*luxrender/luxblend CVS test version for windows*

[Radiance]

Hi guys,

I'm releasing some windows sse1 and sse2 binaries of our current CVS,
and the new version of luxblend (current CVS version), the blender exporter,
with presets and material editor which fully supports it.

This release contains all the stuff we've been working on during the last weeks,
and is fully spectral, supports dispersion, has the new sampler infrastructure with MLT and ERPT options,
much faster convergence, new sunsky light, spectral metal material, and much more...

It would be handy if some users can start playing with it and testing it.

NOTE: these contain only the GUI executable, grab the DLL files from our RC4 release to run it (place them all inside the same directory)

below i've listed some important things that need testing,
and also a list of stuff that's known and still needs to be fixed

PLEASE keep your discussions in this thread, and I also advise new people/beginners not to report
any problems with this release in the other forums.

If you encounter an issue, please post a render or screenshot and if possible your blend or .lxs files,
so we can diagnose the problem.

Good testing !


STUFF THAT NEEDS TO BE TESTED
-----------------------------

- the issues with the lines on triangles/artifacts should be fixed.
i haven't seen them anymore, but there might still be occurences.
this needs to be reported here if you find them

- the diagonal line bug on core2 or higher CPU's should be solved.

- use lots of textures ! adeb's new texture memory mgmt patches were applied by ratow,
and since it's an invassive change there still might be some bugs here.

- try the different presets for quick previews, MLT, ERPT etc in luxblend

- make sure the parameters for the material editor are properly useable. (eg limits aren't off)


KNOWN ISSUES
------------

- the 'realistic' camera option in luxblend is not fully implemented yet, so don't use it
- our modifications are fairly new and have not enjoyed much optimization, so it's a bit slow,
nevertheless very useable
- the new spectral sunsky's sun component is slightly too bright in my opinion.
- you might see some black pixels in the skycolour due to a slight threading issue i'm working on.
- lightsources haven't got any whitepoint correction so your render will have a warmer colour tint.
(this can be corrected by rendering to an .igi file and correcting the whitebalance in violet.)
- you might get an error when you close the application. (just click ok!)


Please grab a copy of the engine for sse or sse2 CPU's, and the exporter.
The exporter will prompt you for the location of your luxrender.exe upon first using it.


greetz,
radiance

[psor]

Thanx a lot! =)))


take care
psor

[dougal2]

hitting render with the default luxblend renderer settings didn't work (black image), after changing the render preset it then worked.

neither of the RC4 test scenes worked (black image).

[binarycortex]

I started playing with the new luxblend cvs test version, and one thing i noticed about the exporter is that it does not import the material settings from blender only the names, is this by design? If it is then what is the point of setting them in blender. And if this is going to stay this way could we please have a button to import the current blender material settings.

Ian

[dougal2]

the trouble (AFAIK) is coming up with a suitable translation scheme - the material/shader settings in blender don't match those of lux.

[Ratow]

I started playing with the new luxblend cvs test version, and one thing i noticed about the exporter is that it does not import the material settings from blender only the names, is this by design? If it is then what is the point of setting them in blender. And if this is going to stay this way could we please have a button to import the current blender material settings.

Yes, material settings changed in this release. Right now there's no need to set them in Blender. You only need to change it in the integrated material editor, in the exporter, but I think zuegs is working on an automatic blender to lux material converter.

-Ratow

[pinko]

Tnx a lot Rad!!!
Luca.

[psor]

Heya devs! I think there is a problem with the refraction/TIR of dielectrics and therefor with the BSDF.
I can imagine that nobody recognized that before because of the lag of references but if you try the
attached WinOSI cubo scene it's obvious. The reference image you can find at this thread.

nb:The RC4 scene I provided in the above thread is rendering fine in RC4 tho.




take care
psor

[Radiance]

hey,

it's impossible to compare these images at this point,
as i've mentioned before, using MLT ontop of BiPT with the *same* material values (as in the same tabulated spectra / or nkdata files) should be compared.

it seems you haven't even got dispersion configured for your material...

radiance

[psor]

As I said, it's rendering fine in RC4, so there is a bug in the CVS build.
I can proof it right now with a picture out of the RC4. ;o)

edit: I checked everything w, w/o dispersion, with different
integrators and samplers. Check it yourself mate. Sorry to say that,
but in this case you're wrong.



take care
psor