Has anyone used the new Lightning for B6 yet? I know what it is, messed with it in B5, but it wasn't too great. How about this new version? Is it stable? Easy to use? Should I avoid it or is it worth it? If I do use it, it'll be on my network: have 7 computers of various processor speeds/ram, from 512 mb ram, 994 mhz,  to a turion 64 (2 gigs ram, 1.81 ghz). Will this cause problem? Just want to know before I spend hours/days rending this particular HDRI scene.

--Death

@ death_at_midnight:  Could you tell me how to set another computer I have to help me out with the renders...?   I don't want to hijack this thread so should I e-mail you?

No problem on hijacking. I'll probably start Lightning installation tonight and see how that goes. I'll post findings here.

I have tried and got Lightning 2.0b working perfect here. Problem is, that it is slow. My other apps get 44% increase in render speed from one client(node). I have a direct connect with 1000Mbps cards.  In testing, my other apps are 7% difference(i.e.:a separate host render, then separate client render). Bryce is 31% difference. :unsure: Lightning network code for Bryce needs a re-write. Btw, it takes longer for me to render with Lightning running on host and one client(I only have 2 computers setup right now),...why I don't know, but others have said the same, fyi.

I was thinking of running my system on Xp and the second on Linux...  Linux is much faster than heavy bloated MS XP....   I need to speak to someone who has at least two connected..  

I've used it without much problem.  There are 11 computers on my network when it is running at maximum (right now only four up and running since the others are in California).

An aside ... I was so disappointed when it first came out.  I actually thought it was going to be a way to add realistic bolts of lightning to a scene.  

Yeah, I know, stupid.

Hrm, it gave me problems last night. Something I have running I think was causing some sort of issue with it, that the menu wasn't all there... big transparent gaps.

If it runs so slow, it's probably not worth all the trouble to get it working. The one and only Linux box I have I didn't even consider that. What gets me is even with my best machine this one HDRI scene I'm doing is taking forever. I don't think it'll be done in time for posting here as a Christmas card, at least not with HDRI enabled.

 How does it work sharing the render load....   One render shared by a  few machines..?

or a few renders shared by a few machines...?   I'm looking towards minimizing one large render's  time...  instead of waiting for a render of 3hrs I like to bring that time down half or more...

You must be doing something wrong... The Idea of connecting computers together and sharing render time is not new...  that much I know.....    there are render farms one can upload data to and get  back the results a short time later....   I was considering using them but I'm sure the cost will probably not be to my advantage..

I even thought of picking up discarted machine from the garbage, rehab them and make a render farm my self...     I'm a E technician but I never put together a render farm before.... 

Question is: Is lightning that type of software..  will it chop a render piece into chunks of data and distribute the pieces to the other machines... and get them back...

. 

Yes, Tom, that is essentially what Bryce Lighting does.  It's sort of like one machine does rows 1-30 and the next machine does rows 30-60, and on down the line.

Then, you can just reassemble the finished render into one piece.  That's an inelegant way to describe it, but that's more or less the way it is.  And, if it is not working correctly, you get just what is being described because one or more machines do not do their work and you get gaps.

The thing is, that I don't see many at all, running projects successfully on Byrce Lightning(any amount of nodes), not even animations. In other words, it works fine, but...., no one is saying, " Hey, this render farm is fast, now I can get this project done!". I've been asking this about Lightning (from 5.5) almost a year ago now, and still haven't heard of anyone stating their scene render times or using this network method with Bryce on a regular basis. Its unlimited nodes for network, so why aren't more using this? If L2.0 ran like my other network apps, I (and others)would be cutting times down in hours and days. The only answers I got were that, L2.0 has a point of diminishing returns with Bryce projects and how many nodes(clients) you setup. Btw, not a rant, just fyi. 

Well, honestly, I've used it, but it just doesn't float my boat.  I prefer to have one computer that is dedicated to a scene, or to a single frame, and I just leave that to render.  If it take a day or two ... so be it.  I've still got one or more computers free to do whatever.

That's just the way I prefer to work.  Probably rather like a luddite, but that's me all over.

ricky... Question:    you work that way because you are not seeing good returns with the chain link like quicker time.... flowless renders... too many problems..?  

Alot of people have problems with networking(I know I did, especialy wireless setups, what a headache, lol). Some just give up. Its not easy, but its not hard either. I will strongly suggest you run on a network  without an internet connection. No firewall needed, no extra configs, no waiting for connects, no extra sofware, and performance throughput is high, etc... It just simplifies to whole process that much more. 

A simple command in Windows will tell you what IP address you have(for network card, -ipconfig- using the command prompt in Windows, dont know for Mac) and type the address in, using only the TCP/IP properties pages, and there ya go, done. I just wondered why in the past hardly anyone was using it, when Bryce needs(and badly, I might add) a network more than an expensive upgrade, to kick renders into high gear. HDRI on high quality anyone, lol.

I stopped using it because it just didn't suit my work flow.  I tend to stop and start renders a lot.  An awful lot actually.  It will get 70% done and I'll notice something I just don't like and I'll want to re do .... instantly.  

It was just too big a pain in the rear to shut down a network render every time and easier for me just to keep an eye on one or two computers each working on a separate render.  That's it really, not every tool fits into every person's work flow.

Thank you ricky,  Death_at_Midnight and  fpfrdn3:  

I'm a little confused about all this...  It seems that two or more machines are going to render faster that one....  and yet there are all these problems involved... I'm wandering if it is worth doing... 

If ya need any help with setup tom271, just let us know. 

It is worth doing, if you want to work on one computer and render on another (1 or more clients)at the same time. That way you don't have to bog down your workspace computer, and use the internet, work on Bryce etc...while you render those new HDRI or large scene files(Bryce will pop up and tell you when somethings done rendering from host).

 I have my other computer(the client) setup so I don't even need a monitor, mouse, or keyboard. Just setup the client(s) BIOS not to halt on any errors, and Windows(or Mac) to auto login(if you have internet access, you will have to setup firewalls/antivirus for clients). Have Bryce Lightning 2.0 put in the startup folder. Then when you need the client(s), just turn it on and go(one power button ease). And if you have Win Pro on clients, you can access the desktops with remote desktop, which works VERY well, and easy to setup.