Messages

1

[Max] Bug Reporting / Re: Corona 12H1 Scaling issue

« on: 2025-03-17, 15:17:26 »

If the VFB 1.0 is fix though, then it isn't much of issue then. I had no idea I had to restart session for it to work.

2

[Max] Bug Reporting / Re: Corona 12H1 Scaling issue

« on: 2025-03-17, 15:03:38 »

I am idiot, I meant to say 3dsMax 2023. I do mean to update eventually but I am slow moving vehicle as I hate installing all the plugins and scripts and setting everything up.

3

[Max] Bug Reporting / Re: Corona 12H1 Scaling issue

« on: 2025-03-16, 19:34:38 »

Absolutely doesn't work on my laptop with external monitor. Both are 4K, one is set to 200perc, other 150perc. It looks wrong on both, but it follows the one that is set as primary monitor, so laptop's 200perc.

To correct it, the scale would need to accept 0.5, because right now at 1.0 it looks 200perc. zoomed.
Can't set to Corona VFB 1.0, doesn't do anything, shows 2.0 regardless of what I set.

Max 2024, Latest Corona public.

4

General CG Discussion / Re: Chaos Group cannibalizing it's user base

« on: 2025-02-02, 19:31:29 »

If you had the "fortune" to meet ChaosGroup CEO like I did, you would be surprised how much he values crap like that Cylindo. He thought it was revolutionary.. and that was I think 2 years ago.

Agree with your assessment fully.

5

Hardware / Re: Threadripper & Ryzen builds

« on: 2025-01-19, 17:52:14 »

Sure, relevant thread :- ).

But I think you answered your main question, 7950X is heavily discounted on market, and 9950X goes for slight premium right now. Real advantage is not 10-15perc, it's more like 5 in production environment.

- Don't get Torrent & AIO, it's really poor fit. Either get Torrent + Air Cooler (like NH-D16), AIO + any other case that fits 360+ mm radiator. Solid evergreen choice is Arctic Liquid Freezer, it's one of the cheapest but has the thickest radiator of all so very much the best performance as well.
- 4x 48GB (192GB ram) can be challenge to run solidly, I would check some Reddit builds for those get it running stable. 4x32GB is easier to get stable. Slightly higher-end motherboard helps in this regard, but the stability is bit of lottery based on each individual CPU chip (since the memory controller is responsible for this). But I would try 4x 48 if it's in your budget, you can always return it :- ). With 192GB, you might find the EXPO doesn't run stable, or doesn't boot at all, in that case run EXPO and manually lower frequency. It's not performance issue for production work, it can barely be felt in games. People online are hysteric when it comes to memory frequency.

- No motherboard recommendation. I were building Ryzen build right now, I would buy Micro-ATX board and some small case. (I would even build Mini-ITX with 2 DIMM slots only since 96GB can be plenty even for my work majority of times).

6

Hardware / Re: Color space/mode

« on: 2024-12-26, 14:09:57 »

Im just reading a few threads on this topic at the moment trying to ascertain how to get consistent sRGB or AdobeRGB outputs from Corona now that colour management is a thing.
This seems to be the most recent thread discussing it and sorry to hijack it for a slightly different question. But If someone who has a better understanding than I could post some advice on what settings to use within colour management and then what to do within photoshop to ensure consistency between the VFB and the image im seeing in photoshop that would be great.

Juraj, i followed some steps from a post you made a few years ago which were very helpful thank you. But now colour management exists in max is there a better way to ensure consistency? Or does the missing profile assignment in the max save system still dictate that the below is the best way?

This is the comment i mentioned above.

Quote from: Juraj on 2021-03-05, 21:30:18

This is correct workflow for this monitor for 3dsMax/Corona.

1) Monitor OSD Menu: Select sRGB mode. Then adjust brightness to your liking. (Fun fact: Calibration is also done to exact brightness levels, but if you move it +/- 50perc. the difference in accuracy is not drastic).
2) Type Color management into taskbar in Windows, select your monitor, check "Use my settings" and select "sRGB" ICC profile. Set "Use as default".
3) When loading any rendering into Photoshop, you don't need to do anything if your settings are set to "Don't Ask". It will stay unmanaged and you only need to "Assign" sRGB profile at the end of export, for examply when saving to final file. Don't convert to any other profile.

The above workflow doesn't work for high-gamut displaying (DCI-P3, HDR workflow,etc..) or printing (AdobeRGB, LAB,etc.). But since 3dsMax & Corona are not color managed (Autodesk Maya and Vray for example are), this is the best scenario to use right now. Least headaches. Colors are always correct, you're just not using wide-gamut capability, which is ok since most devices are sRGB only, even today.

I didn't update to 3dsMax with OCIO yet. I am also confused by some of the answers Corona Team gave in relationship to Corona synergy with that OCIO config (they never gave exact answer and my feeling is the answers are almost always partially incorrect).
Until then, can't really answer much.

