Programme downloading process

[painterpete]

Hello folks; greetings from Brisbane Australia,

I've used Animmaster since V10 (currently V15). The model densities I am now generating exceed the limitations of 32bit OS.

The checkdiskCD makes for a portable application that can be tried on various OpSystems. (I use XPSP3 rather Wind7 due to

better behaviour from AnimMaster.

I can't find a lot of information about the new downloadable application format (or much else that may be related).

I would be highly appreciative, (perhaps remember you in my will), if someone could point me to where these answers lay...

I need a 64bit version. How do I know I am downloading the 64bit version?

I run AnimMaster on an isolated work machine not connected to the internet. How do I authorise the application on the

isolated machine?

I need to try the app in WinXP_64bit, win7_64bit and the unproven (and ugly) win8_64bit. What is the method of trialling

then removing and reloading, until I pin down the friendliest OS?

What is the optimum number of render nodes.. Quad Core i7 CPU? (Or do the "render nodes" refer to farming?)

In anticipation of success, I promise lots of back slapping and warm fuzziness.

 

Peter

 

(I've made a trial request but no response occurs)

[Rodney]

Hey Peter,

 

For some of your requests you may require a solution through Hash Inc (such as for an isolated computer).

In order to activate current versions of A:M you have to activate via internet. I don't know any way around that.

Once activated though you can disconnect of course.

Since I really don't know the process there, there are several people who have activated A:M on isolated computers before and I'll let them outline their process to you...

 

As for how to know you've got the 64bit versions installed...

With each release Jason Simmons posts the 32bit and 64bit installer links in the Latest Information Forum. You just click on the link and download. I usually rename the downloaded installer to add the version number in case I need to refer back to it or reinstall (which I don't recall ever needing to do).

 

Once installed it'll be very obvious you have the 64bit version installed as there are several screen locations where it specifies 64bit is running.

Of course you can run both 32bit and 64bit simultaneously.

 

Welcome to the forum!

Glad to have you with us.

 

P.S. Jason was out at San Diego Comic Con recently (probably recovering now) so that might be why Hash Inc hasn't responded to any requests you've sent to them.

[Fuchur]

Hi Peter,

 

I'll try to answer your questions:

In general: Win7 64bit is the best 64bit system there is for a PC with the new version (since v17 Aero is no problem anymore... previous versions may have had problems with that).

It is the one which is tested the best and which has very likely the drivers you may need for your machine to run. XP 64bit is very likely not that well programmed (since it was the first 64bit system and only a small amount of people used it)

and like that it may be better to use win7 (this is guessing) and Win8 is not tested very much till now. (there are very few people actually using Win 8 or XP 64bit with A:M till now as far as I know.)

 

Activating the software on an isolated computer is only possible with the help of Hash directly (but it is possible). Jason will guide you through the process. Get in contact with him by writing to support@hash.com. Like Rodney said: It may take one or two days till you get an answer. Be patient. The process will very likely be quite equal to the one to install the trial version. For testing-purposes of the different OSes you may even use the trial version. (> Link)

 

Since Quad i7s do support Hyperthreading (if I am not wrong), you may try to work with up to 7 or even 8 rendernodes there (depending on if you are running the render server on another computer in a local network or on the same computer).

To use the included Netrenderer with all your cores you will need to buy additional rendernodes for that because there are only 4 rendernodes included in A:M initially. They are quite reasonable priced.

More informations can be found here: Additional Rendernodes

 

> Do this at the very end when you are up and running on the final target computer.

 

Hope I could answer your questions.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

[Xtaz]

The model densities I am now generating exceed the limitations of 32bit OS.

Hi Peter... welcome to forum.

now you made ​​me curious, what kind of model are you working ???

[painterpete]

Greetings from Brisbane Australia.

Thanks all for the response.

My apologies for not responding sooner.

Unfortunately (fortunately?) I've been away from the "electrical interwebs"

Please forgive my rudeness.

 

I've set up three multiboot harddrives WIN8-64, WIN7-64-SP1, and WINXP-64-SP2 (all with updates) to trial AnimMaster64bit side by side on same hardware.

(The stoushes they are having with each other regarding "dirty drive" CHKDSKing start delays are a pain in the but)

Current hardware GTX650-1gigVideo, 16gigRAM, i7CPU, GA-H77M-D3H MainBoard

WIN8-64 has had the hacks done to bypass the irritating "touchscreen, mobile-phone GUI" front end.

 

I'll download the trial onto the win7OS and see how that goes.

I might need to download the trialware three times to complete my comparisons.

Does the download process allow for several iterations (instances) of "enabling" the trialware?

Currently all three OS can run 15j-32bit. Of the three, only XP will render using openGL, without exhibiting the previous stored frame (plane?) while creating the newer.

I presume its due to no AERO to contend with.

No problem with all three OS when rendering using DirectX (but realtime render is a bit ugly).

 

The density of the models is my solution for recognizable caricature able to communicate subtle emotions, exhibiting believable anatomical cadences (lumps, bumps and valleys)

when foreshortening.

My methods have evolved over the decade to my current preferred technique of busy, hard modeled topography.

[robcat2075]

Hi Painterpete,

 

Welcome back to A:M!

 

I suspect trying A:M on three OSs would require three trial licenses to be issued and I think they will probably say one trial is enough for any man.

 

The A:M performance differences between win7 and win8 will most likely be microscopic. My rec is to pick the OS you expect to spend the most time on and put A:M on that one.

 

 

Regarding v15 and Aero, you can make windows personalization scheme that omits aero and run A:M in that environment.

 

Isn't Aero gone in win8? I thought that was a big deal.

 

But I believe the Aero problem fixed in the next (v18) release.

[painterpete]

Regards AERO and V15j... I was "thinking out loud" while attached to a keyboard.

I thought it was gone as well.

 

Win8 has the exact same dialogue for "Visual effects/Best performance" as Win7.

"Best performance" disables AERO in win7 (so stopping the "previous frame" ugliness with openGL).

Win8 produces the same openGL ugliness but, using the identical dialogue, "Visual effects/Best

performance" choice has no effect. (The uglies remain)

The taskbar in win8 has "alpha" which is unaffected by the "visual effects/Best performance"

 

Its telling that in a "clean" install, one of the win8 control panel items is "Windows 7 File Recovery"

 

Strewn across the top rail of open widows are occasional "stickit notes", arbitrarily miss-repeating

foldernames of the classic file tree beneath.

 

It appears cobbled together by an undirected committee, with all the promise of VISTA.