VFB Work with Backburner or VRay to replace Backburner?

[padre.ayuso]

I have within the last year moved from MR in 3DS Max to VRay. Backburner comes with 3DS Max. However, the VRay's Frame Buffer does not fully integrate with Backburner and this is what I mean. I used to do strip rendering in MR. I have several render servers and we do an output in my office of about 10 stills a day, sometimes more and sometimes less. I LOVE VRay's Frame Buffer and I wish I could have it turned on when I have to send my jobs allowing with strip render. I have checked it out, and I have to turn off VRay's Frame Buffer and render with Max's Frame Buffer. Then it renders the strips. But then I don't have the features that VRay 3.0 provides.

My idea is that it either VRay gets integrated with Backburner or Chaos Group provides a replacement to Backburner that works with VRay's own Frame Buffer and comes as part of VRay's package. I think it is mainly when doing strip rendering, but I'm sure Chaos can come up with a thousand awesome things that can be done, not just with strip rendering. Any suggestions?

[cheerioboy]

Why are you using strip rendering? I've had no problems using the VFB with Backburner. I'll typically use Distributed rendering to have several computers work on a single rendering that is hosted by another machine beside my desktop.

[padre.ayuso]

The way I use strip rendering is I send a bunch of images before I go home, so they render overnight. When I come in the morning it is all done and stitched, etc. If I send them on a machine using DR next to me, then I may only do one at a time and I become backburner and I don't have a bed in the office yet...

I guess part of the problem also, it is that some of my machines are slower than other, so if the job ends up in the slower machine it may take several hours more than I want to. I use DR also when possible; I agree with DR, it rocks whereas in MR DR sucks but I like being able to have the strip rendering, its proven to be worth it in the long run.

[Dave_Wortley]

Get Deadline, you can use it for free with up to 2 computers. Then you can use Tile Rendering and it'll work with VRay.

[Morne]

Why don't you just send them through to backburner with DR enabled?
You can que them up and all compueters will take part in rendering the same image. When the render is done, the next one will start

EDIT: You use only one BackBurner server and make sure DR is enabled. That single server will call the others to help via DR. When the image is done, the next one in the que will start. Works like a charm

[Morne]

And if you use the VFB to save out a raw image to exr, that one will EXCLUDE any corrections from the VFB
Also save out split rgb channels, that will INCLUDE corrections
...and it works fine with BB

[padre.ayuso]

Why don't you just send them through to backburner with DR enabled?
You can que them up and all compueters will take part in rendering the same image. When the render is done, the next one will start

EDIT: You use only one BackBurner server and make sure DR is enabled. That single server will call the others to help via DR. When the image is done, the next one in the que will start. Works like a charm

Got it. Question now, which may sound stupid, but where do I save the data in my render server as to which machines to DR? 3DS Max is installed but they are only as nodes, so I can't open it on those render servers.

[Morne]

Just set it on your pc when you send the job to BB, like you normally would without BB
For easier management, I suggest to run the BB server and monitor on your pc also

[padre.ayuso]

Just set it on your pc when you send the job to BB, like you normally would without BB
For easier management, I suggest to run the BB server and monitor on your pc also

I'll be damned!!!! It works too!!!!!! And it rips right on through! By the way, is there a limit to how many threads/cores VRay can handle? I'm looking at buying 5 more servers for the office which will bring it to a total of 11 servers plus 5 workstations, so I'll easily surpass 200 threads I'm guessing or just under that number, all depends on specs. Cheers!

[Morne]

In a single PC, in the past VRay had some issues with more than 64 cores in a single PC (that's a HUGE expensive pc), but I think Vlado sorted that out with a special build.
As far as DR is concerned, there's no limit and you can add plenty extra servers. Just remember you will need to purchase a VRay RENDERING NODE license for each server

At some point however, the network overhead becomes too large and adding extra servers for DR gives a negative effect. With the numbers you're talking, you're fine however.

[Oleg_Budeanu]

Setup is quite simple.
DR - VRay distributed render
WP - work PC
RF - renderfarm PC
RDS - renderfarm distributed server

So , on RDS you start backburner slave (or how its called there) and make a vray_dr.cfg file read-only , put in there all other RF's
You should start DR spawners on all of the RFs , except RDS , which is host for your jobs.
You send your job from WP limited to render on RDS only , because it has list of RF's with DR started. Job being sent there - starts to render with DR , picking up all RFs from vray_dr.cfg
You can set up several RDS's - each should have its own list of RF's with DR started.
That's all

[padre.ayuso]

Setup is quite simple.
DR - VRay distributed render
WP - work PC
RF - renderfarm PC
RDS - renderfarm distributed server

So , on RDS you start backburner slave (or how its called there) and make a vray_dr.cfg file read-only , put in there all other RF's
You should start DR spawners on all of the RFs , except RDS , which is host for your jobs.
You send your job from WP limited to render on RDS only , because it has list of RF's with DR started. Job being sent there - starts to render with DR , picking up all RFs from vray_dr.cfg
You can set up several RDS's - each should have its own list of RF's with DR started.
That's all

Thanks Oleg. I remember, yes, this set up was for MR but since MR never was very good using DR capabilities, I did not use it often. However, VRay uses DR nicely and I'm not sure about before 3.0, but 3.0 has a checkbox, as Morne pointed out, where you say, "Save Servers in the Scene" which then tells the RF to use those other servers. Simple as that, of course Spawner is activated in every RF and the BB server is on at RDS and thus you get a PASU! (Pretty Awesome Set-up)

[Oleg_Budeanu]

Thanks Oleg. I remember, yes, this set up was for MR but since MR never was very good using DR capabilities, I did not use it often. However, VRay uses DR nicely and I'm not sure about before 3.0, but 3.0 has a checkbox, as Morne pointed out, where you say, "Save Servers in the Scene" which then tells the RF to use those other servers. Simple as that, of course Spawner is activated in every RF and the BB server is on at RDS and thus you get a PASU! (Pretty Awesome Set-up)

Hah no probs !
Only one thing to mention - if you still want to render strips - you should precalculate Lightcache (if you use it as GI engine) because each node rendering a strip will calculate it differently.

[padre.ayuso]

Hah no probs !
Only one thing to mention - if you still want to render strips - you should precalculate Lightcache (if you use it as GI engine) because each node rendering a strip will calculate it differently.

OK, that's good to know. Also the IR right?, if I was using IR?

[Oleg_Budeanu]

OK, that's good to know. Also the IR right?, if I was using IR?

Yeah , exactly ! I use irrmap pretty rare and almost forgot about it