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Rendering large images on a Mac

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2005 4:23 pm
by bob
I'm having problems rendering images larger than the default size of 2000 x 3000 pixels. Each time I try to enter a different number in the input dialog the input textfield goes blank and in the end the image is rendered at the default size.

Too bad as I would like to use some high-res versions for design work :(

Is this a (known) bug or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks

(using 10.4.2, 1.5 ghz powerbook with 1.5 gb ram)

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Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2005 8:02 pm
by Gernouille
I've got the same problem here!

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:00 am
by mtnviewmark
You should be able to do huge renders. I've done 10,000 x 10,000 on my Mac.

Can you do the following experiment for me? Open the application, choose mtree from the examples menu and render it normally. Then choose "Render with dimensions...". Type 4000 in the first field, tab to the second field, type 4000 in that field, and then very important, tab out of that field. Now click render. Can you report to me the rendered pixel size (in the upper right of the window)?

I have the suspicion that it has to do with "closing" the field by tabbing out of it. Let me know if this works, and if it was subtly different than the way you were trying to get a big render before.

I'll be looking into this more. Thanks for reporting the bug.

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:18 am
by bob
I'm sorry to say that it still does not work. The size is still 2000 x 1700 or so. It is as if the numbers are not used in any way.

I have tried it with both full keyboard access preferences ON for all controls and just the textfields. Either way the results are exactly the same.

If I change the default 2.000 to 2500 and not tab but just click on the render button it also does not work even though the 2500 is still visible when I click.

Anything else I can check for you?

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:05 am
by mtnviewmark
Did you say "2.000" on purpose? Or did you just mistype "2,000"? Perhaps this is an international setting issue!

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:28 pm
by mtnviewmark
Bingo! It is and internationalization issue!

For now, the quick fix for you folks is that if you set your locale to one where the thousands separator is the comma: 1,000 rather than 1.000 then you should be able to enter large values for "Render with Dimensions...". See System Preferences > Internationalization > Formats tab.

There are four possible fixes I could do for this:

a) Just force the thousands separator in this dialog to be the comma, no matter what your locale settings.

b) Use the current locale settings for the thousands separator, but then if you ever switch to a locale with a different separator, your entered values will go wonky and you'll have to reenter them.

c) Just remove thousands separator formatting altogether from these fields.

d) Use the current locale settings, and make the preferences save in a locale neutral format.

Obviously, (d) is the preferred option, but might be a lot of work. So, which of the other three do you like best?

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:00 am
by lagroue
MtnViewMark wrote:Obviously, (d) is the preferred option, but might be a lot of work. So, which of the other three do you like best?
A bug fix !

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:07 am
by bob
Great, it now works! I just rendered a 10000 x 10000 pixel image. As I'm Dutch my International settings were different.

As for the more permanent solutions you suggested:

a) Bad option. This is very odd for international users.

b) Not a real problem as people switch these settings very rarely

c) Good & simple option

I guess c would be the best and easiest option.

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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 5:55 am
by Gernouille
I just don't get it with your explaination (I'm french, sorry...) Why this doesn't work when I enter 4000. I need to enter 4.000 or 4,000 ? Is it that?

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 10:27 am
by mtnviewmark
No, it isn't an issue with entry, but with the automatic formatting. What is happening is that in your locale, two thousand is formatted as "2.000", no matter how you enter it. But later in the program, it is seeing "2.000" and interpreting the dot as a decimal separator not a thousands separator and thinking you want something 2 pixels wide.

The only work around in the current build is to change your international settings while you run Context Free to some other locale where the comma is used as a thousands separator.

There will be a fixed executable in a few days.