You can publish results over a network. The default “Render executable” setting is the following:

"<PythonExec>" "<BgTaskDir>/render.py" -p "<CurrentProject>" -u "<CurrentUser>" -c "<CompositionPath>" -f "<FilenamePattern>" -D "<DestinationPath>" -C "<Custom>" -r "<ResultName>" -i "<ImageFileFormat>".

This command invokes the render.py Python script (found in the \resources\bgTasks folder of the Toxik program folder) locally on the machine to render all the frames of the composition. The command parameters tell the publish script which project and composition to use, and the file name to use for the output frames from the rendering, the destination folder where rendered frames should be placed, etc. By examining the render.py script, you can determine all the different parameters which can be passed to the publish script.

To render over the network, the “Render executable” setting must be changed, so that instead of invoking the rendering locally on the machine for all frames, it will submit a job to a network render management software, which will then invoke the rendering on multiple render nodes in the render farm one frame at a time.

Instead of using the publish script, the standalone renderer can be used for network rendering (the standalone renderer is the txpublish.exe executable located in the Toxik program folder). The parameters for the standalone renderer are very similar to those for the publish script. If you run the standalone renderer without any parameters, you will be given a useful help message which includes all the parameters which you can specify.

(Windows) To access the Toxik Command Prompt:

1. From the Windows Start menu, choose Programs > Autodesk > Autodesk Toxik 2010 > Toxik Command Prompt.
2. Enter the following command:

   dir

   A list of folders is displayed.

(Linux) To access Toxik via a shell on a Linux workstation:

1. Open a shell by doing one of the following:
   • Right-click the desktop and choose Open Terminal.
   • From the taskbar, choose System Tools > Terminal.
2. Determine the type of shell you are using by entering the following command:

   # echo $SHELL

3. If your shell is tcsh or csh, enter the following command:

   #source /opt/Autodesk/Autodesk_Toxik-2010/bin/toxik-env.csh

   If your shell is bash, enter the following command:

   #source /opt/Autodesk/Autodesk_Toxik-2010/bin/toxik-env.sh

The following lists the variables.

To verify the Toxik and network rendering application installation setup:

1. Ensure Python 2.5.1 is installed in the same path on every workstation that is part of the render farm: C:\Python25\.
2. Ensure Toxik is installed in the same path on every workstation that is part of the render farm: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Autodesk Toxik 2010\Toxik\
3. Ensure the rendering application is installed on every workstation that is part of the render farm.
   NoteIf you are using the Autodesk Backburner network rendering application, ensure that one Backburner Manager is running on one workstation and one Backburner Server is running on each workstation that is part of the render farm. In addition, each Backburner Server should be connected to the Backburner Manager.

To change the default publish settings:

1. Open a project and a composition.
2. Set the publish mode to Backburner.

For information on setting the publish mode, see the To set the publish mode procedure in Publishing a Composition.