Chaos Corona Forum

Chaos Corona for Cinema 4D => [C4D] Bug Reporting => [C4D] Resolved Bugs => Topic started by: BigAl3D on 2018-01-11, 18:57:46

Title: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: BigAl3D on 2018-01-11, 18:57:46
Tried to use the Report Bug button, but it won't take my login so I posed that code at the bottom. Anyway, I was trying out B1 r2 and it mostly works. For me, TeamRender is not quite there. Corona normally renders the whole screen blocky, then refines until it reaches the number of passes you set. When using TeamRender, even with only one node, it will render from the bottom of the screen and VERY slow to render. I was using the free "Dinning Scene Final" file which, at the moment, cannot find the link where I downloaded it.

My slower Mac Pro can render that scene in 12 min. at 10 passes and denoise. I let the TeamRender render overnight with my fast renderbox, and it did fill the screen, but the quality was very poor (like the attachment) after 16 hours. Not sure what's going on with that.

I also tried this in r18, but the render node on my server crashes, but does not give my a report. I will double-check that, but that box is updating Windows at the moment.



Full-speed non-debug version
Build timestamp: Jan  8 2018 17:04:04
Version: B1 rc 2 (core 1.7 (hotfix 2))
Cinema version: CINEMA 4D Studio R17.055 S
Plugin status: initialized successfully

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Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: houska on 2018-01-12, 12:48:45
Hi BigAl3D,

we're well aware of this issue with TR, but were unable to reproduce it in the office yet. We're trying hard to find the cause and fix this!
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: shane_w on 2018-01-12, 17:55:44
I can confirm the issues BigAl3D is having.

Can the behavior when launching a single frame using TeamRender server be changed or provide a check box option?         TEAMRENDER MODE:    |  X  | USE SINGLE SERVER        |     | DISTRIBUTE TO ALL SEVRERS

Cinema's default behavior when launching a single frame using server is one machine will take the job and render the entire image.  I think Corona is trying to distribute the single frame across multiple machines.  I can see how this would be a feature, but in our workflow we rarely want this.  As we complete images we send them to the farm and would like a single machine to render a single image.

Our current work-around is to send two frames.  Out entire scene is in a keyframed null that hides everything for the second frame so it renders very quickly.  We then just delete the dummy frame.  This works but is quite a pain when launching many renderings.

Thanks,

-Shane
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: BigAl3D on 2018-01-12, 18:45:05
@Shane_w OK so I just did another test. Again, just one render node available (not even C4D is available). One frame to TeamRender equals bug. Using Shane's trick and sending two frames works as expected.
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: Nikola on 2018-01-15, 17:30:31
Hi,

Thank you for the testing. Other users already reported that rendering using TR is slower than rendering on the local machine, but we are still not able to reproduce the problem. Can you please change the "Render Settings -> Corona -> Team render -> Maximum size of packet" to some high value, e.g. 100 MB and tell me how Team rendering behaves after the change? I am also interested in console outputs from all Team render clients. Regarding the single frame rendering, I tested how Cinema behaves when I start rendering of scene with one frame (using Cinema4D Physical renderer) from Team render server, and it distributes the single frame across multiple machines the same as Corona (actually we don't control this, Cinema simply calls the relevant functions which we implement in our rendering engine).

Thank you
Nikola
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: shane_w on 2018-01-15, 21:18:29

Regarding the single frame rendering, I tested how Cinema behaves when I start rendering of scene with one frame (using Cinema4D Physical renderer) from Team render server, and it distributes the single frame across multiple machines the same as Corona (actually we don't control this, Cinema simply calls the relevant functions which we implement in our rendering engine).


Dang Nikola you are right!  Thanks for looking into this.  I haven't used Cinema's render engine in ages I wonder when they changed this?  I am going to inquire with Maxon and see what they say about this.  I will try the "Maximum size of packet" suggestion and report back with my results.

Thanks,

-Shane
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: shane_w on 2018-01-15, 22:05:13
Can you please change the "Render Settings -> Corona -> Team render -> Maximum size of packet" to some high value, e.g. 100 MB and tell me how Team rendering behaves after the change? I am also interested in console outputs from all Team render clients.
Thank you
Nikola

Hi Nikola, I tried your suggestion of increasing packet size to 100mb with no improvement.  Rendering local = 2:20,  rendering using TeamRender and five clients = 2:50.  I could not figure out how to copy from the clients console so I included a screenshot from one client.

Thanks,

-Shane
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: Nikola on 2018-01-16, 15:00:29
Thank you for the console output Shane. If you can't send me the other console outputs, can you send me console output from Team render server at least (if I understand right that you use Team render server for TR start)?

Best regards
Nikola
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: shane_w on 2018-01-16, 15:31:52
Hi Nikola, yes the job was rendered using server and clients.  Here is a screenshot from the server.

Thanks,

-Shane
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: Nikola on 2018-01-16, 18:14:05
Thank you. Can you please also change the "Render Settings -> Corona -> Team render -> Client update interval" to some high value, e.g. 60s and tell me how Team rendering behaves after that change?

Nikola
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: shane_w on 2018-01-16, 18:29:07
It seemed to process the passes differently but had no effect on performance.  Local time = 2:29    five clients = 3:21

Thanks,

-Shane
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: Nikola on 2018-01-17, 18:54:17
Thank you, Shane. According to console output, it looks that big part of rendering time is occupied by network communication. Can you please test it for e.g. 50 passes and send me the console outputs of all cilents (you can copy whole output by right button click and selecting "Copy All")?

Nikola
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: shane_w on 2018-01-17, 20:00:55
Hi Nikola, I did a test on 5 clients and have included the server and client logs.  I use a tablet and was not able to copy the client logs but after plugging in a mouse I was able to right click and copy all.

There was a speed difference with 50 passes.   5 clients = 16:38       local machine = 27:18

Not even twice as fast with a 5 to 1 advantage.  Image rendered with clients was much darker/more saturated and it looks like post effects like bloom/glare and denoising didn't work.

Thanks,

-Shane
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: TomG on 2018-01-17, 20:09:33
From my tests with TR server, post processing doesn't take effect as you say, I can confirm that.
Title: Re: B1 r2 and TeamRender Problem
Post by: shane_w on 2018-01-17, 20:22:37
Post effects do work if you are renderings multiple frames or if I use the hack I mention in reply #2

Thanks,

-Shane