Vray memory error - Problem rendering big image- Rendering large images for print

Do you have problems rendering big Vray images? Are you running out of memory with high resolution renderings? Do you get a message: “Error creating bitmap” ,when rendering large image in 3ds max? Do you need help with fixing a memory error? Then try these quick fixes: (These instructions are for 3ds max 2011 and V-ray 1.5, but they can be applied to other 3d programs too.)

Quick fixes:

1. Purge scene memory

• Save the scene. Reset it and open it again and then render
  
• This should be done always before trying to render a big image

2. Disable unnecessary applications and processes

• Anti-virus,automatic updates..

3. Save as Tiff, VRimg or Exr

4. Use Bitmap pager

• F10 Render Setup ->
• Common Tab->
• Bitmap Performance and Memory Options->
• Setup

5. Disable frame buffer

• 3DS MAX - F10 Render Setup->
• Common Tab->
• Untick “Rendered Frame Window”
• VRAY - F10 Render Setup->
• V-ray Tab->
• Frame Buffer->
• Untick “Enable built-in Frame Buffer”

6. Use proxies (V-ray)

• For objects that have lots of polygons.
• Right-click on the object and select “V-ray mesh export”->
• Select “Export each selected object in a separate file”->
• Select “ Automatically create proxies”->Ok

7. Clear out unused cached bitmaps

• F11 MaxScript Listener->
• type: FreeSceneBitmaps()

8. Keep it clean

• Delete unused materials, UVW maps and objects from the scene

9. Use 3d displacement method for large displacement maps (Vray)

• 2d displacement method uses lots of memory with large maps
• Also use same displacement modifier for all objects that have same displacement map

10. Use the "Blowup" or "Crop" rendering method in 3ds max

• Link to instructions: Click here

11. Use dynamic memory (V-ray)

• F10 Render Setup->
• Settings Tab->
• System->
• Default Geometry->
• Dynamic
• Change “Dynamic memory limit” to a value that suits you best. If you have 4GB of RAM and a 32 bit OS you should enter 2000-3000MB. If you have 12GB RAM,64bit OS enter around 8000-10000MB.
  

12. Change Bucket Size (V-ray)

• F10 Render Setup->
• Settings Tab->
• System->
• Render Region Division->
• change to 32. ( This slows down the rendering though)

13. Use Backburner to render

• Do a netrendering on one single computer
• Activate your backburner server, monitor, and manager
• Submit a networkrenderingjob (You can do this on one single computer)
• In the dialog box choose Split scan lines
• This will cut the final image into chunks max can handle
• You can define the size of every individual chunk and even choose is max will stich them automatically.

14. If 3ds max still crashes after applying these tips, then render with smaller resolution and increase the image size in Photoshop. Remember to increase the size in small steps. Maximum of 5-10% increase at once.

Long-term Fixes:

1. Buy 64 bit operating system with lots of memory
2. Resize bitmap textures to actual maximum size they will be rendered in.

• If you render images at resolution 3000 x 2250 then your texture maps never need to be larger than 3000 x 2250. Small objects and objects that are far away from the camera can have much smaller texture maps than 3000 x 2250.
  

3. Use uncompressed texture maps

• Use Tiff, Targa, PSD rather than JPG

4. Increase virtual memory

Other possible reasons for memory errors:

1. Use Pyramidal or None filtering in vraymaterials. Summed area filtering uses much more memory.

Hopefully these tips will help you render large images for print.