Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Optimizing Performance
So you've learned the basics. You've even learned some advanced techniques.
However, before you can be a master of all things 3D, you need to know how to get
the ideas that you've thought of rendered before your great grandchildren are born!
What affects render times?
The answer is simple: everything! From the specifications of your computer to your
texture sizes to how fragmented your disk drives are, and so on, the list of what
affects render times is long,
very
long. An entire topic could be written on just this
question; however, we'll keep it simple and the most relevant for Element.
If you keep what this chapter covers in mind, you'll be able to prioritize the facets of
your animation so you can effectively optimize your time. Getting a perfect render
time is futile; it's about balancing. After all, what's the biggest cause of render time?
Hitting the render button!
Your system needs to run… fast!
I know we already covered specifications, but let's take a moment to reiterate the
importance of a good machine and use some tricks to help renders. First, shut down
every program you have running (except the rendering program; in this case, AEX).
You don't want to be browsing the web or watching the Masters tournament when
rendering (I actually know an editor who did this and didn't understand why things
took so long and kept crashing).
Keep your memory clear. Make sure you don't have a ton of memory-resident
programs (Logmein, iTunes, and so on). Memory is the key to rendering. Have a
lot, have it fast, and have it available!
