DeleD Community Edition

AWM Mars · Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 2:14 pm Post subject: Crash when rendering lightmaps

Hi,
My version (Windows exe version) doesn't crash after a period of time, it does however crash everytime it has spend sometime rendering, at the end of each session. It doesnt matter how long the render time, 5 minutes to several hours, same result.
What is strange, it creates the lightmaps (mb's of them) in a folder, but they will not load. Nor are they included in the materials file, when exported.
This happened ocasionally using Lite, but it happenes everytime for me using CE.

I have been trying to render a scene now for days, or at least get it rendered and show the created lightmaps. Problem is, I can't do it in Lite as it is an outdoors scene and I need the directional lighting.

[Moderator]Split from generic discussion about initial CE build crashing on start-up[/Moderator]

Paul-Jan · Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:13 pm Post subject:

The lightmap algorithm will generate the lightmaps, but will not actually save the scene. You have to that by yourself. If you don't save the scene after the lightmapping finishes (for instance, because the application crashed), you won't see the lightmaps upon reloading the scene, as the lightmapped materials are not saved into the file.

- Does it render if you use really low-resolution lightmaps?
- When it "crashes", do you get an error message?
- Can you post your scene somewhere (zipped dxs)? We could then attach it as a file to an official Tracker bug report.

AWM Mars · Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 12:43 am Post subject:

AWM Mars · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:52 pm Post subject:

[Update]
After suffering a crash, which indicated memory leaking,

I did the following:-
Reinstalled my Graphic Card drivers, with latest drivers.
Reinstalled my Mouse Drivers, with latest drivers.
Ran a registry check and compaction.
Uninstalled and reinstalled DeleD CE.

The driver updates were only 2 months old.

Set all graphic light mapping settings to very low.
Carried out a render, which worked. I am now moving the setting up, until either A) It crashes again. B) It works at all levels.

Paul-Jan · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:17 pm Post subject:

From your screenshots I notice you are running 2.4 CE. Are you running the hotfixed version by TPascal? Otherwise, read this and make really really sure you update to 2.41 a.s.a.p.

AWM Mars · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 12:04 am Post subject:

Yes, when the crahes were happening, before going through this process, I did not have the hotfix. I do now, I installed it, when I did the reinstallations.

Paul-Jan · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 6:54 pm Post subject:

Excellent, keep us posted!

AWM Mars · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 7:58 pm Post subject:

I dropped the update file (2.41 CE) into the DeleD CE folder, it replaced the existing application file, but, I do not see any difference in the about menu, or at the top bar of the sceen.. how will I know?

Paul-Jan · Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:25 pm Post subject:

The splash screen, title bar, about screen and file properties (explorer) should all show "2.41". If they still show 2.4, you didn't replace your executable.

The surest way is to inzip the file into some scratch folder, then check the file properties of the executable. If they are 2.41, copy them over deled.exe in your application folder.

If you are unsure about any part of the procedure, download the full installer. It will not overwrite or delete any of your files upon installation.

AWM Mars · Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 10:50 pm Post subject:

Excellent, thanks for that, I did download the 'fix' from the forums previously, and the instructions said simply drop the application file into the DeleD CE folder and let it over write the existing, which I did, and checked that the file size and creation date had changed. Clearly it was linked to the incorrect file maybe.
Anyway, all is well and updated.

Update on the crashing while lightmapping:
Good news is that it no longer crashes, unless I use say 512x512 light maps and min 16x16 and max 256x256 texture map settings, it seems related to memory leaking. Is there a way to get the programme to use both cores in my system? The CPU is constantly at 50%, but no higher.
I am considering upgrading the Ram from 2gbs, but under XP 32 bit, won't see much advantage above 3.5gbs. If I install Vista 64 and upgrade to 8gb's, most of my other programmes won't run. I'm assuming DeleD can't use 64 bit architecture natively?

AWM Mars · Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:26 pm Post subject:

Bump

AWM Mars · Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:27 pm Post subject:

chronozphere · Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:28 pm Post subject:

no, DeleD is a single-threaded program written for win32. AFAIK, only the raytracer uses multithreading. Smile

AWM Mars · Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 8:48 pm Post subject:

Multithreading but on a single core. Pity, I have rendering engines on my system like Renderman (Aqsis), that can use cores etc over a network, which could take advantage of my 2 other systems.
Only problem I have with other rendering systems, is the import/export functions are way too limited, and most loose things like lightmaps in the process.

Paul-Jan · Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 11:06 am Post subject:

Yeah, there is no doubt DeleD would benefit from multi-core lightmap rendering. I'll put it on the official feature requests list on SourceForge.