fast skin / simple skin ??? I don't get it

[littlewaves]

try as I may I cannot find a single circumstance under which fast skin renders faster than simple skin unless I knock down the quality setting of fast skin to something tiny like 10%

I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I've tried various objects / cameras and other settings but it actually takes a lot longer to render than simple skin and doesn't look anywhere near as good.

Maybe it's a problem with my system (or my brain?)

on intel imac (white plastic one)

Anyone else had similar experience?

PS. my brain is also a white plastic one

[jasonwestmas]

Fast Skin is 75% faster than simple. . .at least. Post Settings please.

[littlewaves]

Just using default settings for both fast and simple skin

I've tried various models (I'm using the head from the zbrush folder on LW9 content DVD here)

rendered these with classic camera with classic enhanced low AA with raytraced shadows and transparency

Just one light (default distant light)

render times with exact same setting but wit each different node were;

Fast Skin: 1 min 46 secs
Simple Skin: 26 secs

Using intel imac 24"
dual core 2 2.16ghz
2mb ram

nvidia 7600gt

[Captain Obvious]

So use Simple Skin?

[jasonwestmas]

try increasing your epidermis and subdermis distance settings especially for the fast skin. ?Turn on your reflection and refraction in the render globals as well. See what that does. It's also a good habit to use a reflection sphere or dome around your models for the specular/reflection to work properly.

[littlewaves]

try increasing your epidermis and subdermis distance settings especially for the fast skin. ?Turn on your reflection and refraction in the render globals as well. See what that does. It's also a good habit to use a reflection sphere or dome around your models for the specular/reflection to work properly.

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried various different distances but they didn't seem to affect either the render time or the rendered image so I'm thinking something basic is not working correctly on my system.

I'm working on UB Mac version so will download and try out the CFM version also.

I'll try the other things you suggested also

many thanks

[jasonwestmas]

could be a mac bug. lightwave osx can be fussy, though I would do my best to get the desired "Finished Look" before drawing any conclusions about which renders faster.

[zapper1998]

try increasing your epidermis and subdermis distance settings especially for the fast skin. ?Turn on your reflection and refraction in the render globals as well. See what that does. It's also a good habit to use a reflection sphere or dome around your models for the specular/reflection to work properly.


With a Reflection Sphere or dome..Have the normals facing IN ??

[jasonwestmas]

With a Reflection Sphere or dome..Have the normals facing IN ??

Yep!

[dwburman]

Try using one of the new cameras.

[dwburman]

So use Simple Skin?


Well, THANK you Captain Obvious! [said emphatically sarcastically]