Hello.
I have a question regarding rendering optimization
We need to render a lot of different scenes in low-res (via command line) and we’re interested in using network version of 3DS Max for increasing overall performance.
Render time of one scene is less than 0.5s (ScanLine)
As I understood, each server in cluster will render a part of a single image, so (taking to attention current time) it wouldn’t be too effective.

As there any chance to make it work in a way when each server would render a different scene at the same time?
Maybe using another render application will help?

Sorry, if the question is stupid - I’m not 3d expert.
Thanks in advance.

Rendering single still images (not a sequence) that render that quickly is not efficient with net rendering.
If they render in less than a second, is performance an issue? How many different lo-res scenes do you want to render at a time?

Samab 27 January 2009 10:19 AM

If they render in less than a second, is performance an issue? How many different lo-res scenes do you want to render at a time?

Actually, yes - performance does matter right now and loading will rise in future.
Simple solution is to use different 3ds max for each new server - but it becomes to expensive.

use different 3ds max for each new server - but it becomes to expensive

You don’t have to license the render nodes, or do you mean it’s expensive buying the nodes, true.

As I understood, each server in cluster will render a part of a single image, so (taking to attention current time) it wouldn’t be too effective.
As there any chance to make it work in a way when each server would render a different scene at the same time?

Sorry, forgetting the actual question. Only when strip rendering (or DBR) is a single frame rendered by a number of servers.
If strips is not enabled, one job will go to one server, the next job to the next server etc…

Samab 27 January 2009 11:11 AM

If strips is not enabled, one job will go to one server, the next job to the next server etc…

Sounds good. Will the second server wait until the first job complete, or all jobs would executing simultaneously?

Will the second server wait until the first job complete, or all jobs would executing simultaneously?

They will work side by side. With 2 servers, the third job will wait until one finishes a previous job, and go to the next available server.
The bottle-neck with fast single frames on backburner is (not sure about command line, I don’t use it), Max reloads for every job, not efficient with times of 0.5sec, it may be different with batch renders.

Samab 27 January 2009 11:47 AM

Will the second server wait until the first job complete, or all jobs would executing simultaneously?

They will work side by side. With 2 servers, the third job will wait until one finishes a previous job, and go to the next available server.
The bottle-neck with fast single frames on backburner is (not sure about command line, I don’t use it), Max reloads for every job, not efficient with times of 0.5sec, it may be different with batch renders.

I missed to say a core thing - it’s all rendering of a single scene with different elements coordinates, angles etc (which are managed by maxscript)
So max will not reload the scene.

In that way (DBR) may I use default ScanLine render or I should try something else?

In that way (DBR) may I use default ScanLine render or I should try something else?

No, DBR (Distributed Bucket Rendering) is how mental ray renders a single image on a number of computers. It is an alternative to strip rendering for mr users, not available in scanline.
As I said, strip and DBR will not be efficient for quick frames like that, save it for those hi-res stills that take ages to render.