Render Farms and Animation Master

[Timothy]

I have searched on "render farm" in this forum, but could not find any postings on this topic.

I assume many users would be interested in this - perhaps there is already a posting on this network rendering, if so, how can I find it here?

 

Here's what I wanted to know..

 

1) Is there a built in network rendering capability so that I could assign the rendering to other machines in my network?

2) What external render tools exist that are compatible with A:M?

3) What platform(s) are supported in network rendering?

4) What Mac specific hardware requirements are there for network rendering.

5) How many seat are included - assuming there is a network renderer?

 

I am sorry to ask such a basic set of questions, but I couldn't find it here.

 

Thanks.

 

Oh, one other thing - after posting this message I continued to dig through this Forum, and eventually found mention of something called NetRender. I wonder if this is the same NetRender offered through MAXON?

 

It looks like this was at one time bundled with earlier versions of A:M - correct?

Is this the only, or best recommendation for an external distributed renderer that will work with A:M?

[Rob_T]

Hi,

 

I'm pretty new here myself but I might actually know something that MIGHT help in this instance so I guess I'll pass it on. I'm sure one of the more experienced members will be along shortly to point out why I'm wrong and direct you to the correct solution.

 

Here is a link I found awhile ago and have been saving for when I need to do such things. I haven't used it, I haven't even read it. But I think it applies to what you are trying to do.

 

Good luck!

 

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showt...p;hl=Installing

[HomeSlice]

For these types of questions, you may get better answers by emailing support@hash.com. It may take a few days for them to get back to you because there are only two guys who do support and also take A:M around to various trade shows around the country.

 

1) Is there a built in network rendering capability so that I could assign the rendering to other machines in my network?

There is no built in network rendering capability. Some users with multi core processors will fire up an instance of AM for each core. (if your processor has two cores, fire up two instances of A:M) - Although people with 4-core processors have reported faster render times when they only fire up three instances of A:M at a time. Say your animation has 2000 frames and you start three instances of A:M. In the first instance, set the render range to 0-2000 and the step to "3". This will render ever third frame, starting with frame 0. In the second instance of A:M, set the render range to 1-2000 and the step to "3". This will render every third frame, starting on frame 1. In the third instance of A:M, set the render range to 2-2000 and the step to "3". This will render every third frame starting on frame 2. The first instance will render frames 0,3,6,9 etc. The second instance will render frames 1,4,7,10 etc. The third instance will render frames 2,5,8,11 etc.

 

There is no built in capability to render multiple choreographies or projects automatically. You have to set up the render for each each choreography manually.

 

Hash does offer a program called NetRender which can distribute rendering tasks to computers over a network (called render slaves). I believe a netrender license will allow you to use as many render slaves as you want. With NetRender, you can set up multiple projects in a cue and have the program automatically render them one after the other. NetRender requires a lot of babysitting, and you must have an expert level of knowledge about setting up, maintaining and troubleshooting networks in general. Last I heard, Hash was charging $500/year (that's $500 per year) for a NetRender license.

 

 

2) What external render tools exist that are compatible with A:M?

There are no 3rd party render tools that are compatible with A:M

 

 

3) What platform(s) are supported in network rendering?

I have only seen NetRender running on Win2K and WinXP machines. It does not run on Linux. I do not know if it will run on Macs.

 

 

4) What Mac specific hardware requirements are there for network rendering.

I don't know if Netrender even runs on Macs. You should ask Hash support about that.

 

 

5) How many seat are included - assuming there is a network renderer?

I believe you can use as many computers (as render slaves) as you want, but you should ask Hash support.

[robcat2075]

Welcome to A:M, Timothy! I hope.

 

How many CPUs do you have?

[Timothy]

Welcome to A:M, Timothy! I hope.

 

How many CPUs do you have?

Personally, my iMac has 2 - but I think the answer is "as many as we can muster up".

That's why I'm interested, so we can figure out what we need, and then start a'gettin.

[robcat2075]

Welcome to A:M, Timothy! I hope.

 

How many CPUs do you have?

