Backburner + Gamma 2.2 = No gamma correction on render nodes!?

[MarkDygert]

I'm working on an animation that needs to be rendered out to 24bit .png with alpha. I'm working locally in 3dsmax 2012 with the latest updates applied. The farm is up to date also.

I'm working with "Enable Gamma/LUT Correction" turned on and set to these settings:


Everything is coming out fine locally.

The problem pops up when I send the jobs to the render farm. None of the nodes are applying Gamma, even though in Monitor the jobs display the correct Gamma settings and show Gamma Correction is enabled.

What I get back is drastically darker as if gamma was not applied.


Things I've tried:
- Forcing Gamma override in the Render Output File window. Also set it to the default of "Use System Default Gamma". Set to 1 and 2.2 but the same non corrected results are always returned.


- I tried adjusting the Gamma settings through Monitor and restarted the job. Nothing.

- Added the following to the 3dsmax.ini file for the render nodes. Nothing.

LoadEnableState=1
CorrectColorPickerState=1
CorrectMtlEditorState=1
InputGamma=2.200000
OutputGamma=2.200000

- Deleted the 3dsmax.ini file for all users that have logged into the render nodes. Nothing

- Set all of the nodes to have Gamma 2.2 enabled in the preferences and even saved the maxstart.max file to the 3dsmax/scenes folder. Nothing.

I'm at a loss as to how to get Backburner nodes to apply Gamma Correction... Is there something I'm missing? Is there some kind of work around or hack fix, or is it just broken and no one bothers to use it?

Is there some other way to gamma correct images at render time using another render like VRay or Mental Ray?

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I'm having the same problem, have you or anyone solved this yet?

thanks

[CAMedeck]

If there was no Gamma Correction, the images would appear lighter, not darker. I haven't had much experience rendering to BB using Gamma Correction, so I can't be of much help. One thing I have noticed with PNG files, however, is that not all image viewers respect the baked in gamma values. Window Photo Viewer shows a much different image than what you'd see in Internet Explorer.

[jeff]

PNG files can be read in strange ways by some software. Have you tried rendering a few frames in other formats? TGA is always a good "baseline" format to check.

-jeff

[Anonymous]

Nope tried other formats that isn't it 😞 jpg / png / tga / it's all the same problem.

[Midge_S]

Had the same problem on a production a while back, it's a pain to say the least.
We ended up rendering to 16-bit float EXR's to preserve the colours and then bringing everything to 2.2 in post, not the best way to do it but we didn't crush the colour values that way.

Keep us posted if you find a solution / workaround!

[Doughboy12]

Do you have all the same materials accessible by all the render machines?
I guess that only matters if you have "special" materials used...?

[Jesmore · Accepted solution]

Are you sending to backburner through batch render? Even though the job shows the correct gamma in the monitor, it will not render correctly. We had this problem years ago and discovered we have to send jobs to backburner the first time through render setup dialog, then we could use batch render. Never understood the difference between setting gamma in batch render compared to render setup, but we have to go through this process everytime if we want to use batch render.

[andymiddleton]

This is an ongoing problem that NEVER gets solved. Numerous posts have been submitted by many different people.
Personally I was hoping that this problem would be rectified in the 2013 release. Ha! Silly me.
Have the folks at Corel Corp taken over the programming at autodesk? One would think that based upon the ignorance of fixing this HUGE issue. Perhaps if Autodesk charged the same $500 for thier software it would be somewhat forgivable.
COME ON GUYS dont be a Corel Draw Company..... I've had much more respect for the Autodesk brand than that down and dirty nasty company.
PLEASE PATCH THIS ISSUE
I appologize for the unhelpful rant but someone @ Autodesk might take the insult seriously.

[andymiddleton]

http://area.autodesk.com/forum/autodesk-3ds-max/autodesk-3ds-max--3ds-max-design-2013/pleeeeeeeeze-f...
Try not using gamma? Worked for me.
Cheers
Andy

[AmazingFactory]

This is wrong!
Gamma corrected images are LIGHTER than linear color images.

corrected = pow(linear, 1 / 2.2)

Gamma decoding (performed when sampling gamma corrected images) will darken the image again

[AmazingFactory]

For me 2013 refuses to gamma correct my baked lightmaps.

I switched to floating point outputs and added a post processing batch file as a workaround.

Instead of using the MAX UI to setup baked materials I use a script which points to the 8 bpp file, not the render output file.

Working at Autodesk must be like attending a perpetual funeral.

[MarkDygert]

Yep it seems to be pulling the image gamma settings from the "Render Setup" window, the Batch Render Dialog doesn't override the Render Setup. What a pain.

SO to use Batch Render, you need to first set the output path in Render Setup.

I have no clue if they've fixed this in newer versions of max, I'm still using 2012

[DaleDezign]

I faced same issue when I sending to backburner through batch render. I got a clear solution for that when we save output file through batch render  there is an option to choose Gama Override into 2.2 this solved my problem

Cheers

Dale Dezign

[BenBisares · Accepted solution]

At the risk of being the target of the wrath of the community, I've decided to wade into this discussion as I believe you guys should know that this issue has already been logged with our development.

The issue has been fixed already but hasn't been made public yet but it will be rolled into a future release of Backburner. At this point I can't give you an ETA of the fix, sorry guys.

[elichiasson]

Hi Ben,

You posted this over a year ago--can you tell me if that update has been rolled out yet? I am having a Backburner/Gamma issue with a few machines in our office and just wanted to know what I could or coulnd't rule out as a potential culprit.

Thanks,

Eli

[MarkDygert]

One of the service packs for 2014 fixed this problem for us and we haven't had any issues with newer versions 2015, 2016. 

It sure was annoying... but I'm glad we haven't run into it again.

[neil.swart]

Hi

I am still getting this issue in 2016. Do you mind sharing your settings for 3ds.

Thanks

[yvesadam4016]

Neil, I think I've narrowed this down to renderslaves having a difference in the Windows Region & Language Settings.

In our cases, having a mix of locations between Netherlands and United States and a mix of format between Dutch & English (United States) produced a flickering in the animation. Settings the Region & Language Settings the same on all slaves solved the flickering