First steps in network rendering...

[Trolly]

Hi.
I am trying to test out the ScreamerNet II. There is one thing I cant understand about it. Also I can find no help about it from manual. Manual says that the LWSN.exe and all the other configuration files must be in ScreamerNet directory. But it never mentions anything about these "other" configuration files what kind of files they are, only the LWSN.exe and lwext3.cfg. I copied the LWSN.exe to there, modified the lwext3.cfg file so that all the nodes could find plugins from the ScreamerNet folder. And...then I tried to run LWSN.exe as is described in manual. But it started to give me errors that it needs this file and after one by one I copied all the *.dll files from LightWave\Programs to that ScreamerNet folder, there are 12 *.dll's together. And then...it gave me this error:

L:\ScreamerNet>LightWave x86 ScreamerNet Module (Build 571)

Unknown option: "-CL:\SCREAMERNET"

This is the point where I have no idea what should I do.
Any ideas....any help?:(

[js33]

I didn't follow the tutorial because it seems to not work for alot of people. When I added the command to point to the cfg files it didn't work for me so I took that part out and it worked fine. You don't need to move anything to another directory. Just try it like I did here.

My C: drive is mapped to the L: drive and all I did was edit my existing lwm.cfg and lw.cfg files which on my machine are located at: C:\Documents and Settings\JS

Yours will be the same except it will have your username instead of JS.

I just changed all the C: references to L: will find and replace.

Here is my screamernet .bat file. I call mine LWSN.bat.

L:
cd L:\LightWave\Programs
lwsn -2 L:\LightWave\Programs\Command\job1 L:\LightWave\Programs\Command\ack1

This is for the machine LW runs on. To add other CPUs just copy the above as save it as LWSN.bat and change job1 to job2 and ack1 to ack2 and so on. Note the each bat file needs to be run from the machine it's on. So on my second machine my .bat file looks like this.

L:
cd L:\LightWave\Programs
lwsn -2 L:\LightWave\Programs\Command\job2 L:\LightWave\Programs\Command\ack2

On the 2nd machine map the C: drive off the first machine to L: so it points to the same place.

Also you must edit your scene files to change C: to L: as well.

I hope this makes sense. It's really alot easier than it sounds.

When you get it right and launch the bat file you should get something like this.

C:\Documents and Settings\JS\Desktop>L:

L:\>cd L:\LightWave\Programs

L:\LightWave\Programs>lwsn -2 L:\LightWave\Programs\Command\job1 L:\LightWave\Programs\Command\ack1
LightWave x86 ScreamerNet Module (Build 571)
CPU number: 1

Current directory is now "L:\LightWave".

LightWave command: wait.

LightWave command: wait.

LightWave command: wait.

LightWave command: wait.

Cheers,
JS

[Adrian@Stufish]

er, the syntax is probably -cL:\ not -CL:\
if L is your mapped location
Try Lightnet (free) or something - screamernet means your dongled machine has to have a full LW session loaded in its memory all the time. - leave all the nework rendering work to other machines while you are at work, then add your main machine to the farm when you go home.

[Trolly]

Hmm...that is a really bad news about ScreamerNet what i did not know. Me just hopes that LightNet has a good manual.
thx for ur input

[Trolly]

Damn...but this LightNet is keeping the cpu under HEAVY load even if u are not rendering anything. Are all the Distributed rendering apps like that? Would like to use some free cpu cycles as pc's are not occupied with rendering:(

[Trolly]

Ok...I got the nodes up and running.
Z:\LightWave\Programs>lwsn.exe -2 -cZ:\LightWave\Programs Z:\LightWave\Programs\
Command\job1 Z:\LightWave\Programs\Command\ack1
LightWave x86 ScreamerNet Module (Build 583)
CPU number: 1

Current directory is now "Z:\\LightWave".

Can't open job file "Z:\LightWave\Programs\Command\job1".
And so on for the other nodes...in increasing numbers.
So far so good...and that is the point where problems begin. I did set the Command directory to "Z:\LightWave\Programs" inside LW. But as I am trying to Initialize the cpus in ScreamerNet gui...it wont find any:(
And that is the point where me is absolutely w/o any ideas...what to do next?
Plus one more further question..how should I handle the P4 HT cpus...single or dual?
Thank You.

