Why is it with these render settings the image turns soft?  The 1st pic shows how the image was coming along.  The 2nd pic shows how the  render was softened after the image was rendered.  As if vue is appying some post process at the end of the render.  The 3rd pic shows the render settings.   I tried turning everything off to see if I could find the root of the softening, but could not.

What is making the vue renders look soft?

You maybe try to play a little with the anti-aliasing options that you get when you click onto "edit" there.

Quite some people saw that softer rendering of Vue 6 and were able to make it more as they want it with this.

To me, it looks like you have lens glare post effect enabled. Douible click the camera icon in the world browser and see if  lens glare is checked in the pop up "advanced camera options" window.

Could be necessary to see your lighting setup in order to add a worthwhile comment. Might be a classic case of "grain", might not.

 I usually use "Optimize last render pass", but have not really tested the difference when you don't. Any done testing on that?

Jim, I never use "optimize last render pass", it speeds up the render alright, but the quality is a lot lower, when using advanced features.

Thanks Bruno - good to know!

Wabe, how could it be a anti alaising setting when it is turned off? Also, I have played and can do nothing to stop this softening effect. I've selected and deselected practically every option there is. Bruno I'll check that but if my memory serves me everything is turned off everywhere from the render settings to the post effects. What happens is right after the render completes the crisp image pops and then goes soft. I can post the scene if that helps.

Have you got ant-aliased checked in each material settings window? Looks like it could be individual material anti-aliasing to me.

Cheers

Wabe is saying that maybe Anti-aliasing should be turned on and boosted from the default values to higher ones. Especially OAA is often needed when there is a lot of ambient light (i.e in GI or GR renders).

Excellent suggestion from Cheers & Bruno.

There is no reason unchecking or checking all render checkboxes should fix all problems. Might not be a render setting (as Cheers points out). And changing render settings values is probably what's needed, rather than de-selecting them.

My guess is that, unless you understand what each render setting does, you should use the presets and a small sample area of the scene to try to fix it (once you're sure it's a render problem - not a post-processing, material or lighting issue). 

The more i use Vue and the more i see problems in the forums, the more i'm convinced that users really need to understand the render settings and use the custom ones - and that's the only way to get the fasted renders.

There's one thing I don't understand from what I've read on the Vue forums. Why is speed of renders so important? OK, I understand that if you're producing something for commercial use & have tight deadlines then I understand this. But I'm quite willing to have a render take an extra 4 or 5 hours if it means the end result is so much better. Ideally we would all love fast renders with expectional quality, but in most cases I don't think this is going to happen.
Custom settings are definitely the way to go.

JC, what I mean is I want a crisp grainy image. Yet when vue renders it softens the image at the end. I should be able to get a crisp grainy image with the render setting at the lowest. What is responsible for this effect? That is the question. How could it be lighting problem? All post effects are turned off. The materials can not cause a sudden softening at the end of a render. I've tried rendering it on all settings from preview to ultra to user and this effect can not be stopped. I've tried everything and all combinations. If I have to deselect the anti alaising box for each material to stop this effect something is seriously wrong. That would be like turning off shadows for each material instead of deselecting it in the render settings. The only thing left to do is try vue 5 and see if this problem is there too. The only reason this was noticed is I sat there and watch the entire render and saw what vue did at the end. Most people don't do this so when they see the final render they don't notice any softness. This has nothing to do with faster renders.

Yes, i see now. Didn't realise you wanted grain, but not this soft effect. I also thought the soft effect WAS grain.

Have you tried creating another test scene to see if it is just this one?

Maybe time for a support ticket at e-on and upload your scene to them?

Quote - To me, it looks like you have lens glare post effect enabled. Douible click the camera icon in the world browser and see if  lens glare is checked in the pop up "advanced camera options" window.

Did you try this? My guess it's applying a post effect.

Oh, one more thing.

You might try setting your anti-alias settings from Automatic to Crisp. Crisp is equal to the old anti-alias setting of Vue 5.

The softness is odd. I'm sure lots of us watch the end of a render and would notice this if it was regular! The first test is for someone else to try rendering your scene.

Thanks everyone. I will soon take a relook at my problem and try to find the cause.

Quote - There's one thing I don't understand from what I've read on the Vue forums. Why is speed of renders so important? OK, I understand that if you're producing something for commercial use & have tight deadlines then I understand this. But I'm quite willing to have a render take an extra 4 or 5 hours if it means the end result is so much better. Ideally we would all love fast renders with expectional quality, but in most cases I don't think this is going to happen.
Custom settings are definitely the way to go.

An approving nod to you, stormchaser.

I guess it's a bit off the nominal topic thread, but I couldn't agree with you more. I've never seen the point of obsessing over render speed. What's the hurry?

Hopefully one appreciates the wonder and freedom of being able to make concrete the mercurial imagery of one's own mind, and enjoys the time spent in its evolution and its creation, and does not look at the final step of creating a suitable render as some sort of chore to be gotten over with as quickly as possible. Why on Earth would one spend weeks creating meshes and materials, experimenting with lighting, presiding over the evolution of a bit of one's own thoughts and imagery made digital, only to demand a quick render? Beats me.

If it's not worth the time needed for a worthwhile render, why bother at all? Your time might then be better spent watching TV or playing games. ptui   ;-)

The same effect happens to me - and I watch my renders too. It's finished, it's crisp, looks like a photograph, then poof! It's goes fuzzy. It happens in Vue 4 & Vue 5 also. I didn't upgrade because of that. Now that I know it happens in other versions it must be feature.

That doesn't sound good.  I haven't had a chance to fool with this problem. 

On the flip side I am glad someone else noticed it because explaining problems seems to be a problem in itself when it comes to vue.  I've had problems where the techs at e-on say it is absolutely not a problem.  Then an update comes out and the problem is gone.  This has happened twice.  It seems like this is happening again for a 3rd time.