OTOY Forums

Hello,

I'm pretty deep down into the workflow of using Mac OSX. Have one at work, have one at home. But I was thinking, with the new network render feature, is it possible to buy a PC with Windows or Linux and use it only for rendering? Put it in the closet or something, connect it to high speed wireless and let it do most of the rendering while still using preferred interface, for me OS X. My Mac has Nvidia, just not very fast.

Is it possible?

hi,
as you can read in my signature, i'm a mac os x user and i use the pc via network, my setup is different but the use is the same:
Pros
- you can have a very basic PC-box slave node, CPU, RAM, HD, DVD is not important, so the minimal configuration just for the system is more than enough.
- the GPU's in the slave are automatically loaded in the Octane master node for up to 12 GPU for now
- the master starts to work with the internal GPU while the entire compiled scene is sended to the slaves. The master gets the power of the slaves as soon as the scene is complitely loaded.
- it work with both standalone and most of plugins

Cons
- you need a separate full standalone licence in every slave for now, no extra plugin licence is needed.
- you are limited to the Vram of the master's GPU, as usual
- if the slave is used via network, you can't use it for other GPU tasks
- the network speed is very important, especially for animation. Network connections slower than Gigabit Ethernet are not good, a fast alternative solution could be a Thunderbolt network.

In general, i'm very happy with it, but i hope to see a new slave licence scheme as soon as the upcoming OctaneRender CE (Cloud Edition) is come out

Hi, you can use Octane over network without a Nvidia GPU or a license on the master.
Switch of your OSX license, download Win or Lin software, install it on the slave, activate it.
You can connect over VNC or other network slave/master software from your Mac to the slave.
It is may needed to switch of OpenGL interface drawing in Octane preferences.
I can work on crappy laptop with old Intel onboard chip GPU over VNC with my Linux workstation.
Drawbacks:
You cant use your Apple GPU for render.
You need a fast network, fast wireless should work.

Cheers, mib

Thanks for replies!

What PC would you build that could fit in a closet and cost no more than ≈$3.000 USD?
Used only for GPU rendering, so no screen or anything like that.

Too bad the Mac mini doesn't include a Titan... I could have had 4 of those.

Fake Pilot wrote: What PC would you build that could fit in a closet and cost no more than ≈$3.000 USD?

for 3k$ You can get 4x 780 6GB & a cheap system to hold those =)..
that more speed titans, but it will have same 6GB (& system is included)
though, I would not put it into closet =DDD
better into basement, where it's cold =DDD

Mib
Correct me if I am wrong... are you not essentially dialing in and running a PC as you renderer remotely.

In other words you are not opening Octane Render on your laptop getting the scene all organized and hitting render with your own GPU turning off on the master are you?

If you are that is what I am interested in... one better though :>)

I want to use a crappy laptop top with NO CUDA savy GPU and load up the scene connect everything and render and have ONLY the slave participate. I do not mind paying for the license on the master do this.

This is what I hope cloud rendering will bring to Octane :>))

THanks

I don´t understand all but:
I log in over VNC on my master, open standalone, open scene, work on it, render.
Master: Octane standalone, license, Nvidia GPU´s (Specs in signature).
Slave: VNC viewer, no CUDA cards, i965 intel GPU.

Mostly I work on master directly, laptop screen it to small but it work.
You can use Teamviewer for testing.

Cheers, mib

Thanks Now I get it

Peter