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Another "batch Bake (mental Ray)" Question

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kropcke 2006-01-09 17:30:45 UTC #1

Hi everyone.

Sorry to have to make yet another post on the above subject, but after a few days of struggling and searching, I'm still unable to figure out my problems.

First off: the problem I'm having. Essentially, the texture that is generated via "Batch Bake (mental ray)" is of a much lesser quality than my Mental Ray render.

Here is my MR render:
400) {this.resized=true; this.width=400; this.alt='Click here to open new window';}" onmouseover="if(this.resized) this.style.cursor='hand';" onclick="if(this.resized) {window.open('http://atec.utdallas.edu/swearingen/screenies/SPLINES/bakeLight_error_1/bakeLight_error_1_preBake.jpg');}" />

Here is my "Batch Bake (mental ray)" generated texture:
400) {this.resized=true; this.width=400; this.alt='Click here to open new window';}" onmouseover="if(this.resized) this.style.cursor='hand';" onclick="if(this.resized) {window.open('http://atec.utdallas.edu/swearingen/screenies/SPLINES/bakeLight_error_1/bakeLight_error_1_postBake.jpg');}" />

My MR uses:

FG
GI
(1) photon-emitting directional light
(1) sky-dome with color and ambient color set to give a bluish color

Again, MR renders look fine for me. Sure, they could use tweaking, but it works fine for now. I'm just wondering why the "Batch Bake (mental ray)" looks so poor.

A lot of what I've read suggests that poor UVs are often the problem...overlapping, not w/in the 0,0-1,1 space, multiple uv sets, etc...

Here is my UV set for my geometry:
400) {this.resized=true; this.width=400; this.alt='Click here to open new window';}" onmouseover="if(this.resized) this.style.cursor='hand';" onclick="if(this.resized) {window.open('http://atec.utdallas.edu/swearingen/screenies/SPLINES/bakeLight_error_1/bakeLight_error_1_uvs.jpg');}" />

And this is what they look like textured:
400) {this.resized=true; this.width=400; this.alt='Click here to open new window';}" onmouseover="if(this.resized) this.style.cursor='hand';" onclick="if(this.resized) {window.open('http://atec.utdallas.edu/swearingen/screenies/SPLINES/bakeLight_error_1/bakeLight_error_1_uvsTextured.jpg');}" />

I've tried setting and resetting (with a wide range of variables) pretty much every option in the "mental ray Baking Options" window that I can think of.

Here's what I'm currently using:
400) {this.resized=true; this.width=400; this.alt='Click here to open new window';}" onmouseover="if(this.resized) this.style.cursor='hand';" onclick="if(this.resized) {window.open('http://atec.utdallas.edu/swearingen/screenies/SPLINES/bakeLight_error_1/bakeLight_error_1_bakingOptions.jpg');}" />

I'm using Maya 6.5
WinXP Professional

This project is to generate a lightmap for use with a 3d game engine.

Any advice, pointers, existing tuts, etc. that could help me to resolve this would be greatly appreciated. I'm posting only because I just can't seem to find the answers out there.

Thank you kindly in advance.

-kropcke

joojaa 2006-01-09 18:08:07 UTC #2

theres no automatic setting i batcbaking for phptotons and fg... So all fg and photonic radiuses must be expressly defined in renderglobals

kropcke 2006-01-09 18:27:50 UTC #3

Thanx for the reply Joojaa.

So, if I understand correctly, my FG and photonic radii need to be set within my "Render Global Settings (mental ray)".

This makes sense.

Inside my "Render Global Settings (mental ray)"...

FG min radius = 0.250
FG max radius = 1.250

However...

GI photon volume radius = 0.000

I will try now increasing my "GI photon volume radius".

It sounds as if my poor "Batch Bake (mental ray)" output is then due to my "Render Global Settings (mental ray)".

Will let you know how this goes.

Thank you so much.

-kropcke

kropcke 2006-01-10 00:25:37 UTC #4

OK, changing my "Render Global Settings (mental ray)"...

