renderfarm reference?

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  • vaxorcist0

    Thanks! This is good info! I'll pass it along to my friend.... I really appreciate the detailed answers

  • ApeRobot0

    We have one here, working on linux and windows running maya native,3delight,renderman.
    We use muster to control it.
    Lots of money,got to update the computer performance each year both farm and workstations.

    There are company out there that rent online render farm running most 3d standard software.
    I've never tried it.

  • pepe0

    we have a render farm here and use a program called deadline to send different types of files to it, 3d 2d and so on

  • DoTheMacarena0

    I've done a few jobs to remote farms. All of them have been pretty decent. Rebusfarm (http://www.rebusfarm.com/) seemed to be the most straightforward and possibly the most cost efficient. I've only used them with C4D scenes, so I can't speak for other apps, but there's a plugin you download to shoot your scene directly to the remote farm.

    The main thing to you need to watch out for are dynamics simulations (mograph modules, particles, fluids, etc etc...), as splitting up sim computations over multiple cores often results in a corrupt sim. Cacheing the sim can potentially fix this, but might need some massaging on yours or the farm's end. Otherwise, there shouldn't be much of an issue with any other type of scene.

    Farms can save lives and deadlines, but please, render safely out there kids.

  • feel0

    yea, rebusfarm is the thing man, i've used it with Lightwave 3d, and as DoTheMacarena said, you have to watch out for simulated stuff like particles, cloth, dynamics etc.

    But with Lightwave they support all sorts of extra files, like MDD, pfx (particles cache file), hmot, even the new bullet dynamics lighwave has, it generates an external dynamic file that the rebusfarm detects..

    The main thing to watch out for it is to have your project very well setup (in the correct folders) then you run their plugin to upload and and once uploaded you start the render.

    It takes more time to upload/download than it takes to render.

    You might get some waiting lines if its a crowdy day, but you can change the priority if you need.

    check them at rebusfarm.com

  • evilpeacock0

    Another vote for rebusfarm from me, at least with C4D. Straightforward, integrated software, iPhone monitoring app, etc. The apps are kinda clunky, but they work well enough, especially once you get used to the process. When I tried some other farms I found that the setup and submission process wasn't as optimal.

    What others have said about baking scenes is good advice. Some script-based rigs will need to be disabled too, stuff like Greyscale Gorilla's HDRI Studio Kit for example. Bake the whole damn file, keyframes and all, to be sure.

    I've done 1080 TV spots and large wallpaper images successfully there. Watch out for large print stills — you will not want to render those distributed over multiple cores (their software will warn you of this). It's like writing a blank check, literally.