I've had some questions on rendering problems associated with Hi Resolution.  I was getting hang ups when rendering large hi res images.  I had to restart the program.   This info may help.  

My Question to efrontier:

I want to do large prints and need to know how to get the maximum resolution. What seting should be used in the "render to exact resolution". What would be the max height/width/pix-inch. I want to do 13X19 prints. Since I use photoshop to fine tune the images the actual size doesn't matter. I just want the higest resolution possible.
I'm aware that content may be lower res, but I just want the higest res from firefly render possible.  (Note: I was having crashes and thought I was exceeding the max render resolution  It was the OS memory problems.)

Also I would appreciate assistance in resolving your memory release/allocation problems. After a few large renders the system memory is used and no further renders can be made until the program is shut down and restarted. How can I get the memory to release? Is there any settings that would help with this? Does Poser Pro have the same memory allocation problems? It really is shame to have to close a program and restart in the middle of a project. I need a tool that works.

Their Answer: 

Thank you for contacting Support. When Printing out Renders, you will want to change to 300DPI at least in the Render Dimensions. It is ususally best to Render to a Size that does not need to be enlarged, so for 13 x 19 you would want 3900 x 5700 Pixels at 300 DPI. You can try smaller and enlarging, but most Formats do not like to be enlarged. (Shrinking down is fine) I also would export TIFF or BMP over JPG. (PNG also works well, but I personally prefer TIFF)

With regards to the Memory Issue. This is your OS Memory Allocation, and has nothing to do with Poser specifically. Poser only requests the Memory from the OS. On XP Pro, Poser starts out with 2GB Allocated (as do all Large Address Aware Programs on XP Pro). Each time Poser requests a chunk of Memory, it is taken from the Allocated Memory. Poser releases the Chunks as it is done, but they are now in Chunks in the Allocation Address for that Session of Poser.

Example: If Poser requests 1GB, then 1MB, then 900MB again and the OS just takes them right next to each other from the available memory and then poser returns the 1GB and 900 MB chunks and keeps the 1MB then the OS has 1GB with a gap for the 1MB chunk and the the 900MB Chunk and should Poser then ask for 1.01 GB the OS can't fulfill that request because it doesn't have a piece that's big enough.

Restarting resets the Address for the Memory allocated to the Program back to a new 2GB Allocation so now when you restart the application don't do anything that allocates that tiny 1MB chunk but ask for the 1.01GB right away the OS will give that to the Poser.

If you have a 64 Bt OS, that amount increases from 2GB to 4GB.

I guess the answer is to go with 64 bit OS and save the project so you can restart.
Sincerely
myrmadon
 

Great info!  Thanks for that.  I've been thinking about doing some work related posters to be printed on some graphic plotters but, was unsure whether or not I could get the resolution needed.  Now I know I can't on this machine. :)  At least, not the quality I'd want.  So, it'll be vector graphics for now.

Well, you still have some other options. You can render in parts and put them together in postwork. You can render your scene in layers, with only some objects in each, and re-composite in postwork. You can reduce the bucket size. Try to avoid ray tracing. Reduce the resolution of the used textures.

I have reduced the bucket size, the # of undo's and the # of  rendered cache this helps.  If  you really need  a high res render it can be done when the program is first started (before the memory fills)  You can make a PZ3 restart the program and make your render.  My Poser 7 was always crashing after several hours of rendering and all I'd get was a gray screen (with no render)  I was just wondering if it was my OS or motherboard causing this problem and if anyone else out there was having the same problem. (I may have an unstable Abit motherboard  and just wanted to know how much of my problems can be attributed to the mother board)

Starting fresh I had no trouble making a 13X19 300 dpi image.
myrmadon

You can also delete un-needed morphs from figures. It is tedious, but it does reduce the size of the PZ3 files. Caustion, It cannot be undone so save frequently. Sometimes, I even unhide unused morphs so that I can delete them.

Many people fully texture, and morph characters and then cover them up with cloths that also have textures and morphs. If the figure has textured areas that will be completely covered with cloths, delete all the unseen nodes. If you are using a large scene. There may be parts that will be outside the render that can be deleted, or at least de-textured.

There used to be a python for exporting figures, with all the cloths and props, and re-importing them as props. They retained their morphs and textures but could only be moved after that. However, as a final step before rendering, this can save memory. I just can't find that python, but some one may remember it, or be willing to write one that works in Poser 7 and Poser Pro.

A said a member of xda-dev, remove your motor, your seats, your glass and your body, youre car will be more light !!!

Saying simply , the render engine of poser is not optimal ...

It have the capabilites of the GI render but dont know how use them, try if you have time yo loose ....

The render poser engine have the potential, but if it was never problems of lightning or shadows or shaders calculations ... Just like 3DS and vray ...

One way I did not mention to bypass any allocation issues is to use Separate Processes when Rendering in Poser 7. Poser Pro you also can use Background or Queue Rendering. With that said, if you have a 64 Bit OS, and use Background Rendering you will have more Memory allocated for the Rendering.

Personally, I rarely run into any errors Rendering with Memory so I have little personal experience with it. From other users, I do not think anyone has been able to duplicate an error, so it is really hard to be sure what caused it most of the times.

Some things I do are

Save my File before Rendering, confirm all my Render Settings are as I intended, and then Render.

 Another thing you can do is to export the whole lot as obj and render THAT. No morphs, no moving parts, but if you're certain that everything is wherte and how it should be, rendering the obj file does cut down on memory use.

Another thing is to make sure no textures are larger than they need to be. There's no idea in using a hyper-high rez texture on something or someone who's placed in the background. Use Procedural Shaders as much as possible, they're lighter on memory than a typical texture map.

Ikendall...I think you hit on one of the problems.  To save time I loaded the whole boatload of morphs ++, creature, muscle, RDNA ultimate.   I plan to go to Vista 64 and then to Poser Pro the next time they have a sale.  Until then I'll just do fewer renders.   The renders work the first couple of times.  If anyone hears of a sale on Poser Pro, let me know.
Thanks

If you do Renders as a Separate Process, FFRender Starts new with each Render, so new Allocation. If you are still getting errors after a few Renders when Rendering as Separate Processes, I would use MSConfig to troubleshoot. I use to use McAffee Internet Security and I would have issues in other programs, including Poser after long sessions. When I shut it off using MSConfig those issues disappeared. I switched to AVG and have not had an issue with any of the Programs since the switch (but did have new issues while Rendering long Renders sometimes, to the point I had to turn off the automatic Scans and Updates that were set to start when not active! Apparently, Rendering is not an Activity as far as AVG is concerned.)