Batch or Queue rendering with Foundation

[milwatt]

Hi,
I've just bought a brand new XSI Foundation 6.02 and I'm slowly learning.

I'm trying to launch a batch to render several scenes one by one on a single machine, like a render queue.
I saw that it was possible to make some .bat with the command "xsibatch" (Mental ray for Maya, 3dsmax and XSI book by Boaz Livny).
But when I run my .bat XSI tells me there's no licence.

Is that because I only got a Foundation licence ?
Is there another way to do that ?

Thx,

Milwatt

[StephenBlair]

Hi Milwatt

Foundation does not include batch rendering capabilities. I'm not sure you can even do xsi -render with a Foundation license. I'm not in front of my computer right now, so I cannot verify that.

I would look into writing a script to open and render the scenes.

For example: http://www.xsibase.com/forum/index.php?board=29;action=display;threadid=29981

Steve Blair

Softimage Support Team Lead

[Francisco Carreon]

Hi Stephen,

Can you please tell me how we can setup a render farm using XSI, need some recommendations. I need to be able to send a render using multiple licenses that we have (40) something like rendering over night, is this possible?, is there any script that make the process easy?

[StephenBlair]

Hi Stephen,

Can you please tell me how we can setup a render farm using XSI, need some recommendations. I need to be able to send a render using multiple licenses that we have (40) something like rendering over night, is this possible?, is there any script that make the process easy?

Hi Francisco

You have XSI for Educational Institution licenses, right? So you have plenty of licenses for setting up over night renders. Basically, what you have to do is run xsibatch -render jobs on all the XSI workstations that you want to use as render nodes. Each xsibatch job will take care of rendering one or more frames of your scene.

You should look into getting some render management software, such as Royal Render (http://www.royalrender.de). The render manager will take care of running xsibatch -render jobs on your XSI workstations.

[milwatt]

Great !!!
Thanx a lot, Stephen.
I've made a quick test (three simple scene with an animated cube in each one) and this script generator works fine !

I've also tried with xsi -render command and it doesn't work (invalid license).

Milwatt

[mi_echo_log.txt]

I've also tried with xsi -render command and it doesn't work (invalid license).


xsibatch -render is supported in version 6.5.
For versions 5.0~6.02 use : xsibatch -r -scene <bob.scn>

Make sure the batch file you create either sources (call) 'setenv.bat' directly or the batch file is executed from within a Softimage command prompt.

It is also advisable that if you have multiple xsibatch commands to call the .exe as just calling xsi or xsibatch really calls a batch file.

An example (run from within a SI Shell)


xsibatch.exe -render bob.scn
xsibatch.exe -render bob2.scn -pass depth
xsibatch.exe -render bob.scn -frames 211-356


If you continue to have problems acquiring a license post the log so we can take a look, or contact Softiamge Support for assistance.

thanks,

[StephenBlair]

You cannot do command-line rendering with a Foundation license.

I just tested this.

Neither xsi -render or xsibatch -render worked for me when all I had was a Foundation license.

[mi_echo_log.txt]

Ha .. guess I should have read the whole thread. I was referring to Academic licenses.

Stephan is correct. Foundation does not support command line rendering.

Here is a comparison chart that summarizes the package differences.


http://www.softimage.com/products/xsi/pdf/XSI_6_x_ComparisonChart.pdf

[kim aldis]

Check out the batch maker plugin for XSI on my website, http://www.kim-aldis.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44&Itemid=59, It creates a .bat file from the current scene, groups frames up for increased reliability and allows you to select which passes you wish to render.

I updated it for 6.5 a while back but I've not looked at it for a while and I've not rendered much on 6.5. If it gives you problems just shout.

I also have a neat little tool that watches folders and executes anything that's dropped into it. I've used it in the past on small client's networks to build a simple but quite effective renderfarm. I'll try and dig it out this weekend and get it posted.

[kim aldis]

http://www.kim-aldis.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=49&Itemid=59

this used to be a purchasable tool. I've unlocked it now, it's a freeby. Have fun

[CiaranM]

Looks like a useful tool. Thanks.

[milwatt]

Thanks a lot.
I've tried the Script plugin from Stephen, it works nicely.
Kim, I will try your plugin, it seems to be a usefull one too, thanks for sharing. Does it work with Foundation ?

Milwatt