Network rendering

[mycs]

I use for net rendering a software named Muster. Is very good and u can render one frame on multiple processors (worKstations). :wavey:

[BunnyBunny]

Ok, where can one find it :)

[mycs]

http://www.vvertex.com/

Is very powerfull and...expensive, but is probably the best.

[BunnyBunny]

Thx alot man

[dann_stubbs]

whoa! hold up there!

taking one opinion from someone who appears to use just the one is putting A LOT of trust in one opinion... at least here is my opinion from experiences with many render managers...

i have used pretty much all the render managers for maya while looking for one for myself - including smedge, muster, and multiple more...

there are dozens out there - probably the most powerful but requires a little too much scripting for my taste is RUSH. (by the way it is also much more expensive then the others - so if price is your guide there you go)

i tried both smedge and muster for quite a while and even went back to try updated versions during my decision process - i almost purchased smedge even though i wanted the linux and osx ability of muster... smedge does not have these other clients yet - and has been saying they would be out for quite a while now - that kinda set me back about totally using it - very little updates have been happening with it...

while i had heard quite a few issues and problems with muster during my months of research - i didn't have too many and the latest updates i believe have got most of them - i didn't really like the multiple programs to accomplish the whole setup and use of muster - seemed it could be much simplier to administer if it was consolidated down a little.

after kinda hitting a roadblock with these two programs and their each weaknesses in my viewpoint - i couldn't make a decision so i was stuck for a while - i started looking at other programs that were for other platforms - i came across a program called butterfly net render - i didn't really like the logo at the time - it seemed a little less "professional" then i felt comfortable with - it also seemed to have a very large lightwave user base and so-so support for maya on the web site and online tutorials... i was concerned it was a lightwave manager just modified to work with maya... yes, but not really it turns out...

i kept digging and sent multiple emails to all three smedge, muster and BNR with questions and about features. while i did get responses from everyone i was very please with the quick responses and very detailed replies to my requests from BNR. this helped my confidence with adding that program to my top 3 list. during this time the web site also was updated and suprise there was a new logo and more maya features being promoted... hmmm... this seems much better now... i actually felt enough interest to request a demo...

i am so gald i did, i totally am sold on BNR, the programmer told me he has a much larger lightwave user base so that is why the "appearance" of lightwave favortism - just a factor of the feedback he is getting.

so i am a totally happy user of BNR and have been trying to provide any feedback to make it a better product which has been very graciously received by paul lord - the programmer. this really makes me feel comfortable with the program and so far the one small issue i've had (group naming is not shown as the custom values in all places) he is working to address - not a big deal really - instead of Group1, Group2 etc i have changed mine to XP, RH (redhat) and OSX... i just would like to see my custom groups if possible instead of the default... he also just added more maya specific tutorials due to my feedback - even though i already own the program i still checked out the new tutes... they really explain the features better then any other maya render manager out there (actually RUSH has good - but complex - info/details about it's program too)

http://metanerd.bizland.com/

here is the BNR website - do some research - but at least look at this one, BNR, smedge and muster all offer demos limited to 1 or two computers, with demo keys available... so you can really see how they setup and work

...but do yourself a favor and look into Butterfly Net Render before you purchase... i have been very happy with it and i think you will like it too... besides the more maya users that use it and give feedback the better it will get for us!

dann

[BunnyBunny]

Thanks a million man, your advise is very much apriciated. I´m just begining to look in to this matter, so I´ll keep you posted. Again thanks a million.

[Chappo]

Hmmm....

I have another question though regarding network rendering.
Having used only a few, the ones i tested didn't do what i wanted.

What i wanted is that the host renders as well as the clients.

For example.... i have 3 computers, and on 1 i am working on.
After finishing a scene, i just want to hit render natively or in another program and then it will render on all 3 computers including the one i'm working on.

The ones i tested are 'server' / 'client' based, where i can only control on which computer it should render but that didn't include the 'host'.


