Daz3D, iMac 2008 Core 2 Duo performance (older computers)
Not sure if this has been addressed yet, but I could not find anything in my Google searches. I have been playing with Daz3D for about a week now, been really fun however I some problems with system performance.
1) After loading up some landscapes/structures (like the current free resort lagoon), I notice a real slow down in application responsiveness (such as moving around with the perspective cube or zooming and and out).
2) I can only do so movements or changes with the models in the program before my memory fills up, at which point my computer locks up and I have to do a hard reboot (push and hold the power button for 5 seconds).
Current system:
Model Identifier: iMac8,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz
RAM: 4GB
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro
I know I should probably get a newer computer with a current processor, but I would like to make do with my current computer for now.
Given my computer's age, should I consider using Victoria 4 and Michael 4 models and accessories rather than Genesis and Genesis 2?
If I should stick with Genesis models, is there a way to turn down the resolution or turn off the textures until the models are posed and placed the way I want them to be.
What are some other general things I can do to keep Daz3D running snappy and not crash so often?
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Comments
Go to Edit > Preferences > Interface and slide the "Texture Resources" all the way to the left (Performance"). Try the different "Displa Optimization" settings -- you'll probably want None. When working with clothing that has smoothing, go to the Parameters tab and set Interactive to Off, and only turn it on when you've got your figures posed.
Alright! I'll try it now! I am currently updating things through the installer.
Speaking of the Daz Installer, should I have the CMS turned off (using the awesome script that Daz includes)?
You don't mention RAM, but if you haven't yet I'd upgrade your iMac to the maximum 6 GB. As well as the suggestions above, you can also set the preview mode to "Smooth shaded" to make setting up the scenes a little quicker.
For the record. I was running a MacBook Pro similar to your setup up until a year ago (but with 8 GB RAM) and I rarely had crashes, but I upgraded last summer to a newer iMac refurb. (i7, 27-inch with 32GB RAM) and my render times are now one or two minutes instead of 10-15 minutes.
Good luck!
-- Walt Sterdan
Noooo, levee it running, As I just found out, lol. Or this happens on the left of the window. Where did my stuff, go?
If you can get by without that easy quick select stuff, shure go for it, tho I don't know what else CMS dose for Daz3D.
can you post a screen-cap of that settings window so we can compare options to get Daz3D working on less-capable computers.
knowing full well your on a Mac, an I'm on a XP 'calculator' with only 3GB of Ram.
Then again, this is worrisome.
I went to see what that skin options was about, and when I clicked one, the ram consumption just shot up out of control.
That 6GB of ram as suggested, I have doubts that may be enough depending on how much detail you want on your 'Actors' and scene elements.
How much Ram dose that "V6 Belle All" need? can we start there for a base-line of minimum Ram needed for Daz3D?
6 GB was "suggested" because that's the maximum RAM the computer in question can handle. More RAM is always better (and will allow larger, more complex scenes without crashing), but 6GB is the maximum that can be installed in this instance.
As mentioned, I ran with 8GB for five years on basically the same system cited, and was able to do a fair amount of complex scenes, albeit slowly.
I doubt you can ever come up with a "base-line of minimum RAM needed for DAz3D" that really means anything because once you set it for a given scene (eg." V6 Belle All") you add or change clothing or add background props or additional characters and the requirements jump up. Adding an M6 character, for example, doubles your "minimum RAM" needed.
My rule of thumb: "the minimum RAM needed for Daz3D is as much as your computer can handle, unless that's not enough, then it's the maximum RAM your next computer can handle". ;-)
Depending on the quality you're after, you can use PhotoShop (or something similar) to reduce the resolution of your textures (maintaining both low-res and high-res versions), using lower-resolution characters (M4 and V4 were suggested, but I believe Genesis actually has a lower polygon count than either; V3 and M3 are still viable options, as are H3, A3 and Stephanie 3), and so on. Rendering scenes with multiple characters in them by removing some parts of the scene, rendering, then rending the scene using the other characters and merging the two renders, and so on.
-- Walt Sterdan
Agreed 6GB is the max for that iMac. I was implying it may not be enough, for reasons you put so well into words there.
A Mainframe is a computer that is always one step behind what you really need to get the job done. lol.
First off, thank you all for replying. There wasn't any sort of guide in the documentation center or stickied post for how to run Daz on older computer.
