Distributed Rendering Guide Needed

[chemosavi]

Could someone please post a CONCISE guide to distributed rendering with Corona?

[Frood]

my try:

Option A - Backburner (best for animation single frames imho, 1 frame per node)

1. Install Max + Backburner (see Autodesk docs) + Corona on all render slaves
2. Submit your job(s) to Backburner

Option B - "native" Corona distributed rendering (best for large single frames imho, x nodes per frame)

1. Install Max + Corona + Corona DR Server (see installer page 4) on all render slaves
2. Start DrServer.exe (you need write access to DrServer directory, either change user
    rights for the directory or use an elevated account)
3. Add render nodes at Render Setup -> Corona Settings -> Distributed Rendering by clicking "Search LAN",
   your render slaves should appear now
4. Check "Enable" box in that flyout
5. Render

Pitfalls: Firewall(s), non-UNC network paths, user rights, cached DNS entries/non working DNS reverse lookup.

Short enough?

Of course you can have both. And a more convenient option for drserver is to run it as Windows service,
easy to setup for example with http://www.nssm.cc/ (which I prefer personally). Maybe future
corona installers will allow to install DrServer as a windows service. Hmm, Mantis, I´m on my way.

Good luck!

[agentdark45]

I've got a few questions about DR too if you don't mind me asking.

My workplace is going to be getting some pretty beefy PC's soon and we are toying with the idea of a render farm. Currently there are only 2 machines that have 3ds max installed on them as not everyone in the office uses max. Does this mean that we would have to install 3ds max on all of the new machines in order to get DR working? What's max's licencing like with regards to slave machines / a render farm with 20+ machines?

Is there a way to just utilise the CPU power of the other machines without having to purchase additional licenses for max? Or does Autodesk supply cheap add-on licenses for such a purpose?

[Frood]

Hi agentdark,

you don´t need a Max license for a render slave, just install Max without a serial number (as trial). But you do have indeed to install Max on all of them (and Corona + DrServer as well if you want to use Option B what you don´t want to miss...).

I don´t know if there is some limitation regarding EULA concerning the total number of render nodes to prevent a commercial renderfarm setup without buying any license (anyone knows?) but I have no knowledge of something like this. Anyway, technically you don´t need Max licenses (and I hope no Corona licenses next year ;) for a render slave.

I would suggest to setup a small test farm of 2 or 3 nodes to get into the topic and to learn how to handle a few other aspects like centralised assets and/or plugins, task priorities etc. in your local network.

[maru]

Official solution for running Distributed Render and Licensing servers as Windows services is here:
https://coronarenderer.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/12000007896
All who need it, check it out!