing is made of thousands of realistic cubes for a grit surface when viewed closer - for our close shots.

 

[rDesign]

21 minutes ago, WhoCanDo said:

The abrasive nosing is made of thousands of realistic cubes for a grit surface when viewed closer - for our close shots.

That certainly could be part of why it is slow to render. Instead of thousands of cubes, you could achieve a similar result with a displacement texture.

Edited April 16 by rDesign

[Jeff Prince]

13 hours ago, WhoCanDo said:

The abrasive nosing is made of thousands of realistic cubes for a grit surface when viewed closer - for our close shots.

@rDesign ‘s suggestion of a displacement map is what I would do.  If you have a closeup focusing on that surface and it is important to be graphically accurate, it would be best to delete everything else from the scene and save the closeup as a separate model.  That will sped things up quickly.

 

similarly, you could render just the yellow nosing and save it as a png.  Then, render the rest of the scene without the nosing.  Combine in a photo editor.  Sometimes that is actually faster when you are dealing with complex surfaces.

 

a final suggestion. Render a top view of just the nosing and use that as your texture.  You can also export the same view as a hidden line drawing to use as a displacement map by making the raised squares white and the floor black in a photo editor.  Now you will have an accurate representation of the material and a very fast way to render it.