Feature request: numeric progress indicator

[Rodolfo Paiz]

Feature request: numeric progress indicator

by Rodolfo Paiz » Sun Jul 01, 2012 8:56 pm

Hi!

I've had a couple of cases already where rendering hung and never completed. I've been rendering the same image (about 500MP) several times to tweak settings and learn more about APG, and when it completes rendering it does so in roughly 3:30 to 3:45 hours. But three times now, I've let it go to 14 hours and had to cancel without rendering being complete. The progress bar is roughly 80% of the way across and says "Blending", but that's all I know. And worse, I hover over the "stop" button for a while, wondering whether there's a real and valid reason why this is taking so long (maybe it'll complete if I leave it another 2-3 hours?) or if it's just hung and will never finish.

For both the benefit of the user -- who will know exactly what is going on -- and the benefit of the developers -- who will get much more precise information in case of a bug or problem report -- I suggest that it would be ideal to implement a simple but precise progress indicator. I think the ideal would be either an actual number (e.g. "Operation 10,334 of 106,837") or a detailed percentage number, like to two decimals (54.92%). And it could be done unobtrusively, maybe as black text in a smaller font in the lower-left or lower-right corner of the blue progress bar. But one way or another, I'd love to know whether it's actually making progress without having to guess or watch it for a long time.

The same idea could be applied to both detection and rendering so the user can be more confident that the application is making progress. And in case of a problem, the user will be able to make a better report to the developers.

Last edited by Rodolfo Paiz on Sun Jul 01, 2012 8:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Maukoop.nl]

by Maukoop.nl » Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:26 am

I would like to see this happening too. It should not be a big adventure programming this feature I guess.

[Christian Stüben]

by Christian Stüben » Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:28 pm

Great idea. In my opinion the numeric display could be done within the progress bar. Update at least every 60, better 15 seconds (not to waste too much processor time).

Only 14 hours? You´re a lucky man ;-)

greetings from germany
Chris

[Rodolfo Paiz]

by Rodolfo Paiz » Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:38 pm

Chris, I eventually let that render go to 41 hours and it was getting nowhere. Figured out several issues with time, trial, and error, and now the whole thing gets done in less than an hour. But still, I think the progress indicator is both easy and valuable.

[ThomasMartin]

by ThomasMartin » Sat Sep 22, 2012 12:18 pm

I think uploading image sometimes creates problems. There should be auto adjustment for the too small and too large images.

expertise immobilière

Last edited by ThomasMartin on Sat Sep 22, 2012 12:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[HansKeesom]

by HansKeesom » Sat Sep 22, 2012 12:53 pm

because I don't like to look at the screen every few minutes (or half hour when asleep) to see whether there is any progress i would like you to consider the following idea:

- While rendering, APG should write to a logfile every few seconds/minutes
- a second programm reads the logfile to see how long ago APG wrote into the log file. If longer then X-minutes this programm can sound an alarm or call me on my cellphone.

This way I can leave home or go asleep while rendering goes on, knowing I will be notified when things hang