AutoLISP question, image not saving

[Jim]

I've got the following command in an AutoLISP file:

(nxtrender 100)

(nxtwrite "C:/Dropbox/test.png")

Based on the info at this page. Every time I run the command, the nxt window pops up and renders, but after 100 passes I get the following: Render Error.png

I tried every variation of the file location name I could think of (different slashes, double slashes, changes from capitals to lowercase, etc.) but have had no luck. I assumed that the code would create the .png file in the location specified, but maybe I'm misunderstanding?

I'm using AutoCAD 2013. I'm also using the trial version of nXt Render and have unfortunately passed the 30 day limit, so I'm in limited resolution mode for the time being if that makes any difference. I'll be purchasing once I get everything working the way I need it.

[Garret Diduck]

Have you tried saving as a different file type? I'm not sure what file types you are allowed to save in the trial version.

[Jim]

Tried .jpg but to no avail.

[Roy Hirshkowitz]

Try (nxtsave filename).  I believe only pngs are permitted (not sure about this one.)  Alternative (nxtimage filename) should write a native nxtimage format.  Let me know if it works.

Certainly not entirely your fault BTW-- looks like the examples are incorrect.  I will correct them.

[Jim]

nxtsave worked perfectly, with both .jpg and .png.

Since I am just using an expired trial version right now, I haven't had a chance to do anything with nxtbatch yet. If I have a purchased copy of nxtRender and set it up to use batching processing, will nxtsave send images to be batch rendered or will the functionality be the same, ie images are rendered the moment I use nxtsave?

[Roy Hirshkowitz]

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking.  

There is a batch rendering capability included in the main product under WalkAbout. You can render multiple views of the same drawing using this feature.

If you want to use AutoLisp to do your rendering, don't use the nXtBatch command.  You want to use nXtRender and nXtSave as above.

[Roy Hirshkowitz]

Just checked the code, only .png's work-- it will allow a file extension of .jpg but the file will still be a .png.  Don't do this, it will get you into trouble at some point.

[Jim]

Basically I'm still foolishly trying to shoehorn nXt into some solution for making animations. I want to be able to have a model in AutoCAD, take a shot for rendering and send it to a local renderfarm to process the image so I don't tie up my main machine. I'd then make a small change to the model and repeat the process to produce the frames for the animation. This probably just isn't in the cards.

I'd take the time to learn actual animation software if the modeling program I use interacted with anything other than AutoCAD, but for now it doesn't.

[Roy Hirshkowitz]

Not at the moment-- although I could add some AutoLisp control of our render farm software which might make this possible.  What's your time frame?

[Jim]

Infinite? I'm not under any kind of deadline. It's been something I've wanted to do for awhile.

Some kind of command similar to nxtwrite would be perfect, like "nxtfarm", ie:

(nxtfarm [C:/directory/filename.png] [# of passes] )

That would send a job to the farm as a task that a single computer could tackle, resulting in a .png at the destination given. There are several dozen computers in the office where I work that do nothing for 16 hours a day. Having all of them each render 1 .png image at a time could quickly tear through any animation task I come up with, realistically.

The work I do isn't photo-realistic scenes with massive detail, so I don't think it would be too much data. The largest .dwg file I have ever created was 10mb, and the largest .png I would ever need to render would be 1920x1080.