Mental Ray: worth learning?

[Kzin]

can you please link me a working set of those megaShaders? compatible with si2013 x64 possibly, cause i didnt manage to find them. I wanna give it a try

download the 2010 xsi version and the latest maya version. take the dll from the maya package and put it in the spdl directory of the xsi package. then install the spdl in xsi and it will work.

[Falam]

I was reading on Unified Sampling on Elemental Ray web site, and correct me if I'm wrong, what I understood from it was when using Arch shader lower all the samples within the shader to 1 and let Unified Sampling control the samples, which will speed up the render ?

[Kzin]

I was reading on Unified Sampling on Elemental Ray web site, and correct me if I'm wrong, what I understood from it was when using Arch shader lower all the samples within the shader to 1 and let Unified Sampling control the samples, which will speed up the render ?

you can go this way and it will work in animation with mb very good.
for stills like archviz, perhaps you decide to use mroe local samples, depends on the scene.

[Falam]

I'll try both method, either way I'm going to be looking at 10 hrs to render this as a still image, with FG & GI then cache the map, so I don't have to wait as long

[Nizar]

Ok, have completed to study the Mental Ray book artist guide for softimage (and maya and 3dsm). Also, have completed the Gustavo tutorial for softimage (demistified render tree) and one (very basic course) by digital tutors (mental ray softimage 2012).

Now I have the idea a bit more clear, but to me appear all a bit slow (also, the quantity of node is impressive ). HQV can speed up the process when create materials, but my card is not so power to handle this correctly (a gtx460)

I want apply the process to a character I done this month and render it in mental ray.

[Kzin]

Ok, have completed to study the Mental Ray book artist guide for softimage (and maya and 3dsm). Also, have completed the Gustavo tutorial for softimage (demistified render tree) and one (very basic course) by digital tutors (mental ray softimage 2012).

Now I have the idea a bit more clear, but to me appear all a bit slow (also, the quantity of node is impressive ). HQV can speed up the process when create materials, but my card is not so power to handle this correctly (a gtx460)

I want apply the process to a character I done this month and render it in mental ray.

also read elementalray.com for further informations. there related to more modern workflows. apply this to xsi and it should work way better (for the case i forgot to mention it ;) ).

[ActionArt]

The mental images website has been down or gone for several days. Wonder what that means

[Nizar]

Thanks Kzin, to omany information, when I start I will read it and will call your help here

ActionArt@ mental image seems online

[ActionArt]

ActionArt@ seems mental image seems online

Hmm...maybe it's just me. I haven't been able to view their site for a week now.

[Nizar]

mental image site is online for me, his beautiful green nvidia logo is ok