Confirm the Maya Pathform is selected:

Make sure you have selected all the Platforms you will be using in the controller.

Options->Configure->Configure Platforms
 

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Confirm the Shared Paths are correct:

Make sure all the directories file shares are correct and can be accessed by the controller and the clients. The Linux and OSX client will need to access the same shares as the windows controller.
(The Content directory is only used by Lightwave)

Options->Configure->Configure Shared Directories

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Confirm the Rendernodes have the Platform selected:

Select the Rendernode and double click or Right Click to activate context menu and select 'Properties'







Platforms that will be running on this client:

Make sure the 'Maya' Platform is selected.
 

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Confirm the Priority Settings are correct:

Set the Priority settings for the Scenes. You can select how many rendernodes each Prioirty will be allowed to use. You can also select the 'FIFO' First in First out option here.

Options->Professional Preferences-> Priority Tab
 

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Add Scene:

Add a Maya 'ma' or 'mb' scene by using the 'Add Scene' buttom or the File->Add Scene.

BNR can read all the 'render globals' from a 'ma' Maya scene file.

File->Add Scene
 

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Modify the Scene:

Select the Scene and double click or Right Click to activate context menu and select 'Properties'
 

Scene Information panel:

This will panel has basic information about the Scene.
You can also 'Start the Scene rendering by using the 'Start Scene'

 

Scene Output panel:

Use this panel to set the First Frame and Last frame of the animation. You also need to select the Image Format and 'Prefix name' that will be used to create the Frame images.

BNR requires the Maya scene to be saved with a Frame Ext of 'Name.####.ext'

NOTE: The Project Dir and Output Location are the windows Shared paths - the Linux and OSX clients paths will be set inside the Configure Directories.
 

Camera panel:

Use the panel to select the 'Active' Camera for this render job.  You can also select the Width and Height of the frame.

NOTE: You must set the Resolution of the frame for any render jobs that use the 'Split Frames feature'. Split Frame also required the Targa (TGA) format to be selected in the Output Panel.
 

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Set the Group for the Scene:

Set the Group(s) for this Scene. All the Render nodes that are in the 'Primary' and 'Secondary' groups will process this Scene.

NOTE: If only one scene is running, then BNR will force all rendernodes to render the scene - no matter what group they are in.
 

Set the Priority for the Scene:

Set the Priority Level and Priority Order for this Scene

The Priority Level will be Processed from 'Low' to 'Normal' to 'High' in the same Group. The 'Take Over' level will force all the rendernodes to render the scene regardless of the Group they are in.

BNR supports a 2 Tier Priority System:
Scenes with the Same Priority Level will be Rendered in the
 'Priority Order' where the lowest priority order is first.

NOTE: The FIFO setting in the Professional Preferences Priority Tab will change the 'Priority Order' when scenes are added.
 

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Begin Render Job:

Start the Scene by using the 'right click' context menu - or the 'Start Scene' button in the 'Scene Info panel'

Before the Scene starts rendering the 'Scene Check' dialog will display Priority and Group information - plus you can select to 'Check for frames already rendered' This us useful if you are starting the scene again after it has already created some of the frames.

You can also - Limit the Rendering Time for this Scene by selecting the 'Limit Rendering Time'
 

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Make sure the Scenes and RenderNodes are in the correct group:

You can use the right click context menu of the Scene to select 'Group 1' to start the job working above.


NOTE: If the Scene does not have any Rendernodes in the same Group it will have a 'Status' of 'WAIT(Groups)

If the Scene does is a lower priority then any running scene then it will have a 'Status' or 'WAIT(Priority)

 

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