Mid way through a project render...

[dmack]

Hi All,

I'm mid way through rendering a ton of scenes for a project I'm working on (Dambusters!). My renderfarm comprises a few 32bit machines. I've got a 64bit machine on it's way (xp64). When it arrives, I'll want to get it rendering immediately - if I just install a lwsn node on it (actualy Tequila Scream), the 32bit version, I'm assuming all will work ok - no glitches in the procedural textures etc? Anything I should be aware of before I go and add it to the rest and get it merrily rendering away??? Just thinking that it's a 64bit system....that's all.

Thanks

[dmack]

OK, so I've got the machine....So, if I install a Tequila Scream node...how does the PC know if it's a 32bit app or a 64bit app?

[Hopper]

The Operating System will automatically know if an app is 32 or 64 bit by the way it's compiled (word alignment, etc...). But if you are expecting for your machine to use a 32bit app in a 64bit manner, it will not.

A 32bit app should work on a 64bit OS with no issues (note the "should").
A 64bit app will only work in a 32 bit mode only if it was specifically built to do so (usually with a specific configuration or command line flags).

If you want your 64bit box to use the 64bit LWSN you will have to configure your system to point at a "common" job and render directory (i.e. shared between your other 32bit boxes), but use the 64bit binaries. This would probably not be a fun task as you will have to fool the configuration to split between 32/64bit Plugin folders. I'm sure there are other caveats I'm missing, but unless you're a glutton for punishment, I'd stick to the 32bit version on your 64bit box.

I'm sure one of our resident experts that use Screamernet/Tequila, etc. may have an alternative solution.

[dmack]

Thanks HopperZ - Appreciated. I just want to run 32 bit lwsn on it - I've been doing it now for a couple of days and all seems fine. I went over to 64bit as it's the logical progression. When more of my machines are 64bit and the 32bit ones are no longer 'up to it' then I'll move over to a full 64bit render network - I can see that trying to run both at the same time is just asking for trouble! I am a BIG fan of keeing things like that simple!

Thanks again.

Edit: Great avatar! Made me smile!

[dmack]

... my experience was, sometimes there are problems when I render with mixed AMD and Intel computer, (some animation flicker)... but there was never problems with Lightwave32 on mixed windows with XP/X64/Vista screamernet renders...

Good to hear! It's working fine at my end, with HV's, PFX, animated textures etc.