Render Host "______" is not responding + is low thread really affecting the slaves?

[voltron7]

Is this normal behavior?

1 - Start a rendering with DR active, but slave spawner has not been initialized yet.

2 - Start spawner on slave and it just continuously crashes and respawns

3 - Main workstation reports
"render host added, scene transfered to slave1,
Server ###.###.#.##: Scene loaded; starting render.
Warning: Render host slave1 is not responding

Now, DR works fine if I start the slave spawner and wait until it no longer says "Untitled."

So, does this mean you can't add a slave once the rendering has been started?

On a similar line, even though I check low thread priority, it seems to have no effect on the slave, making it almost unusable. But the main workstation works as if nothing is going on and both machines are similar spec...

Thanks and sorry if this in too unclear!

edit: this is not related to the recent update, it's always happened for me...since version 1.xx

[vlado]

Is it for any scene, or just some scene in particular? This worked fine for me when I tried it a few days ago.

Threads for DR are always started in low priority regardless of the checkbox, so I'm not sure what might be different. You can maybe try to give a low priority to the entire 3ds Max process on the slave. Or we could try to modify the spawner to do this automatically.

Best regards,
Vlado

[voltron7]

Hi Vlado,

It happens on every scene when using DR. I never asked because I thought it was normal, but it is a real pain to always wait for the spawner to restart before initiating the rendering.
Thanks for the tip on the low priority for the slave, I will do it manually and see if it helps for now...

[voltron7]

So if the slave is automatically started in low priority, wouldn't it be in low when I look here (in the picture)
however it was set to normal when I checked.
I must not have understood correctly...

Threads for DR are always started in low priority regardless of the checkbox, so I'm not sure what might be different. You can maybe try to give a low priority to the entire 3ds Max process on the slave. Or we could try to modify the spawner to do this automatically.

Best regards,
Vlado

[vlado]

It happens on every scene when using DR. I never asked because I thought it was normal, but it is a real pain to always wait for the spawner to restart before initiating the rendering.

Ok then, can you tell me approximately how many seconds it takes to start the 3ds Max render slave? It waits for some time before sending out a message that it is available, perhaps that time is too short in your case.

So if the slave is automatically started in low priority, wouldn't it be in low when I look here (in the picture)

No, what you see in the task manager is the priority of the whole process, but the different threads in each process have their own priority. I guess we will need to modify the spawner to automatically start the whole 3ds Max process with low priority.

Best regards,
Vlado

[voltron7]

I click launch V-ray DRspawner

After 13-15 seconds, the "Untitled Autodesk" shows in the taskbar
After 44-63 seconds, it is all ready to go, and shows "vraydummy2012.max"

Thanks again!

[vlado]

I click launch V-ray DRspawner

After 13-15 seconds, the "Untitled Autodesk" shows in the taskbar
After 44-63 seconds, it is all ready to go, and shows "vraydummy2012.max"

Thanks again!

This is time even if you have started it before (I mean it's not a "cold" start)?

Best regards,
Vlado

[voltron7]

(For times 13s and 44s) it had last been started about an hour previously.
(For times 15s and 63s) spawner was started immediately after the first times...
so I guess not really a cold start.
Thanks

[voltron7]

Also, when it completes a render and the slave gets restarted by the primary workstation, time/behavior is same.

[voltron7]

funny, the benefit of DR for test rendering is almost negated by the waiting time
I wonder if others are having this prob too?

[vlado]

I wonder if others are having this prob too?

Nope; it starts for 20s completely on my laptop (if it has been started before). I could get you a modified version with extended wait before it declares the server as up and running, perhaps it will help.

Best regards,
Vlado

[voltron7]

Sounds good, please do
Would be grateful to try it out!

Thank you

[vlado]

Ok then; can you email me at vlado@chaosgroup.com and we'll work from there.

Best regards,
Vlado

[voltron7]

Email sent, thank you!

[voltron7]

Hi Vlado, did the email get spam filtered?