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Author Topic: Application Has Run Out of Memory and Will Now Close  (Read 11149 times)

Mike Truly

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Application Has Run Out of Memory and Will Now Close
« on: July 09, 2007, 08:45:03 PM »
Carlos,

I have been getting this error (MAX9_32 on X64 with 8GB RAM) with a large scene with lots of trees.  I have created this scene so that the spline that defines where the trees are is actually divided up into separate splines (zones).  So instead of having 1 FP trees object... I have 5.  This allows me to dial down the far zones to show less trees and the near zones to show more.  This works fine.  But I still have LOTS of trees and I get this error and MAX crashes.

This 'Zone' method also allows me to easily turn OFF the far zones to make less trees and then it will render.

What I'm wondering is... is there something more that could be done to the FP trees in the far zones that would reduce the memory used at render time?

For example, currently all zones use the same tree bitmaps.  But the bitmaps aren't really even needed on the far zones... solid rectangle planes (green) would be just fine.  Would this reduce render memory?  The far trees could be self-illuminated and removed from lights... would this reduce render memory?

Thanks!
Sincerely,

Mike Truly
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iToo

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Re: Application Has Run Out of Memory and Will Now Close
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2007, 09:23:19 PM »
Mike,

What I'm wondering is... is there something more that could be done to the FP trees in the far zones that would reduce the memory used at render time?

For example, currently all zones use the same tree bitmaps.  But the bitmaps aren't really even needed on the far zones... solid rectangle planes (green) would be just fine.  Would this reduce render memory?  The far trees could be self-illuminated and removed from lights... would this reduce render memory?

Really, i don't know. Forest works as any other geometric object, so after building the trees, it takes almost (a bit more) the same memory that an Editable Mesh with identical geometry.

We have not control of the memory needed by the lighting or texturing processes, that is part of the Max render engine... so the only way is making some tests with different confurations. You can use 'File->Sumary Info' and 'Scene Statistics' (in the rendering process dialog) to get some statistical values.

Why don't you use Max 9-64 ?  Usually, a 32-bit application is limited to use only 2 Gb. of the memory installed, although you use a 64-bit OS.

Carlos Quintero
iToo Software

Mike Truly

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Re: Application Has Run Out of Memory and Will Now Close
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2007, 10:00:24 PM »
Carlos,

Thanks for the ideas!  I have been discovering more about what pushes it over the edge.  I have a direct light that uses XShadow to make the trees cast shadows (only in a certain area).  This has a large shadow map size.  When I turn this light off, it does not crash.  Also this special shadow only light (actually both a POS and NEG light) was including all the tree zones A,B,C,D,E when only A was needed for shadows... don't know if this would have a memory impact.

Also when I turn off certain of the tree zones, it does not crash... this is probably just because the shadow light has more memory room when these tree zones are not visible.  I will also simplify the material on the far zones and see if that helps.

Currently, I am not using MAX9_64 for my pipeline but may try it for this animation.  I'm sure that would work as that is the main reason for MAX9_64.

Thanks again.
Sincerely,

Mike Truly
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Truly Media
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http://www.trulymedia.com