7

[Max] Bug Reporting / Re: Tonemapping Order/Behaviour

« on: 2024-12-17, 13:17:31 »

No, I am pretty sure he just wants saturation to work like saturation does everywhere else :- ) Just compare what saturation levels do in Photoshop, Lightroom, iPhone editor, etc.. etc. Corona Saturation causes nuclear colors the moment the value is at "0.02" (which I presume would be 100perc. more saturation in some other apps..)

There is also Vibrance, which is saturation on scale (i.e it saturates primarily low-saturated tones to avoid over-saturating the ones which are already close to peak).

HDR vs SDR(LDL) is something different than Linear/Non-linear. The first refers to values outside of (0-1) values, the second if value is linear or on (gamma 2.2 for example) curve.
The majority of operators don't actually read the previous data correctly, they either clamp them back to (0-1) or ignore values outside of that range, I can't know how it works internally, but I can clearly see the result. Ondra suggested once labeling them into groups.

But that discussion went nowhere already 5 years ago..

But the Saturation should be easy fix. The current one is completely bonkers.

8

Off-Topic / Re: Clients and AI

« on: 2024-12-11, 00:34:01 »

Actually, they're one of my best clients.

speed things up and cut costs.

Well if that isn't the definition of amazing client than I don't know ;- )

Anyway, AI for this question can be replaced by any tool or technique, it's somewhat a red herring in my opinion.
The crux seems to be client unwilling to listen to authority, which should be you. It's communication and trust issue, everlasting problem in any relationship, business or otherwise.

I personally wouldn't want client telling me what and how to do, he came to me for that expertise. But if he would have more expertise than me, than I would be a poor fit.
Usually just one of those can apply at same time for given topic. It's up to you to decode whether your client is just micromanaging AI-hype obssesed dreamer, or whether you need to pick up the slack and integrate wider AI skillset (if that's what you want to).

But this seems to be an odd relationship. And I don't think AI is the issue.

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Off-Topic / Re: Clients and AI

« on: 2024-12-10, 13:27:37 »

This sounds like quite a shitty client to have ;- ) But I understand if it's your main source of income, you might not be considering dropping him. But that would be the best solution.

10

Hardware / Re: Color space/mode

« on: 2024-11-24, 10:29:15 »

I don't mean just internal rendering-space or respecting input. Is there anything output wise? Any check-box in Framebuffer? Does Corona saves the file with embedded color-profiles?
I didn't see any announcement, so this would be good news to me.

And DCI-P3 (and custom ICC) would be the useful one for design/graphic industry.

Can you link me to where it states what is supported?

11

[Max] Daily Builds / Re: Corona 13 daily builds IR/viewport slowdown

« on: 2024-11-24, 10:24:13 »

Monitoring VRAM is good idea. I use 16+ GB VRAM GPUs but even then I still use only 1024px Viewport setting (remember CoronaBitmap uses the Environment setting, so just set 3x1024px and enjoy looking at blurry shit in viewport :- D !)

12

Hardware / Re: Color space/mode

« on: 2024-11-16, 13:29:51 »

"Native" is just random wide-gamut, so lot's of colors, but not any specific space.

When Corona implements full support for 3dsMax 2025 OCIO, you can set your monitor to anything, though ideally AdobeRGB or DCI-P3 for wide-gamut workflow. It's still best to export in sRGB unless your clients know what color-managed pipeline is, or they're on Apple device.
Right now, your best choice is to either set sRGB mode through monitor OSD menu, or through this free utility in desktop https://github.com/ledoge/novideo_srgb

13

Hardware / Re: Which Monitor is best?

« on: 2024-10-30, 11:59:02 »

I mean, these 4K 32"OLEDs came just this year, it's novelty. 1-2 years and it will be mainstream and we'll see artist or professional oriented models as well. (like Asus ProArt instead of Asus ROG, and LG UltraFine, Dell Ultrasharp, etc..).

I hope that will be the case.

Can I ask for your opinion on what you consider the "best" monitors for our kind of work within a $500 budget? I'm currently using a Dell U2723QE, and I'm wondering if there's anything significantly better at a similar price point.

No, nothing. For 500 USD, the U2723QE is as good as it gets for work. IPS-Black panels (2000:1, so 20perc. better than any IPS panel), decent calibration because it's Dell Ultrasharp range, decent coating (some find it too glossy I think it's nice compromise for image clarity between matte and glossy), nice clean minimalist design.

That's about it. Nothing better on horizon, the only upgrade path for work from this is OLED.

14

Hardware / Re: Which Monitor is best?

