[Radiance-general] rad -n and -N parameters / switches (was: how to use pfilt to perform anti-aliasing)

[Ji Zhang]

Dear Lars,

Thanks for your prompt reply!

I've tried the "-N npr" option, and here's the error message i got when i
run "rad -N 6 ./test.rif" or "rad -N 4 ./test.rif" or "rad -N 2 ./test.rif":

rpiece: no NFS lock manager on this machine
rad: error rendering view 1

I don't know the meaning of the error message, and I found no information by
searching the email list.


However, It seems I can get rad up and running by using "rad -N 1
./test.rif" or just "rad ./test.rif".

I'm using a PC with Inter Core i7 CPU (8 cores, I guess based on what I see
on the task manager... )

So, can you kindly advice me on:
1. why the "-N 6" cann't be accepted when I want to utilize 6 of the 8 cores
of my CPU to speed up the rendering?
2. dose the npr means "number of processors/CPU" rather than "number of
cores within each CPU"?
3. how to specify rad options to harness multi-core CPU's capability?

Thanks!

Ji



On Thu, Jun 16, 2011 at 5:18 PM, Lars O. Grobe <grobe at gmx.net> wrote:

> Hi!
>
>  [ *-n|-N* *npr* ]
>> 1. Does this mean the"-n"  and"-N npr"  options are mutually exclusive?
>>
>
> Somehow - if you do not do any processing (-n), no processes can be started
> (-N npr)... somehow it is confusing, maybe separating the two in the manpage
> would be clearer. -n also affects all other options in the same way ;-)
>
>  2. Does"-N 3"  mean the task to generate an .hdr image will be split into
>> 3 parallel rendering processes by Radiance behind the scene regardless of
>> the number of CPUs and number of"cores"  within each CPU of the computer?
>>
>
> Radiance does not take your decisions. People on 4core-machines may have
> good reasons to render on two (and keep the remaining two cores busy with
> other tasks). So Radiance listens to you and will start as many render
> processes as you specify by -N 3.
>
> Cheers, Lars.
>
> Note: I changed the subject line to match the topic.
>
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