I've 3 computers and 5 CPU's (see www.fa2.de) so I was unhappy with the fact
that POV 3.5 on some pictures really took long time (even on my DUAL Athlon
2000 MP) while a lot of POWER was unused.

I've just developed a system to distribute a Rendering on MANY PC's and also
to use as many CPU's on each of the machines.

Anyone intrested as a beta-tester ?

Mail me pls. and tell me about your qualifications.

Thanks
--Theo Gottwald
http://www.it-berater.org

Post a reply to this message

Theo Gottwald * wrote:
> 
> I've 3 computers and 5 CPU's (see www.fa2.de) so I was unhappy with the fact
> that POV 3.5 on some pictures really took long time (even on my DUAL Athlon
> 2000 MP) while a lot of POWER was unused.
> 
> I've just developed a system to distribute a Rendering on MANY PC's and also
> to use as many CPU's on each of the machines.

A bit more information about how it works would be useful, there are
various more or less useful systems for that purpose.

And please read the cross-posting guidelines in
povray.announce.frequently-asked-questions

Christoph

-- 
POV-Ray tutorials, IsoWood include,                 
TransSkin and more: http://www.tu-bs.de/~y0013390/  
Last updated 03 Aug. 2002 _____./\/^>_*_<^\/\.______

Post a reply to this message

As you all may know the only possibility to share rendering with an
unpatched POV 3.5 is to split the Picture in mny small parts using
the -SR, -SC etc. and then render each small part by itself.

This is how it works. I am just doing some test-renderings to give you
numbers about what speed increase can be seen.

********************************************

It works with three ".exe"-Files.

You drop one or more ".pov"-Files in the Main Window.

Then this ".pov"-Files get rendered immediately by one of two methods.

You receive the ready picture at the end in the folder from where you
dropped the ".pov"-File.

Internally POV-ray gets started multiple times and renders "Tiles" of the
full picture.

Automatically these Tiles are put together by the second file (PicPend.exe).

He has a limitation at about 2048x2048 Pixels (VB-Autorefresh Bitmap).

In case of "distributed rendering" the PC's need

- to have a shared Folder together.

- on each of the PC's POV 3.5 must be correctly installed.

- on each of the PC's must run "RenderAgent.exe" (File 3 = RA).

RA looks every few seconds into the shared Dir ifthere is a render-job.

If he finds a render-job he claims it for himself (so noone elsetakes it)
and then

immediately starts to render the pic. When he is ready he automatically
waits for the next Renderjob.

You can tell him to use up to 4 CPU's (render one or more tiles).

You can use it on as man PC's as you want. Currently you can have 8 PC's
render on ONE Picture.

But you can have >512 Pictures render at once from the distributor.



In case of Local SMP-rendering, he splits the picture in the desired numbers
of parts and starts

the rendering locally, picture by picture, keeping all CPU's busy.

Was it understandable ? If not ask.

c.u.

--Theo Gottwald

http://www.it-berater.org







"Christoph Hormann" <chr### [at] gmxde> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:3D54FD0A.EB0637D5@gmx.de...
>
>
> Theo Gottwald * wrote:
> >
> > I've 3 computers and 5 CPU's (see www.fa2.de) so I was unhappy with the
fact
> > that POV 3.5 on some pictures really took long time (even on my DUAL
Athlon
> > 2000 MP) while a lot of POWER was unused.
> >
> > I've just developed a system to distribute a Rendering on MANY PC's and
also
> > to use as many CPU's on each of the machines.
>
> A bit more information about how it works would be useful, there are
> various more or less useful systems for that purpose.
>
> And please read the cross-posting guidelines in
> povray.announce.frequently-asked-questions
>
> Christoph
>
> --
> POV-Ray tutorials, IsoWood include,
> TransSkin and more: http://www.tu-bs.de/~y0013390/
> Last updated 03 Aug. 2002 _____./\/^>_*_<^\/\.______

Post a reply to this message

Theo Gottwald * wrote:
> 
> [...]
> 
> Was it understandable ? 
> 

Yes, so it's an automatism for distributing partial renders.  No special
handling of radiosity, photons, etc.

