Trying to like Octane but not succeeding

[lasvideo]

I am trying to like Octane but I keep bumping into very frustrating things that prevent me. Granted I am a newbie. The lack of any substantive tutorials makes learning Octane a challenge for me.

I am using SA 1.10 and C4D Plug .5 on a HP Z820 Win 7 64 with a GTX Titan (had same issue with GTX 570) and 64 GB ram.

An example of my increasing dislike for Octane is illustrated by the inability to create a simple shadow. Something very easily done in C4D.

1. Create Square and plane. Create simple Octane materials and assign them to each object.
2. Create Octane Camera and light. Position light to the upper left to throw shadow to the right.
Turn on Areas Shadows in the Octane Light attributes
3. Update the Octane View screen. NOTHING!.

I have explored every possible control setting and still cant get a damn shadow. This should not be this difficult. Real tempted to delete Octane and see if the final release in the future is any better. Im that annoyed with its operation.

Sorry for the negative vibe but that is my experience of Octane so far.

[xxdanbrowne]

Have you tried changing the lighting type in the kernel such as changing to pathtracing?

Changing the environment from texture to daylight should also give shadows.

[lasvideo]

Yup. I tried all the lighting types in the kernal AND all various light types as well as daylight. No shadows. It really shouldn't be this difficult to generate a shadow.

I will check back in a few months to see if this software has improved at all. At this point I would suggest folks not purchase it due to all the problems I have seen with me and other folks here at the forum. Good luck.

[glimpse]

we'll the program itself acts as it should. if You place too big emmiter You get too soft shadows, so it's basic physics /the smaller the light source the crisper, more pronounced Your shadow is going to be =)

[xxdanbrowne]

Well not to rebutt what's happening to you but I can post images showing that I get shadows pretty easily.

[badmilk69]

1.-Check your OctaneLightTag.
2.-Bump power.
3.-Profit.

[lasvideo]

Sorry, Octane is much to obtuse for my needs. I am deleting it for the moment from my system and sticking with the standard C4D. Its not worth the extra learning curve it seems to demand.

[LudovicRouy]

imho you're making a mistake, Octane is not so hard to learn, it's just a different rendering technic as it is unbiased but can provide more realistic render and faster than the bests settings in C4D (furthermore with your Titan).

Secondly with the plugin you can control more easily each settings than in Octane standalone, Aoktar have done a great job.
And if you know a little xpresso you can control Octane nodes with it.

[lasvideo]

I find I have a positive experience with software when I have good tutorials to educate me on its use.

As a CMX/Avid/FCP/Premiere/After Effects editor for the past 30 years I think tutorials speed up and enhance the learning process for me.

Part of my repulsion to Octane is most likely due to a painful lack of the above. I can get great textures/lighting/animations from C4D because Ive taken the time the last several months to learn from the best (fxphd/Lynda/Digital Tutors/etc.)

Ive only seen one tutorial about Octane (Using the C4D plug in which is the only way I would use it) from Otoy and it left a lot to be desired and was extremely limited in scope.

Until there are more sources of quality learning material, I will pass on using Octane. Presently I find it an extreme waste of my time.

YMMV.

[glimpse]

Octane is one of the easiest programs to nail - lack of tutorials is because of the fact it's young enough.
but if you feel that You're wastimg Your time, just stick with preffered soft - there's nothing wrong..

though octane is dead easy..- there is manual, few tuts - play around & in no time You'll be cool! =)