Introduction:
How it works:
What you need:
How to use it:
Explanation of the INI file:
If you don't want to use the network for moving the files after they have been finished, you can remove the
Don't forget: Every PC that started a file has to finish it! You could use the
You should also use the command line switch
Known problems:
Introduction: How it works:
What you need:
How to use it:
Known problems:
POV-Ray has a huge problem for people who have their own home-network: It doesn't support raytracing using a network. My program Exizt is the solution for this problem: Now you can render animations with many frames using POV-Ray distributed over several PCs.
Before each frame of the animation, Exizt checks the file in the network directory (the directory all finished files are copied to). There are many possibilities my program handles, but if you want to know it: The program checks the output file POV-Ray wants to use. If it does not exist, it creates a file with the same name only containing 4 bytes ('Used') and tells the PC to render the file.
If the file already exists and there's 'Used' in it, another PC from the network renders the file. So the frame is skipped. After a frame has been finished, my program moves the file from the local directory to the network directory.
Pre_Frame_Command=Exizt.exe %o 123456 c:\local e:\network
Pre_Frame_Return=S
Post_Frame_Command=Postex.bat %o c:\local e:\network
Pre_Frame_Command Command executed by POV-Ray before each frame
Exizt.exe Path and name of Exizt
%o Output filename
(Warning: If you have set a standard output directory for POV-Ray,
you have to use <standard output directory>\%o .)
Remember: Every PC has to use the same output directory used by the others
123456 Finished file size: The size of a finished, rendered file in bytes (Exizt will compare this value with the file size of the current output file, so give the exact, correct size)
c:\local The local directory that POV-Ray renders to
e:\network The network directory, Exizt will check and move the files into. The LOCAL directory and the NETWORK directories MAY NOT BE THE SAME!!! The NETWORK directory has to be the SAME on each computer!!! Do not use backslashes ('\') at the end of a directory!!!
Pre_Frame_Return Action done by POV-Ray after the Pre_Frame_Command has ended
S POV-Ray will skip the current frame if an error in the Pre_Frame_Command occured
Post_Frame_Command Command executed by POV-Ray after each frame
Postex.bat Path and name of Postex.bat
%o c:\local e:\network See abovePost_Frame_Command. The finished files will remain on the computer that rendered them. When you copy them together (to the network directory), you have to replace the 4-byte-files with 'Used' in it.+sfXXX and the +efYYY commands of POV-Ray to finish a particular file of an animation (topic "General Output Options" in the POV-Ray help files).+C, because if a frame exists, my program does NOT report an error, and POV-Ray wants to render the frame. If you have set the +C switch (Continue) POV-Ray will continue the frame instead of overwriting it. If you stop a rendering and want to continue at the frame where you stopped before, +C can be very handy
(Exizt will neither let POV-Ray overwrite a finished file nor continue it).
By the way, you may also write to me, if you have any suggestions, want to show me another program like Exizt or if you need help with my program!!!
Documentation for Exizt 2.00
There is a big difference between POV-Ray and other professional rendering programs (like 3D Studio, Lightwave): POV-Ray "raytraces" an image (look into your POV-Ray documentation for further information on the word "raytracing" (topic "Ray-Tracing?")). Raytracing is a very accurate but also slow way to generate an image. So you need much time - because POV-Ray doesn't support raytracing over several PCs. But with my program App, you can render a .POV-file distributed over several computers.
It's very easy: You render the file on several PCs, each computer has to render different lines of the image. Then you run my program on it: You have ONE file.
Explanation:+ft +srXXX +erYYY +oAAAAABBB.TGA
+ft POV-Ray will create uncompressed Targa-files (TGA). My program only works with TGAs, so you'll have to set this switch!
+srXXX POV-Ray will start rendering at line XXX.
+erYYY POV-Ray will end rendering at line YYY.
+oAAAAABBB.TGA POV-Ray will use this filename for output. AAAAA MUST be the same on every computer. BBB is a number used by App to determine the order of the images. The first PC uses '1' (NOT '001'!!!). The second PC uses '2'..., the tenth uses '10'..., the hundredth uses '100'... etc.
Let's say you have 3 computers and want to render a .POV-file in 800x600. You load the .POV-file to each PC. The first one should have '+ft +sr1 +er200 +oIMG1.TGA', the second one '+ft +sr201 +er400 +oIMG2.TGA', the third one '+ft +sr401 +er600 +oIMG3.TGA'. You could also use the +scXXX and the +ecYYY
switches, but remember: The lines or pixels of each computer have to fit to the lines or pixels of the others, e.g. the first PC could render 1x1 to 1x5, the second 1x6 to 500x6, the third 501x6 to 800x600. For additional information on rendering partial images look into your POV-Ray documentation (topic "General Output Options").
Explanation:App outfile.tga AAAAA
App Path and name of App
outfile.tga The filename App writes to. Don't forget .TGA or you'll get a filename without extension.
AAAAA The beginning of the output filename of the PCs. If you created a file 'IMG.POV' you have probably called the output files of the computers 'IMG1.TGA', 'IMG2.TGA' and 'IMG3.TGA'. Now you just write 'IMG'.
By the way, you may also write to me, if you have any suggestions, want to show me another program like App or if you need help with my program!!!
Documentation for App 1.00
People say, God is the one, you believe in.
I believe in me, so I am God! ;-)