Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions and issues that users may encounter when using Syclops:
Installation
Q: I'm having trouble installing Syclops. What should I do?
A: Make sure you have the correct version of Python installed (3.9 or higher) and that you're using a virtual environment to avoid package conflicts. If you're still having issues, please open an issue on the GitHub repository with details about your operating system, Python version, and the error messages you're seeing.
Assets
Q: How do I add new assets to my project?
A: To add new assets, create an assets.yaml file in your project directory that defines the asset library and its assets. Then, run syclops -c to crawl the assets and update the catalog. For more information, see the Assets documentation.
Q: I'm getting an error message saying an asset file is missing. What should I do?
A: Check that the file paths in your assets.yaml file are correct and that the files exist in the specified locations. If you've recently added or moved assets, make sure to run syclops -c to update the asset catalog.
Job Configuration
Q: My job configuration isn't working as expected. How can I debug it?
A: You can use the -d flag to enable debugging mode in Syclops. Use -d scene to open the scene in Blender for visual debugging, or -d blender-code and -d pipeline-code to debug the Blender and pipeline code, respectively. For more information, see the Debugging documentation.
Q: How do I use dynamic evaluators in my job configuration?
A: Dynamic evaluators allow you to randomize parameter values for each frame in your scene. To use them, replace a fixed value in your job configuration with a dynamic evaluator expression, such as uniform: [0, 1] for a uniform random value between 0 and 1. For more examples, see the Dynamic Evaluators documentation.
Rendering
Q: My renders are taking a long time. How can I speed them up?
A: To speed up rendering, you can try reducing the number of samples per pixel in your sensor configuration, or using a lower resolution for your output images. You can also make sure you're using GPU rendering if you have a compatible graphics card. For more tips, see the Sensor Configuration documentation.
Q: I'm getting artifacts or noise in my rendered images. What can I do?
A: Increase the number of samples per pixel in your sensor configuration to reduce noise and artifacts. You can also try enabling denoising in your job configuration by setting denoising_enabled: True and choosing an appropriate denoising algorithm, such as OPTIX or OPENIMAGEDENOISE.
Postprocessing
Q: How do I create custom postprocessing plugins?
A: To create a custom postprocessing plugin, define a new Python class that inherits from PostprocessorInterface and implement the required methods, such as process_step and process_all_steps. Then, register your plugin in the pyproject.toml file under the [project.entry-points."syclops.postprocessing"] section. For more details, see the Postprocessing documentation.
If you have any other questions or issues that aren't covered here, please open an issue on the GitHub repository or reach out to the Syclops community for help.