The Queue Manager (queueman.exe) lets you manage, view, and receive status updates about all jobs currently submitted to the network rendering queue. This executable file is copied to the 3DS MAX root directory during setup. An icon for this standalone program appears in the program group for 3DS MAX.
The Queue Manager helps you adapt to changing needs and priorities. Jobs can be activated, deactivated, reordered, and removed, and servers can be unassigned to free up resources on workstations, or brought back online as they become available again. You can do this from any machine anywhere on the network.
You can run Queue Manager from any computer connected to the rendering network. Once started, you can connect to any available network manager. You can launch as many Queue Managers as you want from anywhere on your network and connect to a manager machine. All except the first Queue Manager connecting to the manager appear in “read only” mode. If there is already a Queue Manager connected to the manager, subsequent connections alert you that you are in read-only mode, and “Read Only” appears in the title bar. In read-only mode, you can view network render activity, but cannot change anything in the Queue.
To view all current jobs in the rendering queue, you first connect to the manager that all of the servers are "talking to.” To do this, you supply the IP address or machine name of the machine where you started the manager.
The Queue Manager ahs the following features:
Menu bar: Provides options for File, View, Actions, and Help in standard Windows style.
Tool bar: Contains the Manager Name select box and buttons for Connect, Activate/Deactivate, Delete/Unassign, Properties, and Refresh.
Job Queue display: Shows the status of jobs and the servers running those jobs in a hierarchical format.
Status display: Displays information about the currently selected item in the Job Queue display.
Status prompt: Provides a non-interactive display of activity in the Queue Manager. It also displays the current time and provides help information on commands.
The window for the 3D Studio MAX Queue Manager appears.
You can also use the computer name of the network manager machine, but using the IP address is recommended.
The Queue Manager connects to the network manager and activates the Job Queue display below the select box. Go on to the next step on viewing jobs in the queue.
Note: When the Queue Manager connects, the IP address or name of the network manager is written to the queueman.ini file. If Auto Connect to Last Manager is checked in the User Preferences dialog, the next time you start Queue Manager it automatically connects to establish communication with the manager.