One more question...maybe stupid one. For ScreamerNet to work..does it need to see network neigborhood. I can share files, move them, ping them and so on but just cant see them in Network Neigborhood. I guess it wont make any point anyway..cuz Screamer uses netbeui connections if I am right.

[Matt]

This isn't finished but something might help so far . . .

Screamernet without the scream! (http://www.creactive-design.co.uk/screamernet/)

Also unless you typed it wrong you have a > where you should have a \

It should read:

Z:\LightWave\Programs\lwsn.exe -2 -cZ:\LightWave\Programs Z:\LightWave\Programs\
Command\job1 Z:\LightWave\Programs\Command\ack1

[Matt]

Re: NetBEUI I think you only need it when networking Windows95 and WindowsNT machines, I could be wrong I'm not a network boffin at all!

All I know is I'm screamerneting Windows 2000 and Windows XP machines without it!

[Matt]

I should read your post fully before replying!

Re: Multiple CPUs on one machine - treat them as separate nodes! Just increase the job / ack numbers!

[Adrian@Stufish]

Trolly, back a few posts you mentioned Lightnet appearing to occupy the full cpu even when not.
It is just an appearence, depending on your settings it moves our of the way when something with greater priority askes for space.
Lightnet may suck a bit, but Screamernet sucks the most !

[Trolly]

About LightNet, I am quite sure it is just not some kind of appearance. I did check sys and cpu temps...and even under usual run LightNet takes full power of cpu. I dont know..I have to think about it a bit....but thorotically free cycles..for full load what is hitting up cpu temp and thus taking more power etc...:S

[Trolly]

Hmmm..I really didnt notice that > typo. I just copied the stuff from j33's post and modified it for my needs. But unfortunately missed the > typo.
Yeap...I know multiple cpu systems should be handled as separate nodes. But in reality..Pentium4(P4) systems with Hyper Threading(HT) are no real dual cpu systems. And if expirementing with amount of threads on these pc's then the rendering speed is changing quite a lot. Not like always more is more...

[Trolly]

Seems that I am complete idiot. But for some weird reason I am unable to get that stuff to work. ScreamerNet II is just not able to find cpu's. Even the master cpu what is running in my pc...everything else should be ok. I have tried different techniques, drive mapping, UNC naming and still no luck. The whole concept starts to become frustrating...actually it is already. Me is out of ideas.

[js33]

Trolly,

Yeah the typos will definantely keep it from working.
Look at my example and try it again. You are using Z instead of L so make sure your config files point to Z.
Also starting on the third line everything should be on one line with no wrapping. Take out the -c command. I had trouble also when using the config file redirection. Try it without that.
Also on your other machines just go to the netneighborhood and find your C drive of the main machine (if thats where LW is installed) and map it as Z. Then make a new bat file on that machine with job2 ack2 etc...

Make your bat file exactly like this with only the L: changing to a Z:.

L:
cd L:\LightWave\Programs
lwsn -2 L:\LightWave\Programs\Command\job1 L:\LightWave\Programs\Command\ack1

Also make sure you scene files are changed to point to Z.
Then load your scene file from Z.

Start the SN bat file and then go to SN panel and init CPUs.

Cheers,
JS

[Trolly]

I even downloaded some kind of app called snlint09..it checks the scene and config file configurations...it did not gave me any errors.
That is very weird. Everything like works..only screamernet is unable to initialize cpu's. Been trying to find some other solutions too in mean time, like Spider(hard to configure cuz of the lack of information). Plus also that LightNet...what about I am not very sympathetic. Thank u folks anyway...for ur time and help u have been providing, in mean time me keeps pushing. And if miracle should happen that I do get that stuff to work...definetly will have few beers for that;)

