The topics in this section describe how to check system requirements, and how to set up a network for rendering.
Setting up even a small render farm can require a substantial amount of time. As a first step, verify that your proposed network meets the basic requirements. You should also be acquainted with the software required to render over the network.
Whenever different groups need to cooperate on a project, accurate communication and common procedures are essential. A rendering farm is such a project. Network setup can be difficult to configure, but you need to do it only once. Take your time to get the right setup. Read each topic in order, and complete the steps described.
3ds Max uses the standard network protocol, TCP/IP, for network rendering. TCP/IP is a two-part acronym. TCP (Transport Control Protocol) communicates data between applications. IP (Internet Protocol) communicates data between an application and the physical network. Each computer in your rendering network needs to be configured for this protocol.
From the previous step, Setting Up TCP/IP, you should have a list of machine names and IP addresses. With that list, go to each machine and follow these procedures.
If you run the Server as a Service, you should create a special user account, which gives the Server the right to access other machines on the network for necessary maps, xrefs and output directories. This account must be identical across all rendering server machines.
