RenderFarm

The GSD's 'RenderFarm' consists of a rack of special servers dedicated only to 'Rendering' -- making images or movies from 3D models in 3DStudioMax or Maya -- special software ('Qube') designed to facilitate this task by simultaneously distributing the process over as many of the servers as possible, and a special temporary directory called 'RenderTMP'.
You should use the renderfarm instead of public computers , when your rendering job will take more than an hour or so, so that public computers are not tied up & unavailable for others to use, especially at times of peak demand.
Note: Unlike some 'RenderFarm' implementations, there is at present no way to add additional machines to the farm; and your computer is not involved in the rendering; only those in the CRG Server room are workers. But there are 80 processors there, and they are fast & powerful.

Overview of Process
Installing the Qube software
Using the RenderFarm
Getting Help
Qube FAQs

Overview of Process

You install the Qube software (see below).
You make your 3D model in the usual way, & save the 'scene file' , that is, the 3d model in native format (.max or .maya)
If you have any external resources (materials, maps, jpegs, etc.) you must collect them all into a folder, call it 'resources', and make sure the scene file points to them there;
Then you MAP THE WINDOWS DRIVE \\Render\RenderTMP ; and make in it a folder with your name. This is where your input and output files will go. If you don't make a folder, it will be a mess!
Copy your 'scene file' and your 'resources' folder, if any, into your folder in RenderTMP.
In Max, or Maya, use the 'Qube' menu item that was added, to invoke a render job: Point to your input file, and output folder, on RenderTMP.
When your render job is complete, all the individual rendered frames will be in the output folder specified, numbered sequentially.
If you want an animation, rather than still images, you must now combine the frames into a movie, using 'RAM Player' in 3DSMax, 'FCheck' in Maya,QuickTime Pro or Adobe Premiere, or equivalent. ;
You copy your output FROM RenderTMP, to a CD/DVD or other drive; because it will get regularly cleaned out, like other TMP folders, every 48 hours, and your output will be deleted!

Installing the Qube software

Map a drive to /home/public/software as usual; look for 'Qube' software for either Windows or MacOSX. Install the software following the README file. You will Install 5 components:

Python
Perl
Qube Core
Qube GUI
'Max Job Type' or 'Maya Job type' (or both!) (This adds a 'Qube' menu item, in the application, for submitting render jobs.)

Now you must 'configure' Qube, to tell it where the renderfarm is.
Launch the configuration: Start -> Programs -> PipelineFX > PipelineFX Qube! 5.2 -> Configuration
General Settings:

Supervisor Host: 'render.design.harvard.edu' or '128.103.170.135'
Supervisor Domain: 'qube'
Windows Domain: 'Design'

Using the RenderFarm

Install and configure the Qube software (see above).
See Overview of the process above: Make your model, collect all resources in a folder; copy the file and resources folder to RenderTMP;
In Max, or Maya, use the 'Qube' menu item that was added, to invoke a render job: Point to your input file, and output folder.
Be sure to point to the files on RenderTMP !.
When your render job is complete it will be in the output folder specified.
You can use QubeGUI to monitor the progress of your job; or cancel it. See Using the Qube Monitor for more information, and what to do if you have problems.
If you want an animation, rather than still images, you must now combine the frames into a movie, using 'RAM Player' in 3DSMax, 'FCheck' in Maya, QuickTime Pro or Adobe Premiere, or equivalent. ;
Copy your output FROM RenderTMP, because it will get regularly cleaned out, like other TMP folders, every 48 hours, and your output will be deleted!

Getting Help

See Using the Qube Monitor for more informationon mon itoring & cancelling your job

See Qube FAQs for some common problems & solutions.

And, as always, check with helpdesk.