Making effective unattended use of CPU downtime

sriesch

Periodically when I'm waiting days for a render, I think about the times when I'm between projects and not doing anything and wonder if I should be doing something between projects.  Has anybody put this time to good use?  Maybe generating/testing/tweaking cloud background scenes for later use, testing something that would be too slow to test when a project has a deadline but could be tested when you're sleeping or at work, or something else?   Just wondering if anybody has found a good regular use in Bryce for unattended downtime.

Hansmar

Let me see, whether I understand your question. Are you waiting, because the computer is rendering along one of your great renders and you do not know what to do until it is finished? Or have you finished an assignment and no other assignment yet? In the first case, you probably cannot do too much with Bryce (well, if your computer has enough cores, you can open another implementation). In the second case, you could do many things. E.g step away from the computer, read a book, run a mile, whatever. But, that is not the kind of answer you were waiting for.

Since I do not have fixed deadlines (unless for contests) or assignments, I do not have this problem. But, I do sometimes work on something more definitive and sometimes don't have anything. If I feel like Brycing in such a case, I start experimenting, as in how I started to look at different tools for trees. Or I do abstract works with not too many ideas in advance, let serendepity do its work. Certainy, testing cloud background scenes or new procedural textures, lighting set-ups, etc. would be a great way to spend Bryce-project downtime, I think. Also, creation of elements you might probably use in the future (props that come in handy in many cases, e.g.).

Or better still: write some tutorials for us less-experienced Brycers, so we can learn from you!

Nevertheless, you ask whether you should be doing something? Well, no, of course not! Relax, put your mind and creativity towards other activities. That might help you start a new project with new ideas and inspiration. 

So, you could do many useful things and several of them are not involving Bryce.

Hope my rambling is of any use to you and good luck with your next project!

 

sriesch

Between assignments.  (not really assignments, but same idea.)  And it's not that I SHOULD be doing something... probably I should be getting some excercise... :-)  It's just that I wonder if it's a missed opportunity for something time-intensive I could be letting the computer do unattended to assist with future projects.

Hansmar

I find that testing out things in between making 'real' renders certainly is a good idea. I do that far too little, I know. Just like in painting: making a few sketches and drafts before actually starting the real work is a very good way to work. But if you have no idea, what you will be working on, it is, I think, very helpful to play with something, bump against a problem with no answer yet and try to solve that problem. Not that I work that way; I just play, move to something else, forget about an unfinished work, total chaos! Best advice I can give still is: experiment (be like David B and Horo and get underneath Bryce's skin).

Horo

No deadlines as such, except my impatience. My main machine has 4 multi-threaded cores and if I set priority to normal, only the 4 real cores are used and I have about 15% of the power left from the multithreaded cores and I can use those to experiment, update my website, read and answer posts, and such like. If I'm about to do an elaborate scene, I transfer the one ready to render on the second machine which has only an i3 with 4 cores. It has about 60% of the speed of the main machine but needs only 50% of the mains power, so - even slower - it is more efficient and has not even a fan. It can run as long as it takes while I'm busy on the main machine. If the render is only a few hours, I start it before I go to the kitchen, doing cooking, eating and reading the newspapers (don't have a TV). In nice weather, I go hiking, perhaps make some photographs or a pano. The worst thing that comes to mind when waiting for a render on the main machine is do the houshold, cleaning and all that boring and time consuming chores.