Networking and textures

[Dariusz Makowski (Dadal)]

Heya

I was wonder is it possible to set up a share folder and direct slaves to use share folder for texture source.

I know I can share HDD and it will work ( even tho I havent had it this way for a while)...

Thanks, bye.

[muoto]

i use a network map drive to set up a "virual" drive (for instance X:\) on all my workstations

works very well

[Dariusz Makowski (Dadal)]

Right I think I know the concept of doing that, how do I do it on win 7?

Thanks.

[muoto]

share a folder

right click on "network", and choose "connect network map", link to shared dir and select drive

your X:\ drive will appear and connect at every login

[Dariusz Makowski (Dadal)]

Right thats what I did,

I have a Graphics:/bla/bla/bla/Textures - I shared textures
I go to slave I map network drivers from textures as D

I end up with Textures(\\pc name)(D - but when I render slave cant find textures

[muoto]

didn't it created the x:\ drive ?

of course all your textures need to be mapped to that x:\ drive !

if it isn't, then maybe add that new x:\drive to that list of locations where 3dsmax needs to find the textures when it doesn't find one
don't remeber exactly which .ini file that is

[Dariusz Makowski (Dadal)]

Yea thats the thing, I'm sharing folder not drive. So I need to somehow redo the folder structure... I got it done using VHD. I just need to put a network share folder to VHD which I dunno how to do... wrrr!

[muoto]

VHD ? what's that ?

[Morne]

sharing a folder and sharing a drive is the same thing. At the end of the day you're just sharing a "location"

The problem is that if you use to share the drive to get to the textures, the path will now be different if you're now instead sharing a folder to get to the textures.

So if you shared your C: drive and on it was a folder called "maps", then from your slaves if you mapped a network drive for example "X", then on your slaves the maps can be found at x:\maps
BUT
if you now instead of sharing your C: drive, you're directly sharing your "maps" folder, and you created a network mapped drive on the slaves, then the path to your maps will just be X:\ and not X:\maps

So in max you have to make sure to where your textures are pointing. If they are pointing to C:\maps then your local pc will render fine, but NONE of your slaves will render the textures (unless on the slaves machines you went into max on each one and added the path in user paths as X:\maps or X:\ depending if you sharing your C drive or the maps folder) This is just too much of a mission. I NEVER set user paths in max itself. Besides, if on your slaves your max 30 day trial expired already (unlikely that you have licenses for the slaves) then you cant get into max on the slaves anycase to set stuff)

I find it easier to share a folder on my main pc, then in max, even though the files are local, I still navigate to the textures using unc paths for example if on my c drive my maps folder is shared, then the full network path will be: \\mainpc\maps
This way all computers (my local pc and my slaves) point to the same location

that way also you dont have to worry about mapped network drives or "virtual locations". Works like a charm

[Dariusz Makowski (Dadal)]

MMm yup, just how do I set up max to use the \\mainpc\maps folder?

Also as side note if I use BB and tick on to save maps with textures, it will work without sharing the driver right ?

VHD = virtual hard drive, I thought I could make a local virtual hard drive and then just put a network folder in it but I cant...

In any case I think I will just reroll to sharing entire HDD with my slaves and just do it this way... would save me a lot of head aches

[Morne]

in max when you browse to the textures, instead of going c (double click) then maps (double click), just type in the path at the bottom \\mainpc\maps
OR
if you've already pathed it using C:\maps then just go to asset tracking, select them all one shot, right click and select "path" then in path just type \\mainpc\maps
This setups assumes your computers name is "mainpc" and somewhere on that computer is a folder (that folder can be anywhere on your main pc and be called anything - as long as the folder is shared and its share name is "maps")
So for example on your c: drive you can have even in your my documents a folder called "3d stuff" and under here you cam have something called "textures" and under here "maps" and maps is shared as "maps", then \\mainpc\maps will get you there
the location of the actual folder on c doesnt matter, as long as it is shared as maps

the maps folder can even be called something different like "thisISmyFOLDERforMAPS", as long as its share name is "maps"
then on your computer and on the slaves you can find it at \\mainpc\maps
OR you can just browse to it via "Network" in Explorer. Then in here look for your computer name (you may see other computer names here also if something is shared on them or of the firewall allows it) Look for mainpc and double click it. Here you will see your maps folder

Actually seeing computers in "Network" under explorer depends on "Network Discover" settings and your firewall settings.
But if you have a standard setup and nothing too fancy then it should work just fine even WITH the firewall.

My antivirus comes with a firewall and so I just disable the windows firewall. The antivirus firewall sorts everything out for me.

To troubleshoot if your stuff is still not working, just disable the firewall and see if it is preventing the slaves from seeing your pc in the 1st place

[Dariusz Makowski (Dadal)]

Heya

That souds like a good sollution for me I hope I can get it to work with this http://3d-kstudio.com/project-manager/ - its what I'm using to manage my project atm...

Will try the \\mainpc\maps stuff ! Thanks mate. Will get back to u once I get somewhere with it.

[Morne]

you can of course still get to the textures on your local pc the old fashion way by navigating to it using c and then go whereever maps is. Even in max you can still get there like that. The point is that your local pc can, your slaves cant. That's why you use \\mainpc\maps instead
then local pc and slaves will be happy

[Morne]

I hope I can get it to work with this http://3d-kstudio.com/project-manager/

I took a quick look on that site of the features. It was a very quick look, but I didn't see if they support unc paths. There's no reason that they won't, but I geuss anything is possible. It should work with unc paths, but just in case, its better to check with them before you commit and spend money.

But even if its doesnt support unc paths, its not a big deal to use X:\maps. All it will mean is that you will have to create a mapped network drive on all computers, and that is extra 2 seconds work on each pc, so not a big deal at all

Here's a tutorial I wrote a while back that should give you a very basic setup for sharing files and getting dr and backburner to work:
http://vray.info/tutorials/vray_dist...nd_backburner/

[Dariusz Makowski (Dadal)]

Wow thanks ! I took a quick peak at the web u send, I'm using the C option. Gotta read and dig in to text !

Thanks for help !: )