final render network rendering

[Marcel]

Netwrok rendering is described in the Max online reference (the help files) very thorougly.

What it comes down to is running the sever on every computer and the manager on the computer that distributes the tasks (or the other way around, it's always confusing).
Then click Netrender in the render dialog and a new window pops up when you start rendering.

Look in the help files, it's easy enough to set up if you follow it step by step.

And what are you going to render if I may ask? (And where did you get those 40 computers? :surprised: )

Good luck!

Marcel Vijfwinkel

[shocky]

Ok... I think I can setup the manager and servers that came with max installation, but I'm using finalRender to do the rendering, and so my problem lies in setting up finalRender on the servers...

Lets say I already have 40 computers on the same network, each running a server and one of them running the manager. This is done by minimum installations of max4.2 on every computer, then setting up the manager/server programs. Now how do i set up finalRender?

I'm doing some animation for my school, and the school has around 20computers x 6labs that I can use, but I think i can only get hold of 2 labs at a time. That gives me 40 Pentium4 1.8Ghz computers to do the rendering. ARghh... but I don't know how to setup finalrender!!

[Marcel]

Just install it like you normally would. (It doesn't have free network rendering like Max though!)

How do you normally start fR? By using Max! So:

Max will start a render by network rendering, and will use fR automaticly!

The install on the network stations should be the same as the main computer, down to each and every plugin you use.

Marcel

[shocky]

It doesn't have free network rendering like Max though Erm.. that means i need to get 40 licenses for finalrender? Or does installing them without authorising the plugin work just fine for the servers?

[Marcel]

Erm.. that means i need to get 40 licenses for finalrender? Or does installing them without authorising the plugin work just fine for the servers?

Yep, get your 40 licenses! :)

Maybe it'll work, I think I've rendered the example scenes without proper authorisation one time (couldn't change any settings), so you might be lucky (and a BAD BOY! :shame: )

Good luck!

Marcel

[shocky]

Hehe... I'll try thanks for the tip.

[Marcel]

Show us what you are making! I'm curious?
What do you use fR for? Radiosity, or do you use all the other cool stuf?

Marcel

[shocky]

Lol the teacher-in-charge just told me that they'll get someone else to do the thingy instead... either director or powerpoint i think... arghhh my >24hrs of continuous modelling/texturing!!

I'm pretty new to max(just a few weeks old)... here's what i was working on.. comments? Hmm.. maybe if i can reduce the rendertimes, i can better convince the teacher...

[shocky]

Here...

[shocky]

more

[shocky]

Last...

[Marcel]

What is it?

And I think you could render the same image with Max's default scanline renderer much faster. To be honest I don't really see the fR effects.

Marcel

[shocky]

Seriously, I don't know what I'm making :P I'm rerendering them in fR with GI off to see if there's any difference. If I'm not wrong, the finalRender homepage stated that their renderer was faster than max's default scanline renderer.. true?

[shocky]

This is rendered in fR with all GI off. Only changed one omni which affects the glass only. Rendered in 12min12sec instead of ~30mins :) Let me try the scanline renderer...

[shocky]

Hmm... is there any quick way to convert fR materials to Standard materials? All the materials used in my scene are fR materials...

I think the glass looked more black without GI... or was it just the shifting of the omni.. let me rerender this scene with GI...

And does unchecking Recieve Caustics under Rendering Control affect my scene and rendering time? Is there anyway I can reduce GI hence speeding up the rendering?

[Marcel]

There is a conversion utility under the last tab (aptly named: Utilities)

Press 'More..' select fRMtlConv and do some stuff.

The raytracer of fR is probably faster than the default scanline renderer, but NOT if you are going to use GI!

And again, I really don't see the GI in your render. Such a render would take about 30 seconds with the default renderer and shadow mapped lights.

Check your personal messages :)


Marcel

[shocky]

Check your mail! :)

[Marcel]

I'm taking a look at it...

Marcel

[shocky]

Ok thanks. I've rerendered that view three times...



[With GI?]
mental ray Rendering Control > Generate GI: unchecked
fR Parameters > fR Globals > Enable GI: checked
Materials: Standard

Render time: 11min56sec

[shocky]

[GI Off]
mental ray Rendering Control > Generate GI: unchecked
fR Parameters > fR Globals > Enable GI: unchecked
Materials: Standard

Render time: 1min28sec

[shocky]

[Without GI]
mental ray Rendering Control > Generate GI: unchecked
fR Parameters > fR Globals > Enable GI: unchecked
Materials: finalRender

Rendertime: 1min22sec

*Hmmmm... looks abit different when i used fR materials... i converted the original fR materials to Standard materials for the above 2, then using the same utility, converted them to fR materials...

[shocky]

[Without GI]
mental ray Rendering Control > Generate GI: unchecked
fR Parameters > fR Globals > Enable GI: unchecked
Materials: finalRender

Rendertime: 1min22sec (Remained constant)

*Hmmmm... i used back the orignal scene before I used the utility to convert the materials from fR to Standard to fR... still the same.

[shocky]

mental ray Rendering Control > Generate GI: unchecked
fR Parameters > fR Globals > Enable GI: unchecked
Materials: finalRender w/ Standard

Rendertime: 1min26sec

Since I want to save every few seconds possbile (I still have some hidden objects), I've to use fR materials, but I want the way the glass thingy looked with Standard materials, so I slapped it with a Standard material. Saved 2 sec from the same scene using 100% Standard material. :)

*Hmm Marcel I'm worried about those bubbles thingy don't look the way they look without GI or fR materials as they looked like on the first few pics posted... haven't try yet :P

Couldn't tell initially that the GI effects were almost non-existant in my renders. Thanks marcel, looks like my render time shrunk from 30-40mins per render to just 1 :)

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.