Any Screamernet tutorials for the PC out there?

[Blaine Holm]

Are there any tutorials on this website or elsewhere to help with setting up Screamernet on a PC network?

[Qexit]

Hi Blaine

This has been posted on the Forums before but is possibly still one of the best tutorials available for Screamernet, Stu Aitken's 12 steps :

12. steps to succesful network rendering:

1. setup lightwave on a shared folder visible to the whole network. if
mapped make sure its mapped to the same letter on each machine - I'd
recommend ditching drive mapping and just using unc names eg:

\\server\lightwave\ instead of z:\lightwave\

(obviously these are example names - please substitute with you're
actual network reality)

you only need the programs, plugins and command folders - make a config
directory there as well

2. copy you're configs into the config directory

3.open up lw3.cfg and change the command directory line to point at
you're new lightwave folder eg:

CommandDirectory \\server\lightwave\command\

4.open up lwext3.cfg in wordpad and make sure ALL plugin references
point to the correct locations on the networked lightwave directory -ie
they should all look like:

{ Entry
Class "AnimLoaderHandler"
Name "QuickTime"
Module "\\\\server\\lightwave\\plugins\\input-output\\QTTools.p"
}

5. go to the programs directory and make a shortcut to lwsn.exe - enter
the properties to this shortcut and set it to the following:

\\server\lightwave\programs\LWSN.exe -2 -c\\server\\lightwave\config
\\server\lightwave\command\job1 \\server\lightwave\command\ack1

6. to make a machine a node simply drag a copy of this shortcut onto the
desktop, then enter its properties and set the two ID tags to something
unique (ie the bits where its says job1 and ack1 are changed to job2 and
ack2 or whatever)

7. thats it - easy - double click to start node.

8. changing the content dir entails changing the content dir line in the
lw3.cfg file in \\server\lightwave\config\ then saving it.

9. make another shortcut, this time to lightwav.exe on
\\server\lightwave\programs

10. change its command line in the properties tab to:

\\server\lightwave\programs\LightWav.exe -0 -c\\server\lightwave\config

11. open up the license key file in \\server\lightwave\programs\ and add
ALL the license key codes for each registered copy of lightwave you
have, on a seperate line each, then save the file.

12. drag this shortcut onto every desktop where you might want to
control screamernet from - ONLY use that shortcut to launch lightwave to
control the nodes

tada - instant screamer net - if you're smart you'll just run lightwave
from the network full stop, makes updating configs, plugins, etc across
a network dead easy.

Stu Aitken
senior pixel pusher
AXIS|animation

stuart.aitken@axisanimation.com
www.axisanimation.com

[garg]

If you want an easy way to setup a network render farm:

http://www.rayserver.com

Alain Bertrand

[Chicken]

Originally posted by garg
If you want an easy way to setup a network render farm:

http://www.rayserver.com

Alain Bertrand

Thank you!
Amleot is really a good tool :)

[Matt]

nowhere near finished, but I'm working on this . . .

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

what I've written so far may help understand how it works, which I believe is the key to any tutorial, rather than a 'do this do that' list of instructions.

Cheers
Matt

[Qexit]

Interesting tutorial Matt. Keep up the good work.

Another good place to go for a 'quick fix' for ScreamerNet is the DigitalToons Website. Aside from their commercial ScreamerNet Controller, TequilaScream, you can download a free utility called TequilaNode which makes setting up ScreamerNodes a piece of cake. All you have to do is follow the simple instructions on the site.

http://www.digitaltoons.tv/shop/

Hopefully, LW8 will make all of this network rendering hassle a thing of the past :D