Error during render and horizontal bar

dean_cefd567820

I have recently updated one of my computers from a PPC Mac (10.5.8, still using it too) to a PC running 64bit I7 4 dual cpus. The Cararra 8.1.1 files that were produced on the Mac (32 bit) do not render without an error message at the end and playback only on AVS player not VLC or QT. And plays back with a random black bar across the screen.

I did notice a message about having QT problems with the 64 bit. And the output selection does not include QT.

Downloaded the 32 bit and everything seems to work fine. Just slower.

Is there a fix to this? Is there a version beyond 8.1.1 that has fixed this?

evilproducer

The Windows codecs may also be 32 bit codecs. It's hard to say for sure from the info. given.

Try rendering to an image sequence and then compiling that with your video software to see if you get rid of the artifacts. QT Pro can also compile image sequences. From there you can convert it to whatever codec you have available through QT's export option.

There are a couple advantages to rendering to an image sequence. There is a memory and time savings from what I've read. Also if there is a crash or power failure (pretty much anything that can interrupt a render), you can pick up from the last image (or frame) that was saved. You can't do that when rendering to a movie file on Windows or Macs. If you render to an image format that supports alpha channels, they will be respected when converting to a movie file (I know QT does for sure), provided the codec supports alphas. The final advantage is that it doesn't matter if it's 32 bit Carrara or 64 bit Carrara.

This video uses clips that were rendered using alphas and movie files and image sequences. The more complex and longer shots were image sequences and composited. The asteroid shots and the ones with the black hole are good examples of this.
http://youtu.be/iS-sNje4k0o

dean_cefd567820

Thanks for the reply. As far as a work around, I have downloaded the 32 bit and it works. But I would like to know what is wrong. Is this an error with 64 bit version? Has it been fixed?

evilproducer

wellspunweb said:

Thanks for the reply. As far as a work around, I have downloaded the 32 bit and it works. But I would like to know what is wrong. Is this an error with 64 bit version? Has it been fixed?

No. It is not an error of the 64 bit version. Image sequences aren't work arounds. You should be able to render to an image sequence in 64 bit Carrara. ;-)

The issue is that you have a 64 bit piece of software that has to try and communicate data and compress to a 32 bit codec. That is where the errors are most likely coming from. There was a guy here who is not posting here anymore because he threw a holy hiss fit about his version of Carrara constantly crashing. Turns out that when he finally got around to actually posting a screen shot of his errors and crash message, it was a QT bridge that was crashing, and since Carrara couldn't send the render data to the bridge, it looked like Carrara had crashed because the render was stalled. If the guy had read the subsequent posts and explanations of some of the issues involved it could have saved a lot of problems for him.

So, in a nutshell, if you wish to take advantage of the 64 bit version Carrara, then render to an image sequence for your animations.

It would also be a good test to see if the black artifact you mention goes away. If it does go away when you render an image sequence, then it is not Carrara, it is the video codec. If it does not go away, then maybe it is Carrara's fault.

dean_cefd567820

Found the answer for the first part. Rather easy actually. At the end of rendering, the error message would come up and the file would not play in any player but AVS; and that would play back with horiz bars randomly appearing.

Solution:
Open the 32 bit file in 64 bit app.
save as another file.
Close out the first and open the second.
Problem gone

evilproducer

Glad you got it working.

Dartanbeck

wellspunweb said:

Found the answer for the first part. Rather easy actually. At the end of rendering, the error message would come up and the file would not play in any player but AVS; and that would play back with horiz bars randomly appearing.

Solution:
Open the 32 bit file in 64 bit app.
save as another file.
Close out the first and open the second.
Problem gone

You mean you would open the resulting render using a 64 bit app?
Sorry... just kinda lost as to what is really going on here.

dean_cefd567820

To be more specific.
The problem is glitchy results from using a 64 bit Carrara to render a 32 bit Carrara file.

Just saying that if you open the 32 bit file in the 64 bit app, then "save as" from the 64 to HD.
Close the 32 bit.
Open the new 64 bit
Problem gone.

There is something in the "wiring" of the apps that saves differently

Dartanbeck

Interesting. You're referring to .car files formed in 32 bit Carrara as opposed to 64 bit. When I first got Carrara, the timing was such where my purchase of Carrara 7 Pro entitled me to the Carrara 8 Pro beta. I was on a brand new 64 bit Windows 7 laptop at the time, and 7 Pro would bring up a popup from Windows that Aero was doing something regarding colors, due to the 32 bit app. I didn't get this in 8 Pro 64 bit. So I ended up just sticking with the 8 Pro beta until 8 Pro was released. So all of my .car files have been made using 64 bit Carrara. Good luck for me, eh?
Hey, thanks for coming back and sharing what you've found. This will help in the future, I'm sure!