FG min radius = 0.250
FG max radius = 1.250

GI photon volume radius = (multiple tries between) 0.250 -> 100

...seems to have given me a higher quality "Batch Bake (mental ray)" render/lightmap.

GI photon volume radius = 0
400) {this.resized=true; this.width=400; this.alt='Click here to open new window';}" onmouseover="if(this.resized) this.style.cursor='hand';" onclick="if(this.resized) {window.open('http://atec.utdallas.edu/swearingen/screenies/SPLINES/bakeLight_error_1/bakeLight_error_1_postBake.jpg');}" />

GI photon volume radius = 100
400) {this.resized=true; this.width=400; this.alt='Click here to open new window';}" onmouseover="if(this.resized) this.style.cursor='hand';" onclick="if(this.resized) {window.open('http://atec.utdallas.edu/swearingen/screenies/SPLINES/bakeLight_error_1/bakeLight_error_1_postBake2.jpg');}" />

It looks then as if the bulk of my problems do in fact stem from my "Render Global Settings (mental ray)" settings and NOT my "Batch Bake (mental ray)" settings.

Will keep playing with these.

Thank you for the heads-up

-kropcke

joojaa 2006-01-10 00:28:56 UTC #5

note that the values will prbablyy need to be smaller whan doing a bake beacsue the wy its read is digfferent form the caleraspace (wich is much further away) ANd hass reference to make it smaller wich teh bake does realy not have.

kropcke 2006-01-10 23:08:33 UTC #6

Thanx for the reply again Joojaa

I think I have most of my problems sorted out. The image quality of the "Batch Baked" image is much better. For the time being, I'm not using GI at all...just basing my lightmap on FG. Seems to be working ok.

However, I'm noticing something pretty weird.

If you compare the black splotch in the center of the image here:

400) {this.resized=true; this.width=400; this.alt='Click here to open new window';}" onmouseover="if(this.resized) this.style.cursor='hand';" onclick="if(this.resized) {window.open('http://atec.utdallas.edu/swearingen/screenies/SPLINES/bakeLight_error_1/bakeLight_error_1_postBake.jpg');}" />

and here:

...you'll notice that they are in 2 different places. I initially thought this was due to my settings. But it turns out that it is based on the position of my camera - the artifacts are perpendicualr to my camera.

And I'm suspicious that the bulk of the artifacts I'm getting is because "Batch Bake" is somehow pre-occupied with the direction of my camera...and not my directional light and FG settings.

Again, these lightmaps will be used for a game engine, so it is imperative that my "Batch Bake" lighting remains relative to my FG and directional light...not to the camera.

Is this even the preferred method to creating lightmaps?

Mental Ray (FG) -> Batch Bake -> Bake to Texture?

Thanx for the heads-up - I really appreciate it!

-kropcke

joojaa 2006-01-11 11:21:29 UTC #7

the camera affects how the fg and photocic points are calculated (not teir nromality). For usefull results your values need to setp the setp size WAY down.

Also unless you chek wich side to use it also affects the sidedness of our objects (NOTE OBJECTS can not be 2 sided for thsi)

So moving the cameara around moves the sampled points a bit. wich apffeact s the end result, espeacialy wnhen you sue so low settings.

kropcke 2006-01-11 14:04:37 UTC #8

OK - I believe I'm getting a handle on this this now. Thank much for your help here Joojaa...I totally appreciate it

-kropcke

kropcke 2006-01-11 22:21:50 UTC #9

Just letting you know that I got it working (mostly for now) via Maya v.7 (as opposed to v.6.5).

Using:

MR lighting solution > BatchBake (mental ray) > BatchBake to texture

Only problem now is that BatchBake doesn't export my texture into my "lightMaps" directory like it was doing in v.6.5

At any rate, the tough part is over

If by any chance you might have an idea as to why the lightmap does not export to my "lightMaps" directory, any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx again.

-kropcke

edit

Found it - lol.

It was hiding in: \default\renderData\mentalray\lightMap

Used to be in: \default\lightMap

Thanx for putting up with my questions while I was getting a grasp on this.

-kropcke

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