The Beta now available. Please upgrade to this version if you have been testing.

Make sure you check your "messenger" options->TWO page and set localcache and output folders.

Changes/Features:

• Project load is threaded now to Allow d/l progress bar to function properly and give time back to the interface during load.
• System message sent to older clients if they are running a version that is not compatible. Block "Auto Join" pool on older clients also.
• Local temp data cache folder can be set.
• lots of stuff behind the scenes for debugging purposes.

If you have a decent internet connect and would like to help us render on the TWO movie project

Still in the testing stages, but you can d/l and play with the new WebRender client.

http://wiki.hash.com/index.php/WebRender (Please read and follow setup instructions on this wiki page)


You don't need to have a current or installed TWO Svn data tree. The client will d/l the the required source files, render pending frames and then upload finished frames back to our servers for use in the movie.


Will

Just downloaded this latest beta version of WebRender. Installed it, and when I started it, it came up with an Alpha splash screen.

Well, this was my fault as I had created a short cut on my desk top to the original version, and did not realize that the beta software was being installed in a different directory now. No problem, just fixed my short cut and when I started the proper WebRender program, I got a message that I had an older client on my PC.

When I went into the Options, I realized that the Beta software was picking up all of the Alpha settings, so it was getting the RenderSlave out of the V15.0Distro directory and not the V15.0WebRender directory. The same thing was happening for all the Folder settings. Once I fixed those and started WebRender, then RenderSlave started downloading files for 02_06_20 and is now rendering away.

This probably explains why I wasn't rendering anything lately. I was inadvertently using the alpha software... silly me...

Al

Just to warn people, the default data location has changed from c:temptwodata to c:twotempdata. I couldn't figure out why it was downloading stuff I already had until I spotted that.

This is a totally sweet usage of Netrender! Download and render frames for Hash folks!

-Ethan

Very nice upate... the infobox "outdated version" is very handy.
Download and rendering worked as it was supposed to.

The about box isnt updated so... The splash-screen says beta... the about-box alpha 3


*Fuchur*

So we should delete the temptwodata folder and keep the twotempdata folder?

You can either change the folder in the options to what it used to be or I just copied the data from the old folder into the new one.

This update helps the small amount of people that don't have a "c:" drive for one reason or another. Thankyou!

can I run this on 2 computers using the same internet connection(wireless)?......

that seems to work for me

Are there minimum requirments for the cpu or memory?...

Yup, I have it running on a few machines on the same connection, just added a number after my username (jzawacki, jzawacki2, jzawacki3, etc).

As for minimum requirements, it looks like you need at least 2 GB of RAM, but I think I remember Will stating that he had different groups of machines doing jobs.. so there might be a low RAM/Proc group that will allow you to render frames that doesn't require a lot of memory.

Is this the case? Because I have another machine with only 512 that I didn't install the render client on because I didn't want it to trash my HD paging all day and night.

Hmmmm...I didn't add a suffix - both my computers have the same render slave handle - but the machines are obviously differentiated by other means (computer names, etc). Both seem to be able to render at the same time.

There is monkey bizness going on in that I do seem to have to kick start the messenger a lot of times with the beta. I did not seem to have to do this with the very first alpha.

I will leave the slave handle names the same unless told that I should change it.

My computers wont render.. that is, If I restart them they do render a few frames before the clients disappear. I do have the latest client installed. Anyone know why they don't render?

I have been sending reports to Will about my experiences with the webrenderer. On my most spec'd out machine, the renderslave starts to download the project then hits a wall at 5 minutes into the download. It seems that if it takes longer then that, the rendermessenger thinks it has lost contact with the renderslave and restarts it, causing the whole download process to begin again. If the amount of data can be downloaded in less than 5 minutes, it seems to work fine.

When I tried on my laptop at home (spec's worse but on a cable modem so high download speeds), it worked fine and rendered several frames. Three the first time. Then it stopped. I stopped the rendermessenger and restarted and then it fired off 6 frames and then stopped. Haven't tried since then.

