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How To: Set Up Satellite Rendering

Table of contents

1 On each satellite computer, install XSI 2 On the master computer, install the rendering services 3 Create a .ray3hosts file on the master computer 4 Render something

On each satellite computer, install XSI

When you run the Setup:

• Select the Custom Install option, and then select Configure distributed rendering services. When you get to the "TCP/IP port configuration for distributed rendering" dialog box, select the Configure satellite distributed rendering check box, and then click OK.

Make a note of the port number that will be used for satellite rendering.

• Select Using a license server running on another computer, and then enter the name of the computer where you have the License Manager and the dongle installed.

On the master computer, install the rendering services

If you installed the rendering services when you installed XSI, you can skip this section.

• Click Start > All Programs > Softimage Products > SOFTIMAGE XSI 6.5 > Setup.
• Click Modify and click Next.
• Select the "Configure distributed rendering services" check box. Leave the "Softimage XSI" check box selected.
• Click Next.
• The "TCP/IP port configuration for distributed rendering" dialog box appears.

  By default, "Configure satellite distributed rendering" should be selected.

  Make a note of the port number.

• Click OK

Create a .ray3hosts file on the master computer

Create the .ray3hosts file in your User folder (for example, in C:\users\burton\Softimage\XSI_6.5).

A .ray3hosts file lists the satellite computers in the format hostname:port. For example:

#Satellites
suda:7003
kima:7003
tamu:7003

You can find the port numbers in C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\services. Scroll down to the bottom of the file and look for a line that looks like this:

mi-raysat3_5_7_23  7003/tcp                 #

Render something

In XSI, turn on Progress messages in the mental ray Diagnostics

• For the render region: click Regions > All Options, click the Diagnostics tab, and under Logged Messages, click Progress.
• For renders, click Render > Renderer Options and go to the Diagnostics tab.

Now render something.

If satellite rendering works, you'll see something like this in the history log:

// INFO : JOB  0.3  progr:     6.2%    rendered on KIMA.3
// INFO : JOB  0.4  progr:    12.5%    rendered on KIMA.4
// INFO : JOB  0.n  progr:    18.7%    rendered on TAMU.3
// INFO : JOB  0.n  progr:    25.0%    rendered on TAMU.1
// INFO : JOB  0.n  progr:    31.2%    rendered on TAMU.0
// INFO : JOB  0.n  progr:    37.5%    rendered on TAMU.2
// INFO : JOB  0.n  progr:    43.7%    rendered on TAMU.1
// INFO : JOB  0.4  progr:    50.0%    rendered on KIMA.4
// INFO : JOB  0.5  progr:    56.2%    rendered on KIMA.5
// INFO : JOB  0.n  progr:    62.5%    rendered on TAMU.0
// INFO : JOB  0.n  progr:    68.7%    rendered on TAMU.0
// INFO : JOB  0.6  progr:    75.0%    rendered on KIMA.6
// INFO : JOB  0.4  progr:    81.2%    rendered on KIMA.4
// INFO : JOB  0.n  progr:    87.5%    rendered on TAMU.1
// INFO : JOB  0.6  progr:    93.7%    rendered on KIMA.6
// INFO : JOB  0.n  progr:   100.0%    rendered on TAMU.0

In the above, KIMA and TAMU are the names of the satellite computers. The .0 and .6 are threads.