XSI

From Admin

The overall process of setting up XSI with ButterflyNetRender is very straight forward:

Contents 1 Install: 2 Configure: 3 Restart: 4 Add: 5 Test:

Install:

(Windows):

• 1. Install XSI locally on all the Windows Rendernode machines (in the same location on all machines)

ie: c:\Softimage\Softimage_7.5\Application\bin\xsibatch.bat

• 2. Set the Install paths in the BNR Controller

Configure:

Configure paths and settings in BNR Controller:

In the BNR Controller:

• 1. Turn on the 'XSI' platform: (Options->Configure->Select Platforms)

• 2. Set the location of the 'xsibatch.bat' (the local path on each Rendernode) (Options->Configure Platforms - XSI)

• 3. Confirm you have the correct command line settings:

(download the updated 'File:Rendertype2.cfg' file and place into the BNR install folder - replacing the current one - Make sure the Controller is not running when you replace the file)

• the command line settings should be: (Options->Configure Platforms 'XSI' - Settings button - Command Tab)

"%exe%" -render "%loadscn%" -frames "%sf%,%ef%,%pf%" -pass "%pass%" -output_dir "%%framedir%"

Restart:

Restart the BNR Controller.

Add:

Now add XSI scene (.sce) scene files for rendering: (Use the 'TOC' option in XSI when saving the scene, so BNR can read the scene settings)

Make sure you add the scene from the Shared Network folder (that all the rendernodes have access to - otherwise the rendernodes will not be able to load the scene)

Test:

The best way to test a to confirm the setup is working:

• 1. Make sure XSI is installed on the controller (in the same location as the RenderNodes)
• 2. Add a XSI scene into BNR
• 3. Select the 'Render' Tab
• 4. Press the 'Test Render Command" and then press 'Launch Locally'

This will run the same command the Rendernodes will get - but you will get to see more information directly.

You will need to check the 'Task Manager' to see if the command is running in the back ground

• Right click on the Scene and a select "Open Scene Trace Log folder" and you should find the output text "Render_*.txt" - Please open with notepad to view the text.

(note if you see *.csv files - these are BNR Controller state flows)