I don't know the "why" of any of this, but Will is adding some code to deal with some of these things.

-Doug

i will join in the rendering fun tonight when i get home.
i have several computers to add to the rendering pool.

hubukai.
PS, yes rich, i am still alive.

I had my laptop on all day today, and I did notice that Render Slave was running when I went to work this morning.

Just got home, and there was an error message on the screen:

RenderSlave.exe - Application Error

The instruction at "0x0056cfb2" referenced memory at "0x00000000". The memory could not be "read".

This is the first error of this type that I have received from RenderSlave.

Al

Just a status report.
My mostly idle computer has downloaded the needed files, but still has yet to render a single frame...
I don't know why.
(I installed the Alpha on the 19th and the Beta on the 22nd.)
I just have the icon that shows I am connected to Render Server.
If there is a problem, let me know, otherwise it sits at the ready.

Same here

Are there plans for a Mac version?

Regardless, I just now followed the instructions on the Wiki and installed it on an old Windows box I'll leave it up so you can do your thing. I hope it works.

One potential issue... the drive it's running on has only about 7 gigs free. Will that be a problem? I've got some other drives with more room, if there's a way to direct it to them.

I doubt it would be, the nice thing about the RenderSlave is that it only downloads the files it needs for that scene. Now, I don't know if it deletes them when it's done, I never went back to check, but I would guess it would take a while before it would fill up 7 gigs of space.

I almost have the slave running on a Linux box using wine, but it failed right when it was supposed to start rendering, it was able to download and load the entire project though (with a few errors you can 'click' through and load the files manually).

jzawacki,

I don't know if you have it on your list or not, but writing up the steps you took to get this running and posting them would be nice. At least I know I would appreciate it greatly.

Thanks

Doug

For sure, I don't know how long it will take, as with WebRender on windows, actually starting up the RenderSlave.exe seems to be random.

I've left it for nearly 24 hours and run into an error.

It says it completed 1% of something and the status was "Unable to Open Project"

and oops - just as I was writing this message, the box with the status information disappeared....

Suggestions?

The data has case-sensitive issues over the Internet. Will is writing a utility to correct for that... Ready again soon.

Mine works fine and I even have it running in a virtual pc environment on my VISTA computer. The Virtual environment is running Windows 2000 with 60 gigs of hard disk space and 1 gig of ram.

try uninstalling it and removing the directories:

c:\twotempdata
c:\temptwodata
C:\Program Files\Hash Inc\V15.0WebRender

Then do a fresh install with the latest download:

http://www.hash.com/two/WebRender2007.exe

Don't forget to follow the instructions:

* Setup
o Install Above program
o Launch "Render Messenger"
o Setup Wizard
+ Step 1 - Enter your forum name for the "Render Slave Handle"
+ Step 2 - Use default value
+ Step 3 - NetRender Server IP Address: distro.hash.com
+ Step 4 - Use default value
+ Step 5 - Use default value

Now R-Click on "Render Messenger" in your task bar (yellow connection icon)and select "Options"

Double check the settings:

* RenderMessenger Settings
o General Page->Render Server IP Address: distro.hash.com
o TWO Movie Project Page->Enable TWO Rendering: checked
o Choose a folder for the output path. (This is where completed frames will be saved)
o Chose a folder for the local copy of the data files to be stored

Still testing connections and network stuff. At this time your client won't always be rendering, as we pull you on and off for testing.

My first ever, "virgin" install of the web render client was three or four days ago. If the software hasn't been updated since then, would going through all that you suggest make a difference?

The problem is the capitalized "L" in the middle of "BrainLock"?

I doubt it would be something that simple, it would just be easier to send you an e-mail asking you to change your slave handle or make the slave handle field auto lowercase any input into that parameter. I'm guessing it has to do with actual project files or communication between the slave and server which might be why our clients doesn't know to start a new project without closing and reopening them.

I'm rendering now just needed to make the save directory lowercase and not branched from the root of the local drive... Thanks for that valuable work-around!

PS... I here you HUBUKAI!

