I want to run Renderman Pro Server from the command line

[james-thompson--2]

I want to do it like this, from the FXPHD tutorial on Renderman 101;

Apparently the Windows Command Line won't do this.

So what do I do in Windows 7 to run Renderman Pro Server 13.5 from a command line?

Yes I know I can run it from Maya 2008,

No I don't want to do that.

Yes I know I can run it from Houdini

No I don't want to do that.

Yes I know that I can get 3Delight.

Yes I have it downloaded no I don't want to do that.

Yes I know about Aqsis no I don't want to descend into the hell of Blender.

I've heard there are command prompts/Shells that you can download to Windows 7 that will allow you to go into the Pixar/Pro Server/Bin/prman and give it direct commands by command line...

I'm actually wishing I had a Mac for the first time in my life. They'va actually got a command prompt setup that can just do this..

I want to, need to run Renderman Pro Server from the command line.

Any experienced Renderman hands out there?

Anyone?

If I install Cygwn and then use this will that allow me to run Renderman pro server from the command line?

http://lifehacker.com/362316/use-unix-commands-in-windows-built+in-command-prompt

[jongretar]

Sorry, I don't understand from that image what you want to do with RenderMan Pro Server. Are you asking how to run prman from any directory? If that's the case you just need to add it to the PATH variable.

 Go to Start->right click on My Computer->Properties->Advanced->Environment Variables

Select the Path variable from the System Variables, click Edit. Add to the end of the value:

;%RMANTREE%\bin

click ok and then ok. Open up a new prompt and test.

Ian

[james-thompson--2]

[quote=2stepdmb]Sorry, I don't understand from that image what you want to do with RenderMan Pro Server. Are you asking how to run prman from any directory? If that's the case you just need to add it to the PATH variable.

Thanks..

[james-thompson--2]

OK, here is a guy running 3delight through OSX Terminal

How would I do that in Windows 7?

[joojaa]

You know you would have failed even on a mac based comandline just as epically.

Anyone know for real?

the answer was pretty real and effective you just failed epically in reading comprehension. Tough possibly you failed to ask the question you want to solve.

However your error has actually nothing to do with your question. The renderman works as expected its just telling you that for some reason it cant open a file for output. The indication is thus everything works form command prompts point of view but the system has some restrictions going on that's all. So your looking ath the problem in the wrong place.

Now why is that? Well it certainly isnt because the instructions are wrong or anything, but probably because you dont have the write permissions to the folder in question or the file is there but has writeprotetion on or something.

If I install Cygwn and then use this will that allow me to run Renderman pro server from the command line?

Wont solve anything. Going linux wont solve anything going mac wont solve anything. Same kinds of system defences exist on all operating systems.

[joojaa]

How would I do that in Windows 7?

exact same way. Like i said (in previous but post is below, yeah the board sucks on following the thread) the problem is not in the command end. The prman does work it just reports that there is a error going on. Why theres a error has nothing to do with the command line itself.

You've succeed in what you asked. However there's a error you need to solve in the rib file or environment itself.

PS: we cant help if you dont usnderstand the answers. In that case you nee dto ask the things you dont know.

[james-thompson--2]

 Go to Start->right click on My Computer->Properties->Advanced->Environment Variables

Select the Path variable from the System Variables, click Edit. Add to the end of the value:

;%RMANTREE%\bin

click ok and then ok. Open up a new prompt and test.

Ian

I did do exactly that JooJaa..

[joojaa]

Yes however your solving the wrong problem here.

Ok, lets have this conversation once your finshed running around with the i must succeed right now glasses and have te tme to step back. I can guarantee once you do you will find that you allready have the solution.

In fact your 10 seconds away from your just pushing the envelope too much to spot it. Your problem solving mode is actually stopping you form seeing the problem. Everything is working your just not working out.

So summary thus far is:

you cry word doesnt start. -> expecting word starting to print out form the printer
You gat a response word starts, shoose file pront and then if that fails check your printer connection.
You respond uh ooh no well i heard of thsi program called gimp im sure it will do what i want.
We go OK.

Be a abit carefull here, running around like this will make us wonder why we even bother with you

[james-thompson--2]

Yes however your solving the wrong problem here.

Ok, lets have this conversation once your finshed running around with the i must succeed right now glasses and have te tme to step back. I can guarantee once you do you will find that you allready have the solution.

In fact your 10 seconds away from your just pushing the envelope too much to spot it. Your problem solving mode is actually stopping you form seeing the problem. Everything is working your just not working out.

Ok I'm sorry I was rood to 2stepdmb...

[joojaa]

Ok try making a VERY simple file in another directory you know you have control over and try that FIRST.

