Render kill switch

[Benson Shaw]

Seems like we should be able to reliably stop a render via Escape, or some other command - at any stage in the render process. But that's not my experience. Often only a force quit or hard shut down will stop a render.

-B

[AndiACD]

Yep.

Anyone else remember when Apple+? would stop most things in their tracks, but that's become pretty useless in most cases today.

Seems both OS & App designers have relegated this essential to a waiting room in one of the annexes.

Time to bring it back. That or something equally simple and functional.

[Dave Donley]

What render mode are you using? The Renderworks modes should be doing a pretty good job of this already, since the rendering is handled by a separate thread.

[RickR]

Most modes have a very delayed response at best, the delay seems related to the rendering time. I've had Fast & Final RW modes take hang completely.

Seems as though stopping should be easy and fast. Drop memory, delete temp files and return control (maybe repaint screen). And really only returning control is time critical. If my HD whirs a bit after canceling I probably won't even notice.

[PVA - Admin]

It's been much improved for me in 2013 and 2014, but there are certain segments of the rendering it will hang on in my experience, for instance if I am rendering on the design layer, Esc-Esc (tapped twice quickly) halts it for me unless its in the Geometry phase, in which case it halts after that. For viewports, they seem to stop within seconds regardless of the rendering mode once I hit Cancel.

Are you all only seeing this issue in the design layer or in viewports as well?

The Help no longer lists Cmd+. as the shortcut for stopping a render, just the Esc key. I am not sure when this changed.

[Kevin McAllister]

VW is one of the worst offenders when it comes to losing itself in a task and not responding when you try and break out of it. It is a VW programming issue. You can stop renderings instantly in C4D.

Kevin

[PVA - Admin]

VW is one of the worst offenders when it comes to losing itself in a task and not responding when you try and break out of it. It is a VW programming issue. You can stop renderings instantly in C4D.

Kevin

Not saying it isnt an issue on our end, just trying to get specifics on where they are getting hangs. I have not had to force quit Vectorworks to kill a rendering since 2012, but it may just be something, or a combination of things that I do as a standard practice that lets it work for me work when others are having to restart.

[AndiACD]

Cmd+. used to work with anything, Action, App, OS. i'm wondering if it's Apple phased it out.

[VincentCuclair]

I've actually experienced this quite a lot the last couple of days in OpenGL, especially at the beginning of the render esc esc does nothing.......

[Benson Shaw]

Sorry, just getting back to this. Here is what prompted my post:

Pressed the Update for a SLVP with FQRW background, no foreground. Progress bar displayed the lighting and other prelims during the first minute or so then started the render. Then I wanted to stop it all. I pressed Esc several times to no avail. Then I pressed CmdS for a save, just in case. The File menu icon flashed blue indicating a save.

No other keystrokes. Didn't try the Cmd + (Thanks for the reminder, Andi!) The render went on for an hour or more with fans at full bore and plenty of hot air flowing out. I decided to wait it out rather than shut the software or the OS (10.6.8 Snowleopard). The rendered VP appeared to be complete and correct.

-B

[Dave Donley]

You don't quit RW VPs with ESC anymore since the background rendering was added. Instead press the Cancel Update button on the OIP to stop RW VPs. (Once past "Geometry" and the teapot icon starts moving) HTH!

The OpenGL Geometry phase is not cancelable anymore, because we use the OpenGL shaded geometry for a lot of things in 2014 and you do not want a partial model for snapping, etc.

Edited February 28, 2014 by Dave Donley

[Benson Shaw]

Doh! Thanks, Dave.

But, Esc is a rather universal cancellation command. Seems it should apply for sake of consistency.

old dogs, new tricks . . .

Open GL is usually pretty quick, so cancel is not so much of a problem, for me at least.

-B

[VincentCuclair]

Cancel with esc in SLVPs doesn't work because the idea is you can continue working in the file while the VP is rendering......thus you need the esc key for normal functions....also perhaps you only want to cancel one of the SLVPs pressing Esc would cancel all.

Edited March 1, 2014 by Vincent C

[Benson Shaw]

Good points, Vincent.

-B

[AndiACD]

Esc is a rather universal. Seems it should apply for sake of consistency.

-B

Consistency! One of those things we could use more of on all sides of the OS divide. In Apps too.

Like Cmd+. You just get used to 'em why change?

[Kevin McAllister]

I vote for consistency. I've been switching back and forth between VW and some Adobe apps for a project. I keep trying to zoom using Cmd+ and Cmd- which is the Adobe/Apple standard. You can't customize the zoom keys in VW....

Kevin

[Monadnoc]

I vote for consistency. I've been switching back and forth between VW and some Adobe apps for a project. I keep trying to zoom using Cmd+ and Cmd- which is the Adobe/Apple standard. You can't customize the zoom keys in VW....

Kevin

I'm able to customize the Zoom keys in VW 2011. The first thing I always do on upgrade is edit my workspace to match Photoshop and Illustrator, for the same reason - consistency. But you can't change it to cmd + or -. But I rarely if ever use that in either apps, I alway use the z key to activate the zoom tool in Photoshop and Illustrator (their default) and change VW to match. I prefer the control you get by zooming to the specific area marqueed, vs. just zooming by percent jumps. So it really boils done to work styles/habits, I guess. Unfortunately for you, it doesn't look like VW will allow you to change it to the way you work. It should be more flexible. I think you should be able to customize everything in any way possible, so you can make all apps function the same, and in the way you work. Much more efficient to work that way.

[michaelk]

I keep trying to zoom using Cmd+ and Cmd-

Not to hijack this thread about kill switches?

But, I think you can do this.

Create a new custom plug in command. Edit the script and insert:

SetZoom(GetZoom *2); for the zoom in command and

SetZoom(GetZoom *.5); for the zoom out command.

Assign those commands the keyboard shortcuts Cmd+ and Cmd-

hth

mk

[timmysmith]

Thank you Dave Donley for pointing out the cancel render button in the oip. I was missing that option.

Edited May 16, 2014 by timmysmith

[Andy Broomell]

I'd like to add that under the View menu there is a command called "Cancel All Viewport Updates" which comes in very handy and could be assigned a keyboard shortcut if desired.