PBR grainy in layouts

[toyotaracer247]

We use Chief Architect x14.  

 

I am upgrading computers from a lenovo thinkcentre, windows 10 64 bit, intel core i5-4590@3.30 ghz with 12.0 gb of ram and a 3 year old pny nvidia quadro p1000 to a newly built computer with a gigabyte mother board, windows 11 64 bit, intel core i9 3.2 ghz, 32 gb of ram, and a nvidia geforce rtx 4070.  We were doing this in preparation for upgrading to x15.

 

Unfortunately, this new computer is causing problems with grainy PBR cameras in layouts.  PBRs look better on the new computer until I export to layout.  I am sure this is some setting in x14 that didn't export properly from the old to the new computer.  Any ideas?

 

layout opened on old computer printed to pdf using Chief Architect Save As PDF 600DPI:

 

Same layout opened on new computer printed to pdf with identical settings Chief Architect Save As PDF 600dpi:

 

new computer:

what it looks like on screen in layout:

 

what it looks like on screen in camera associated with plan:

 

old computer: what it looks like in both layout and on screen.

 

I had assumed the PBR settings were associated with the files not within the particular X14 install.  I never noticed a difference with the Edge Smoothing When Idle setting on the old computer.  I tried toggling this setting on the new computer. It did not seem to help this problem either.

 

Any help or pointers would be appreciated.

 

Thank you.

[MoeGia]

Make sure you have Chief set to use the RTX.  Your laptop may have an onboard video chip that Chief is using.  Go to Preferences, Rendering, Video Card Status and tick the 'Use RTX'.

 

Also check this thread:

 

[Kbird1]

On 1/5/2024 at 4:28 AM, toyotaracer247 said:

3 year old pny nvidia quadro p1000

 

This Video Card is not capable of PBR-RTRT ( real time raytracing) as it is GTX Based ( cards before the 2000 and up series' ) so in X14 on the old Computer you are see the X12 Version of PBR I believe which uses a different 3D lighting Engine on the new computer with the 4070 you will be using the new 3D Lighting engine ( called Astral ) and it works very differently and won't look as nice until you get X15 which has the Denoiser Setting, ( the X15 PBR game changer for me ) which eliminates the graininess, so people only use 50 samples , I use 200 though, also make sure to Cap Live Samples or the Card will run continuously "sampling forever"

 

The Render Tab in Preferences may show this on the old and new computers under Videocard Status>Hardware Raytracing > Yes ( New Comp) or No (old Comp.)

 

  

 

 

 

 

[toyotaracer247]

Thank Y'all both for the help.

 

Kbird1, how do I reach the Rendering Techniques Default dialog box?  I know how to reach the Rendering Techniques Option box, however, even Chief's documentation only mentions the Rendering Techniques Default dialog without describing how to get to it.  There are two articles on getting to the Rendering Techniques Options dialog.  

 

I used the windows and nvidia control panel settings to default Chief to the rtx card. I then used the Chief preferences to default to rtx.  

 

For anyone coming to this later, I found that turning off the Use Ray Trace toggle in the Rendering Techniques Options dialog box for that camera duplicates the flatter PBR view that i was getting with my old computer.

 

For x14 files this seems to be the only option.  I will need to develop a camera and lighting strategy for the new files on X15 projects going forward.  At a minimum, I will need to reduce the background light settings or exposure.

 

[Kbird1]

24 minutes ago, toyotaracer247 said:

Kbird1, how do I reach the Rendering Techniques Default dialog box? 

 

In Defaults    these are mine...........

 

PBR:   STD :   

 

 

 

[Kbird1]

21 minutes ago, toyotaracer247 said:

For anyone coming to this later, I found that turning off the Use Ray Trace toggle in the Rendering Techniques Options dialog box for that camera duplicates the flatter PBR view that i was getting with my old computer.

 

For x14 files this seems to be the only option.  I will need to develop a camera and lighting strategy for the new files on X15 projects going forward.  At a minimum, I will need to reduce the background light settings or exposure.

 

Yes you generally need to turn the Sun way down from the Default 100,000 Luumens used in STD Views to a more sedate 3000-7000 as chief Auto Balances it with other lighting especially on Interiors.

 

M.