How to set up Slave Machines for Distributed Rendering?

Corona Corona for 3ds Max Help Required
1

How I was wondering if anyone knew and could elaborate upon the proper steps to set up slave machines for the new distributed rendering system?

Also, do you need 3DS Max installed on slave machines?

Thank you for your time spent regarding this question!

2

Assuming you have your slave machines/LAN already setup, you can choose to install the DrServer when you run the A6 installation exe. I did get the following error message when I tried to open it:

Cannot open/read/write file ‘C:\Program Files (x86)\Corona\Drserver/drData/DrConfig.txt’

If you get this message, try running the DrServer.exe as an adminstrator. Have yet to actually run anything quite yet, but I hope that helps someone out there!

3

You do indeed need Max installed on the slave machines.

I just did a test, rendering from home using my work machines as slaves. I was shocked to find that it actually works!

4

Yes, working for me too.

You must, on the instalation of Corona, check de DR option.
Then, open on the slave computer the DrServer on: C:/Program Files (x86)/Corona/DrServer as Administrator.

On the Master computer, Enable Distribute Rendering on Corona and click Search LAN, it should find the Slave computer.
Then just Render :smiley:

Abraços

Ronald

5

Also:

You need to have all the textures in the slave computer with path for it.

Feitoria

Ronald

6

Thank you everyone, I have gotten a slave computer working, thanks to your help!

7

Great!

8

awesome.Just tested distributed rendering in my mini farm and works!

9

I am having some problems in DR… In the Frame Buffer tab DR shows the other computer but then it FAIL… Must I open some door to work it?

10

yes, it must be enabled in firewall and slaves must have backburner installed. The log on slaves will tell you more

11

Where is it saying? Which door should I open?
The log just says that…

2014/02/19-16:01:08 DR server started
2014/02/19-16:01:08 Cannot read the config file, default one will be created
2014/02/19-16:01:08 Creating default DrConfig.txt: found 2 3dsmax versions
2014/02/19-16:01:08 Starting UDP socket, local hostname: amigti187.a5.local

12

Successfully ran some tests a couple days ago. Textures are fine if they’re stored on a network drive (and the drives are mapped the same on each machine). I take it this would slow down your render by a little (or a lot?)?

Just out of curiosity (and not having the time to test this just yet), but do you need a licensed version of Max on each machine or can it just be a demo? I noticed the slave machine opened an “unregistered” version of Max (even though it has a licensed copy installed).

13

it runs in server mode, where no licences are needed

14

I am still having problems, I couldn’t render it in DR… as my old workflow: VRAY w/ or without BACKBURNER it render fine… but with Corona it FAIL… what am I doing wrong?

15

3 very fast tip:

  1. when run DRServer remember run as administrator
  2. Some time on installation of 3dsmax the backburner option is not enabled by default, from this link http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/downloads/caas/downloads/content/backburner-2014-windows-version-for-3ds-max3ds-max-design-2014.html you can download 2014 version of backburner.
  3. For bitmap image path always check from Asset Tracking (shift + T) if everything is mapped on network drive that is from every slave machines accessible with the same drive letter.

Sorry if this is obvious…

16

Can anybody help.

Im trying Distributed Rendering.

its registering the 2 slaves in backburner.

but when rendering they show failed in Corona DR

Failed Distributed Rendering.jpg
Failed Distributed Rendering.jpg973×514 166 KB

17

From what i see you may have a corrupted backburner.xml file, xml tags should not show on the server window, try renaming your current backburner.xml file re enter your settings on manager settings window and backburner will create a new one.

18

Hi, first off all congrats and thanks to the Corona Team for a great product.
I was wondering the following i have small 3dsmax/backburner vray/drspawner renderfarm with different cpu memory configurations and i want to install corona to render instead of vray so:

  1. Since there are diferent cpus and some don’t support SSE4.1 can the legacy version of corona coexist and work as a distribuited render node for the farm with the ones that support SSE4.1

  2. I have 3ds max 2011 scenes worked with vray and would like to re render those with corona should i have to do some previous steps before clicking render

  3. i render animations with backburner on a manager main pc and slave node servers, do i have to install corona’s dr server on the manager also or only on the slave nodes

thanks in advance for any help

19

legacy/fullspeed versions are fully interchangeable

20

Do I need to have backburner running to start rendering? I have firewall permissions, DR Server running on the slave PC, but when I click Search LAN nothing appears or if I use the slave’s IP.