Maybe someone knows an easy program to do this ?
Just want to have hassle free rendering over multiple computers fast and easy :)


Thanks

[dann_stubbs]

BNR does have a plugin for this function for lightwave

i am pretty sure i saw something like this for maya too at one time - but i think the whole rendercontroller was not much more then a bunch of mel scripts - not what i was looking for. (you could write a mel script to network a render on clients using not much more then the machine ip and the render and flag options - but much harder to catch bad or incomplete frames etc... rerender, pause/start etc - at least for me... maybe a mel god could do it)

alias poweranimator used to have this render out to clients feature too - and i haven't used it but the irix version still includes dispatcher - that is alias' version of a network render manager but it doesn't work on anything but irix... (i think that explains why there are so many 3rd party maya controllers)

what you can do in this case if you are running a copy of Maya on NT you could make that machine the server as well (really not a problem as the server needs not much for resources) and then just launch the renders from there.

not really an option box to start the render on the "farm" as i think you are looking for though - possibly paul (author of BNR) could look into this function for maya too. all i can suggest is send him an email and ask - at the very least he could put it on his to do list...

dann

[dann_stubbs]

actually in rereading your post you could do this with any BNR, and i am pretty sure smedge or muster.

you just install the server on the same CPU as maya is on.

when you want to render you just move to the server controller (pop up the controller from the system tray - running in the background on the same CPU) and then add render to queue. your 3 cpus (including the one running the server) have the client installed.

it will take a little more resources this way because the interactive maya will be eating a lot of the ram active - but not different then launching a render into a background shell while maya is running (which is exactly what these manager do - just automated with a nice interface)

so yeah, that is easy to accomplish that way...

dann

[Chappo]

Would be cool to have a little program for just that !

Sort of like hitting 'Use all available processors' but instead it also takes in account the processors which are in the same network and uses all the processors on that network to calculate along :)
And ofcourse the output will be on the computer ur working on.

[dann_stubbs]

as i said BNR has a plugin for it's lightwave version for this - you could always request it as a maya request.

dann

[BunnyBunny]

One silly question. Does Maya have to be installed on all the comps?

[dann_stubbs]

some render managers do - but many do not - with BNR you can just map all the clients to one common maya directory (say in your shared folder where projects to render are - or on a file server) smedge works this way too - i can't recall if muster does but i think so...

and then the clients will lauch their instance of maya from there - you can let it use the local copy of maya on say workstations if they are also clients on a render farm

but much easier to use a common shared directory so you are sure all render clients are using the same build and resources.

you will need a license key folder/file on all the clients if they do not have maya installed - the maya render app does not need a valid serial number - but it does still look to the same folder and file for authorization - just put a blank key file in there.

your original install of maya you would have done this key thing so just do that on the clients with a blank .key file instead.

dann

[magilla]

I use Smedge - it rocks and it is by far the easiest net render app out there. It does exactly what I want it to do. I can select "Smedge render" from the render menu in Maya - it queues the job in Smedge and I can control clients remotely (and render on the host). One strange (but good) thing it does is have an independant host. If you shut down the "host" (the machine that queued the jobs) it continues to render on the clients.

Also highly recommended is the free app "NetRender" available from highend3D - this has limited server control of clients, but it's FREE!

Smedge is also the cheapest option at $40 per license (client)

Others I have used are Framebooster - great concept - never got it working, and RenderQueue which requires some 3rd party software to remotely access clients. This software wasn't compatible with firewalls so we never got it working.

I looked into Lemon and Muster but thought they looked too complex, not to mention expensive.

regards,

magilla

[BunnyBunny]

Thank you all very much for your input, it´s been very informative. Right now I´m trying out a program called Socks. It came with a book we have here at our firm. Its working very well at the moment. Do you boys know anything about this program? Its still in beta.,

[dann_stubbs]

what version is that?

i tried that - it comes with that maya book Advanced Maya something...(can't remember the name right now)

i actually never could get it working at all... what version is the book coming with now?

the freeware program Maya Net Render (currently 5.7 and free on highend3d.com) is actually very like that program - but i think the MNR actually has more features then socks.

