Rendering across Multiple Computers

You can install the stand-alone Render Queue on each computer on the network that you want to use for processing. You can even use multiple render stations to process a single output, if it is an image sequence.

Note: Movie files can only be rendered by one render station since you are rendering a single file.

Footage used in the workspace must be in a shared location and the footage file paths must be public (in UNC format) so that other workstations can access the footage to render frames. If the footage is all in a shared folder, a quick way to set the paths correctly is to set the Input Folder field on the Global Settings panel. For more information, see Using Public Folders.

To render across multiple computers:

1. On the first computer, start the Render Queue application.
2. Set up a watched folder. For information, see Using a Watched Folder.
3. Click Process.

The Render Queue is now set to regularly check the watched folder for new workspace files to render.

Note: The Render Queue continues to check the watched folder until you close the application.

4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each render station on the network. Stations can use the same watched folder.
5. Using combustion on a computer on the network, create and modify a workspace as you would typically.
6. Choose File | Render.
7. For all outputs, set the filename for the rendered output to a shared location on the network.

A quick way to do this for all outputs is to set the Output Folder field on the Global Settings panel. For more information, see Using Public Folders.

8. Enable Skip Existing Files.

Warning: You must enable this option to prevent different computers from re-rendering the same frames.

9. Set the other output options as required, then close the Render Queue dialog. For information, see Rendering Your Work.
10. Save the workspace to the watched folder that you set up in step 2.

The render stations detect that a workspace has been submitted to the watched folder and they begin processing the outputs automatically.

If one render station on the network detects that a file in a sequence already exists, it will render the next one in the sequence. For example, if the first computer rendered myfile0001.jpg and myfile0002.jpg, the second computer renders myfile0003.jpg. The first computer will detect that file0003.jpg already exists, and will render myfile0004.jpg.