GIG reference manual

RenderManager tutorial

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Section contents

Rendering on three machines

An example for usage of the RenderManager will be given. In this example it will be assumed that there are three computers available for the RenderManager. These computers are named: c1, c2, and c3.

On each machine is a GIG 3DGO installed.

Login on computer c1 as user gig. There is a still and an animation that have to be rendered.

First the RenderManger has to be started on c1. Type startManager on the (UNIX) commandline. After a few seconds a UNIX prompt will appear again. The RenderManager is now running in the background (invisible).

Now on every machine you want to use for the rendering an agent has to be started. First on c1.

Type startAgent -m c1, and after a few seconds a UNIX prompt will appear again. The RenderAgent is now running in the background (invisible). The '-m c1 ' tells the RenderAgent that the RenderManager is running on machine c1.

To start the RenderAgent on the other two machines you have to login on those machines first. That can be done from computer c1.

Type:
rlogin c2 -l gig

If a password is needed, then it will be asked for. Once (remotely) logged in on computer c2 you can start a RenderAgent:

Type:
startAgent -m c1

When after a few seconds a UNIX prompt appears, type:
logout

With this command the connection with c2 will be broken.

For machine c3 you'll have to do the same.

Type:
rlogin c3 -l gig

Type:
startAgent -m c1

Type:
logout

Now the manager is fully functional. We can add jobs to it via a RenderClient. We start the RenderClient on machine c1, because that's the machine where our project files are. To start the RenderClient type:
startClient -m c1

Now a user interface will appear on the screen.

Select change proj and select the project which contains the still and animation which have to be rendered.
Select the output directory where you want the results to be. Select GIG still
Select the proper still
Select add selected
Select GIG animation
Select the proper animation
Set the frame numbers (startframe and endframe) Select add selected
Now the jobs are added, and the rendering will start. The RenderClient may be stopped now. To do that select exit.

The Rendering continues until everything that has been selected is rendered.

You can check the rendering progress by starting the RenderClient and looking at the status info.

If the Rendering is done you can delete the jobs (who have status ready) from the job list. To do that start the RenderClient:
startClient -m c1

Select the job and then select delete. Do this for both jobs. exit the RenderClient.

The RenderManager and the RenderAgents can be stopped now:
Type:
stopManager

Type:
stopAgent

Type:
rlogin c2 -l gig

Type:
stopAgent

Type:
exit

Type: rlogin c3 -l gig

Type: stopAgent

Type: exit

Everything is stopped now. The results should be in the directory you selected.