I viewed the Net render tutorial.

It does not seem too difficult to set up as long as I follow the Tutorial.

Questions

The tut is used with AM Version 11.1, Is there any dis advantage to using AM15 with Net render? Will I loose anything like newer feature such as SSS?

Is Net render Viable for new advanced projects?

Jason

I have netrender 15h. It has been a rough install so far. I have had three previous versions and never had any problems. Anyway the program rocks. It allows for someone that knows a little about networking to set up a render farm and cut the time of rendering by the number of machines and the speed of the slaves. I just did a render and got started in was going to take 4-5 days on seperate machines loaded with AM. I got netrender and I have 10 available machines and was able to render in 2 days in higher resolution. I think for what you get this is one of the best features of AM. It cost more but well worth the money. I have had other modeling and animation (not mentioning names) and what I paid for nodes of the other program I could have bought two more machines to go in my farm. Like I said this install was not smooth, but I am happy with the outcome. The bad deal is, I lost my render server this week and will have to build the setup again!!!

You will have to get 15h as the other version are no longer supported. They have updated netrender each time AM has been updated.

Steve

If you have 8 core machines does net render utilize the other cores? or is it more efficent to just run the program for each core and not use net render?

Also, I though net render was free? I though I read an article somewhere saying its free because they did not get many buyers for the product and it was discontinued. Based on your description it sounds like its moving along


Have you seen the video tutorial? if so is it that easy or does the tut need to be updated?

It is not free. Hash uses it for large users and schools.

I have watched the video and it is pretty well the same set up except the paths and everything runs from the server.

It does not take advantage of multiple cores. I have several (18) single core machines with two gigs of ram at 3 ghz or higher.

To render on a machine that has multiple cores takes a while to set up and run the program, divide the chor or action, select your render options and hope you got it the same on all the instances of AM running. To run it in netrender you set it up once and then dump the slaves into the pool and away you go.

Steve

Edit

Netrender is actual part of for lack of a better name, net AM. Netrender uses three parts of the setup - Netserver, net messenger and net slave. The beauty of this is once the HASP driver is installed you can run AM. Like I said earlier I think this is one of the best features HASH offers.

If $500 is free... Netrender is free.

500 is right but run as many machines to render, priceless.

Steve

Netrender is addictive as well

Wow I got it all wrong. I must have been mistaken. But to clarify, net render does not take advantage of multicore? In other words it would be better to just render with multiple programe one each machine vs using net render?

Jason

yes and no. I like the ease of use of netrender. price not so much but comparable to the others it is a bargain. It does not take advantage of muliple cores yet.

S

Why isnt Net render available to purchase via the online store?

Because they don`t want to sell it to everybody.

WHY?

I think there were issues with the cost of tech support for Netrender making it unprofitable to offer to the general public, so the company now limits its sales. I was surprised to see that it is still offered to anyone.

Jason,
You yourself thought Netrender was free.

How is it that we think products can continue to be developed and extended without financial support?
How can we expect Hash Inc to market and sell a product to users whose expectations far exceed their investment they recieve?
How much effort should be put into developing a product that eats into the development dollars for the primary product (A:M)?

Everyone wants Netrender... as long as they can get it for free.
A few are interested if they can get it on the cheap.

For those that are serious about their need for Netrender and willing to support that need... contact Hash Inc.

Disclaimer: I'm no different than anyone else. I have long thought Netrender should be rolled over into A:M (i.e. A:M Users would get it for free).
But I understand how we as customers will demand support and complain even when the products we are using are free.