Personally, my iMac has 2 - but I think the answer is "as many as we can muster up".

 

 

For a small number of CPUs ( under 8 maybe) that you have physical access to I'd say Holmes suggestion of splitting the work among several instances of A:M is the best one.

 

Last time Martin spoke of NetRender he indicated he'd only sell it to well- known customers who would absolutely not need support in using it largely because they have no way of diagnosing someone else's network problems and they don't have the resources to fix a netrender specific bug if one were found nor do they have the resources to test if it really is a bug with netrender and not simply user error. Net render is probably not an immediate solution for you.

 

Running multiple instances of A:M is a good work around if you have the CD version which allows you to install on any number of computers.

 

 

Alternatively, check out this thread. I have not tried "RenderDone" but it sounds clever whatever it is.

[largento]

Welcome to A:M, Timothy! I hope.

 

How many CPUs do you have?

Personally, my iMac has 2 - but I think the answer is "as many as we can muster up".

That's why I'm interested, so we can figure out what we need, and then start a'gettin.

 

 

The trick to running another instance of A:M on a Mac is to option-drag a second copy of A:M's application folder. I have 2 quadcores in my MacPro and have run three instances of A:M with ease.

[Timothy]

So I was reading over MMZ TimeLord's description on how he set up his render farm - and he mentions needing at least one "Network Version" of A:M.

 

There's nothing listed as a network version on the main A:M website.

 

1. Does anyone know about this?

2. Is it still available?

3. How much does it cost?

4. What platform(s) does it support?

[jakerupert]

Netrender

that was a "discreet" option you could get together with a hardwaredongle only by directly contacting Hash-support

for a very reasonable price, I dont remember exact numbers though.

I mean to recall that Martin no longer wanted to support that option , when websubscripton was started,

because of too costly maintainance and technical support.

 

Best ask support@hash.com directly, if it`s still available.

I suppose it will be available for older versionnumbers at least.

 

I think its still in use by Hash themselves for rendering SO.

[HomeSlice]

I have 2 quadcores in my MacPro and have run three instances of A:M with ease.

 

You have 2 quad core processors? Will you try rendering with 7 or 8 instances of AM and let us know how it goes? It sounds like you have a nice little render farm right in your computer.

[largento]

I have 2 quadcores in my MacPro and have run three instances of A:M with ease.

 

You have 2 quad core processors? Will you try rendering with 7 or 8 instances of AM and let us know how it goes? It sounds like you have a nice little render farm right in your computer.

 

Sure thing!

 

Here's the specs for my MacPro:

 

 

I used 7 instances of A:M 15f and used the "Toys" project from the Extras DVD.

 

I selected a 35 frame segment (running from 00:03:01 to 00:04:05) and opened the project in all seven instances. I set each to render with step 7, increasing the starting frame by 1 for each additional instance. I kept all of the other settings as they were already set in the project. Once I had set up the render settings on all seven, I went through them pressing the "okay" button. (I unfortunately missed one, so it started a tad bit later.)

 

Here were the final times for the seven simultaneous renders:

 

2:33

2:27

2:31

2:31

2:31

2:32

2:27

 

And here's the directory listing of the TGAs:

 

 

35 frames rendered in 2 1/2 minutes. :-)

 

And here's the results put together in a quicktime movie:

 

toys.mov

[HomeSlice]

Nice! Thanks for testing that out for us!

[robcat2075]

35 frames rendered in 2 1/2 minutes. :-)

 

I didn't even know there was an 8 core mac!

 

Are you able to run windows on that? Faster or slower times?

[largento]

I never got around to partitioning the drive and installing Windows via Bootcamp, Robert.

 

I planned on getting another internal drive for that, but haven't felt any urgency to do so. I do have Parallels installed, but that's not a fair test of Windows performance.

 

I would assume that Windows would render faster, but can't prove it.

[photoman]

I partitioned my Macbook and windows ver of A:M runs just as fast from what I could tell, though it does make my computer hotter for some reason. Maybe Mac OSX has better management of ambient cpu time.

 

Photoman

[Rob_T]

Soooo jealous....