Fuchur

Hm, Thom really is not a complex model... This is my current pc setup: https://www.patchwork3d.de/blog-5-en/amd-ryzen-my-new-pc-for-content-creation-with-hash-animationmaster-and-games-part-23-783 And it has been pretty much great for A:M. A RX 580 beats my RX570. The 1070 is better if your CAD software supports CUDA, if not the 580 has more "raw power". What is a little bit odd: An i7 as a printserver? That is pretty much overkill... but good for you ;). Did you install the latest driver for the current video card? The default one of Win10 are not meant for 3d graphics and that might be troublesome or your card is running very hot? Are the fans spinning as they should? Best regards *Fuchur*

Pretty amazing...

Did you try out what I suggested? I am not sure what happens if you are opening a program installed on one computer through network on another. I would say that all the stuff is saved in the registery of the original computer and is like that not available for the other one, but I could be wrong. It sounds like something that is a highly risky security vise (to be able to open a program from another computer and change stuff with that there) and I would never had try that, but if you are okay with that, try it out. Maybe the slaves will try to open a file like master_64.MAC next to the executable or something like that but it is more likely that those information is saved in the registery of the computer and then it is pretty much over if you ask me. I never messed with it because it just worked without a problem for me by installing A:M on each system and that creates the right registery entries for it, but if A:M does not need those and saves it to a file, you might be lucky. Best regards *Fuchur*

You might try to put in your network address in A:M itself. I am not sure if that helps, but you could try it: 1.) Go to the computer where the full A:M is installed on and open A:M. 2.) In A:M click on "Tools > Options" and go to "Folders". 3.) Click on the drop down and choose "Image IO Plugins (iio files)" and set in the field below the network drive and not the local one. (i would copy the default folder path to a editor just in case) Since you are opening the Slaves/Messengers from that folder, maybe it will choose those pathes from there too? Best regards *Fuchur*

Any reason you are not just installing A:M on the other machine? Best regards *Fuchur*

I never tried it like that... always had A:M installed on each machine. You do not need the lic-file on the other computer if you are only using it for rendering. Maybe just use a local path for rendering for now and see if that works? Best regards *Fuchur*

Is it a complex project or just a very simple one (start with the second of cause ). It really is just a guess but are you running the same version of A:M/Netrenderer on both systems? Are you using GPU features in the project? I think I could even run different versions of A:M, but I am just not sure at the moment. Best regards *Fuchur*

Where are the project files placed? Netrender will not share the project files (or textures, etc.) over the network or something. It needs to be accessable by every computer in your network by itself best by using the same network drive letter or you have to replace the path-string "c:/project/myproject/" by "g:/project/myproject/" or something like that. See 6.) for where to do that. Or can you already access it like that on your windows file explorer using the same path and it can not access that? Best regards *Fuchur*

Did it work out Robert? Best regards *Fuchur*

Yes, if you have a firewall running, you have to let the activity of netrenderer through of cause. Best regards *Fuchur*