[Adrian@Stufish]

you certainly are having an unreasonable amount of problems with this.
are you ABSOLUTELY sure that there are no extra copys of config files on the machines running as render nodes ?
- in my experience (which may be just as whacky as yours!) lwsn will use any config files it can find in the local 'documents' folders in preference to those you are pointing at. Zap 'em all.
(every time LW.exe is run on a machine WITHOUT using a specific command directing it to a set of cfig files, it creates a new set on that machine; because I want all my machines to always use the same config files, my only copy of LW is on a server directory seen by all machines as 'M:\' containing directory 'LIGHTWAVE' and within that directory all plugins etc., and all my network rendering stuff - lightnet files, temporary message files, and all the cfg files, are in a directory mapped as 'S:\'. all PCs in the office get their mapping from the same logon.bat)
so on any machine with a dongle plugged in I would start LW using a shortcut with the direction;
M:\LightWave\Programs\Lightwav.exe -cS:\LW7_Config
and lightnet with
S:\Lightnet.exe
and in lightnet options:
command directory 'S:\'
screamer file 'M:\LightWave\Programs\LWSN.exe'
screamer config folder or directory 'S:\LW7_Config'

the above 7 lines contain absolutely everthing I ever have to tell the machines about LW & lwsn, lightnet does all the rest

as a result, whenever I add a new machine to the network, once I am sure it is running the logon.bat from the server, it takes me less than 3 minutes to have it rendering productively.

symptoms of wrong config files being usedinclude all or any of;
fail to set proper current directory
fail to start loading scene
fail to find objects, images, motion files
fail to save images

[madrenderman]

fast screamernet configuration

check your lan
1) share lw folder (read/write option active)
2) share content folder (read/write option active)
3) go to every computer, add as shared disk,
lw drive as X:
content dir as Y:
4) go to computer where you have lw installed and add shared disks like other computer.
5) do a new dir called config in lightwave folder
6) do a new dir called job in LightWave folder
7) from shared disk (not directly from hd) did a desktoplink to lw, modeler, and lwsn (screamernet node).
8) in the property of lw icon write this :
X:\Programs\lightwav.exe -cX:\config
which force lw to read and write config file in x:\config
9) do that also for modeler
10) open lw and reload all plugin, close it (this build in config folder a new updated cfg for screamernet.
11) go to property of lwsn icon and write that:
X:\Programs\LWSN.exe -2 -cX:\config -dY: x:\jobdirect\job1 x:\jobdirect\ack1

where
-c tell to lwsn where are cfg files

-d tell to lwsn where is content dir

x:\jobdirect\job1 x:\jobdirect\ack1 tell to lwsn where write and load ack and job file (file used from lw to identify, check and use screamernet node).

12) double click on lwsn and you see a dos windws start, with an error where you read that lwsn not find job1, it's ok.
13) start lw and go in rendering/networkrendering
14) set up command directory like x:\job and you are agree when lw ask you to reinit node.
15) if you do all like this, lw find node, and you can start to add scene for rendering.
16) to setup other computer, you do only to copy link from your desktop to other desktop, and in property modify the job and ack number, instead of 1, you set 2, 3, 4, etc.
run all application, then rescan with button of networkrendering and you can use all cpu of your network.

if work first, work every other. if not work first, check every step, probably you do some error in path.

have a nice day.

[Trolly]

Folks. Guess what?! I got it to work!!! As I figured out it needs trick or two..and I went for LightNet...this really is much much better and comfortable to use than ScreamerNet. I made some tests...it had no problem to find plug-ins, all rendering on all cpu's went fine and it is really very pleasant to watch the job how it progresses. Thank you all for your patience and your kind help u have provided w/o it maybe I still would be an idiot. But now...naw...now I am a Genius;)

[Matt]

Hurrah!!!! :)

Glad to be of help!

[Adrian@Stufish]

Delighted you've got it going.

Just don't try to add to your scene queue any scenes asking for less frames to be rendered than about 2x the number of nodes.

Have you got your machines auto starting and logging themselves in after a crash ? (TweakUi recomended), together with lightnet's self start abilities it makes you (almost) bombproof.
- my whole network has re-started itself after a 4 hour power-out and picked up rendering where it left off !


Seriously, I'm sure that the more techy render controllers like spider and butterfly are probably a lot cleverer and sleek in operation, BUT I fear they do need an environment where someone on site is really into network setup and maintainance.
For most of us luddites, Lightnet hacks it pretty well.

[Trolly]

Yeap, all of the babys are with auto login. This is really a great feature...and best of that LightNet supports it. Really nice, thank u guys again.