Christoph

-- 
POV-Ray tutorials, IsoWood include,                 
TransSkin and more: http://www.tu-bs.de/~y0013390/  
Last updated 03 Aug. 2002 _____./\/^>_*_<^\/\.______

Post a reply to this message

Now go on and tell me that I could save my work cause exactly that is
already avaiable :-) ?

If so, I'd be intrested to know where and how they work and if they are
free.

I did not touch the POV 3.5 EXE, cause I want my system to be compatible
with any future new POV-version.

Originally I hoped something like this could be
inside the POV-Shell. But it wasn't and in the Net I found only Patches
(mainly for older POV-Versions).

Thats not what I want. Only V. 3.5 and full throttle.

--Theo

PS: Its only intresting for those who have a) multiple CPU's or b) more than
one PC.


"Christoph Hormann" <chr### [at] gmxde> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:3D55121B.1C467686@gmx.de...

> Yes, so it's an automatism for distributing partial renders.  No special
> handling of radiosity, photons, etc.
>
> Christoph
>
> --
> POV-Ray tutorials, IsoWood include,
> TransSkin and more: http://www.tu-bs.de/~y0013390/
> Last updated 03 Aug. 2002 _____./\/^>_*_<^\/\.______

Post a reply to this message

The test rendering proofs that it was a good idea to distribute things.

I could render optics.pov at 1600x1200 distributed on 5 CPU's in :
14:51:03 - 15:29:49 = ~ 30 minutes

now I tried it "the normal way" starting at 15:32:28 its now 16:06 and we
are still in Line: 277 from 1200.

I think I can stop that now cause I want to render other things ...

--Theo

Post a reply to this message

"Theo Gottwald *" <The### [at] t-onlinede> wrote in message
news:3d551e3e@news.povray.org...
> I think I can stop that now cause I want to render other things ...
>


    You might want to start by rendering some Radiosity samples - As
Christoph hinted, there are problems with your approach to distributed
rendering and some of POVs features, such as Radiosity - try it out, I think
you'll soon see why distributed-POV solutions are generally patches...

--
Pandora/Scott Hill/[::O:M:C::]Scorpion
Software Engineer.
http://www.pandora-software.com

Post a reply to this message

I hope I understand what you want to say.

Several scenes have a long  "precalculation-time".
In some scenes the real rendering part is rather small.

However that is theoretical.
Try my programm and feel the diffrence when you render your picture on three
computers.
Feel the brute force.

If I render things in pieces I have other advantages:
- better caching inside the CPU/L2
- geometries outside that area get not touched.
- Just try it: render a small piece of your actual picture. Now think that
in the same time other PC's have just
   rendered the rest of the pic. Thats it.

However, if you have two or more PC's you should try my program
and see the advantage.

In most cases there is a real advantage of (I guess) 25% -45% (2 CPU's).
We know that this numbers heavily depends on the resolution and the
precalculation-time.
It may not be intresting to make small pictures with a long
precalculation-time.

In every case its intresting in resolutions higher then 640x480.

If you compile it with a faster C-Compiler you get lousy 7%. If you render
it distributed you can get it in a quarter of the original time.

See it and feel the diffrence.You don't need to have a network with 8 PC's
in your bussiness.
But if you have ... thgen you're lucky :-) cause you have three CPU's more
then me :-))).

On each of these PC's there must be a installation of POV 3.5.
It should be in W2k or up. (tested with).

Under these circustances the Programms should not even need an installation.
Just copy the folder somewhere and share it if you want to render
distributed (not necessary for SMP-rendering).

Thats all you need to get your "1 week picture" in  less at the same day !

Example: Try to edit glasses.pov (one number must be changed to enable the
photons).
Render it "the normal way" at 1600x1200 and wait 3-4 days for the result.

Then use my system and distribute it on several PC's. Get your pic at the
same day !

It works fine for me. I'll work on the surface a bit and then publish it on
my web-site.
However anyone who is intrested can qualify for beta-testing.

