AD subscription

[ActionArt]

Keep my room warm in winter though!

P.S. And noisy! Can't ear the wife complain ....

Two fantastic advantages in one, I could use both! And you've got the AD sub defeated. You have it all figured out Daniel. Next time I need advice on anything, I'm coming straight to you first.

[steven07]

That is what I have, built over time with left over workstations and some dual processors servers that I got for cheap. All Linux driven with only satellite seat and some custom tools. Work like a charm..

I heard there's softimage for linux.. I wonder if there's any performance boost..

Are you saying you just manage your render farm with linux or you actually use SI with linux?

[EricTRocks]

Feature film studios usually use Linux as there are less networking issues and linux is free. We run it here at Animal on Linux and works well. Softimage on Linux costs more though.

[steven07]

Softimage on Linux costs more though.

What?! Why!? Are there any performance boosts that you're aware of? Or any downfalls?

[EricTRocks]

Not sure why. Ask AD. Maybe because it needs a bit more support to get it up and running. Not sure there are any performance increases just because its on Linux

[luceric]

the price of softimage on linux and windows are the same, afaik, however on linux there is no standalone license, so you need to pay the network license price.

[EricTRocks]

Hmm... I'll have to recheck my subscription options cause last time there was quite a difference. Thanks for the info Luc-Eric

[xsisupport]

the price of softimage on linux and windows are the same, afaik, however on linux there is no standalone license, so you need to pay the network license price.

Prices are indeed the same. There used to be a price difference back in the Avid/Softimage days, and for 7.5 too I believe.
But after that, it was one price for a network license and it didn't matter what OS you used...the license worked on both.

Yeah, no standalone licensing of Softimage on Linux. Makes you wonder why they sell Standalone licenses for the suites. I bought my suite license with an employee discount, so I won't complain.

[Hirazi Blue]

Your license is a license to use the software for a certain amount of time. You don't actually own a copy of the software.

This is an ever confusing topic, so I hope I get it right...
While it’s absolutely true that you do not “own” anything in the Autodesk universe of licensing (but most licensing of other companies do seem to work in a similar way), luckily the license itself is perpetual and unless Autodesk goes bankrupt and/or gets bought out by another company (or any similar other major "company-changing" events), the license for the last version of Softimage you purchased should last you a "life-time", compatibility issues with future versions of Windows and such notwithstanding, obviously (this info is based on this reply by Stephen Blair to my own question about this issue). The whole confusion probably stems from the fact that you aren’t allowed usage of an older version of Softimage once you’ve installed and started to use the newer version, unless you are on subscription. So , unless you are on subscription, with a new version of Softimage installed you cannot use older versions concurrently. If you're not on subscription anymore or never were to begin with Autodesk should continue issuing licensing for that specific version - "perpetually"...

I do hope, I got it right this time...
(but don't take my word for it, I do not work for "them")

[Bellsey]

many people have already mentioned the benefits of Subs, so I won't go over old ground. However, what this thread does show, is that there are many users out there, who perhaps don't understand Autodesk Subscription & Support, it's uses, benefits and actually how it works. So maybe we still have some work to do there.

Staying current is a big advantage of having Subs, and although it won't apply to some people, it's still a big benefit. Autodesk don't expect everyone to upgrade to the latest version on release (projects and schedules often don't allow it), but when you do, it's alot cheaper. It's cheaper to budget for and maintain Subscription, then to let it slip and then upgrade your seats to the latest versions.

Incidently, someone mentioned about rendering and licenses. The difference comes down to whether you have a Standalone license or Network license.

A Standalone(SLM) license of Softimage will give you the following:

1 x Softimage license, which allows you to run an interactive seat of Softimage and render from inside the Softimage interface. For rendering, Softimage uses all CPUs and all cores on the local machine.

Satellite Rendering which can also use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering.

Unlimited processing licenses. A processing license allow you to run batch processing jobs. Batch processing can includes things like exporting .mi2 files, exporting rib files, baking, committing, asset management, custom render management/submission, and dynamics;  anything in a complex pipeline that requires automation and remote processing, but not rendering.

 
A Network(NLM) license of Softimage will gives you all that you get with Standalone, plus:
 
5 x Softimage Mental Ray Batch/Render nodes for network rendering

In addition, each install of Softimage Batch can also use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering.