Hehe, that happened to me after the first crash anyways. I had to delete the Database and then reimport the metadata. The Content Library is pretty neat, but the way Daz organizes some of the stuff is...rather odd.
knowing full well your on a Mac, an I'm on a XP 'calculator' with only 3GB of Ram.
Sure! Is the attached image what you wanted to see?
I went to see what that skin options was about, and when I clicked one, the ram consumption just shot up out of control.
That 6GB of ram as suggested, I have doubts that may be enough depending on how much detail you want on your 'Actors' and scene elements.
How much Ram dose that "V6 Belle All" need? can we start there for a base-line of minimum Ram needed for Daz3D?
I think I am a little confused by this post...what do you mean? Are you referring to the suggestions given by fixmypcmike?
If not, what did you turn off, and by turning that feature off did your RAM usage go up? Or are you saying there was a feature already turned off by default and when you turned it on, the RAM usage spiked?
I asked if would be recommended to switch to V4/M4, however if Genesis 1 is actually a better model both in looks and resources, I will stick with them (especially since it sounds like all the content for V4/M4 works with them).
I would rather not spend $150 - $300 on models, when that money could be used for a newer computer to take advantage of the newer content!
That said, there is a huge amount of content out there for V4/M4!
I think you should be able to bump it up to 6 GB; it'll help a bit with crashes, but a newer computer with still more RAM is a good long-term plan. If you're sticking with Macs, Apple's refurbs can usually save you a few hundred, and I usually upgrade the RAM from third-party sources. Unfortunately, with the new iMacs, upgrading the RAM can only be done on the 27-inch machines.
You can check out RAM upgrades here (for one example):
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/iMac/Intel_Core_2_Duo_PC2-6400
-- Walt Sterdan
So I was playing with the underused Aiko3 which I got for free as a platinum member and it ran a lot smoother on my system. I know that is a very basic realization and discovery, but hey I'm on the basic level right now. Very cool and it still renders really nicely with 3Delight.
I might be playing with some of the older models a bit more on this machine until I upgrade.
Thank you for your help Walt!
That is surprising. The older figures have a much larger Mesh count (file size) than the Genesis 1 or G2 figures. I would expect more problems on a limited System not less.
It's not so much the mesh size as the textures -- textures for those figures were much lower res.
Either way, I went and bought the Michael 6 Pro pack because it is SO cheap and I have problems keeping money! Should be alright, I am not trying to recreate the battle of Gondor from LoTR here. I will probably pick up the V4/M4 kits when they go on sales next, now I need some more props and scenes.
(side note: disappointed by the absence of an expressions pack and some more textures for the clothes)
I'm pretty hooked, I have made some cool stuff with some cheap items, so I am going to build up my stash of models, props, sets both new and old.
That's how it starts, welcome to the club. ;)
-- Walt Sterdan
Same here, got some G2 figures, then realized there are no decent cloths for them by default, and back I went... Still no simple t-shirts for G2 tho, lol.
Sorry for the confusion about that ram run-away.
I loaded a G2 figure in an empty scene, Added shirt and pants. Then I clicked on the skin texture "To Load It", and all hell broke lose.
I think it was supposed to make the default G2 skin color darker or lighter, not crash Daz3D. Needles to say I have not tried that again, lol.
Daz3D Interface settings?
I wanted to see if there was a setting that I didn't turn off, that may improve things. Or something I should turn back on.
I'm tempted to turn "Per Pixel Shading" back on here, as it makes the stuff in the "vieweport" more difficult to work out lighting angles and brightness with it off.
I turned off the Anti-aliasing here, and it stopped that "Viewport" scene preview window thing from going blue on me whenever I moved anything in the scene (While it was moving).
I don't know what "Backface Lighting" dose, or how much Ram it takes up?
If the "Pixel Buffer" is turned off, will sliding that "1k x 1k" down not change anything as I guess, or is that Independent in some way? Or is that a "Don't touch" item?
As for the "Bridges" sections, I haven't looked for where those "Show Basic Options" are yet to adjust them in more detail. I vaguely remember the options being show or not show them on the interface tab, implying there must be options elsewhere.
Forgive me, I don't remember whom suggested not using textures excessively larger then objects will be in the final render. Invaluable advice, I don't need 4000x4000 pixel stone textures for cubes only a hundred pixels across in the final render, lol. "Sean Riesch" mentioned that advice.