AutoCAD 2010/2011/2012 DWG Format

[#1]

Hi,

I just recently upgraded to 2011 autocad from 2008. How do i get my rendeirngs to come out the same.

The position of the objects is the same. lights are the same. lightingunits are the same = 0.
The background is the same. the redering presets are the same....

Here's a couple of screens that will show you just about everything side by side.... You can see how in 2008 you can see things better in shadows where in 2011 you cannot and it is overall too dark...

note that i did not play around with materials. they are as they are.

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/3316/printscreen1n.png

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/3432/printscreen2.png 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

[#2]

2011 has completely different materials. To use it, you have to type "rmat" (without the quotes). It is possible to use old materials, but this is tedious. You have to have your old dwg with old materials and then type when you type RMAT, 2011 will convert the older materials. Hopfully, then you can use it as you want. No guarantees, though.

[#3]

hmm i am not sure if it has anything to do with materials... Since there was none asigned and the basics i treid adjusting. I just wanto to be able see the things in the shadows - see second printscreen.

[#4]

Have you made any progress with this, zzz144?

I'm having the same issue, the shadows are just way too dark. There's got to be a setting somewhere for this. The contrast between light and dark is harsh.

Or if there's some sort of 'ambient light' setting that limits how dark the environment can become.

[#5]

None. The 2011 renderer is a joke. good luck getting crisp textures to come out. want wood to look like wood? no way... it more like some blurred out wood...

SO MANY THINGS CANNOT BE DONE.

wish i was in charge there. i would fire all the incompetent management.

WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY.

[#6]

Haha, I feel ya man. This sucks...

I've searched all over to a solution for this, there's not much:

Shadow - Too dark

Rendering - Shadow areas are way too dark!

3D shadows to dark? 2011 help

The biggest thing that irritates me are the morons who start these threads & never follow up with a solution or any additional information, when it's clear that others are still making an effort to help.

[#7]

i basically do all my rendering in 2008.

what do i use 2011 for? NOTHING.

i hate this money grabbing scheme that autodesk enroled into... they already have the road paved for the next 10 releases... basicly incorporate custom lisps that we have come up with... and make it more ribbon like with a hint of solidworks... but not too much like solidworks cause that will drive out inventor...

good luck getting your superexpensive quadro card to work properly.

good luck rendering crisp images... 2008 could do it... why cant 2011.

and the ribbon. what a waste of software...

[#8]

Yes, the rendering engine changed in the 2010 series. Just opening an old drawing and typing 'render' will give you differant results, as you have discovered. To make better use of the new engine you can try turning on 'global illumination' in the rpref palette. You can also try setting lightingunits to 1 or 2, then turning 'final gather' to 'on' in rpref.

[#9]

well the problem with lightingunits set to 1 or 2 is the the drawings bleed color - they seem whitewashed - and contrast brightens and starutaion cannot correct it...

lightinging units set to 1 or 2 is good for i dont know what but not good enough for my renderings that are supposed the clean and crisp...

but that is very interesting about global illumaniton... usually fianl gather set to ON gives good results... I will try it out and let you know... thank you.

[#10]

Well, I suppose I give up. Maybe I should just install 2008 again, strictly for rendering. I've been messing around with different settings way too long. 

If you look at my attached image. Global illumination is on. The sun is on. Final gather is on. Still, the shadows are almost completely black in most areas. Also: Brightness is 72, Contrast is 80, and Midtones is(are?) 1

I've messed around with so many settings, render after render.. I just can't get the shadows to work properly.