Checking Requirements

Setting up even a small render farm can require a substantial amount of time. As a first step, verify that your proposed network meets the basic requirements. You should also be acquainted with the software required to render over the network.

Reference

Hardware Requirements

• One machine on the network must have 3DS MAX set up with a hardware lock. You use this machine to launch network rendering jobs.
• One machine runs a network manager to communicate with rendering servers. You can set up any machine in the network for this purpose. A hardware lock is not required.
• To load 3DS MAX software, at least one machine needs a CD-ROM drive mounted for access over the network. Instructions for loading software are included in this help file.
• Other machines operate as rendering servers. No hardware lock is required to run 3DS MAX on these machines.

Rendering servers should meet the minimum requirements for running 3DS MAX. To improve rendering performance, use machines with faster processors, additional memory, and more swap space. A rendering server does not require a monitor. Display adapters and accelerators make no difference in rendering performance.

Network Requirements

All machines need to be:

• Operational under the shipping version of Windows NT 4.0.

Network rendering is not supported under the Windows 95 operating system. Although the Network Renderer can be set up and may appear functional, network rendering will not work reliably under Windows 95.

• Connected over a network with TCP/IP protocol properly installed.

Instructions for configuring TCP/IP for network rendering are included in this help file.

Software Requirements

Minimum requirement:

• One authorized copy of 3D Studio MAX with hardware lock.

With this one copy, you can set up 3DS MAX on multiple machines for the purpose of network rendering. Later topics provide explicit details for doing a custom setup on each machine. During this setup, programs required to render over a network are installed and registered.

Four separate programs interact to accomplish network rendering. The following descriptions identify these programs and provide an overview of their use.

• 3dsmax.exe: This Job launcher is a 3DS MAX program. You launch a network rendering job in the Rendering or Video Post dialog.
• manager.exe: When run, this application sets up one computer as a network manager. The Manager program manages communication with the rendering servers during a network rendering job. This can be set up on any machine in the network. In almost all network rendering scenarios you will only have a single manager running on the entire network.
• server.exe: When run, this application sets up each computer to be used as a rendering server. The Server program sends its local IP address to the Manager which in turn registers the Server so it will be available for network rendering job assignment. When the Server receives a job from the network manager, it launches a local copy of 3DS MAX to perform the rendering. The Server then sends the completed frame to a target directory and begins rendering the next frame sent to it by the manager. The server shuts down the 3DS MAX process when it is no longer needed.
• queueman.exe: This stand-alone program provides a Windows interface that lets you monitor and schedule network rendering. Since the Queue Manager is stand-alone, you can start it at any time from any computer in your network. The only requirement is that you establish a TCP/IP connection with the computer running manager.exe.

You can load Queue Manager on each rendering server and use it to monitor rendering progress locally. You can also connect with Queue Manager remotely using Windows NT Remote Access.

Next Step:

• Setting Up for Network Rendering