Votes
0
Product:
iClone 7
Version:
7.41
Status:
Active
Issue 5385
Put the render "Options" into a separate .mi file to make it more friendly for animation sequences
THE PURPOSE of this request is to make it easier to manage multi-frame (animation) Iray renders.

CURRENTLY the render "Options" which control things like Denoise and Maximum Samples (iterations) are written into each and every .mi file.

I SUGGEST the render Options should be written into ONE FILE which is then REFERENCED via a $include statement by the frame-specific .mi files.

WHY THIS MATTERS:
1) Supposed you export (Save MI File) a 600-frame animation sequence. That could easily take over an hour.
2) Then you realize you made a mistake, and had the wrong iteration limit, or you forgot to turn Denoise on.
3) Now you either need to edit 600 .mi files, or repeat the long export operation.
4) Yuck!

HOW MY SUGGESTION HELPS:
1) By having a single "Options" file, you could easily edit ONE file, and that would affect all 600 renders.
2) Yay!

FILE NAMING CONVENTION:
Following the convention already used for the ".shader_decl.mi" file, I propose a ".options.mi" naming convention.
Example: my_big_animation.options.mi

NOTES:
1) The "Options" section is the same as is currently used. It is simply written once to a different file.
2) This still retains the ability to "override" any settings on a frame-specific basis if necessary, as shown in my example, below.
3) I have tested this, and it works.

EXAMPLE:
1) See the attached picture for an example of my proposed .mi file and the .options.mi file.
2) The example shows the ability to override settings that are in the .options.mi file.

P.S.
This idea is also mentioned briefly in Issue #5383 submitted by user "4u2ges."
https://www.reallusion.com/FeedBackTracker/Issue/Enable-Compositing-for-mi-Export-and-more
OS: Windows 10
Related Issue:   Write the Settings.ini file first, not last, to allow for incomplete exports (Issue 5663)Values in Settings.ini file ignored by standalone Iray renderer (Issue 5638)Add more control options to Background Renderer (Issue 5296)
Attachment:
  • MI Options file 3.jpg
  •  5
  •  1469
SuggestionIray Render
Submitted byjustaviking
1
COMMENTS (5)
justaviking 
Please see this closely-related Issue...  I wrote it as a separate issue for clarity.

Issue 5663:  Write the Settings.ini file first, not last, to allow for incomplete exports

LINK:  https://www.reallusion.com/FeedBackTracker/Issue/Write-the-Settings-ini-file-first-not-last-to-allow-for-incomplete-exports
justaviking 
Additional cross-referencing...

Issue #5296:
https://www.reallusion.com/FeedBackTracker/Issue/Add-more-control-options-Background-Renderer
justaviking 
PARTIALLY addressed in the Jan 18 BETA update.

>>> PLEASE also add the "Denoise Start Iteration" to the new "settings.ini" file.

In the .scene.mi file, the corresponding line is:
attribute boolean "post-denoiser_start_iteration"  123
justaviking 
On a related note:
User "4u2ges" pointed out the ".shader_decl.mi" file is the same for every frame, so you should only write ONE .shader_decl.mi file for an animation sequence.
4u2ges 
+1. Very good suggestion.
1