CHE

Hi all,

I just wanted to get some insight from people that are using Fryrender in their workflow as their primary render engine. I am a Maxwell user that finally got tired of waiting for Nextlimit to deliver a finished product and am ready to move on. I would like to hear about the learning curve and any issues that Fryrender has currently.

Thanks,
Ernesto

Fran

But they are soooo close. It would be a shame to give up on them now. I'm only partly kidding. What host app are you using? What is it about Maxwell that makes you say it is unfinished? If it is speed, you will likely not be happy with any unbiased renderer. If it is features and stability, then Next Limit could argue the case that Maxwell is a finished product, even though it is missing key features that were promised in the alpha and beta stages. If it is integration with your host app, then that is being improved. For example, the max plug-in is supposed to be greatly improved for the next release.

I'm just finishing a fairly large production with fryrender, and I'm very happy with the results. The learning curve for fryrender is about the same as Maxwell - not a lot of arcane knobs to tweak. The material model is not quite as complex (or irritating) as Maxwell's, which you may find a plus or a minus. As for issues, I can't say because the version I'm using is ahead of the current customer beta. A lot of things have been added, fixed and improved since the current release.

If I were you, I'd keep my eye on the next releases of both Maxwell and fryrender. That will help you decide better than anything else.

__________________
- Fran
If you must reinvent the wheel, remember that it works best if it is, like, roundish.

Maxer

I'm in agreement with Fran here, even though Maxwell isn't what was promised in the beginning it certainly is capable of producing stunning studio work as it is now. There's no doubt that they still have some work to do in order to make it robust and user friendly but it's by no means useless. What kind of issues are you having?

__________________
“There is no spoon”
http://devinjohnston.cgsociety.org/gallery/

Ernest Burden

I consider myself a former Maxwell user, and I have 4 licenses. I used it for a few minutes here and there, always hit walls, not worth the effort.

I've been watching Fry and the company behind it closely for several months. I read their forum, participate even, and am welcomed like a customer. Its a positive learning environment with supportive people and a promising, unfinished product. Its only remarkable in the light of what we went through with NextLimit. So I've written off my investment in Maxwell and plan to buy into Fry when it fits in with the old cash flow. OK, Fran told me to. But I listen to her.

__________________
Ernest Burden III
AcmeDigital
architectural rendering

CHE

Hi again and thanks for the info. Don't get me wrong, I have also produced some fairly nice illustrations with Maxwell. I only have one license so the initial investment has paid itself off more than a few times already. However, I can't said that I am completely happy with Maxwell as it is right now nor am willing to put up with Next Limit's unethical behavior any longer. The software has some very ugly issues and I just can't see them getting fixed any time soon. ("True" glass material, Network rendering, complex material editor, alpha channels and clip maps to mention a few). Also, V1.1 is a cry far from the beta quality that we came to love IMHO.

In any case, I just wanted to gather some information from those who have working experience in production with this new render engine before I hand in the cash.

Fran,
Does Fryrender have the same glass issue than Maxwell? How well does it handle interiors? Have you had any issues with clip maps and alpha channels? How easy is to set up materials? Are you using a plug-in, the stand alone application or both? Is this a windows only application? If so, do you know if Feversoft have any plans to develop an OSX version in the future? If possible, Could you post some of the most successful renderings you have done with Fryrender?

Thanks,
Ernesto

F J

get on Fry's forum dude

ki_cz

Is the fryrender material system similar to the beta stage maxwell material system, or is it closer to the new material system? I really don't understand why there couldn't be a beta material system with coating, specular maps and better functioning glass ...

Ernest Burden

Fran has been knocking them out of the park with Fry lately. She mostly does interiors. But from the exteriors posted at Fry's forum, its obvious that the glass issue is Maxwell's only. Its not that its not solvable, its just not solvable by the geniuses at NextLimit.

However, forget all that. Fry is Windows only. They say they have no immediate plans for a MacOS version, and many people have asked.

I think their licences/CPU (vs. Maxwell) policy is better, too.

__________________
Ernest Burden III
AcmeDigital
architectural rendering

Fran

Hi Ernesto,

I am limited in what I can show of my current production, but here is a "novelty" shot from a larger scene. The Corbu chair is by Zuliban, not the most accurate, but it was perfect for the overall scene, where it was viewed from a distance.

__________________
- Fran
If you must reinvent the wheel, remember that it works best if it is, like, roundish.

AJLynn

Sweet.