Blender 2.79 is already released.
I was rendering a Keyframe animation using Cycles, and as expected it was being rendered frame by frame. That takes a long time to render a video/animation.
Is Cycles now being faster compared to Maya render engine or any other industry standard software? Just asking because I have never used anything other than Blender, and even my experience with Blender is in “infant” stage.
Waiting for your reply guys.
Thanks.
Rendering takes time, there is no way around it.
Render engines can’t be compared in so general way, because speed is only one factor. What is the use of rendering a cube the fastest if engine chokes when you throw some more polygons at it. To make meaningful comparisons, there must be some kind of reference quality/look that we want to achieve. I don’t think (don’t use Arnold or new Renderman versions with pathtracing, so can’t argue with facts) that Cycles is much different on smaller or medium sized scenes, it might be faster even, but with a gazillion polygons or volumetrics etc, Arnold and Renderman probably whip its ass. Arnold is the default render engine in Maya 2017 btw.
That mean in 2.78c and 2.79 version the cycle speed improvement is not there, I guess.
Not so fellow Blenderhead. Set your samples from 300 - 400 with the denoiser on and see what you think.
Denoiser. Hmmm good idea. Let me find out where the option is 
@Adam cruge another thing is your machine up to animation. I bring this up because I started a current project on a machine that wasn’t. And, it caused me to walk back material simply looking for a render time I could live with. In other words chrome would become something unrecognizable simply trying to get it noise free in a reasonable time.
Now looking back knowing that this little project I spoke of would have never got off the ground. You make no mention of what type of animation. But, I can tell you anything resembling realism except the most simple scenes are a excruciating experience on a slow machine. And, the results will sadly be something you’ll never be satisfied with. Motion Graphics maybe, Stylized and simple scenes yes. But, even a Archviz walk through on a slow machine is not something I would wish on my ex mother in law. It’s a sad truth the machine you are working on does shape what you can do in animation.
Unless you are prepared for render times running 15 to 20 minutes a frame. Which actually a few home animators did I believe turning out some outstanding work back in the day.
///
Ah ha. I had something regarding this in my mind. Though I am currently doing some elementary stuffs for learning purpose, I always wanted to know if my computer is capabale enough to handle real Blender project.
From my experience till now with Blender, it seems my computer is not strong enough for it.
But my question is how to know for sure, and most importantly what is a good configuration for Blender to handle complex project.
Young Blender friend the study of art has always been a excruciating journey punctuated by moments of discovery. Even when we held a watercolor brush with maybe Indigo black ink and the results were immediate. But, then you also had a connection to the tool. Start with a certain pressure roll the brush and…
well you get the point since with a computer we have lost that connection. Now it’s done on a keyboard and to this old man it’s simply not the same. But, of course our photographer friends never felt how a brush responded in their hand while turning out art and recording history.
My point being in graphics who can give you a definitive answer. If your machine at the present time is not strong enough for realistic animation simply concentrate on stills if realism is what interest you. But, if I might here is another thought. If you don’t have a background in art carry on a parallel study in the basic rules of art. Composition, weight, center of interest, high key - low key, perspective, scale, etc. I saw a talented technician on this very forum turn into that and a accomplished artist by such a parallel study.
And, this day and time all of that knowledge is free with any browser which wasn’t always the case. Blender allows talented individuals to produce art regardless of the machine. Somewhere a youngster is honing their skills doing stills while their interest might be animation when the planets align and they have a faster machine.The Blender Forum can help you on this journey with specific questions but the journey is yours to take. May it be a rewarding experience with a minimum of rabbit holes along the way. A start might be not caring one wit about the equipment and concentrating on the art. And, I say this having being exactly in that place you find yourself. Pursue the art itself and believe me the rest will come together. Take care and enjoy the journey.
////
Oh man, really nice. Thanks.
And of course, my background is not arts. But as you mentioned I must know some basics of art, I will definitely read it.
Thanks again for this really nice answer 