Send restore job to deadline

[TubeSmokeGuy]

Hi!

I think it would be very helpful if it would be possible to send simulation jobs to deadline which start from a restore frame like if I would press the restore button of the simulator on my local machine.

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Affirmative, we have this in the to-do list already. Adding one more vote....

[TubeSmokeGuy]

To-Do-List point #143786? *joke* Ok I hope It comes some day ...

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Yup, the backburner submitter has way more options because more people were requsting stuff for it instead of for Deadline, but now that it's dying off it's only a matter of time till these get ported...

[TubeSmokeGuy]

Now I am at the point where it comes to save out some PRT sequences from PHX (using the viweport right click menue of the simulator). My sim contains 1725 frames and the peak filesize of one AUR file is 190 MB. Now it took 2 days to save out just one PRT sequence from a workstation which is therewhile blocking a GUI license ... and I have to save out some more PRT sequences.

So a "Send PRT export job to deadline" funcion would be extremely useful.

And again I appeal to you and beg you to release the GUI licenses when functions are running where the GUI isnt't useable anymore - such as Simulation, Particle Resimulation, Restore Simulation, PRT Export (maybe some others?). Thats my wish .

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Let's not shift the topic to licenses and focus on specific issues you have. If an export takes 2 days, this is far from normal. I optimized PRT export recently - which Phoenix version are you using?

[TubeSmokeGuy]

The reason why I bring that license topic into that discussion is, that if PHX would release the GUI license and therefore takes a simulation license while running expensive calculation processes where the GUI isn't really useable (I listed some examples above) then I could run the PRT export for several particle sequences on multiple machines. Right now I would need 1 GUI license for every PRT export job when I want to do them parallel.
This is just a personal wish or suggestion and no complain . PHX does a great job and I really like it. Just sometimes I got the feeling that it interrupts my workflow a little bit in situations like that. Don't take it too carefully!


Right now I can't have a look at the exact PHX build ID, cause my GUI is blocked by a PRT export job and i can not open another GUI to look at the "About" section. I will post it if the export is done, but I think its the last stable nightly of 31401.

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Yup, definitely give a newer build a try, check here: https://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/PHX4MAX/3.99.00

Something that might be missing and is the reason for bringing up the license talk - a GUI license will engage when you open the Modify panel of a Simulator - if you are looking at any other panel, select the Simulator and start exporting PRTs, it would not need a license...

Cheers!

[TubeSmokeGuy]

... - a GUI license will engage when you open the Modify panel of a Simulator - if you are looking at any other panel, select the Simulator and start exporting PRTs, it would not need a license...

This is a very very and incredible useful information!!! Thank you very much!

Yup, definitely give a newer build a try, check here: https://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/PHX4MAX/3.99.00

I will try it. Thank you very much!

[TubeSmokeGuy]

The version 3.99 you posted is a beta version and seems to be no longer available for download. Or do I miss something?

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Indeed, that's Phoenix 4's beta - are you using monthly/annual license, or a perpetual Phoenix 3? With monthly/annual, you can just download the Phoenix 4 builds and start using them, but with Phoenix 4 maybe you can grab a 30-day trial and see if the PRT export is quicker..

[TubeSmokeGuy]

We got perpetual licenses. Mixing our builds on our systems machines is actually not an option so I have to live with the slow export. Anyway, thanks for your support and suggestions!

[gardocki]

Nothing like searching for a feature and finding out it was added to the to-do list....(checks calendar)... 3 years ago. Any update on this? We can send a restore job via Backburner, why can't we do it with Deadline?

[georgi.zhekov]

Hey,

Unfortunately it's still not implemented directly in the UI, but there is a workaround that should do the job I hope.

In the Simulation rollout - tick the "Use script" checkbox and press the Edit button next to it.
Then in the fn OnSimulationBegin=() add the following code

sim = getnodebyname "PhoenixFDFire001"
A_StopSim sim
A_StartSim sim "" 32

Where PhoenixFDFire001 is the name of your simulator and 32 is the frame you would like to restore from.
Save the scene and send it over Deadline.

An alternative approach would be to make a new MaxScript file out of the commands from above and execute it as after the scene is loaded when submitting the scene through the Deadline submitter - https://docs.chaos.com/display/PHX4M...lineMonitor