[james-thompson--2]

Ok try making a VERY simple file in another directory you know you have control over and try that FIRST.

I've already made a .txt file in a sandbox folder, and saved it as an .rib if that's what you mean...it's a simple sphere..

Display "hello_World" "it" "rgba"
WorldBegin

Translate 0.0 0.0 0.0
Scale 2.0 2.0 2.0
sphere 0.25 -0.25 0.25 360

WorldEnd

This is what I get when I run it;

[joojaa]

And you have permssions to use the privilidged user account?

Waht odes your network say?

[james-thompson--2]

Well, I'm Administrator but I get this;

[joojaa]

Ahh well if you inetnd to use powershell then i suggest you actually learn to use it first. You need to sign your scripts. But really use the normal shell it does this no nee dto learn the ultrahardcore concepts first. PRman doent work any different form what it does in the normanl shell sedpite the shell you use.

PS. did it evre occour to you to actually do what the computer TOLD you to do. ie type get-help about_signing

PPS: i dont have a rib file at hand but im pretty sure the sphere example is not good. In any case try to render to tiff file first as the it needs a communication socket to work wich MAY be blocked by your firewall. In any case ill look into it once i go and vist the uni next week or so.

PPPS: dont run before you turn the lights on. See whatkeeps happening is you now THINK your getting forward, you havent your still at same stage. the only thig youve succeeded in doing is a bigger gap between what you odnt know and what you do.

You should watch: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/tom\_wujec\_build\_a\_tower.html what your doing is the incentives low skill thing,

[james-thompson--2]

http://www.thenga.co.uk/RenderManAPI.htm

[james-thompson--2]

So far I've installed Cutter, and have Renderman PRo Server 13.5.2 and Renderman Studio 1.0.1 for Maya 2008 installed.

I've also gotten Cutter to communicate MEL commands to Maya 2008 through Port 2222.

  

But I can't get Cutter to work with my Pixar Renderman installation...yet..

    

So I'm in Cutter trying to set up the PATH in Cutter Preference Tool.

      

There's at least 6 of these PATHs to set up

       

I have no idea whether I'm supposed to be setting up the PATHs to elements within the folders;

1. Docs
2. license 5.0.2
3. Renderman Pro Server 13.5.2
4. Renderman Studio 1.0.1 Maya 2008

This is the stuff I've been trying to link to so far without success. I don't know whether that's because it's locked or because I'm just choosing the wrong executables.

    

or is it here somewhere in Studio 1.0.1?

     

How do you access Renderman Pro Server normally anyway?  So far Renderman Studio 1.0.1 within Maya 2008 works fine but that's not what I need right now.

I want to emulate the tutorials in FXPHD Renderman 101..

This is the bin in Studio 1.0.0 for Maya 2008..

   

[jongretar]

From those screenshots, it looks like you're putting in the wrong path RenderMan Pro Server. I think you're forgetting the (x86) part:

C:/Program Files (x86)/Pixar/RenderManProServer-13.5.2

Ian 

[james-thompson--2]

Thank you 2stepdmb....

[james-thompson--2]

So is it Catrib that I'm supposed to be using then??

RIB
RenderMan Interface scene descriptions for PhotoRealistic RenderMan are specified with RIB. RIB is basically a language-independent specification mechanism for calls to the RenderMan Interface. This specification can be created in ASCII or, for efficiency, in a compressed binary format. The modeling system used to generate scene descriptions is expected to output RIB, usually by using the RIB client library, librib.a, that is described in The RenderMan Interface Bytestream Protocol Library.

PhotoRealistic RenderMan supports RIB files, in either binary or ascii forms, with or without gzip compression. See PRMan Options: RIB Output for details on controlling the format of RIB files.

One tool that can be useful in dealing with RIB files is the program catrib. Catrib can be used to convert between binary and ASCII formats, and as a means of transmitting RIB data to a rendering server. For example, if the file binary.rib contains binary RIB data, then the following will create an ASCII version of this data in the file ascii.rib:

catrib -ascii binary.rib > ascii.rib
By default the output generated by catrib is sent to the standard output. Thus the following might be used to compare the ASCII output to a previously created file:

catrib -ascii binary.rib | diff - oldascii.rib
The format of the output generated by catrib can be specified as binary or ASCII by using the -binary and -ascii options, respectively. Alternatively the environment variable RIFORMAT can be set to "binary" or "ascii". Beware, however, that this environment variable is also used by the client RIB library that applications use to generate RIB data. Thus setting this environment variable may also affect the operation of your modeling system.

[joojaa]

So is it Catrib that I'm supposed to be using then??

If you want to concatenate two rib files, or convert their type.

It wouldnt hurt you to read a bit on how commandlines work.