How to set up Deadline for simulation (2 PCs, 2 FD simulation licences).

[JezUK]

I'm learning the ropes with Phoenix

I've got two pcs, and I have one copy of Phoenix FD and an extra Simulation Licence to help free up my main workstation.

I want to submit the simulation so it will be performed by my 2nd slave PC.

But I don't find anywhere where I can choose the IP address of that Slave (or any) machine ?

I've checked the online Docs, but it doesn't explain more than what is within the dialog box (which is pretty self explanatory anyway).

Where and how do I choose the IP address of the machine I wish to carry out the simulation ?

Furthermore, the job in Deadline is failing (constantly stuck in Queued mode, assigned to the Main PC) and it looks to me as though it's trying to *render*, when all I'm wanting it to do is to create the simulation ??

I don't use BB (had too much trouble with it in the past, hence I prefer the more robust and professional Deadline) but at least in the BB dialog box there is a checkbox to uncheck if you're looking to "Run the Simulation Only and do not Render" (while no such checkbox exists for the Deadline option on the Phoenix dropdown).

Please can someone guide me ?

Many thanks.

[flipbook]

All I do when using deadline is:

• Submit to deadline (dialogue box opens)
• Drop the workflow down to 'submit Phoenix FD Sim to deadline'
• send

You can use the deadline machine limits if needed etc.

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Hey,

You mean you have several PCs, but want to limit the simulation to running on just one (or a group) out of all machines?

Can you check the Phoenix log on the machine where the job fails and tries to render? Are there any errors there?

Cheers!

[JezUK]

Thanks guys,

Svetlin, yes, I only have two machines, but I thought that the beauty of having a 2nd simulation licence, is that I can submit a simulation to that 2nd PC and carry on working with the GUI of Phoenix (3DS Max) and if need be, do a simulation on the 1st PC as well (since I have 2 simulation licences).

The error message I get in Deadline is;

"Initialise Error: ERROR: Max startup files were not found in the Deadline Repository".

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Hey,

Are you sure the path to the repository in the Phoenix submit dialogue is correct?

Since you are already in contact with Support, I will just mention this for those that are reading - until we implement for the Deadline submitter the same functions that the BB submitter already has, such as PC Groups, you can workaround it by using Deadline 10's SMTD Max submitter which has Phoenix support since version 10.

Cheers!

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Which deadline version are you using btw?

[JezUK]

Hi Svetlin,

Yes, the path of the repository is very simple for me it is;


E:\DeadlineRepository10 (I also tried the UNC path name and that too gives the same error message).

The version of Deadline I am using is 10.0.11.1

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Sounds like a Deadline issue - it's not one of our error messages. Can you try SMTD and does it work?

[JezUK]

Finally fixed

Firstly, I'll admit my rookie errors..... (so hopefully they might help others);

Initial error was that I hadn't installed the Deadline "Integrated Submitter" Script needed inside of 3ds Max 2019...... (I'd recently upgraded from 2017 and forgot to add this during my many scripts.....)

Rookie mistake number two..... I needed to include the .aur filename at the end of the UNC Output Path, and not just UNC pathname alone

Working sweet as a nut now (the Deadline 'integrated submitter' way of submitting is very useful as it gives a lot of information about the job before subbing - https://docs.thinkboxsoftware.com/pr...hlight=phoenix )

Many thanks everyone.

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Woohoo! This is a very good point though - gotta check if Phoenix can do without smtd and otherwise display a friendly error and put this in the docs too.