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Render Farm on Linux with Maya...how?

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sunocco 2005-02-14 17:54:34 UTC #1

I'd like to create a (small) render farm with Linux for Maya. I'm just really unsure on how to do it. Googling for it turned up pretty much nothing.

I'd assume that I'd need to cluster the Linux boxes...but beyond that I have no idea. Does anyone out there have a Linux render farm? Or has an idea on how to do it, or a link they can point me to?

All my linux boxes are gentoo...so I'll probably be running that unless I need to change for some unforseen reason.

Thanks in advance.

kai01-w 2005-02-16 17:12:34 UTC #2

What do you mean...you have to cluster them?
We have a small farm of IBM Blades running on SuSE...
The admin just made one image right, which he then put on all the machines.
For rendermanagement you can use DrQueue (for Maya Software renders).
For Mental Ray it's even more simple since 6.5 and Maya Satellite...

-k

knecht 2005-02-26 16:58:35 UTC #3

drqueue is a good OpenSource software but just works with maya software (maya 6).
You just have to install maya on one machine, the other machines mount the /usr/aw '(maya folder), /opt/drqueue (renderfarm Software) and your project folder from the server. I have made some experience, you can take a look here:
http://www.drqueue.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=224#224

all together a very good and for free Software, but does not work with mental ray renderer . . .

kai01-w 2005-02-27 20:27:17 UTC #4

all together a very good and for free Software, but does not work with mental ray renderer . . .

that's not true. I use it all the time. Since the only thing that needs to be updated in the job script is the -r mr flag it was very easy to implement . I sent the guy who develops drqueue a mail and he updated it.
If you chose "maya" as kind of job then there is a "mental ray" checkbox which you just have to click. That's it...
DrQueue version is 0.55.2

-k

knecht 2005-02-28 09:03:32 UTC #5

i am glad to hear that !

I knew the mental ray checkbox, but rendering failed . . . i have made an entry in drqueue Forum

then i will test version 0.55.2 with your patch implemented

thanks a lot

knecht 2005-02-28 11:26:33 UTC #6

hmmm, i already use version 0.56 (stable), but mental ray does not work . . . is it really solved since 0.55.2 ?

here my problem:
http://www.drqueue.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=240#240

should i use a newer version ?

kai01-w 2005-02-28 15:58:26 UTC #7

I'm not sure but your log suggests there might be something wrong with your scene.
If you have the time, make a really basic scene (sphere, plus light) and try to render that with drqueue...
All I can say is that I used this version for quite some heavy MR stuff other 2 months...
I actually had some issues with maya software renders (when using 2d motion blur) but I think that was also scene specific....

-k

knecht 2005-03-01 08:53:35 UTC #8

i had tested more than one scene, and also a really basic scene. A (really simple) rotating yellow Donut was my last test, but the same problem. When using the maya Batch Renderer, MR Rendering is no Problem, but drqueue has problems (so i think my scenes are clean)
What version of did you use, maybe there is a problem with maya 6 MR and drqueue.
I also tested the drqueue versions 0.57.0, 0.59.2 and 0.59.3, but no success. The 0.59.x seems really unstable on my debian sarge, 0.57.0 runs but the same problem with MR.

I will now test the renderscript line by line, then i hope to know more about this problem . . .

Hope we both are talking about the build in Maya MR !

greetings
knecht

kai01-w 2005-03-01 12:56:39 UTC #9

Hmm... I'm sorry then. No idea.
Yes we are talking about the built-in mental ray for maya renderer... I used the version I mentioned above. My system is SuSE 9.1.

-k

user_deleted 2005-03-02 02:58:28 UTC #10

See the post "Software for 3D/2D Artists, Designers, etc" here http://www.linuxforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=53452 which list several rendering solutions (commercial and free).

marlio 2005-03-02 18:59:33 UTC #11

Anyone know if there are SUSE RPMs of DrQueue available?

Thanks

siddarthkohli 2005-03-03 03:05:35 UTC #12

hi,

Drqueue provide binary, so you just install it and setting up the environment after that run the Drqueue. please read the documentation how to use it.

Teddy Widhi L.
Penguin Power

knecht 2005-03-03 10:19:41 UTC #13

here is the howto from drqueue.org
http://www.drqueue.org/doc\_installation.php

and here is a german one that i have wrote by myself
https://knecht.homelinux.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=353

greetings
knecht

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