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View Full Version : Reccomendable renderfarm?

mocaw
06-04-2009, 02:40 PM
Just wondering if anyone has experience sending out work to a render farm and what their experience was. Is there one you recommend?

I'm still tracking down the problem...but I wasted so much time trying to get these simple renders to not hang/crash on SI 7.5 64bit (things seem solid on 32bit XSI though) that if the client changes their mind I'm SOL. Man I need to upgrade my computer...but that isn't going to help me in the next few days.

This project uses VERY simple passes and, geometry and shaders. There really is no deformation. There are maybe several large 4k textures. That's it. Just a lot of frames...

I'm wanting to pay as little as I can...but know that service and ease of use are worth extra.

How do you get files delivered if you don't have a huge amount of bandwidth on a tight deadline? FedEx on several DVDs or blueray discs?

On a side note- has anyone else noticed that .map files are not necessarily faster anymore?
gent_k
06-04-2009, 05:19 PM
Rendering has just gotten extremely unstable over the last few releases in XSI, not that it ever was the most reliable part of the app as far as handling complex scenes is concerned. People are trying to attribute it solely to the newer BSP in these versions, but even using the older one, rendering scenes is just a lot more unpredictable now.

It's really a shame, because over the last few versions other aspects of render setup have improved quite a lot, such as material managing, the render tree has improved, some longtime issues and annoyances have been fixed etc. but the rendering process as a whole is a lot more frustrating now.

Seeing how other renderers are a lot more optimized and are improving especially on feedback given during render setup (quick interactive previews), handling of large complex scenes etc, in XSI not being able to rely on the thing to leave an overnight render is quite frustrating.

It's especially disappointing as it seems the last few years things have gotten worse, when even prior to that rendering complex scenes or rendering a series of frames in one go was quite unreliable.

Edit: btw if you aren't using 3rd party shaders/plugins you can try this render farm (http://www.xsibase.com/forum/index.php?board=29;action=display;threadid=39671) while it is on beta (free), while you are researching other renderfarms.
mocaw
06-04-2009, 06:34 PM
Hmmm...I'll look into that one you listed since it might be free...but my project is NDA...however...seven of the nine passes should not upset that apple cart and some of those are the most costly...

I'm in contact with PurePowua right now- they seem to have an esp. good setup for XSI (well that's their biz). 50 free creds too to start I think...

Yeah- right now 32bit seems solid to render, but the 64bit 7.5 was just causing me nothing but problems. Like I said, my passes, geometry, animation etc. is all REAL simple. I'm not even using any lights...and very little tracing. No odd ball shaders...

Maybe it was render channels in the rendertree that was cramping the 64bit versions style...but I just don't have the time to beta test anymore at this moment...

I'm so desperate I even borrowed my wife's Macbook...have a house fan pointed at it...rendering on anything I can find while I work out what to do farm wise! I'm sure others have been there too before!
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06-04-2009, 06:34 PM
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