Smedge is a good program too - but BNR has the linux and osx client support found the clincher for me. the maya render to smedge menu option sounds cool i didn't know it had that - but i don't suppose it works on a linux or osx version of maya?

one other feature i really like is BNR has an auto update client option - basically you just select the render clients in the server app and it will propagate out the new versions of the software when you update - may not be needed on small farms - but even with just the 20 cpu's i have on my farm it saved me a few hours installing.

overally a lot of good choices out there - enough options to please any maya user. i also would love to try shake - it has Qrender a network render controller that controlls shake and can control maya too... but that will be another time BNR is working great for me.

dann

[Paradyne]

i have had a good deal of sucess with smedge over the last 8 months. Although the client server system can be fragile at times the price is right and now that we are up to 50 machines the unlimited licence is really paying for itself.

para

[magilla]

smedge works with Maya. Lightwave, 3ds Max, XSI, Soft, Shake, Rayz, Air and MayaMan. Most anything that runs off a command line prompt to a separate render.exe - probably very similar to the shake app you are talking about.

Smedge also has a html record of which client rendered which frame and at what time and how long it took - invaluable for troubleshooting render errors.

Another great feature is being able to view the current frame rendering on any of the clients.

--magilla

[BunnyBunny]

The Socks version I´m using is Beta 0.8 so it might not have all the features yet. I cant find the website for it, maybe there isnt one. I got it from the book Maya secrets of the pros from Sybex, wich is a fun book to read I migth ad:) If anyone knows of a website for Socks please let me know.

[dann_stubbs]

yeah i think that is the same version in my copy too.

i just never had any luck with it - but if you are getting along ok with that you should try the maya net render 5.7 you can download from www.highend3d.com

that should be a boost in features over socks and still a free option.

other then that you've had enough replies now to help on some other paid decisions you might want to make.

i looked around and i couldn't find much on socks either outside the book - the author is a frequent poster on maya listserver (also from highend3d) so you could maybe get a chance to ask questions there.

i as i've said just realized that the free solution wasn't enough for me (although that MNR 5.7 wasn't around at the time - it isn't a bad little program) but as i've said i am happy and running great with Butterflynet Render.

dann

[BunnyBunny]

Cant find it on highend3d

[dann_stubbs]

http://www.highend3d.com/maya/tools/

scroll down a bit (maybe 10 or so) it is there in that list

i hear that A LOT about highend - it is so hard to find anything...

but there it is... have fun

dann

[BunnyBunny]

Thanks a million for your help man.:beer:

[Zacke]

Check out http://www.highdefinitionrender.com/ It is quite expensive but it has a load of features...

[BunnyBunny]

Anybody have a link for Smedge?

[dann_stubbs]

http://www.uberware.net/smedge2/

just searched google for smedge and render.

dann

[dann_stubbs]

just as an update to the price of the options out there - i asked paul if he would consider a smaller bundle package that may appeal to individual or small studio users of maya as well as an additional add-a-client price would be helpful - he posted them on his site...

a 5 client package of BNR is $150 that should be a great option to individuals looking for a rendermanager for maya

also a 5 pack client addition pack is $150 so it is very inexpensive to upgrade and grow your farm or studio (it was always this price but it just wasnt' a public thing you had to ask about client upgrade costs.)

at $30 a client ButterflyNet Render is actually the least expensive option and it also does include the linux and osx client options that smedge does not offer. i'm testing a GUI version of BNR for OSX (client) that will break new ground in ease of adding osx clients without command line usage. that should be a boon to many new mac osx maya users who want to use their mac cpu's to render on with minimal hassle or command line usage.

http://www.liquiddreamsolutions.com

works great for me, i just want others to be aware of a nice tool they may be missing outside of the common smedge and muster replies (both good tools too) and as always the more maya users the better BNR will get for us!

dann

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