Realflow and Network Render

#1

Hello to all,

I´m trying to render a realflow generated mesh sequence over the network, but there is a problem with the nextlimit plugin not working with LW network render (it´s a plugin issue), so I´m trying using surfrep to apply the surface to each file in the sequence, but here comes my question, how to load the new sequence in Layout?
Since the nextlimit plugins has a problem, I can´t use it, I tried object sequencer2, but nothing happens!

Can somebody please give me a hand, I have some 5000 frames to render, it´ll be really frustrating having to render in a single computer.

Thanks in advance!

#2

I don’t know about mentioned plug-ins, but if you have f.e. 5 machines, you can setup rendering scene from 1 to 1000 on 1st machine, install Layout on second machine, plug dongle, and render on it 1001 to 2000 etc. with the all others… Hand made render farm… :slight_smile:

#3

Post #11 in the following thread may offer a solution:-

http://www.realflowforum.com/view_topic.php?id=1820

Shaun

#4

@Trueart support: Setting up a render farm this way it´s probably my last resort.

@Shaun_Michael: Thanks.

#5

No it didn´t have a solution for me. What I need is a way to load a LWO mesh sequence in Layout without using nextlimit plugin.

Like I said I tried Object Sequencer 2, but it didn´t work or I´ve done something wrong.

Thanks in advance.

#6

Are you avoiding the plugin because it doesn’t work for you? If so, the solution Bealobo offered (who, incidentally, works for Next Limit), is something they’ve come across before that has cured the problems with the plugin.

If you can get the plugin working then replacing objects internally using LWs native tools, or DStorm’s tools is unnecessary.

Personally I’ve had no luck with object replacement in LW and never figured out why. One contributor in the LW thread of the realflow forum had it working using the durfrep plugin, renaming the referencenull object the NL plugin creates (although I dont know what to) and it all worked for him.

So a mixture of half workaround and half “normal” procedure may be the solution. If you haven’t tried it, give it a go.

If you have, then I dont know what to suggest I’m afraid and I dont know why the object replacement plugin in LW doesn’t seem to work. Perhaps someone’s had some joy with it.

Current issues with the NL plugins for LW include, most notably, not being able to F10 a sequence and the mesh hold it’s texture from frame to frame. However, this seems to be problematic to track down. I, for one, have two 32 bit machines, one of which the plugin works fine on using both nodes and layer textures, and the other system refuses to even recognise the .p file as a set of plugins (hence the .NET framework suggestion I guess). I also have a 64 bit system where the 64 bit plugin works, and the 32 bit plugin doesn’t.

Very odd.

Shaun

#7

Sorry, double post.

#8

Shaun thanks again for your assistance. My NL plugin works great, except for Network Render, I searched for an answer and found in the Nextlimit webpage that the plugin does not work for network render. The work around they provide is to use surfrep to apply surface settings to each file and then load the sequence in layout. I´m assuming is to load the sequence without using NL plugins since they wont work for Network Render.

So I use surfrep, that went ok, then I loaded the first frame of the sequence in layout, open the object´s geometry properties and applied the object sequencer 2 plugin (which I believe works for load geometry sequences in layout, the manual says nothing about it), but nothing happens the rest of the sequence never gets loaded I remain with just one file.

Thanks again.

#9

I’ll ask at the forum to see if anyone has any answers for you.

Shaun

#10

I’ve started a thread over at realflow forum to see if we cant collect a definitve workflow together, even if its a definitive “it doesn’t work” thread - at least you’ll know and we can attempt to have NL fix it.

http://www.realflowforum.com/view_topic.php?id=1906

Feel free to contribute.

Cheers,
Shaun

#11

if you use the native object sequencer from the properties/geometry/Object Replacement/Object Sequence then your files need to be limited to a 3 digit sequence number. ie Mesh0001 etc will fail but Mesh001 etc will work

so if your working on a 10000 sequence you will need to rename the firt 1000 files to MeshA001 …, the next 1000 to MeshB001 … and then render 1000 at a time

#12

Thanks indeed.

Shaun

#13

First of all, thanks a lot for your efforts Shaun!

@Lightfreeze: Thanks to you too! You solved my problem!

#14

Do you have .NET 2.O installed on all the render machines. The new version of the real flow plugin requires that.

#15

Yeah, thats what the link was to in post #3 that I pointed to. However, having tried this myself on a problematic system, it doesn’t cure the problem with their current plugin release unfortunately.

Shaun

#16

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.