Hi Robert, a good starting point might be that: It is a shame, that the pdfs are not available anymore here, but there is still nice information in there. And here the PDFs are still available: Important: All computers need to be in the same network of cause! It is very helpful, if you have the render-data at a place where every computer can access it. Best is a NAS or another type of network drive. If you do not have something like that, you can still copy the data (A:M files, textures, etc.) over to each computer on the same position like for instance "C:/am_project/my_project.prj". Important: Do not copy it on your desktop, since the path will vary from computer to computer if the computer user name is different(!). In general it is pretty easy: 1.) Start RenderServer_64.exe on one of your computers. Make sure it has at least one Core assigned, which is not occupied by a Messenger/Slave. Theoretically it is not necessary, but I think it is the best option. 2.) Now you should read out the IP-address and Port of this computer / the Render Server. You should be able to see that by going to "Tools > Options > Connection". 3.) You can use the other cores of the computer (renderserver) to render too. 4.) Double-Click on RenderMessenger_64.exe in the A:M folder and use the wizard. There your NetRender Server should be automatically set to the IP address you got from step 2. If not, put it in. Same with the port. 5.) On "User defined data" you do not have to put something in, but it is a good idea to write something in that helps you to identify the computer with. That makes it easy to find out, if something is happening with that computer (this is not very hard to guess if you have only 1 or 2 computers in use, but I did it with 12 computers before and than this is really helpful). 6.) If the path of the project files (etc.) is different for the computers (so you could not use a NAS / network drive with the same letter (P:/, etc.) on the computers or you could not copy the files to the same position, the next step can help you. I would try to avoid it, but you can try it out here. 7.) Now start the next computer and install A:M on it. You do not need an own license for that computer or something. After install, just click on "RenderMessenger_64.exe" and follow the Wizard here too. Be sure to put in the right IP and Port of the RenderServer now. 8.) Check the connection of the Rendermessenger. You can see that, in the task bar (next to the clock on Windows). If the icon shows a connection (both "lines are next to eachother without a gab inbetween). If that worked, go back to the Renderserver and have a look. In the lower area of the RenderServer-Window you should now see the other computer-Netrenderslaves and the one of your own computer. 9.) If that is the case, the connection is working and you should be pretty ready to go :). After that just open Render Messenger on both computers as often as you've got cores (or virtual cores if you use HT/SMT). Only on the Netserver computer leave one to the server. So if you have a 4 core computer with HyperThreading (HT, Intel) or Simultaneous Multithreading(SMT, AMD) you can use 8 instances on the other computer and 7 on the the server (if the server is a 4 core too). 10.) Now on the Render Server go to "File > New". This will open a new window (Pool1 or something like that). In that at the top right-click and choose "New Job". A wizard will pop up. Give it a name (this is only for you if you render a couple of different jobs in a row for instance you can see what you do there... for instance "Peter's day out - Walk animation Scene 01 - Take 01" or something like that is a good idea, especially since I leave the jobs in there in general even if they have finished. Browse for the project-file (or chor) on the next button. Be sure, that the path is available on all computers in the same way (or use the option of 6.). Select which camera and chor in the project you want to use below that. In general you can leave OpenMP off and GPU is only needed if you use for instance FakeAO/SSAO or something like that. But first I would just try it with an very easy project. 11.) Next put in the render settings you want or use a preset. At the path at "Filename" make sure that the path is available for any computer. You can render to your own c:/ or a net-drive. For the net drive be sure you can access that from any computer. Anything else should be clear. It is mostly the normal render settings you already should know. 12.) After that the new job should be available in the Pool1-Wndows. Now save the job on the server somewhere. (or a net drive... this does not need to be available to other computers) 13.) Now drag and drop the Instances in the lower area of the Window to the lower part of the Pool1 window. After that, the Netmessengers on the computers should start Renderslaves and render the things. You should be able to watch that on the computer displays and you should be able to see that on the REnder Server too. It refreshes every few settings. If something is not working, you should get an information about errors and so on. If you get some, check what it might be on the computer or by having a look at the render server. Notice: In the Pool1 Window the right mouse button is key. There are a couple of different options there which are really helpful (and pretty straight forward). I hope I could help a little. If you have any kind of question or problems let us know. Best regards *Fuchur* PS: And this might be interesting for a lot of cores too: https://www.patchwork3d.de/start-am-netrender-185-en

Maybe you need to set the key color differently? Import your TGAs and if they do not have an alpha channel in them, you should find an Option "Key Color" below it in the Images folder. Try to set that to white. Best regards *Fuchur*

There is one option called "Compress (RLE)". Is that the problem? Best regards *Fuchur*

Anything like Let's Encrypt is not an option? If you are only after domain certification it really does the job pretty well and you have more or less full control over it especially if you use Plesk or any other server software that can handle re-issuing it automatically? Best regards *Fuchur*

You are very likely allowed to use v17 very likely but not v18 or up. I am not sure what Xnview does there, but I would try it out. It is free and available here. It might give you an option for that. Xnview is very different from Photoshop and a lot faster in what it can do but of cause it can not do what Photoshop can do often. In Photoshop you could use a Layer-Mask with the content of a alpha channel to get the data out fine, but the problem is it is a pretty manual process there. Best regards *Fuchur*

You could try to mass convert them with Xnview for instance to PNG. Best regards *Fuchur*

I would open a report and but the file in it. Steffen would than use yours instead of the current one very likely. Otherwise something like WinMerge might help a lot for that. Best regards *Fuchur*

Short answer: There is none at the moment. I thought to program a upload functionality for that on the website, but I got sidetracked. I'll see into that and what to do there, but it will very likely take a little time till I can come up with something. But you can always start changing it and we will then see what to do (in your case pretty sure that it will be approved anyway ;)) All the data is saved in the txt file in the A:M installation called "AMAindex.txt". Best regards *Fuchur*

One of the best line ups I've ever seen from them. They are very likely killing all intel has to offer in the desktop market now and they have been pretty nice since Ryzen (1) came out already. And now it seems like they can beat everything Intel has up to i9 even if we look at IPC. Very happy to see this :). *Fuchur*

Very pretty

Check your mail again ;). Best regards *Fuchur*

@john: I've been using Unity3d with A:M for quite some time now for smaller stuff... same workflow more or less and it can import and access the animations created with A:M and exported from Unwrap3d. @robert: A:M's directx-exporter can't do it and I think I asked the original developer way back if it would be possible to include vertex-/cp-/muscle-/morph-target-animations and he said it would not be possible with directX. It only supports bones and cp/vertex weights. It might be possible with DirectX 9, but the plugin can only export v8. But I am not sure if v9 would make any difference for that...

DirectX can not handle muscle animation. You can only use bone animation and CP weights. It is not Sketchfab, so I am not sure what they would support. Best regards *Fuchur*

That looks pretty cool John :). Well done! I just had a look with my VR headset on here and she really is looking great. Best regards *Fuchur*

Congratulations everybody, VERY well done – and as always very entertaining and very well done Robert :). Best regards *Fuchur*