Moderators - I'm not sure if this should be here, or in the Poser Technical Forum; so please migrate, this thread, if need be?

I get a memory error, every other time I try to render this scene.  And this happens with many hair  figures.  Although  the scene is small, only a 38MB .PZ3;  Shadows, Dissplacement, Raytracing are all off, and the Max. Texture Size has already 1/4rd my maps.  So I think it is time to put a thumb Poser's memory management vocabulary; and then maximize Posers call for memory, with my specific XP system specifications in mind?  

My most effective solution, to memory mangement, has always been to install Service Releases;  which I have done 3 times, for this P6 installation.  This helped again; as it got the render to complete, but not readily.

The next most succesfull solution has always been for me to increase my Windows Virtual Memory alotment; at Control Panel > System > Advanced > Performance > Advanced Virtual Memory.  Currently I have 756MBs of Physical RAM; and I'm opening, and closing, my Virtual Memory at 8GBs. 

So now it is time for me to turn to Poser's built in Memory Managing features.  I see; Adaptive Bucket, Adaption Threshold, and Memory Limit Buffer, at Edit > Preferences > Misc > Render Memory.  And I see Maximum Bucket Size, at Render > Render Settings > Manual.

Page 38 of the P6 Manuals explains the Edit > Preferences > Misc. > Render Memory:

"Adaptive Bucket Size: Checking this box enables the automatic adjustment of bucket
size in the FireFly renderer. Memory limit defines the size of the safety buffer in
Megabytes. If less memory is available, the render terminates. Lowering this value can
avoid premature termination, but can also affect stability. Adaption Threshold defines
at what fraction of remaining memory a subdivision of the render bucket should occur.
The remaining memory is measured at starting a render and on each adaption of the
bucket size. Raising this value yields smaller bucket sizes, lowering it will use more
virtual memory."

And Pages 341-342 explains Render > Render Settings > Manual > Maximum Bucket Size:

"Maximum Bucket Size: The bucket is the area being rendered at any one time. Enter
your desired value in the Maximum Bucket Size field. For example, entering a value
of 10 creates a rendering bucket that is no greater than 10-pixels by 10-pixels in size.
At render time, the renderer will render one such bucket area at once. Increasing the
bucket size increases the area being rendered at once but requires greater system
resources. Use caution when enlarging the bucket beyond its default size, and monitor
your system resources. Note that Poser will automatically detect when the specified
bucket size will consume excessive resources, and in such cases will override the
specified bucket size and subdivide the buckets into smaller sizes. Smaller sized
buckets require less RAM, but will take longer to render."*

Here is what I've gathered from here, and in frequenting this forum:

Adaptive Bucket - This is better left on, to give Poser a freedom to manage hard to render object, like hair; and then simple things like skin, on it's own terms.  But what kind of know how would actually prompt a person to uncheck this?

Memory Limits - I do'nt understand how a Safety Buffer operates at; and confuse this option, with the Render Settings > Manual > Maximum Bucket Size, always?

Adaption Threshold - What is the subdivision of a render?  Is it safe to say that if this percentage, of available RAM, is smaller than Memory Limit Buffer, there will be problems?   

Maximum Bucket Size - A big bucket will render faster, but cause stability issues; and that the inverse is true, in that a small bucket will render slower, but be more stabily.

My problems, now, are; that I do'nt know where to start, by what margins to make alterations, nor how one function should effect an other(s?)

Or if anyone would care to reiterate these vocabulary definitions, in Layman's terms, that would also be appreciated!

:thumbupboth: