ArchiCAD 22 can't do sun study animations using 3D window

[Paul King]

As usual, the very first thing I experienced after installing a new ArchiCAD version (in this case AC22 v3009) , was a bug

ArchiCAD 22 it seems has lost the ability to save out normal sunstudy animations from the 3D window - the resulting animation file outputs (either mp4 or wmv format) now just play a completely black animation (as in every frame being solid black).

While the animation is being generated, the 3D window in ArchiCAD displays the normal moving sun and shadows, so the problem lies with the movie file generation process, rather than the model content.

AC22 can still save out a series of still frames from the 3D window that are not solid black, but these omit the time stamp info for each frame (making them useless), and AC22 can still save out a Maxxon rendered animation, with the timestamp present, but this is not a practical alternative when lots of sun studies are required to investigate multiple options.

ArchiCAD 21 on same PC meanwhile continues to generate normal sunstudy output from a copy of the same file - demonstrating that this is not just a system or video codec issue.

What a comprehensive disaster!

Perhaps Graphisoft should proactively invite some of the older more productive testers back on to the beta testing team again, rather than leaving it to chance as to who discovers when testing is open in time to actually join....?

[Barry Kelly]

No problem for me.
I just opened the default template and created a sun study (didn't change any settings).

Barry.

[Paul King]

Bizzare. I wonder what is behind the difference in outcomes. I just tried the same test, from default template, and still get the 100% black animation.

[Barry Kelly]

Paul wrote:
[censored]. I wonder what is behind the difference in outcomes. I just tried the same test, from default template, and still get the 100% black animation.

I have no idea sorry.
I see you have a more complicated video card set up than I do.
I have no idea if they will be involved in the process of making the MP4.
If they are, maybe 22 uses them differently to 21 (again I have no idea).

Do you have access to any other machines with 22 to give it a try there?

Barry.

[Paul King]

OK, just tested AC22 on another windows 10 PC - just a laptop, so with a very simple videocard & monitor setup.
For me exactly the same issue occurred with sunstudy - every frame in resulting mp4 file is solid black, even though, onscreen, the sun study looks perfectly normal in the ArchiCAD 3D window for each frame as sun moves through the sky.

What ArchiCAD release are you running? I am on NZE 3009

[Barry Kelly]

I was using AUS 3009.

Barry.

[Anonymous]

Hi Paul,

Can you please try changing the display scaling. Santiago will contact you soon via your support ticket as well.

[Paul King]

GM wrote:
Hi Paul,

Can you please try changing the display scaling. Santiago will contact you soon via your support ticket as well.

That works, thanks Gareth.

I hope it is fixed soon, as display scaling at 100% is just unworkable with a 4K screen

[Lingwisyer]

Didn't they make some additions regarding 4k screens in AC22? Have you tried 100% scaling since changing over over.


Ling.

[Daniel Kovacs · Accepted solution]

Hello everyone,

Yes, it indeed looks like this is caused by the scaling of the OS: if it is anything but 100%, the result will be completely black. The workaround is actually pretty simple:
Right before you would export the MP4, you change the scaling to 100%, do the export, and then you can change it right back to 150%. The video should be fine in this case (I tested it on several machines). We will try to fix it in an update as soon as we can.

Regards,