LDD2PovRay Speed Rendering Trick

[Nachapon Lego]

Please modify your LDD lxf file to additional two versions before render. ???nt.lxf = no trans part. ???bw.lxf = trans part white color, others black color.

LDD2PovRay speed rendering trick by Nachapon by Nachapon S., on Flickr

All renderings sample with this trick below took around 3 hours only.(use 7 of 8 threads to reduce temp)

alienwar9 26000 pcs LDD by Nachapon S., on Flickr

LDD by ZueriHB (20,000 pcs) by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Eurobricks 3rd LDD RCB by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Edited January 31, 2013 by legolijntje
Fixed title

[Nachapon Lego]

In some case, Black and white selection mask is not necessary. Just use quick color rendering as mask. Then you can poss-process chang your bricks colors separately without re-render.

color selection mask by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Edited February 2, 2013 by bbqqq

[Nachapon Lego]

To combine 3 images:

Arrange the B&W mask at bottom layer. LDD geometry at middle layer. No trans part at top layer.

Use select by color at white color on B&W layer, switch to top layer then hit delete, All done.

[krispy]

Interesting find. I'm gonna try this, see what the differences are (quality vs speed etc).

[vynsane]

So, my results were not as spectacular as yours, but it was still a fair sight faster than my previous renders.

"Niuma" Class Courier Variant (GHL Livery) "speed render" by vynsane, on Flickr

- First-pass render (original LDD geometry): 1hr, 29min, 2sec

- Second-pass render (original LDD geometry, quick color, no plane): 0hr, 0min, 58sec

- Third-pass render (all bevels, no transparent parts): 3hr, 31min, 26sec

- Total render time: 5hr, 1min, 24sec

- Total render + post-process compositing: ~5hr, 5min

Rendering environment: Windows 7 x64 VMWare Fusion virtual machine, 2 cores available, 1024MB RAM available

Host environment: MacBookPro8,3 Intel Core i7, 4 cores @ 2.2GHz, 4GB RAM

Specific factors

- Three lights @ 40% each

- Top shadow only @ 35%

- No Anti-Aliasing

- Output set to 2x desired resolution (3840x2400 -> 1920x1200)

[Nachapon Lego]

Thanks for share your result. Maybe radiosity and light slow you down. It took 00:24:40 for normal radiosity / 2 light (one no shadow).

MSC_Light_Cargo_Shuttle_GHL_Variant 2440 by Nachapon S., on Flickr

[vynsane]

Interesting, I hadn't thought to change the radiosity. I'm not really that well versed in POV-Ray. I duplicated the "LDD Geometry only" render, but this time with "Radiosity" set to "Normal" and it only took 17min, 44sec. Not going to beat your 24:40 total time, but still a LOT better than ~1.5hrs!

[Nachapon Lego]

Interesting, I hadn't thought to change the radiosity. I'm not really that well versed in POV-Ray. I duplicated the "LDD Geometry only" render, but this time with "Radiosity" set to "Normal" and it only took 17min, 44sec. Not going to beat your 24:40 total time, but still a LOT better than ~1.5hrs!

The normal radiosity is much faster than custom radiosity.

The renderings time are 00:18:38 + 00:05:08 + 00:00:54 = 00:24:40

Edited February 2, 2013 by bbqqq

[Phoxtane]

If you don't mind them, turning on the instruction outlines speeds things up dramatically as well. You also get this sort of cel-shaded look, similar to the Borderlands art style.

[vynsane]

The normal radiosity is much faster than custom radiosity.

The renderings time are 00:18:38 + 00:05:08 + 00:00:54 = 00:24:40

Yeah, it sure is! The all-bevels render was 1hr 12min for me, which is more than half the length of the last time!

[Alcom1]

If you don't mind them, turning on the instruction outlines speeds things up dramatically as well. You also get this sort of cel-shaded look, similar to the Borderlands art style.

Turret out!

[Nachapon Lego]

If you don't mind them, turning on the instruction outlines speeds things up dramatically as well. You also get this sort of cel-shaded look, similar to the Borderlands art style.

Good for make coloring book and comic!

Yeah, it sure is! The all-bevels render was 1hr 12min for me, which is more than half the length of the last time!

I'm glad that the trick can save your time.

Turret out!

Cool !

Focal blur HQ takes very long time to render.

In some case this similar trick can speed up focal blur, too.

Modify LXF to another version with sharp objects only.

Only the sharp tower was beveled and custom radeisity, but no focal blur. Total time 45 min.

(all object focal blur LQ 2048x1536 33min / sharp tower HQ 3072 x 2340 12min )

Without trick, the sharp tower look bad because of normal radiosity & no bevels.

Taj Mahal - by ADHO15 by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Edited February 2, 2013 by bbqqq

[Calabar]

@bbqqq

What do you think to use the first post of this topic to create a step by step guide for this "fast rendering", explaining in brief advantages and disadvantages? (using small descriptive images and lists).

