The "Brenda Package" for Blender

[glorybound]

This week, I got involved in a AWS rendering conversation on Twitter. The user was talking about the "Brenda Package", which allows you to submit Blender renders to your Amazon Web Services.

"I just rendered a shot that I recently paid $493 to render for a client on RenderStreet, and it just cost me $63!"

Now, if you believe that the cloud is the future, this would be a dream. I have an AWS account, which I never got to work, but I heard that it has gotten a lot easier to use over the year. But, the new V-Ray license agreement is now going to be the hurdle. This person rendered across 300 machines, and since Blender doesn't have a per node fee, it worked brilliantly. What would a 300 node license cost using V-Ray 3.0? Unless you render a lot, it's cost prohibitive, and only the larger studios can benefit. I can imagine this is why Chaos decided to charge per node, at least in part, and is going to be a major barrier for guys like me, and most of you. If one of the biggest reason to be using V-Ray is speed, this levels the playing field.

I don't know.... I am just thinking out loud. To tell you the truth, when I told him that I use V-Ray he said, "then your screwed!"

https://plus.google.com/116348365544611317780/posts/1TGU9Hdv1bQ

[vlado]

You are correct that this is one of the reasons for the new licensing. But, at the same time, we also introduced officially rental licenses, there are volume discounts etc. The Blender renderers are free and we can never beat that. They are also likely sufficient for the needs of many people (of course, so long as Blender itself can handle the stuff), and that's fine too.

I've no idea what the animation was though, nor do I know how fast V-Ray could render it compared to Blender (and respectively, how much it would have cost). But, I'd like to think that the strength of V-Ray is also in the features that it supports and how they work together (with the speed is usually being quite reasonable).

Best regards,
Vlado

[glorybound]

Thanks for the honest reply! I haven't punched the numbers yet, for my upgrade, but I am hoping the sticker shock isn't to bad. V-Ray is the top shelf application and I am hoping that the price increase will only make its users more valuable and desirable. People do pay for the perception of better (cost more so must be better), but our clients don't care; they just want an awesome image. I am hoping V-Ray stays ahead of the rest. I can't imagine people will pay more when they can do the same thing for less money. Currently, in my opinion, that's not the case.

[vlado]

I am hoping V-Ray stays ahead of the rest. I can't imagine people will pay more when they can do the same thing for less money.

Well, that's our challenge, isn't it

Best regards,
Vlado

[glorybound]

I sure hope so .

[Dariusz Makowski (Dadal)]

I did recently rush animation on EC2 servers. Got 4 16 core/60gb ram machines to render it all for me. Live saver. Had to VPN Hamachi for license tho. I wish vray had some good licensing system that would help us do it easier than hamachi.

[vlado]

I did recently rush animation on EC2 servers. Got 4 16 core/60gb ram machines to render it all for me. Live saver. Had to VPN Hamachi for license tho. I wish vray had some good licensing system that would help us do it easier than hamachi.

It is not necessary to use VPN for this (you can always open the license server port directly), but it is quite a bit more secure.

Best regards,
Vlado

[Dariusz Makowski (Dadal)]

It is not necessary to use VPN for this (you can always open the license server port directly), but it is quite a bit more secure.

Best regards,
Vlado

I never could I did not have static IP and my IP was changing a lot every time I was connecting to internet - which was a lot!

[glorybound]

I'll be watching these over the next couple days

http://www.lynda.com/search?q=ec2

[vlado]

I never could I did not have static IP and my IP was changing a lot every time I was connecting to internet - which was a lot!

Ah, yes, that would be a problem.

Best regards,
Vlado

[glorybound]

did you use a Windows machine, or a Linux?

I did recently rush animation on EC2 servers. Got 4 16 core/60gb ram machines to render it all for me. Live saver. Had to VPN Hamachi for license tho. I wish vray had some good licensing system that would help us do it easier than hamachi.

[glorybound]

I launched an instance, connected using RD, but now what? Do I treat it like a normal server; installing 3DSMAX and V-Ray? Is there a write up on this anywhere?

I did recently rush animation on EC2 servers. Got 4 16 core/60gb ram machines to render it all for me. Live saver. Had to VPN Hamachi for license tho. I wish vray had some good licensing system that would help us do it easier than hamachi.

[vlado]

I launched an instance, connected using RD, but now what? Do I treat it like a normal server; installing 3DSMAX and V-Ray?

Yep, exactly like a normal machine - you install 3ds Max, backburner, V-Ray, any other plugins that you want etc.

Is there a write up on this anywhere?

Someone posted a tutorial a while back, but I can't seem to find it now. Googling "3dsmax ec2" gives a number of results that look useful though.

Best regards,
Vlado

[glorybound]

Perfect, thanks! I just ordered AWS for Dummies, so I should be a KungFu AWS panda before the month is over.

Yep, exactly like a normal machine - you install 3ds Max, backburner, V-Ray, any other plugins that you want etc.

Someone posted a tutorial a while back, but I can't seem to find it now. Googling "3dsmax ec2" gives a number of results that look useful though.

Best regards,
Vlado

[3LP]

Hi there,

I understand how it can be attractive to render on AWS, but from my experience 2 years ago, it was the exact same price to render on AWS and on rebusfarm...
I don't know if it's still the case though,

But since, I found that other cloud renders are actually way cheaper than Rebus, like render rocket (that you already mentioned I think in another thread), isn't it?
This would mean that those render service are actually cheaper than AWS, unless again AWS's prices has changes quite a bit since...

Plus you don't need to bother about anything, the render service handle everything for you...

I hope I'm wrong and that AWS has a really advantage in term of price, because as long as I'm aware of, AWS is only good if you use plugins that are not supported by the render services and that you need to create your custom farm...

Stan