Can I work on different model while rendering with TW?

derei · 21 Mar 2011, 13:40

Hello, I need a quick answer to this: Can I open and work on a different model while rendering something with twilight?
I render something, but in the meantime I have to do something urgent. I tried to open a secondary instance of SU, but it's sow responsive. I don't want to mess up with my current rendering, so I must be sure if I can start a new project in Sketchup while Twilight Render is working.

Thanks.

TIG · 21 Mar 2011, 13:54

On a PC each instance of Sketchup is separate, so you should be able to have two SKPs open with one of them rendering with TW... however, as the render will be using memory resources it will almost certainly slow down the second SKP's processing, as it would any other application you might have running at the same time as the rendering.
On a MAC you get several SKPs open using just one instance of Sketchup... so I'm not sure how this impacts on one doing a TW render...

derei · 21 Mar 2011, 14:11

@tig said:

as the render will be using memory resources it will almost certainly slow down the second SKP's processing

I already experience this and is so slow that I can not work... so, I'm thinking to work in same instance where the rendering is going on... it's more responsive. But I never did this and I'm afraid to not cancel my render, or stop it. It's a complicated model and it takes much to look acceptable (i render it on progressive)... so if I stop it, I'm fu***d
Can anyone test this and tell me if the rendering continues even the current model is replaced by a new work?

Gaieus · 21 Mar 2011, 14:27

You can always model in the current SU instance while Twilight is rendering however you are risking stability then. You can always pause a render (and then resume) if you really have to do something urgent. Although Twilight is set to run in the background (so if you really need to do something, it will not use all the resources) but it is both CPU and memory intensive so you will always experience some slowdown (and of course, the worse with a slower machine).

So unless it is unbearably slow, I would still recommend using another SU instance and pause the rendering process if you have to do something.

Rich O Brien · 21 Mar 2011, 14:29

Can't you set how many threads Twilight uses so you've resources for both? But if you've already started then it's too late...

derei · 21 Mar 2011, 14:30

@gaieus said:

So unless it is unbearably slow, I would still recommend using another SU instance and pause the rendering process if you have to do something.

Well, if I risk to crash my SU instance, I will rather pause the render. Thank you.

derei · 21 Mar 2011, 14:32

@unknownuser said:

Can't you set how many threads Twilight uses so you've resources for both? But if you've already started then it's too late...

It's tarted and quite advanced... Unfortunately I can't change the threads. The option doesn't become available even if I pause the render. It seems it can be done only before starting.

Gaieus · 21 Mar 2011, 14:33

@unknownuser said:

Can't you set how many threads Twilight uses so you've resources for both? But if you've already started then it's too late...

Yes, that too. Although s he says it's a complicated model with progressive rendering so I guess it will take long so pausing for a little bit and then let it cook at top speed overnight seems to be more economical.

If I had 8 cores, I may have thought about that solution. I have a dual core only however.