I could index the topic than!

[Nachapon Lego]

@bbqqq

What do you think to use the first post of this topic to create a step by step guide for this "fast rendering", explaining in brief advantages and disadvantages? (using small descriptive images and lists).

I could index the topic than!

Thanks, Calabar. I will edit the first post soon.

[vynsane]

I posted something like that on the LDD to POV-Ray group on Flickr. Feel free to use that as the basis for your guide.

[Calabar]

Thanks, Calabar. I will edit the first post soon.

Great, thanks!

It would be useful to add a final comparison between the images resulting from the standard and the "fast" method with the same lxf, analyzing them and reporting the time necessary for both renderings.

As I thought to full size images, you should provide that using text links or thumbnails.

[XimenaPaulina]

I tried to use use this 3-part technique and here are my results:

+ +

All images are clickable to hi-res versions (2068 x 1536).

Thanks bbqqq for sharing this technique! It has drastically reduced my rendering times while still producing satisfying results! Thanks once again!

[Nachapon Lego]

I tried to use use this 3-part technique and here are my results:

All images are clickable to hi-res versions (2068 x 1536).

Thanks bbqqq for sharing this technique! It has drastically reduced my rendering times while still producing satisfying results! Thanks once again!

Thanks for share your nice rendering pictures and trick result. I am happy to heard that the trick save your time nad help you make a success rendering.

When i tried render some big file without the trick. The rendering even can't start because the POV-Ray consume out 8 GB RAM before complete the parsing.

I noticed that your black and withe still have some lighting. It will be rendered faster and make better selection mask. If you..

In tab Model => lowest quality, riginal LDD geometry.

In tab Scene => Background check Set color to a color that your bricks didn't use, Uncheck transparent & add base plane.

In tabs Lights / Radiosity / Matterials => disable them all.

In tab Rendering => lowest Quality, quick color.

Edited February 4, 2013 by bbqqq

[XimenaPaulina]

I noticed that your black and withe still have some lighting. It will be rendered faster and make better selection mask. If you..

snip

Thanks for the tip! I'll set the B&W file to the lowest settings and share the results here again.

[Calabar]

@KielDaMan

I notices some boundaries have too many black, for example the dolphin's tails.

Is it inevitable or is it an artifact due to use this technique?

[Ambo100]

If I don't have any transparent parts, do I just skip that specific step?

[vynsane]

If I don't have any transparent parts, do I just skip that specific step?

Yes, the reason transparent parts are rendered at a different setting is because they result in very complex beveling. Really, then, the only thing you need to take away from this method is setting "radiosity" to "normal" instead of using "custom". The transparent and quick color steps are unnecessary if you have no transparent parts.

[Flipz]

What about minifigs? Does rendering minifigs separately in lower detail improve render times as well?

Also, I'm a little confused on how exactly I would go about this step-by-step, could someone explain to me exactly what setting or settings I need to change from render to render?

[Nachapon Lego]

@KielDaMan

I notices some boundaries have too many black, for example the dolphin's tails.

Is it inevitable or is it an artifact due to use this technique?

Maybe the artifact is easy to be seen with normal radiosity / low resolution / no AA.

If I don't have any transparent parts, do I just skip that specific step?

Yes, the reason transparent parts are rendered at a different setting is because they result in very complex beveling. Really, then, the only thing you need to take away from this method is setting "radiosity" to "normal" instead of using "custom". The transparent and quick color steps are unnecessary if you have no transparent parts.

What about minifigs? Does rendering minifigs separately in lower detail improve render times as well?

Also, I'm a little confused on how exactly I would go about this step-by-step, could someone explain to me exactly what setting or settings I need to change from render to render?

In some scene, you can fast render focal blur as well. I will make step-by-step guide soon.

focal blur fast render trick by Nachapon S., on Flickr

b-wing focal blur speed render by Nachapon S., on Flickr

Edited February 5, 2013 by bbqqq

[XimenaPaulina]

@KielDaMan

I notices some boundaries have too many black, for example the dolphin's tails.

Is it inevitable or is it an artifact due to use this technique?

I don't know the specific reason for those black boundaries, but I tried to repeat this technique with another render (below, minus the dolphins) and I don't see such excessive black in the boundaries. Maybe it's due to the dolphin part?! Note that I retained the same render settings (though I followed bbqqq's tip on the B&W render).

++

LEGO Boats Render by Kiel.Da.Man (LXF Sources: 4642 - Tontus; 7207 - BrickWild; 7739 - AndyC) All images are clickable to hi-res versions (2732 x 1447).

Render 1: original LDD Geometry only = 02:30:59

Render 2: No trans parts (original LDD Geometry + visible bevels) = 07:44:36

Render 3: Black & white (original LDD Geometry, lowest quality settings, quick color) = 00:00:08

TOTAL RENDER TIME = 10:15:43

All 2732x1536 pixels, Normal Radiosity, No AA, 3 lights (except for B&W).