Render unit

[jonessoda]

I was given advice on using a computer for both 3d modeling and graphic design and gaming today. This advice was mainly centered around having a render unit attached to the main computer, the render unit consisting of a mobo, RAM, a processor, and a vid card, and receiving feed from the main CPU, allowing the render to run in the background while you do other things, or allowing you to use a specialty graphics card for graphics and gaming cards for gaming.

So, my question is, does anybody here know how, if it is in fact possible, to do this with a Windows XP computer (I'm not running linux, so that's out)?

 

[Powermoloch]

then....the dual core cpu will help

 

[jonessoda]

O... kay, I figured as much... but no idea on how to set it up?

 

[Hyperlite]

Interesting, but i have never heard of such a think. not that that means anything, lol. Seems like it would be difficult to get the amount of bandwidth you would need....how would you connect the two systems?

 

[Keysplayr]

Are you more or less trying to figure out how to set up a server rendering farm?
One master processor that dishes out work to "slave" renderers?

Because Windows is out if you have anymore than 2 nodes with Windows Enterprise server for clustering.

Linux is probably what you will need. Sorry.

If I am on the wrong track, sorry.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003
Are you more or less trying to figure out how to set up a server rendering farm?
One master processor that dishes out work to "slave" renderers?

Because Windows is out if you have anymore than 2 nodes with Windows Enterprise server for clustering.

Linux is probably what you will need. Sorry.

If I am on the wrong track, sorry.

I don't know how it works either, but I doubt you need a special advanced superl33t server edition of Windows to do it. What's preventing the software from simply issuing a command over ethernet to the other PC?

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: xtknight

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003
Are you more or less trying to figure out how to set up a server rendering farm?
One master processor that dishes out work to "slave" renderers?

Because Windows is out if you have anymore than 2 nodes with Windows Enterprise server for clustering.

Linux is probably what you will need. Sorry.

If I am on the wrong track, sorry.

I don't know how it works either, but I doubt you need a special advanced superl33t server edition of Windows to do it. What's preventing the software from simply issuing a command over ethernet to the other PC?

That is called clustering. And on a windows platform, the only OS that supports clustering is Windows 2000 Server Enterprise Edition and Windows 2003 Server Enterprise Edition.
Dont even get me started on DataCenter, LOL.

 

[AnnoyedGrunt]

If you are talking about software rendering, then I believe a good way to do it would be to buy a daul core CPU (I prefer AMD), and then you can use one core for working while the other games (edit, I meant renders in the background - obviously a freudian slip) in the background.

I would stick with an Nvidia video card (probably 6800GT or 7800GT depending on budget) because I have had much better luck with NV drivers and professional programs (Although, I am a CAD user, so different programs may behave differently). Also, I would not bother with a Quadro card and would stick with one of the gaming cards mentioned above. I'd go with 2 GB of RAM (2X 1GB sticks for dual channel performance and future expandability if required).

I think that would be by far the easiest and most flexible way to set up the system, but I picture the rendering as being a side project and therefore not as critical, which is why I wouldn't bother with trying to set up a different machine.

-D'oh!

 

[jonessoda]

Wait... Maya's unrendered output is a code file in .txt or similar format, right? So, what about setting up a 3-unit Linux render farm which you feed the data into that open-source version of Pixar's renderer (blue something?) and get the outputted file in .avi, .jpg, whatever? Would that work? How?