multi processor rendering not using full processors

[riprod3]

I just got a quad 2.4Ghz Xeon for rendering. Running windows 2003 server. Although I can see LWSN uses all 4 processors in the performance monitor it only uses 25% of them. If I run 2 versions of LWSN it uses 50% and so on.

Can someone clarify this, why would it not simply use 100% of all 4 processors in one copy of LWSN and run much faster. Have I got a setting wrong. thanks

[Mylenium]

This is absolutely normal. Like many other programs LW does not use full processor power all the time, not even for rendering. This largely deoends on what features you use and how parallelized certain things are. Many plugins cannot use multiple processors and will slow down rendering.

Mylenium

[asmith47]

You must run a seperate batch file with a seperate job and ack number for each cpu on each machine. On your quad system you would have four batch files running simultaneously. The above poster is in error, perhaps the person didn't realize you were running scremernet. You were already on track, you just didn't keep going. One instance of SN = %25, two instances = %50, 3, = %75 and 4 will take you up to 100%. Good luck!

[Oculus]

don't know if you're able to set the rendering-threads for lwsn, but i've got to have at least 4 threads to fully utilize your quad xeon

there's an option for rendering-threads in layout
i assume this option is not saved in the scene-file

[garg]

Mmmm... I think LWSN (screamer) can only use one CPU per LWSN instance. So if you want to use more CPU you need to fire more LWSN.

The multithreaded option inside layout will not be used outside (IMO)

Alain Bertrand