Thanks
--Theo

"Pandora" <pan### [at] pandora-softwarecom> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:3d553519@news.povray.org...
> "Theo Gottwald *" <The### [at] t-onlinede> wrote in message
> news:3d551e3e@news.povray.org...
> > I think I can stop that now cause I want to render other things ...
> >
>
>
>     You might want to start by rendering some Radiosity samples - As
> Christoph hinted, there are problems with your approach to distributed
> rendering and some of POVs features, such as Radiosity - try it out, I
think
> you'll soon see why distributed-POV solutions are generally patches...
>
> --
> Pandora/Scott Hill/[::O:M:C::]Scorpion
> Software Engineer.
> http://www.pandora-software.com
>
>

Post a reply to this message

Its not www.fa2.de as said in the first posting,

but www.theogott.de where you can see my three PC's.

They have together 6400 MHz  and if there is anyone out there who thinks he
can render any picture at 1600x1200 faster, then lets try it. :-)

--Theo



"Theo Gottwald *" <The### [at] t-onlinede> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:3d554b13@news.povray.org...
> I hope I understand what you want to say.
>
> Several scenes have a long  "precalculation-time".
> In some scenes the real rendering part is rather small.
>
> However that is theoretical.
> Try my programm and feel the diffrence when you render your picture on
three
> computers.
> Feel the brute force.
>
> If I render things in pieces I have other advantages:
> - better caching inside the CPU/L2
> - geometries outside that area get not touched.
> - Just try it: render a small piece of your actual picture. Now think that
> in the same time other PC's have just
>    rendered the rest of the pic. Thats it.
>
> However, if you have two or more PC's you should try my program
> and see the advantage.
>
> In most cases there is a real advantage of (I guess) 25% -45% (2 CPU's).
> We know that this numbers heavily depends on the resolution and the
> precalculation-time.
> It may not be intresting to make small pictures with a long
> precalculation-time.
>
> In every case its intresting in resolutions higher then 640x480.
>
> If you compile it with a faster C-Compiler you get lousy 7%. If you render
> it distributed you can get it in a quarter of the original time.
>
> See it and feel the diffrence.You don't need to have a network with 8 PC's
> in your bussiness.
> But if you have ... thgen you're lucky :-) cause you have three CPU's more
> then me :-))).
>
> On each of these PC's there must be a installation of POV 3.5.
> It should be in W2k or up. (tested with).
>
> Under these circustances the Programms should not even need an
installation.
> Just copy the folder somewhere and share it if you want to render
> distributed (not necessary for SMP-rendering).
>
> Thats all you need to get your "1 week picture" in  less at the same day !
>
> Example: Try to edit glasses.pov (one number must be changed to enable the
> photons).
> Render it "the normal way" at 1600x1200 and wait 3-4 days for the result.
>
> Then use my system and distribute it on several PC's. Get your pic at the
> same day !
>
> It works fine for me. I'll work on the surface a bit and then publish it
on
> my web-site.
> However anyone who is intrested can qualify for beta-testing.
>
> Thanks
> --Theo
>
> "Pandora" <pan### [at] pandora-softwarecom> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> news:3d553519@news.povray.org...
> > "Theo Gottwald *" <The### [at] t-onlinede> wrote in message
> > news:3d551e3e@news.povray.org...
> > > I think I can stop that now cause I want to render other things ...
> > >
> >
> >
> >     You might want to start by rendering some Radiosity samples - As
> > Christoph hinted, there are problems with your approach to distributed
> > rendering and some of POVs features, such as Radiosity - try it out, I
> think
> > you'll soon see why distributed-POV solutions are generally patches...
> >
> > --
> > Pandora/Scott Hill/[::O:M:C::]Scorpion
> > Software Engineer.
> > http://www.pandora-software.com
> >
> >
>
>

Post a reply to this message

Theo Gottwald * wrote:

Looks like an intersting stop gap till povray gets its head round
distributed rendering, and I ca see situations where it will be excedingly
useful

> but www.theogott.de where you can see my three PC's.

hmmm, perhaps you should concider vmware. hooking those 3 vids to the same
boxen and reclaiming some of your deskspace (keeping the other machines
running and using vnc)

--
Rick

Kitty5 NewMedia http://Kitty5.co.uk
POV-Ray News & Resources http://Povray.co.uk
TEL : +44 (01270) 501101 - FAX : +44 (01270) 251105 - ICQ : 15776037

PGP Public Key
http://pgpkeys.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0x231E1CEA

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