dual processor

[gfxman]

Hi, i would like to know if, xsi does support multiprocessor for renderings, and all the computing about phisic and so on ( sorry for bad english...)

And also, is it possbile to assign one processor a task, and the other processor another task ( to render two frame at time, like i do with lightwave )
thx

[richard-sher]

Yes, XSI is multithreaded and it supports multiprocessor rendering. Yes it is possible to assign one processor a render, and another processor a different one. (like lightwave)

[slayne007]

it doesn't work on my computer !

[ata]

ed,
do you mean mental ray is multithreaded or are you refering to xsi/as well. i had the impression mental ray is multithreaded but xsi is not, can you confirm that for us. and if xsi is multithreaded, do you mean the complete app or certain elements, eg fur, etc, etc,

[devdoka]

Not entirely sure so don't quote me, but I think XSI is "multi-tasking" while mental ray is multi-threaded. Individual tools in XSI may be multithreaded since they're loaded from separate dll's, but that may be in a case-by-case basis.

Matt

---

Matt Lind
Animator / Technical Director
Softimage certified instructor:
Softimage|3D
Softimage|XSI
speye_21@hotmail.com

[syntetik]

maybe it's not the same thing you were talking about but why XSI (v2) doesn't use both proscessors by 100%? System has dual PIII 800 and XSI uses only 50% of bouth procs. What should be done to correct this?

[richard-sher]

XSI 2.0 uses both processors without you having to set any thing up. (Unless you are not using a legitimate version, in which case it will only use one processor.)

[wolfinger]

first of all you need to make XSI render on two CPUs. The option for that is in the User Preferences. Of course you will need two available render licenses for this.

Then also if you installed Windows with only one CPU, the second CPU added later won't be automatically picked up. In that case you need to reinstall the windows kernel before Windows starts using both CPUs properly.

[juan-sanchez]

Just to absolutely do his thread to death, is anyone able to offer a definitive guide to MP set-up (in XSI 1.5) as we're struggling to come to terms with the whole concept,...

It's set-up with a two CPU license, the Rendering>Threads in User Pref's. is set to 2, and the CPU monitor in W2K says it's rendering on both CPU's,.... BUT...if we then set the Render Threads to 1, the CPU monitor still shows both CPU's whirring away.....so is there any benefit in having Render Threads set to 2 ?

[richard-sher]

in 1.5, when you switch between 1 and 2 threads, you have to exit XSI and launch it again for the change to take effect.