Well I'm trying but it throws a message saying that the client is out of date, download the latest one. Where is the latest one? I just downloaded and installed it off this topic link.....

Cheers

here is the link:

http://www.hash.com/two/WebRender2007.exe (Beta 11/21/07)

I got the link from: http://wiki.hash.com/index.php/WebRender

a couple (OK, a little more than a couple) of questions.

I haven't seen them mentioned (or I missed them), so I'll ask.

Is the webRender client stand alone ( you don't have AM running or installed on the computer)?

NetRender is not required?

The current V14 (2007) subscription CD is required?

I will hopefully have internet access at home here in Germany, it's been a long, long wait. Only access at the office, and not much time for personal access.

P.S. is the 2008 subscription going to be available soon?

I'll try to answer what I can...

1) Yes, webRender is a stand alone client. As far as I know, it does not need A:M installed on the client PC. That being said, you can not use it for modelling or your own rendering. It enables Hash to use our PCs as part of their distributed render farm.

2) No, NetRender is not required.

3) I am just guessing here, but if WebRender does not require A:M to be installed on the PC or CD in the drive, then I am assuming that the v14 subscription CD is also not required. Really makes sense though to have the latest subscription CD so you can do your own modelling, animations, etc.

4) Not sure when the 2008 subscription CD will be available.

Hope this helps, and everyone is free to correct me if I am wrong on any this.

Al

Thanks for the reply.

My intentions are to have at least one of my 3 PC's running 24/7 to assist in rendering TWO. At times maybe all 3. At least someone will get my monies worth out of my internet connection (if I can ever get my internet connection ).

Glenn

I closed it while it was attempting to download the files becuase I didn't know where it was downloading them to. So upon seeing where they were going I attempting to start the client again. But now it just gives the message "unable to load project" after completing the upload test. I tried uninstalling it and reinstalling but it still behaves the same way. Is there a way to force it to download the scene data again?

I think I broke it...

-Ethan

Deleting the project file in the folder it's downloading to should probably make it re-download and everything fine again.

I removed everything when I uninstalled it, which included the folders. So there should be nothing. Apparently there is some ini file or something still keeping some bit of information that it's "already" downloaded it or something so it's not even trying.

-Ethan

Is that problem fixed yet?

Also, I think perhaps I should re-install it. What do I need to do to completely cleanse my system of all traces of it (short of formatting the drive) so that I can make a completely clean install?

Well its been at least 72 hours that no WebRendering has been sent to my computer.????

What' up with that.

Hang tight, I'm working on fixing the list of bugs from the first batch of rendering. I'm making several larger internal changes that require both the server and the client to be updated at the same time. As soon as both are finished I'll put out a new rev.

Thanks,
Will

How is the update coming?

I just installed 15+ dated 12/26/07 and on job _2_03_01 I'm getting "Unable to open project."

Brian
Its working fine for me, have you tried clearing the 2 directories and starting blank?

C:\TWO
C:\twotempdata

and Maybe uninstall and reinstall the update.?

Its just a thought.

I did a clean out, uninstall and re-install and it just sits connected now, no downloads or rendering.....

It does the same thing for me. Just sits there on "Upload test complete"

I didn't see it mentioned here so I'll ask...

You've added a folder for the files to be rendered and pointed Render Messenger to it right?
My render folder is named "TwoRender".

Those folders were added by default by the install on my machines...

Ohhhh - it just started loading the project in Parallels..... Well that one died immediately after loading. My other PC actually started rendering then got to 90% before crashing.

Is there a reason it keeps downloading before every run? Can't it check to see if the files are already there?

Cheers

I've got questions here too. I don't mean to jump in the way of Davids so answer his first!

Someone please remind me... Webrender automatically uploads the images to Hash Inc right? Or do we have to do that on our end?

David stated:


Did it actually crash or did it lock up?
I ask because my first render seemed to lock at 90%. I went away and ate lunch or something and when I returned it had rendered the rest of that frame and at least one other. Not sure if this relates to your problem.

How Much RAM do you have, you should have at least 1 GB