The same Standalone/Network licensing also applies with the Suites. Depending on whether you get a Standalone or Network license of a Suite, however please note, you cannot combine the Mental Ray from Max, Maya and Softimage. Whatever render nodes come with those packages, they will only work with those packages.

[Letterbox]

A Standalone(SLM) license of Softimage will give you the following:

For rendering, Softimage uses all CPUs and all cores on the local machine.

Satellite Rendering which can also use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering.


A Network(NLM) license of Softimage will gives you all that you get with Standalone, plus:
 
5 x Softimage Mental Ray Batch/Render nodes for network rendering

In addition, each install of Softimage Batch can also use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering.

What cpu / core limits, if any, are on the satellite nodes, and Batch/Render nodes. Some call a node a cpu or pc, others specifically mean 1 x cpu (irrespective of cores), which are you referring to? Eg can a satellite - Batch/Render node be a physical 2 x cpu, 4 x etc.? Batch/Render nodes = Just install full SI again?

[azurecgi]

Unlimited processing licenses. A processing license allow you to run batch processing jobs. Batch processing can includes things like exporting .mi2 files, exporting rib files, baking, committing, asset management, custom render management/submission, and dynamics;  anything in a complex pipeline that requires automation and remote processing, but not rendering.

Can you clarify the "but not rendering" part of this statement please, as I've been informed that it should actually read "but not Mental Ray rendering"! i.e. if you are using a third-party renderer like Vray, you can have unlimited processing licenses.

This makes more sense to me if it's true, as I don't see why I should have to buy more Mental Ray licenses (or another copy of NLM Softimage), just so I can use additional (over 5) Vray licenses for rendering!

[xsisupport]

Unlimited processing licenses. A processing license allow you to run batch processing jobs. Batch processing can includes things like exporting .mi2 files, exporting rib files, baking, committing, asset management, custom render management/submission, and dynamics;  anything in a complex pipeline that requires automation and remote processing, but not rendering.

Can you clarify the "but not rendering" part of this statement please, as I've been informed that it should actually read "but not Mental Ray rendering"! i.e. if you are using a third-party renderer like Vray, you can have unlimited processing licenses.

This makes more sense to me if it's true, as I don't see why I should have to buy more Mental Ray licenses (or another copy of NLM Softimage), just so I can use additional (over 5) Vray licenses for rendering!

I don't understand. Can you point me to the VRay documentation that says you can render with xsibatch -processing ?

thx

My understanding was:

A processing license allows you to run xsibatch without taking a Batch license.
Batch licenses are for rendering with xsibatch, whether it is VRay or mental ray or Arnold...or is VRay different somehow?

[xsisupport]

A Standalone(SLM) license of Softimage will give you the following:

For rendering, Softimage uses all CPUs and all cores on the local machine.

Satellite Rendering which can also use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering.


A Network(NLM) license of Softimage will gives you all that you get with Standalone, plus:
 
5 x Softimage Mental Ray Batch/Render nodes for network rendering

In addition, each install of Softimage Batch can also use up to four (4) satellite CPUs for distributed tile rendering.

What cpu / core limits, if any, are on the satellite nodes, and Batch/Render nodes. Some call a node a cpu or pc, others specifically mean 1 x cpu (irrespective of cores), which are you referring to? Eg can a satellite - Batch/Render node be a physical 2 x cpu, 4 x etc.? Batch/Render nodes = Just install full SI again?

This is exactly why the limit was changed to four satellite machines

http://xsisupport.com/2010/12/08/satell ... licensing/

[azurecgi]

I don't understand. Can you point me to the VRay documentation that says you can render with xsibatch -processing ?

thx

My understanding was:

A processing license allows you to run xsibatch without taking a Batch license.
Batch licenses are for rendering with xsibatch, whether it is VRay or mental ray or Arnold...or is VRay different somehow?

Just repeating what I was told by a reseller when asking how I can purchase more batch licenses to use with Vray. I really, really don't see the logic in making me purchase another copy of Softimage just so I can render on 5 more machines (I was told this is the only way to obtain more XsiBatch licenses!!!!!!)

[Letterbox]

This is exactly why the limit was changed to four satellite machines

http://xsisupport.com/2010/12/08/satell ... licensing/

Only satellite was mentioned, the batch/render nodes are the same too? So it's all the same now main pc, satellite, render nodes all use as many cpu/cores as that machine has, it's all per machine now?

Thanks too Stephen - feels like everything on that blog - somewhere