I'm having rendering problems with new Studio 3 - help pls

Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Sydney, Australia

Hello everybody - i'm a total newbie on forums. I've used Daz Studio for a couple years - have had no problems upgrading thru successive versions up to 2.3, until V3. Have now loaded Studio V3 (3.0.1.135) 3 times (uninstalling each time) and have same problem each time.

With render settings on 3Delight, I can't render - get error dialog "Unable to render, no rendering engine available". Does 3Delight need to be separately installed with the free version of Studio? If so, where do I source this?

With render setting on Open GL - Use Shader (GLSL) and no lights in scene, only Vicky, I get a render with a shadow across vicky which looks like a silhouette of a body but indistinct/distorted (vicky?).

Render seems to work OK if settings at Open GL - 8 Passes Per Light, and below.

Would appreciate any insights on this rendering issue in V3 Studio. Thanks

Posted:Sat Sep 05, 2009 4:06 am

What video card and OpenGL version do you have (Help>About your video card... in DS)?

What processor do you have - the current public release had problems with AMD processors, the beta from Support>Updates has reduced or resolved those I believe (though your symptoms don't sound the same). What operating system are you using?

Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Sydney, Australia

thanks - thought afterwards to add this obvious detail

from Help>About your video card

Current OpenGL Version: 2.1.1
OpenGL Provider: NVIDIA Corporation
Hardware: GeForce 8600 GT/PCI/SSE2

from System in Control Panel

OS is Windows XP SP3
Processor is Intel Core2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4Ghz and 3GB RAM

Posted:Sun Sep 06, 2009 4:26 am

Well, that eliminates most of the obvious problem sources - you could check for updated video drivers, just to be sure. Are you installing DS3 over DS2 (which you shouldn't) or to a separate folder?

Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Sydney, Australia

Have updated the video driver to latest - no change to problem. Now notice during testing that only one light in scene seems to render. If I added second light, looks fine in preview, but just doesn't appear in render - even if I disable the first light - both are spotlights.

I removed Studio 2.3 with Windows Remove Programs prior to installing V3, but did install to another directory the first time (not sure now but may have retained V2.3 the first time). Have removed V3 and reinstalled V2.3 successfully (render works) twice now. This is 3rd attempt to get V3 working.

I have another issues which may be related - V3 version can't load old scene files - seems to load most of the objects but near end dialog says can't find some of the files.

I'm guessing but has different directory install (1st time) and subsequent Windows Remove Programs, left something weird in the registery?

Posted:Mon Sep 07, 2009 1:49 pm

Not loading scene files would indicate that you don't have the folder to which the geometry was saved selected as a content directory - DS (2 or 3) saves the geometry to the \data folder in the first DAZ Studio content directory listed in Edit>Preferences>Directories, so you need that folder selected in any other version you want to use to load the saved scenes.

Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Sydney, Australia

THank you Richard - I addedthe correct content directory and that fixed the scene loading problem.

Back to the render problem, still have problems rendering. With only 1 spot light in scene, and render setting at 1 pass per light, get very jagged shadows, with 8 passes per light, no light/shadows, with 3Delight, no render - just a dialog saying "Unable to render, no rendering engine availalbe."

Any ideas?

Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 1

I am getting this same error on any renders I have tried to make. My problem started when I upgraded my PC from Vista (64) to Windows 7(64). I removed my old daz, and re-installed it and it wont render now.
I have my content on a secondary HDD (which was last formatted months ago under vista)

any ideas?

Posted:Fri Nov 06, 2009 7:12 am

Try reinstalling (again). There have been a few reports of the 3delight plugin going AWOL - also make sure you are using the current version of DS (3.0.1.142 or 3.0.1.144 - they should be the same).

Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Sydney, Australia

this didn't work for me. I had tried reinstalling 3 times before posting. Ended up reinstalling V2.3 so I could render.

Posted:Fri Nov 06, 2009 2:57 pm

What operating system are you using? Which version of DS?

Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Sydney, Australia

as per previous post - 6 Sep 09

from System in Control Panel

OS is Windows XP SP3
Processor is Intel Core2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4Ghz and 3GB RAM

from Help>About your video card

Current OpenGL Version: 2.1.1
OpenGL Provider: NVIDIA Corporation
Hardware: GeForce 8600 GT/PCI/SSE2

have changed video card since then, now

Current OpenGL Version: 2.1.9016
OpenGL Provider: ATI Technologies Inc.
Hardware: ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series

Daz Studio v 2.3.3.146

Posted:Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:26 pm

Sorry, I hadn't scrolled far enough back. When you reinstalled, did you reinstall to the same folder each time? Did you delete the folder (except the \Content folder if you have your content in the application folder) between installs? I'm wondering is some file damage is causing the 3delight plug to be left behind by the uninstaller and not overwritten with a good version on reinstalling.

Joined: 19 Oct 2009 Posts: 1

I'm having the same problem as Mbar06. Have reloaded three times, no joy. Is there a way to force Daz 3D to allow import of a rendering engine?

Posted:Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:43 am

The render engine is part of the basic install - which is why it's strange that it isn't taking. Have you tried uninstalling and then installing to a new folder?

Joined: 15 Sep 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Sydney, Australia

previously I installed in same folder (the 3 times). I've now dumped that folder and reinstalled in totally fresh folder, copied in the content folder.

Seems all is good now - can render, lights/shadows work etc etc.

thank you for your help, Richard. Now to explore Studio V3 .....