« on: 2024-10-30, 11:55:47 »

There is indeed auto-color management with latest Windows 11 update, or it's been there since January if you're on fast-track. I haven't tested it as I don't run these builds with it yet.
It's called..."auto-color management". https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/auto-color-management-in-windows-11-64a4de7f-9c93-43ec-bdf1-3b12ffa0870b

If not that, then there are few more things to consider:
- Do you have wide-gamut Display and are you running wide-gamut mode in OSD? (Native, or DCI-P3/AdobeRGB). Unless you have monitor that greatly exceeds sRGB color gamut, you will not see noticeable color shift. This shift would also be strongest in Red tones.
 ICC profile merely interprets color in OS, it runs on top of what the monitor's OSD is set to. That's why ICC is always paired to specific monitor mode, and if you switch it's not longer applicable. So for wide-gamut environment, you would run Native or specific wide-gamut mode in OSD, and then calibrate after that to ICC which matches the desired color-space. The possible working combination go from higher to lower (so Wide-Gamut to Low-gamut) or equal to equal (HG to HG or LG to LG).
- What do you mean "make sure the ICC profile is set", Working Space ? When you import file, you can convert to profile (which should be default settings if you don't get asked), or assign profile (which is meant to interpret colors when profile is missing). Since I am not on 2025 with OCIO, my 3dsMax (or Corona VFB for that matter) doesn't save with any color-profile attached to file formats.
- Your file (render) should be converted to space you intend to work in and the working space should like-wise be set to generic (non-device specific) color-space (sRGB or P3/AdobeRGB/.. for Wide-gamut. If you load your monitor ICC, you will disable color-management.


- If you want to be sure, set working environment in Photoshop to sRGB (that is default). On importing render, set the mode to "convert". On opening, convert the render to sRGB color-space. Make sure the auto-mode in Window is disabled if by any chance this latest update is on. And only after that, compare 3dsMax Corona VFB and your opened render.

I don't understand right now 100perc. which exact combination you're doing, but in my opinion you most probably negated color-management and are seeing incorrect (but identical) colors in both 3dsMax and PS. That's actually quite easy scenario to achieve. Seeing identical colors doesn't mean you have correct color-managed workflow pipeline.

It doesn't matter though, I can guarantee you 3dsMax until 2025 simply isn't color-managed, it can load Gamma 2.2 and that's about it. With the OLED I have right now, single-toggle of sRGB in NoVideo tool shows almost 20perc. perceptible difference in red saturation, matching the srgb coverage of WOLED panels (125perc. QD-OLED up to 150perc. even)

Yas so I'm definitely a newbie for when it comes to ICCs and managing this stuff (thank you for getting into it with me) but nonetheless - I do think it might work better in the latest W11 build across all apps?

I do have a wide-ish gamut display that covers 90% of the Adobe gamut and roughly 70% of Rec 2020 which naturally makes the everyday "web" colors quite saturated if I don't "clamp" it back to sRGB using the display's OSD. Suffice it to say though, for my line of work at least, I am predominantly concerned about the sRGB output so the display is set to hardware clamp to sRGB.

I'm trying to validate what kind of an effect the ICC profile has and with all of what you've mentioned above I'm not sure how it could be wrong.

- With the ICC profile loaded into Windows via Color Management, the 3ds Max / C4D VFB image looks the same (side by side) to the one in Photoshop where I can set the RGB working space to the ICC profile.
- If I have the ICC profile loaded in Windows and in Photoshop I select the standard sRGB profile (the one that comes with Windows by default) then the two images don't match.
- If I try to validate the colors the ICC profile produces with my xRite i1 Display Pro, then the average dE is 0.4 with the highest being 0.8 . I do this via Calibrite where I load the ICC profile into the app and have it do validation.

I could be missing something here though.

OK, super simple:

- You're not meant to have your ICC profile in Photoshop as working space (or for that matter, embedded in any image). Your display profile is for mapping output, not your working space. Working space should be device-agnostic (can be the highest gamut possible but doesn't matter much since PS automatically makes calculations in CIELAB). This is effectively cancelling any color-management.

15

Hardware / Re: Which Monitor is best?

« on: 2024-10-21, 16:45:02 »

I’m not sure. Sounds like a lot of hassle to me. For 1300 Euros, you’d expect everything to work smoothly out of the box. I might just stick with a cheaper IPS for now.

Yeah, they're sadly gaming and gaming-only monitors. Definitely not plug&play for work as of yet. But doable, since for archviz I don't think the setup is as critical as it is for print&photo/etc..

The only purely for work OLED monitor, based on bankrupted JOLED company (and their specific JOLED ink-printed panel, different from WOLED/QD-OLED), LG 32" OLED 32EP950 is discontinued and was very expensive, even discounted I've never seen it for less than 2500 Euro I think. It was also only 240 Nits and 60HZ and very, very strong matte foil (LG just loves to do this to monitors...).

I mean, these 4K 32"OLEDs came just this year, it's novelty. 1-2 years and it will be mainstream and we'll see artist or professional oriented models as well. (like Asus ProArt instead of Asus ROG, and LG UltraFine, Dell Ultrasharp, etc..).