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I'm having the opposite problem; objects very far away are clipped off:  I have set Z_Far to 100000 and more, yet large objects at beyond 12,000 meters are invisible.  Is there a limit on the distance that can be rendered?

Saderguy:  I've been using anim8or for five years and learned two new techniques thanks to your "stupid question."  Thanks for asking it, and thanks to those who answered.

I have a simple scene:

One object flying along a path.  One infinite light.  One camera.
Scanline renderer, .bmp output.  Nvidia GeForce 7600 GS

When the light is set to cast volume shadows, the scene animation renders.  When I set it to raytrace, ordered or monte carlo, it renders a few frames and crashes.  This happens in 095 and 097.  During any kind of rendering, still or movie, my monitor randomly goes black, and even off throughout the process.

It has been a couple of years since I rendered animations but never had this trouble with anim8or before.  Can anyone help please.

Edit:

Just tested again:  it renders 7 frames then crashes.  I render the next set and again, seven frames then crash.

I got your e-mail.  I don't understand what all the files are.  How did you make the .uvs files?  They have a comment that says they were make in UVMapper at the top.  Similarly the .obj files both say they were made by UVmapper.  Anim8or writes a different comment at the top of the file when it exports to .obj format by both the built in and plug-in exporters.

Can you explain the sequence of steps that you did?

When you export from anim8or you lose groups (and materials in earlier versions).  If you have two identical geometries, and assign materials and groups and lay out the uv coordinates in one model, you can save that model and also export a .uvs file, then open the unmapped geometry in UVMapper, and Import uvs; it will assign them to it just as in the first model.  Voila:  groups and materials in both models.  This will only work if the geometry in both models is identical.

Build model in anim8or.
Export as HP_OltonHall.obj
close anim8or

Open UVMapperPro
Import HP_OltonHall.obj
Lay out UVs, assign textures and groups, save HP_OltonHall.obj. 
Export uvs. 
close UVMapperPro.

Open  HP_OltonHall.obj with anim8or ver .95.  Select some vertices and move them.  (Do not detach faces or in any way change the geometry other than scaling or moving.)  In my case I wanted the boiler a bit shorter so i selected the verts on it and moved them.
Export HP_OltonHallExported.obj
close anim8or

Open HP_OltonHallExported.obj with UVMapperPro.  You will see the changes you made in the verts and also there will be a default group and default material.
Import uvs -- select HP_OltonHall.uvs
UVMapperPro will apply the mapping, groups, and materials from the first model to this modified and exported one.  Save the model as HP_OltonHallFinal.

Here's the test:
Now try it with version 97b.  You will get an error reading Incompatible facet structure.  Something has changed in the model from the export from anim8or.  I've used anim8or and UVMapper with this method for years; this new version adds verts or faces or something.
 

I built a steam train in anim8or, mapped it with UVMapperPro.  9 materials, 72 groups.  Rigged it in Poser.  Discovered that some doors need to be wider, and other slight modifications need to be made.  Modified it in anim8or then exported but could not recover my uvs.
 
Ordinarily I can export .obj from anim8or, open it in UVMapper, import the saved UVs, and move on.  Something is changing in the .obj in anim8or; UVMapper throws the error "Incompatible Facet Structure" and cannot import UVs as in the past.  Reverting to anim8or version .95 solves it, and I can export then import uvs.  In this train model there are about 51,000 polys; I noticed a 7 poly difference between the original mapped model and the same model after exporting from anim8or.