IMM:Optimizing the Render process for Fulldome

Rendering can be very time-consuming. Even more on a resolution of 2k upwards and much even more without a descent renderfarm and just having a medium home computer.

Sometimes some small configurations can save your life without losing too much quality. You have to think like doing graphics for Computer Games. A lot of production techniques for Games can be used for Fulldome, too. This means more work on constructing things, but you save a lot of rendertime which is worth the afford!

Here is a (incomplete) list with tips and tutorials (Besides this, always RTFM (Read the fucking manual)!

• Deactivate Antialiasing or reduce it to a minimum

The Projection will blur your image anyway. So don't waste your time doing this upfront. But be aware, depend on your scene antialiasing (on a low amount) can be necessary to get small details in a proper quality.

Depend on your Renderer:

• • Put off Antialiasing setting or set it to a small amount (1 per pixel)
  • Reduce Imagefiltering (Filtermethod: Box - Samples 1 per pixel
  • If you have mental ray (until 3D Max 2013) set your Sampling Quality to:

Minimum: 1/4, Maximum: 1. Filter type: Box, w/h: 1,0

If you have 3D Max 2014 and above change the renderer sampling method to classic/ raytraced

• • for 3D Max 2014 and Above and using Unified/Raytraced watch the first tutorial (but I recommend classic settings)

• • Tutorials
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW7I8N0_NbQ

• Effective Lighting

• • Stick with standard lights (omni, spot, directed)
  • Avoid Area Lights and Photometric Lights
  • Use Ambient Occlusion Maps
  • Use advanced lighting like IBL / HDRI (Image based Lighting), Global Illumination, Area Lights, Skylights and Sunlight only for baking texture maps

• • Tutorials
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKaKlOb_ySQ

• Reduce Geometry

• • model clean and efficient, avoid unnecessary geometry
  • use bump / normal mapping for creating details instead of modelling every detail
  • use for complex geometry Normal map baking
  • if you use sculpt modeling techniques you also should use geometry baking

• • Tutorials
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybiHIUWPZnc
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFSXtjFI9ig
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_YIHLcpwMU
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw-Efh38BZg
    • http://docs.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/15/ENU/3ds-Max-Help/index.html?url=files/GUID-76F1E8AE-9E8F-40A7-A948-471D17E09DA9.htm,topicNumber=d30e439301

• Collapse your modifiers (3D Max)
  • before Rendering, collapse your unnecessary modifiers (saves a lot of memory)
  • Exceptions are animated modifiers (skin, morpher, etc.)

• Be careful with displacement-maps
  • don't use displacement maps for creating geometry at rendering
  • displacement maps should be used with modifiers which change your geometry before rendering
  • use displacement maps only, if they are really necessary (e.g. for creating landscapes)

• Effective Use of Materials
  • use complex materials only if really necessary, start low
  • Prove are Arch & Design Mat's or SSS-Maps really necessary
  • try to achieve your look with standard maps for the above mat's
  • if you need advanced materials, try to bake materials to texture

• • Tutorials
    • see for normal map baking tutorials