SOFTIMAGE 3D and mental ray
Network Setup Notes
January 1999
DSA083220
Copyright
1999 Intergraph Computer Systems. All rights reserved. This document contains information
protected by copyright, trade secret, and trademark law. This document may not, in whole or in
part, be reproduced in any form or by any means, or be used to make any derivative work, without
written consent from Intergraph Computer Systems.
Use, duplication, or disclosure by the United States Government is subject to restrictions as set forth
in subdivision (c)(1)(ii) of the rights in technical data and computer software clause at DFARS
252.227-7013. Unpublished rights are reserved under the copyright laws of the United States.
Intergraph Computer Systems, Huntsville AL 35894-0001
Notice
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be considered a
commitment by Intergraph Computer Systems. Intergraph Computer Systems shall not be liable for
technical or editorial errors in, or omissions from, this document. Intergraph Computer Systems
shall not be liable for incidental or consequential damages resulting from the furnishing or use of
this document.
All warranties given by Intergraph Computer Systems about equipment or software are set forth in
your purchase contract. Nothing stated in, or implied by, this document or its contents shall be
considered or deemed a modification or amendment of such warranties.
Trademarks
Intergraph Computer Systems and the Intergraph Computer Systems logo are registered trademarks
of Intergraph Computer Systems.
SOFTIMAGE and SOFTIMAGE 3D are registered trademarks of Avid Technologies, Inc., its
subsidiaries or divisions. Microsoft and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation. mental ray® is a registered trademark of mental images Gmbh & Co. KG, Berlin,
Gemany.
All other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
Contents
Preface...................................................................................................v
About This Document............................................................................v
1 Before You Begin ..............................................................................1
Hardware Lock.......................................................................................1
License Key............................................................................................1
Networking.............................................................................................2
User Directory........................................................................................2
2 Installing the Software......................................................................3
Installing Version 3.7SP1 Software .......................................................3
Installing Version 3.8 Software..............................................................3
Locating and Placing the License Key...................................................5
Editing the License Key.........................................................................5
Starting the License Server ....................................................................6
Reinstalling SOFTIMAGE.....................................................................7
Creating a New User Account................................................................7
3 Setting Up mental ray on a Network ...............................................9
Using Ethernet........................................................................................9
Using ATM..........................................................................................10
Configuring a mental ray Network.......................................................11
iii
Defining the LM_LICENSE_FILE Variable.........................11
Defining the SI_LOCATION.................................................12
Designating a Render Manager..............................................12
4 Submitting mental ray Jobs ...........................................................13
Submit Interactively in SOFTIMAGE 3D............................................13
Submit Using the
Submit Using the soft -R Command.....................................................14
Processing Multiple Scenes..................................................................15
RAY.EXE Command..................................................13
iv
Preface
SOFTIMAGE 3D and mental ray Network Setup Notes describe how to
install SOFTIMAGE® 3D on a network to create a multi-system render
farm. The information in this document is an overview of the steps
needed to install SOFTIMAGE 3D, and is not meant to cover every
possible installation or setup scenario.
SOFTIMAGE 3D is shipped with mental ray, a rendering tool.
mental ray provides the highest level of rendering available today. In
addition, mental ray is a threaded application that can take advantage of
multiple processors and distribute renderings on a network of machines.
About This Document
This document is organized as follows:
u
Chapter 1, “Before You Begin,” describes what your system needs
before you can install SOFTIMAGE 3D and mental ray software.
u
Chapter 2, “Installing the Software” describes how to install
SOFTIMAGE 3D and mental ray software on your system.
u
Chapter 3, “Setting Up mental ray on a Network,” describes the use
of mental ray on Ethernet and ATM networks, and outlines the
steps required to configure mental ray for network use.
v
u
Chapter 4, “Submitting mental ray Jobs,” discusses using mental
ray to perform your rendering tasks, including processing multiple
scenes.
vi
1 Before You Begin
Review the following sections to ensure you are ready to install and run
SOFTIMAGE 3D and mental ray software on your system.
Hardware Lock
To run SOFTIMAGE, your system must have an installed hardware
lock (or dongle), or authorization from a system with an installed
hardware lock.
The hardware lock is connected to your system’s parallel (printer) port.
See the documentation delivered with your system for information on
installing the hardware lock.
If your system will get authorization from another system to run the
software, it may not have an installed hardware lock. See Chapter 3,
“Setting Up mental ray on a Network,” for more information.
If your system needs a hardware lock, contact Softimage.
License Key
1
To run SOFTIMAGE, your system must have a License Key that
corresponds to the serial number on the installed hardware lock, or
authorization from a system with a License Key.
The License Key contains encryption that allows you to run the
software associated with a specific hardware lock. You receive the
License Key via email from Softimage. You must copy the License
Key into a text file on your system. Name the file
are installing Version 3.7SP1 software) or
installing Version 3.8 software).
NOTE Put the License Key file in a location on your system where you
can easily find it when installing the software.
If your system will get authorization from another system to run the
software, your system should have a License Key file associated with
the hardware lock on the other system. See Chapter 3, “Setting Up
mental ray on a Network,” for more information.
If your system needs a License Key, contact Softimage.
SOFTIMAGE.LIC (if you are
LICENSE.DAT (if you
2
NOTE If your system’s License Key is out of date or does not match the
serial number on the associated hardware lock, you will need to get
a new License Key from Softimage. You cannot edit the License
Key file to make the needed changes.
Networking
The system’s networking hardware and software should be set up
before you install the software. If the system will not be connected to a
network, it may still need an installed network adapter and an installed
networking protocol (such as TCP/IP). This is needed because of the
way Softimage licenses the software.
If you do not have a hardware network adapter, you can install the
Microsoft Loopback Adapter software from the Windows NT System
Utilities disk. The Loopback Adapter software will emulate a hardware
network adapter.
NOTE A networking protocol must be running for SOFTIMAGE to run.
Some hardware network adapters do not start the network protocol
if the system is taken off the network. If this happens, install the
Loopback Adapter software. A hardware network adapter and the
Loopback Adapter software may be installed at the same time.
User Directory
To run SOFTIMAGE properly, you must have a directory with the
name of your user account in the
you log on as Administrator, there needs to be a directory named
C:\USERS\ADMINISTRATOR.
This is important because SOFTIMAGE stores user information in this
directory. If this directory does not exist, many of the SOFTIMAGE
utilities will not be able to locate data properly.
If the appropriate directory does not exist, you can create it. For a
normal user account, you can create the directory yourself, or follow the
instructions for creating a new user account in Chapter 2, “Installing the
Software,” to have the directory created for you.
C:\USERS directory. For example, if
2 Installing the Software
This chapter provides basic information for installing SOFTIMAGE 3D
and mental ray for distributed rendering. See the documentation
delivered with these products for more detailed instructions.
Installing Version 3.7SP1 Software
To install Version 3.7SP1 software:
1. Insert SOFTIMAGE CD 1 in the system’s CD-ROM drive.
3
2. In Windows NT, find and run the
3. Follow the prompts to install the software.
4. Install the software in the same location on each system to be used
for network rendering (such as
do this, network rendering performance will be affected.
5. When prompted to install as a Server or as a User, use the
following criteria:
A Server system has an installed hardware lock. A Server can also
authorize the software to run on other systems, known as User
systems, via the network. The software license determines how
many users can run the software at one time.
If networked to a Server, a User system can be authorized by the
Server to run the software. To use this option, you will be asked to
enter the node name of the Server.
6. When asked to fill out the License Request file, type anything in
the first field to skip this section. This prompt lets you request a
License Key, which your system already has.
NOTE See Chapter 1, “Before You Begin,” for more information on
creation and location of the License Key file.
7. To finishing installing the software, go to “Starting the License
Server” later in this chapter.
SETUP.EXE file on the CD.
C:\SOFT3D_3.7SP1). If you do not
Installing Version 3.8 Software
To install Version 3.8 software:
1. Insert SOFTIMAGE CD 1 in the system’s CD-ROM drive.
2. If a dialog for Installation or Licensing does not display, find and
run the
SETUP.EXE file on the CD.
4
3. Select Installation.
4. Follow the prompts to install the software.
5. Install the software in the same location on each system to be used
for network rendering (such as
C:\SOFTIMAGE). If you do not do
this, network rendering performance will be affected.
6. When prompted to install as a Server or as a User, use the
following criteria:
A Server system has an installed hardware lock. A Server can also
authorize the software to run on other systems, known as User
systems, via the network. The software license determines how
many users can run the software at one time.
If networked to a Server, a User system can be authorized by the
Server to run the software. To use this option, you will be asked to
enter the node name of the Server.
7. After software installation is complete, the original dialog for
Installation or Licensing displays. Select Licensing.
8. Select the location of the license software to be the same as the
installation of the installed software (such as
C:\SOFTIMAGE).
9. Select Complete install.
10. When prompted to enter the License Key, select Existing License.
In the dialog that displays, browse to find and specify the License
Key file on your system.
NOTE See Chapter 1, “Before You Begin,” for more information on
creation and location of the License Key file.
11. After you specify a License Key file, a text editor displays the file.
Select Validate for a quick system check of the file. If you need to
edit the file, do so, and then select Validate again. See “Editing the
License Key” later in this chapter for more information.
12. If the License Key validates without any errors, select Save and
Close to finish the installation. This resaves the License Key file as
SOFTIMAGE.LIC and places it in the proper directory. See “Locating
and Placing the License Key” later in this chapter for more
information.
NOTE In some installations, you may have to uninstall and then reinstall
licensing after the first installation. For more information, see
“Reinstalling SOFTIMAGE” later in this chapter.
Locating and Placing the License Key
Before running SOFTIMAGE, you must ensure that the License Key
file is in the proper location on the system.
NOTE The location of the file on your system may be different from the
following examples.
For Version 3.7SP1, the License Key file should be called LICENSE.DAT
and should be placed in the C:\SOFT3D_3.7SP1\FLEXLM\LICENSES
directory.
For Version 3.8, the License Key file is automatically named and
placed in the proper location during installation. However, if you need
to edit the file or use another one, it should be called
and should be located in the C:\SOFTIMAGE\FLEXLM\LICENSES directory.
SOFTIMAGE.LIC
Editing the License Key
You may have to make minor changes to the License Key before you
can run the software. Be sure to back up the License Key file before
making changes. Following is an example of a typical License Key:
SERVER xxxxxxxx SENTINEL_KEY=b2851b04 744
DAEMON SOFTIMAGE C:\soft3d_3.7\FLEXlm\bin\LMSoft.EXE
PACKAGE 3D_EXTREME_PKG SOFTIMAGE 3.500
20C030B1AEC5C989458D \
COMPONENTS="SI_TOOLS 3D 3D_RENDER 3D_ADVANCED RAY_REBELS
3D_LIVE \ 3D_SHARED MENTAL_RAY:1.900 PARTICLE:1.500"
PACKAGE MENTAL_RAY_PKG SOFTIMAGE 1.900
104060511A349FD6E16D \
COMPONENTS="SI_TOOLS:3.500 MENTAL_RAY"
INCREMENT 3D_EXTREME_PKG SOFTIMAGE 3.500 1-jul-97 5 \
DC7200176C037767633E ck=244
INCREMENT MENTAL_RAY_PKG SOFTIMAGE 1.900 1-jul-97 10 \
9C327037B7D9502C19EB ck=231
5
Here are some of the items you should check in this file:
SERVER
The system’s node name should be listed immediately after this tag.
SENTINEL_KEY=
The number printed on the hardware lock key should be listed after this
tag. The number 744 should always appear at the end of this line.
6
DAEMON SOFTIMAGE
The path following this tag defines the location of the
LMSOFT.EXE file,
which is used to start SOFTIMAGE. Verify the location of this file and
change the entry if needed.
For Version 3.7SP1, the path should be:
c:\soft3d_3.7\FLEXlm\bin\LMSoft.EXE
For Version 3.8, this definition is not needed. You can delete any path
following the tag.
INCREMENT
This line indicates the number of available licenses. In the previous
example, there are five SOFTIMAGE EXTREME licenses and 10
mental ray licenses. If these numbers are not correct, contact Softimage
support for a corrected License Key. You cannot edit these lines to
change the number of available licenses.
The INCREMENT lines include an expiration date for the License Key.
You can no longer run the software once this date has expired. Contact
Softimage for an updated License Key. You cannot edit these lines to
change the expiration date, and changing the system clock will not
bypass the expiration date.
NOTE A slash “\” at the end of a line indicates that the line is continued on
the next line. Be sure that the slash occurs at the end of a line and
not at the beginning.
NOTE There may be spaces between some of the lines in the file. This is
normal and will not affect the use of the file.
Starting the License Server
Once the software has been installed and the License Key file is in its
proper location on the system, you must start the License Server. This
program manages the use of the software on the system.
To start the License Server:
1. From the operating system Start menu, go to Settings/Control
Panel/Services.
2. From the Service list, select Softimage License Server.
3. Select Stop and then Start to restart the License Server.
NOTE You must stop and start the License Server if you remove and
replace the hardware lock or edit the License Key.
Reinstalling SOFTIMAGE
If you have to reinstall SOFTIMAGE, you must first do the following:
Turn off the License Server:
1. From the operating system Start menu, go to Settings/Control
Panel/Services.
2. From the Service list, select Softimage License Server.
3. Select Stop.
Turn off Ray Server:
1. From the operating system Start menu, go to Settings/Control
Panel/Services.
2. From the Service list, select Ray Server.
3. Select Stop.
Uninstall the existing software:
1. From the Windows NT desktop, select SOFTIMAGE Products.
2. Select either Licensing or Softimage software.
7
3. Select Setup.
4. In the Setup dialog, select Remove All.
Creating a New User Account
To run SOFTIMAGE properly, you must log on to Windows NT as a
valid user (not as Administrator). You must also have a directory with
the name of your user account in the
For a normal user account, you can create the directory yourself, or
follow these steps to create a new user account and have the directory
created for you.
To create a new user account:
1. Log on to Windows NT as Administrator.
2. From the operating system Start menu, go to Programs/
Administrative Tools/User Manager.
3. From the User menu, choose New User.
C:\USERS directory.
8
4. In the New User dialog box, enter the following information to
create a new user:
−
Username (this can be any name you prefer)
−
Full Name (optional)
−
Description (user)
−
Password (optional)
5. If you require Administrative privileges, click the Groups icon. In
the Group Memberships dialog box, select Administrators from the
Not members of list, then click the Add button, and then click OK.
6. In the New User dialog box, click the Profile button.
7. In the User Environment Profile dialog box, in the Local Path field,
key in c:\users\%username%
NOTE c: is the drive where you have Windows NT installed. Key in
%username% exactly as shown; do not substitute your own
username.
8. Click OK.
9. In the New User dialog box, click OK.
10. Log off from Administrator, and log on to the new user account.
3 Setting Up mental ray on a Network
This chapter provides overview information on setting up mental ray on
Ethernet and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks, and
information on configuring a mental ray network.
Using Ethernet
You should use at least a 10/100 Base-T Ethernet with Classical IP for
network rendering with mental ray. Slower networks may become
overwhelmed with network collisions, which will drastically affect
rendering performance. This is a concern on networks with more than
two or three machines.
9
A License Server is a system with a hardware lock and a License Key.
The License Server can authorize other systems, known as Users, to run
the software as well. All of the systems on the network can have their
own hardware locks, but they are not required on User systems. Some
customers choose to use a License Server/User configuration so they
only need keep track of one hardware lock and License key.
A Render Manager is a system designated to submit mental ray jobs to
the network. The remaining systems on the network are known as
Render Nodes.
CAUTION Do not use a License Server as the Render Manager. Doing both
tasks on the same system will affect the overall performance of the
render farm.
10
Using ATM
An ATM network offers the highest level of performance. However,
the SOFTIMAGE License Server does not operate properly over an
ATM network. You must use an Ethernet connection as well as an
ATM connection to each machine in order to use an ATM network to
render with mental ray.
NOTE When you install both networks, install the Ethernet drivers and
protocol first.
To configure ATM networking:
1. Set up Classical IP on Ethernet between all machines.
2. Set up the ATM network.
3. In the
HOSTS file, create two IP nicknames: one for the Ethernet IP
address and one for the ATM address.
4. Test the network by pinging the other machines with both the
Ethernet name and the ATM name.
5. Install the SOFTIMAGE application. Use only the Ethernet
address when you are prompted for an address (such as when you
have to specify the License Server).
6. Set up the system variables for SOFTIMAGE as discussed in
“Configuring a mental ray Network” later in this chapter.
7. Create a .RAYHOSTS file, taking care to do the following:
−
Use only ATM address names in the .
−
Do not include the License Server in the .
RAYHOSTS file.
RAYHOSTS file for
rendering if you are rendering on large networks.
NOTE There is no need to install ATM on the License Server if you are
not going to use it for rendering. The License Server will only need
the Classical IP on Ethernet for distributing licenses.
Configuring a mental ray Network
The following sections describe how to configure mental ray for use
with SOFTIMAGE on a render farm network.
Defining the LM_LICENSE_FILE Variable
11
The following steps show how to define the
LM_LICENSE_FILE variable.
1. From the operating system Start menu, go to Settings/Control
Panel/System.
2. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Environment tab.
3. In the Variable text entry field, type LM_LICENSE_FILE.
4. In the Value text entry field, type the directory path of the location
for the License Key file. The location may be different for the
installation on your system.
For Version 3.7SP1:
C:\SOFT3D_3.7SP1\FLEXLM\LICENSES
For Version 3.8: C:\SOFTIMAGE\FLEXLM\LICENSES
NOTE Do not include the License Key file name, only the path to it.
NOTE For user accounts, the location is 744@
example, for a server with the node name RENDER1, you would
define the user account system variable as follows:
license_server_node
LM_LICENSE_FILE = 744@RENDER1.
5. Click Set to define the new variable.
. For
12
Defining the SI_LOCATION
Next, you will define the
SI_LOCATION variables.
1. In the Variable text entry field, type SI_LOCATION.
2. In the Value text entry field, type the path for the location of the
SOFTIMAGE 3D application. The location may be different for
the installation on your system.
For Version 3.7SP1:
For Version 3.8:
C:\SOFT3D_3.7SP1
C:\SOFTIMAGE
3. Click Set to define the new variable.
4. Click OK to close the System Properties dialog box.
5. Close the Control Panel.
Designating a Render Manager
The following steps illustrate how to make SOFTIMAGE render to
other machines. The system that submits the job is known as the
Render Manager.
1. Log on to the machine from which you are going to render (to be
called the Render Manager). Remember, this should not be a
system that is also used as a License Server to other systems.
2. Create a text file called .
RAYHOSTS.
NOTE Make sure to put a period ( .) at the beginning of the filename.
3. In the .RAYHOSTS file, enter the node names of the machines to
which you will be rendering over the network on each line.
Example: NODE1
NODE2
NODE3
4. Save the .
RAYHOSTS file in the home directory of the login you are
using. For example, login NOBODY would have a home directory
of
C:\USERS\NOBODY.
NOTE You can have a .RAYHOSTS file on each system; however, only one
system should submit jobs to the other systems at any given time.
Otherwise, performance will be negatively affected.
NOTE Do not leave node names of systems that are not currently
accessible for rendering in the .
rendering performance will be affected.
RAYHOSTS file. Otherwise,
4 Submitting mental ray Jobs
Once you submit a rendering job, mental ray automatically accounts for
all of the available machines and CPUs (listed in the .
that can render. If there are not enough mental ray licenses available in
the License Key files on the network, mental ray will use only the
amount available. mental ray uses the CPUs from the Rendering
Manager first, then the CPUs of the machines as they are listed in the
.
RAYHOSTS file.
There are three common methods for submitting jobs to mental ray,
outlined in the following procedures.
Submit Interactively in SOFTIMAGE 3D
To submit interactively in SOFTIMAGE 3D:
1. Open the Matter/Render dialog box in SOFTIMAGE 3D. See the
SOFTIMAGE documentation for more information on this dialog
box.
2. Set the parameters to meet your specifications (such as start, stop,
and step frames, and the output file name).
13
RAYHOSTS file)
3. Submit the job.
NOTE Once rendering begins, the SOFTIMAGE interface is frozen until
the renderings are completed.
Advantages
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Simplest to start; options are easy to specify.
u
Renderings are automatically displayed on the screen while the
machine is processing.
Disadvantages
u
The system overhead for the SOFTIMAGE interface takes away
from resources for rendering.
Submit Using the RAY.EXE Command
To submit using the RAY.EXE command:
1. Bring up a scene inside SOFTIMAGE.
2. Open the Matter/Render dialog box. See the SOFTIMAGE
documentation for more information on this dialog box.
14
3. Set the parameters to meet your specifications (such as start, stop,
and step frames, and the output file name).
4. Set the Render Type to mental ray.
5. From the Options menu, click Output File and specify a name for
the .
MI file.
6. Select Render Sequence. Instead of rendering frames, a single .
file is created. This file contains all of the scene and rendering
information required for mental ray.
7. From the SOFTIMAGE Program Group, double-click the
SOFTIMAGE command prompt.
8. At the command prompt, change to the directory containing the .
file.
9. Key in ray filename.mi to submit the job.
Advantages
u
Submits renderings without the system overhead of the
SOFTIMAGE interface.
u
Easy to transfer .MI files to other locations over the network for
processing; there is no need for an entire database.
Disadvantages
u
.MI files can take up a lot of disk space, and can take a lot of time to
process.
When using the ray command, note the following:
u
Key in ray -help to see a complete list of options.
u
The -verbose on option is useful for testing procedures. However,
it slows performance, so do not use it normal operation. To use
this option, key in the following:
MI
MI
ray -verbose on filename.mi
Submit Using the soft -R Command
To submit using the soft -R command:
1. Bring up a scene inside SOFTIMAGE.
2. Open the Matter/Render dialog box. See the SOFTIMAGE
documentation for more information on this dialog box.
15
3. Set the parameters to meet your specifications (such as start, stop,
and step frames, and the output file name).
4. Set the Render Type to mental ray.
5. Click Accept.
6. Save the scene and exit SOFTIMAGE.
7. Use File Manager to make a note of the entire scene name. (This is
located in the SCENES directory of the database.)
8. From the SOFTIMAGE Program Group, double-click the
SOFTIMAGE command prompt.
9. Key in soft -R full_scene_name -d input_database -D
output_database .
WARNING This command is case sensitive, so be sure that filenames and
databases have the proper case.
Advantages
u
Submits renderings without the system overhead of the
SOFTIMAGE interface.
u
Does not require a .MI file.
Disadvantages
u
Requires more thought when you are executing renderings.
Note the following when using the soft command:
u
Key in soft -help to see a complete list of options.
u
The -v (verbose) option is not required, but is useful for testing
procedures. To use this option, key in the following:
soft -R full_scene_name -d input_database -D output_database -v
Processing Multiple Scenes
You can launch multiple scenes simultaneously by using a batch file.
The following steps illustrate how to set up a batch file:
1. Use a text editor to open a file.
2. On the first line, key in a complete soft -R or
render a scene. See the previous sections for examples of
command lines.
3. On the second line, key in the script for the next scene.
RAY.EXE script to
16
4. Continue entering scripts for scenes, each one on its own line.
Example:
soft -R ROBOT.robot_jump.1-0.dsc -d robot_db -D robot_db
soft -R ROBOT.robot_run.1-0.dsc -d robot_db -D robot_db
soft -R ROBOT.robot_talk.1-0.dsc -d robot_db -D robot_db
5. Save the file as a text file with a .BAT extension.
6. From the SOFTIMAGE Program Group, double-click the
SOFTIMAGE command prompt.
7. At the command prompt, change to the directory containing the
.
BAT file you just created.
8. Key in the .
JOB1.BAT, key in job1.bat at the command prompt.
called
BAT file name. For example, if the file you created is
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