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[Letterbox]

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!!!!!!)

azurecgi, not to distract from your question, but to compliment it, ask the dealer / chaosgroup if vray renderer uses it's license per machine or per cpu. As if you have a dual xeon box it might only take 1 license.

[xsisupport]

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

Batch is per machine. xsibatch will use everything it can on the local machine.

[xsisupport]

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!!!!!!)

If you're rendering with xsibatch, then yes, you would need to buy another network license.
Batch licenses aren't sold separately (a network license could be viewed as a six-pack, if you don't need to run Softimage interactive, you can use that license as sixth batch).

That's my understanding. I don't understand why VRay sells 10packs in that case???

[Daniel Brassard]

I am a visual person, I wish I had a graphic like this one that explained Soft licensing, advantages and disadvantages for each options (SLM, Network, batch, satellite, and so on).

This thread is turning into a good refresher on what we get with Soft.

[Daniel Brassard]

Bellsey or Stephen, can you clarify:

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.

I have a NLM license, does it means 5 x MR Batch/render and 4 x Satellite Render or
5 x MR Batch/render and 20 x Satellite Render?

[xsisupport]

Bellsey or Stephen, can you clarify:

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.

I have a NLM license, does it means 5 x MR Batch/render and 4 x Satellite Render or
5 x MR Batch/render and 20 x Satellite Render?

You get one license for XSI.exe and five licenses for xsibatch.exe.

Each instance of XSI.exe or xsibatch.exe can use up to four satellite machines.

[xsisupport]

I am a visual person, I wish I had a graphic like this one that explained Soft licensing, advantages and disadvantages for each options (SLM, Network, batch, satellite, and so on).

This thread is turning into a good refresher on what we get with Soft.

Yup, back in the early days we had a graphic somewhat like that on the wiki. It's gone from the web now, but it looked like this:

[steven07]

Pardon my ignorance... but what's the difference between interactive rendering and batch rendering?

So from what I understand I can use boxes that have 6 cpu cores if I want but it's only up to 4 extra boxes (including the master)?

[xsisupport]

Pardon my ignorance... but what's the difference between interactive rendering and batch rendering?

So from what I understand I can use boxes that have 6 cpu cores if I want but it's only up to 4 extra boxes (including the master)?

interactive rendering means rendering from XSI.exe
- render region
- preview
- render current frame
- render current pass

batch rendering is rendering with xsibatch
- xsibatch -render -scene "\\server\...\something.scn"

[Daniel Brassard]

Thanks Stephen,

Each instance of XSI.exe or xsibatch.exe can use up to four satellite machines.

So correct me if I'm wrong:

XSI.exe access 4 Satellite machines
Each xsibatch.exe can use up to 4 satellite machines for a total of up to 20 satellite machines
so the NLM give you access to up to 24 Satellite machines for rendering?

1 Interactive machine for rendering
4 satellite for rendering
5 xsibatch for rendering
20 satellite rendering (4 satellite per xsibatch)

Grand total 30 machines can be used for rendering?

[xsisupport]

Thanks Stephen,

Each instance of XSI.exe or xsibatch.exe can use up to four satellite machines.

So correct me if I'm wrong:

XSI.exe access 4 Satellite machines
Each xsibatch.exe can use up to 4 satellite machines for a total of up to 20 satellite machines
so the NLM give you access to up to 24 Satellite machines for rendering?

Yeah, but there's only four working on any given frame.
24 if you're in marketing.

[Daniel Brassard]

24 if you're in marketing.

Got it!

[steven07]

Doesn't Max have unlimited render nodes? I don't know why everyone doesn't just do this :S
This would definitely be a plus for the subscription. I'd get the subscription just for that.

[Letterbox]

Sblair, since your doing a such great job of SI support by answering all these questions.

I'd suggest, if you're allowed to, and want to, since your now working for Solid-Angle can you say what Arnolds rendering policy is core's/cpu's/batch.

I know it's off topic, but fair's fair you deserve a bit of marketing freedom.

[steven07]

Arnolds rendering policy is core's/cpu's/batch.

I know it's off topic, but fair's fair you deserve a bit of marketing freedom.

Nah, this is totally on topic. It'd be good to know and compare with mental ray.

[luceric]

Doesn't Max have unlimited render nodes? I don't know why everyone doesn't just do this :S
This would definitely be a plus for the subscription. I'd get the subscription just for that.

best bang for the buck for a freelancer, imho, would be getting the premium suite and doing all the lighting and rendering in Max. It does indeed have unlimited mental ray render nodes. plus iray and other tools. Neither maya or Softimage have this.