install Vray for both 32 and 64 bit at the same time?

[fooprobe]

I think I already know this can't be done, but thought i'd throw it out there. Can V-Ray be installed for both 32 and 64 bit versions of Rhino 5 on the same machine at the same time? I'm in an academic environment and need to use Bongo without having to reinstall it every 60 days; the old release of Bongo is 32-bit only, but i'd hate to be limited to 32 bit for all renderings just because we want to be able to run animations also.

Any thoughts appreciated...

[wcmansp]

So, the initial thought would be that, yes, this could be done. V-Ray lets you install both 32-bit and 64-bit versions -- they keep out of each other's way vis-a-vis folder names in C:\Programdata. Rhino installs both 32-bit and 64-bit versions (by default). So then it's just a matter of making sure each V-Ray is pointed to the appropriate Rhino version (and vice versa). If you install the 64-bit version of V-Ray for Rhino first, it only has one place to go. The 32-bit installer may default to the 32-bit Rhino location but it's probably something to keep an eye when the path prompt comes up during installation.

The question that more commonly comes up where the routine answer is "no" is whether you can install V-Ray for Rhino 1.05 and 1.5 on the same copy of 32-bit Rhino. It's very difficult to say something can't be done in technology. It's not likely these are designed to be run concurrently but they are just files pointed to by registry keys and both files and registry keys can be readily changed in an automated fashion so a quick swap system seems possible. But that wasn't your question.

What can turn out to be the case for some of the questions is that the answer involves some knowledge outside the common body of knowledge of the people asking (or answering) so an answer isn't available or doesn't look affordable. My knowledge of actual rendering is very limited; I'd be more in the system administrator category. If you're in an academic environment (we are also), where the economic model is more "capital is expensive and labor is cheap", and not a business environment where "labor is expensive and capital is cheap", you end up with the kind of solutions that might involve more human effort but cost less money; occasionally others find them useful.

[fooprobe]

Thanks! Interesting, I'll have to give this a shot. I thought the VRay installer went on a search-and-destroy mission for other versions prior to installation, which would prevent having both 32 and 64 bit installed simultaneously, but i'll give it a go.

(Yes, I've been following your threads for some really good advice on issues in an academic environment, particularly render farms... some things we can't - or don't have the will to - implement due to the way permissions are set up - or as you say, the lack of know-how)