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Mac & Zbrush 3 Thread

ZBrush Usage Questions
#2121

I believe the older ones do support 32gb also, but because 4gb sticks were relatively rare/cost an arm and a leg, they weren’t included in the technical specs. I might be wrong, but I thought that anandtech mentioned this when they tore apart their 2006/2007 Mac Pro to install some pre-release quad-core Xeons, and it worked. Here’s the article I’m talking about (http://www.anandtech.com/mac/showdoc.aspx?i=2832&p=6 ). Maybe I read about the 4GB sticks somewhere else, but I believe the chipset used in the first Mac Pros can support them, if nothing else to future-proof the hardware a little.

Personally, I’m glad I’ll be able to pick up a pair of Clovertowns to pop in should I need more cores, maybe in a year or two. Even if it doesn’t officially have Apple’s blessing, it will be way cheaper than upgrading the whole tamale.

#2122

Since were on the topic of Mac Hardware. I’ve heard rumors that Apple might release info on the new macs in the next month or so, so I am going to wait and see

My question is does anyone know how approx. how much faster an 8 core would render compared to a quad core. I think I can pick up a quad core for $3000 but the 8 core machines are approx. $4500. Is the price difference vs. render speed really worth it IYO? :smiley:

#2123

I use a quad at work and a 8 core at home, and the 8 core renders 2 to 3 times faster in c4d with the same render settings…

#2124

I don’t think Apple will intentionally reveal what the specs of their upcoming products will be until they release them. That being said, Intel announces what’s coming up, and from that you can get a pretty good idea of what’s coming. We should see quad-core Macbook Pros in the next year or so, if they can keep them from getting too hot. That was why we never saw G5 PowerBooks.

If the renderer is 64-bit and multithreaded, you should theoretically see a linear speed increase with each core added. I know that the render engine modo scales linearly, as does Mental ray for Maya. Houdini’s Mantra (and most of Houdini for that matter) are also multithreaded, making it easier to bake simulations out.

I’m surprised there is such a difference for you in the price between Quad and Eight core machines. The retail prices in the states were only $200 different for the base line models (Quad 2.66Ghz vs Eight Core 2.8Ghz). I linked to an article a few posts earlier about Anandtech showing how to replace the CPU in a Mac Pro, so if you get a Quad, you could replace it with two Quad-core Clovertowns in the future.

#2125

Well in Modo, it renders 1 core per render bucket, so with 4 cores you get 4 buckets & 8 cores you get 8 buckets, my maths is crap but I’d guess it would be around twice as fast… :wink:

I’m planning on grabbing a couple of Clovertowns eventually, my Quad has no issues with any software I use & that includes Final Cut working on HD video so I’m in no rush…

I’d guess most tasks wouldn’t even require 8 cores at the moment, no doubt Modo & ZBrush will prove me wrong… :stuck_out_tongue:

#2126

Sorry to drift even further off topic.

Earlier in this thread, during another off subject conversation, I posted a
snapshot of a photoshop painting I had just started (pg. 134). Certainly not trying to
make this a WIP thread, just had to show something of value after displaying
this work at such a rookie stage. I still am going to spend one more sitting on
it before printing it and adding it to the portfolio. It’s more
high res than this will display. I also did a time lapse speed painting movie of
it that I will link at some point.
It is entitled “Anger & Pain”.

Carry on with the Mac ZBrush fest now, sorry for the interruption…

Anger & Pain.jpg
Anger & Pain.jpg1286×1000 205 KB

#2127

http://area.autodesk.com/mudbox_preview#siggraph

I didn’t have enough time to read through the entier thread. If this has already been posted I apologize for being redundant.

#2128

Impressive tech there, if only I could afford that hardware he used…

#2129

my mac book pro renders in 18 to 25 minutes and the same pic will render on my mac pro in 13.8 seconds.

xp pro “user” (those words roll off my lips like broken glass)

any one using vista 64 on bootcamp and do you notice any improvements?

#2130

amen!

#2131

"my mac book pro renders in 18 to 25 minutes and the same pic will render on my mac pro in 13.8 seconds. "
100 times faster!!! impossible…

#2132

Wow that mudbox video looks nice… But will they make a mac version?

#2133

Only if they get enough interest from Mac users, the last comment they made on their forums was they wanted information on how many mac users were intersted in MBx, how many seats each was likely to buy (clearly most intersted in studios) and what other apps made up their pipelines. Doesn’t sound like they have any immediate plans though.

If you want it ported to OSX though I suggest you get over to http://area.autodesk.com/index.php/forums/viewforum/96/ and make yourself known and encourage others to do the same!

Edit: This is the OSX request thread http://area.autodesk.com/index.php/forums/viewthread/11011/P10/

#2134

Thanks for the TIP!

And in return I’ll give you a tip!

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=tB6EWF3vulc

made before 9/11 even happened. :slight_smile:

#2135

truth! I swear! :confused: … believe what you want… :lol:

#2136

is siggraph still going on? must be the longest one yet… :rolleyes: :stuck_out_tongue:

#2137

We wanted to have the announcement up tomorrow, but it looks like that won’t be possible. I’m guessing that it’ll be the first part of next week instead.

#2138

Thanks Aurick for keeping us in the loop.

Cheers

Mike R

#2139

Can’t wait to hear about some new features! I want to reboot into bootcamp just thinking about it!

#2140

Haha… delays? What a surprise! :smiley: