8

Using Backburner for Batch Rendering 199
6.
Click the Submit button.
Note: Each job should have a unique output
file name and/or path to avoid overwriting
output files. If you get an alert dialog that says,
"Another job is using the same output name…,"
you can click the No button, click Cancel to
exittheNetworkJobAssignmentdialog,and
then change the output name and/or path.
Otherwise, you can click the Yes button and let
thejoboverwritetheframesfromtheotherjob
in the queue.
7. Load the next scene you want rendered, and
then repeat steps 4 through 7.
Once you’ve submitted all rendering jobs, you can
exit 3ds Max, if you want. If power is lost before
all jobs are rendered (either by accident or by
intentional powering down of your computer),
when you restar t the Backburner Manager and
Server programs, the rendering process will
resumewhereitleftoff.
Usi ng Ba ck bu r ner f or B atch
Rendering
Using Backburner for batch rendering is a simple
matter of start i ng the s oftware, running the
Backburner Manager and Server programs,
specifying the scenes you want rendered, and
then proceeding with the rendering. In this case,
Backburner coordinates a series of rendering tasks
that are network rendered on a single computer.
The process is very similar to rendering over a
network. With network rendering, the scenes you
submit to the rendering queue are called ’jobs’.
The f ollowing steps show how to submit multiple
jobs to the rendering queue.
Your system has to be properly configured in the
TCP/IP protocol (see S
etting Up TCP/IP for the
Rendering Network)toperformBackburnerbatch
rendering. If you do not have a network card or
if you are not connected to the internet, then you
may need to configure TCP/IP with the Microsoft
Loop Back Adapter.
Note: Batch rendering by means of Backburner
differs from batch rendering with the
Batch Render
tool (page 3–200)
.However,youcanusethe
Batch Render tool to create a queue of rendering
tasks and then pass the tasks to Backburner to
coordinate the rendering process.
Procedures
To batch render sev era l jobs:
1.
Start 3ds Max.
2. Star t Backburner Manager.
The Backburner Manager window appears. Its
window displays the words: “Starting Network
Manager .”
3. Start Backburner Server.
The Backburner Server window appears.
Its window displays the words: “Star ting
Backburner Server,” followed by additional
star tup messages.
4. In 3ds Max, load the first scene you want
rendered.
5. Activate the viewport you want rendered, and
clicktheRenderScenebuttononthetoolbar.
6. Set up the various rendering parameters as you
would if you were rendering only this scene.
7. IntheRenderOutputgroup,turnonNet
Render .
8. Click Render.
To assi gn networ k jobs:
At this point, the Network Job Assignment dialog
(page 3–184)
appears. Its m ain purpose is submit
thecurrentjobtotheBackburnerManagerwith
all its render sett ings, including job name and net
rendering specifics. The Backburner Manager
then takes over and begins the rendering process.