Not sure it was the best solution but decided to make the camera linked to a small object that I move around the room.  That seemed to reduce some of the problems I had earlier. At least this way its not as easy to mistakenly move one of the camera movement points.

The xeon rendercow I use has 2 xeon W5590 CPU processors @ 3.33hgz. It is running 64bit Windows 7. From what I'v seen the W5600 series is very good as well but costs a lot. Check out some of the below videos to see more information about Xeon based PCs.  The youtube one below even shows some benching with 3d rendering between the different types of xeon cpus:

See what Autodesk (makers of Maya and 3Ds Max) Say About Xeon 5600

http://www.max3dmodels.com/intel-xeon-5600-series-workstations-and-autodesk.html

Cool animated video on the Xeon 5600 CHIP Features

http://www.intel.com/products/workstation/processors/demo/demo.htm

Video comparison of how fast a 5600 renders compared to 5570 and 5400 series xeon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN0TywxuBCg

Hello Bruno21.

That sounds very promising.  I'll check it out and see how it goes. Thanks for the tip!

I'm using a Dell Precision T7500 as a render cow node. The T7500 runs with xeon processors at 3.2 ghz and it is doing a great job at crunching out vue movie frames. I've noticed in the task manager that all cores work on the render tasks way up in the high 90 percent range so I think the more cpu cores you have the faster the image gets completed. Originally I tried 2 core 2 duo pcs running at 2.4 ghz and 1 I5 laptop.  Just the one T7500 curnches out more frames per hour than those 3 combined.

Also helps to have the render node connected to a fast network so you don't lose too much time in the long run as information is sent back and forth from the node to the render console pc.  Does not matter much for single pictures but when you render something like over 3,000 image frames with a slight delay of 5 seconds in transmission per image it adds up.

Might want to consider using photoshop to blend a combination of fire layers such the following product:

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=66610&keyword=flames

Then output it as a .png with a transparent background.  Then import it into Vue onto an alpha plane so the flames stand out with the transparent background allowing you to still see things somewhat behind them.

Thanks redtrek.

If its not one thing then its another. I exported my blinking text as a .vob file and imported it into another scene.  The problem now is that I don't want to blinking to begin until about 20 seconds into the video but it starts blinking at the begining of the video because its looped.  Anyone know of a way I can control a looped animation's start time? I tried importing the object 20 seconds into the video but I still don't really want it to start until a certain other object in the movie does stomething.  I tried moving the keyframes over to the 20 second area but that did not do it.  I wish there were a an animation start and end time line for each animated object, not just the whole scene.  Is there?

Hello thd777.

thanks again!  I will check out your idea.  By the way, that tutorial link you provided is absolutely awesome. I had never thought of changing the material property luminosity and others like glow intensity to also simulate an objecting lighting up.  I tried it on the text I had on the one side of the box and it also looks not too bad and is animatable.  So far the options are looking good.  Once I get an update to Camtasia Studio for Windows 7 I'll be able to record what I'm doing so others can see what problems I may have.  I used to do that a long time ago but unfortunately the version I now have won't work on Windows 7.  Well, once again, thanks!

okay will do.  Might also be that I'm actually not using a point light but a light panel.  I would prefer to use a light panel because I am lighting up a rectangular box with letters on one side.  Gives an evenly distributed light.  But it looks as though the keyframe options for a light panel are different than those for a point light.

Hello thd777.

I'm having a problem trying to adjust the power settings for the point light.  All appears fine before I try to assign it any animation properties because I am able to set the power value and it stays as I touch other objects on the screen.

However, once I have the point light selected, pull up the animation window, set first keyframe at frame zeo to power keyframe and set power to 100 then slide the time line arrow to the next target key frame and set the light to 0 power then set keyframe power the light reverts back to 100.  It won't accept the zero setting.

Okay I found the answer. Apparently after importing a Poser animated object if you have it selected then go into the animation wizard to the (don't select any options on the way) Global Settings window there is a loop button. If you press that then go forward through the rest of the windows without pressing any other options to the point of finish this will result in the imported Poser animation repeating as long as you have a time line. So although the animation only lasts 5 seconds if I stretch the timeline to 15 seconds the Poser object will loop through and play its animation 3 times.

551 frames rendered on the rendercow pc, so it appears to be working.  However, twice I had to restart the render job from where it left off because for no reason the rendercow pc would say "done" and not take any more frames, even though I had a few thousand still to go. The other odd thing was that I had to redo a single frame within a range but the Vue would not let me do it.  I had to redo something like frame number 425 which was not done because I aborted its render on one of the render PCs. When I specified in the animation window to only render 425 to 425 it would show it was rendering something but it never really did number 425.  When all are done I will revisit and try again.  Maybe you can't just do 1 so next time I will tell it to do 425 to 426.

551 frames rendered on the rendercow pc, so it appears to be working.  However, twice I had to restart the render job from where it left off because for no reason the rendercow pc would say "done" and not take any more frames, even though I had a few thousand still to go. The other odd thing was that I had to redo a single frame within a range but the Vue would not let me do it.  I had to redo something like frame number 425 which was not done because I aborted its render on one of the render PCs. When I specified in the animation window to only render 425 to 425 it would show it was rendering something but it never really did number 425.  When all are done I will revisit and try again.  Maybe you can't just do 1 so next time I will tell it to do 425 to 426.

Okay maybe things will work now we will see.  I turned User Account Control off on both PCs and now the 2 PCs are send and receiving render information.  Maybe this will work, I'll have to see

Okay maybe things will work now we will see.  I turned User Account Control off on both PCs and now the 2 PCs are send and receiving render information.  Maybe this will work, I'll have to see

Okay maybe things will work now we will see.  I turned User Account Control off on both PCs and now the 2 PCs are send and receiving render information.  Maybe this will work, I'll have to see