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Rendering Preferences Not Retained Shark FXv5 Build 741 (#915)
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grahamdesign  
#1 Posted : Tuesday, March 25, 2008 11:35:36 AM(UTC)
grahamdesign

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Within increasing regularity when I render to a file from Shark FX v5 the output does not match the preferences for surfaces, etc. that I had previously established. As an example a surface that I gave certain characteristics to (15% reflectivity, 20% transparency, etc.) does not retain those parameters, which then means I have to go in and reset them manually. Bummer.

As a regular reader and sometime user of this forum I'm getting the distinct impression that many of you export your 3D geometry to another rendering program, i.e. Maxwell or EI. My rendering needs are basic, really just to capture ideas. Should I stop frustrating myself, accept Shark FX for what it is (which IMHO is an excellent 3D visualization tool) and purchase one of the rendering programs?
Brian Graham
Mac OS Ventura 13.6.3
Mac mini Apple M1
16GB
1TB SSD
Shark FXv 14 Build 1641
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jol  
#2 Posted : Tuesday, March 25, 2008 11:46:41 AM(UTC)
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nope .. SFX is awesome for quick & dirty rendering

you need to document your issue as well as you can, with screenshots etc

only then can Tim and the guys verify and target the problem quickly

we shouldn't need to - but we do ! ... if you can demonstrate very concisely what the problem is - including steps for repeating the problem .. it will get fixed very quickly !
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jol  
#3 Posted : Tuesday, March 25, 2008 11:50:05 AM(UTC)
jol

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In this case .. I can't replicate from what you've said

However, if I use a whole number (as you're suggesting) of say 20 .. for transparency .. I get a bad rendering result and the number jumps back from 20 to 1 immediately. The weird result continues, even though the setting is at the default value of 1
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grahamdesign  
#4 Posted : Tuesday, March 25, 2008 12:51:21 PM(UTC)
grahamdesign

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Jol:

Thanks for the speedy replies. It's difficult to repeat the steps because all I do is open the file, create some geometry, and then when I try to render do I notice that the results are not matching what I've inputed.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong. I set up a very simple environment with a light and a surface as a floor, and set the following up:

Light: Distant; Intensity: 1.25
Ambient Light Setting .05
Surface: White
Reflectivity: .10
Transparency: .40
"Is Background Surface" is selected.

Say I've set those and done some work. I quit Shark FX at the end of the day, go home and have a stiff drink. Next morning I open up the same file, create some geometry, go to render and find that the settings have by and large reverted back to their default. It is then that I contemplate having another stiff drink.

Is there some file somewhere that will allow me to set the defaults for ambient light settings or standard reflectivity (the default is .10, I prefer less like .05.
Brian Graham
Mac OS Ventura 13.6.3
Mac mini Apple M1
16GB
1TB SSD
Shark FXv 14 Build 1641
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jol  
#5 Posted : Tuesday, March 25, 2008 1:02:48 PM(UTC)
jol

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I believe the question is - are the settings global, per model file or per part ..

one thing that drives me bananas is that the rotation centre being set globally and not per model file .. I suspect you're suffering from a similar irritation

Ambient light value is now set (and saved) per model .. create a new model file and you're back to the default. Nick may have a way around this and other issues by using a custom initialisation file - that Shark refers to when it starts up
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nick  
#6 Posted : Tuesday, March 25, 2008 2:49:13 PM(UTC)
nick

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It is possible to change default ambient light setting by creating a startup.dat file. Steps to create this are as follows:

- launch shark fx

- set ambient light value to desired

- save file as startup.dat in your shark fx application folder

- quit shark and re-launch

All the best
Nick
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grahamdesign  
#7 Posted : Tuesday, March 25, 2008 3:28:15 PM(UTC)
grahamdesign

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Brilliant! Thanks gents.
Brian Graham
Mac OS Ventura 13.6.3
Mac mini Apple M1
16GB
1TB SSD
Shark FXv 14 Build 1641
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jol  
#8 Posted : Tuesday, March 25, 2008 4:20:13 PM(UTC)
jol

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Presumably that works for all other default settings too, Nick ?
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nick  
#9 Posted : Tuesday, March 25, 2008 5:02:42 PM(UTC)
nick

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Hello Jol

Yep, can also be used to permanently store custom line styles, layers and layer groups.

All the best
Nick
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grahamdesign  
#10 Posted : Sunday, April 6, 2008 12:59:10 AM(UTC)
grahamdesign

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Update:

While the startup. dat file seems to be of some help, I'm still finding that when I save rendering settings in a file, restart my machine, then restart Shark FX v5, open up that same file and render a view the some of the settings are not retained.

1. reflections on solids default back to .10, when I'd changed them to .05
2. saved user views do not retain the depth of field I'd set; it defaults to 100.

Any ideas?
Brian Graham
Mac OS Ventura 13.6.3
Mac mini Apple M1
16GB
1TB SSD
Shark FXv 14 Build 1641
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nick  
#11 Posted : Sunday, April 6, 2008 2:45:40 PM(UTC)
nick

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Hello Brian

When you have adjusted parameters of a material are you then saving this as new material? or just saving the file?

All the best
Nick
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grahamdesign  
#12 Posted : Sunday, April 6, 2008 10:24:55 PM(UTC)
grahamdesign

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Nick:

I have not as of yet saved any new materials. All I've been doing is adjusting the reflectivity, color, etc. for individual items in individual CAD files.
Brian Graham
Mac OS Ventura 13.6.3
Mac mini Apple M1
16GB
1TB SSD
Shark FXv 14 Build 1641
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WWW
nick  
#13 Posted : Monday, April 7, 2008 2:21:03 AM(UTC)
nick

Rank: Senior Member

Joined: 2/2/2007(UTC)
Posts: 245
Hello Brian

I think we have a couple of different issues here that probably need addressing independently.

With regard to the FOV or FL not being saved in custom views this is easily repeatable.

With regard to the material changes I have been unable to repeat, I'd suggest you put together a sample file using standard materials only which highlights the problem.

All the best
Nick
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