Comments Off on Small Render Farm or at least a Render Flat

By ZBog, July 31, 2010 13:39

Producing small videos, animations and vjset live as a Freelancer, is easy questioning yourself about building a Render Farm machine to allow to work on huge amount of video data. In my case it will be maximum a Render Flat.

I m Not interested in producing cinema movies, but compositing for shorter projects. I use Blender, but I also use Resolume for vjing, I know how many frames go lost trying to record generated images, or live sets in digital format.

The machine must be cheap for the materials and eco-compatible with low energy consume. What is normally suggested to Do is : Do not spend more then 30% of what you will spend on a true one. A true one will cost a lot – around 30.000€ (Render Stream blog entry) minimum 15.000€, the 30% is between 4500€ and 9.000€

I cannot spend more then 3000€

For Networking TK is using old PIII mother board, but for video… I m afraid with low quality material you realize a machine with the same price of a powerful single computer that can maybe do the same work alone. Lets say I ll start with 8 cpu that will cost around 170€ each one for a total of 1200€ . There is still to calculate the hours of work of the technicians. After you got the case and cables we pass on the softwares, to connect the CPU with a workload management system Condor High Throughput Computing that will optimize the CPU usage, at least for performances, if not for eco-sustainability (but this sofware solution is even too big for my needs) .

The Big Buck Bunny used Sun’s Grid to coordinate average of 150 CPU’s at a time! producing around 4h per frame.

The best links to projects about DIY Render Farm found today: Helmer history (self built machine) this lovely monster is my target a cheap homemade in a great Iron case! he promise “…this machine just costs as much as a better standard PC, but has 24 cores that run each at 2.4 Ghz, a total of 48GB ram, and just needs 400W of power!!” cool explication DIY

MY ABSURDS Idea Considering I m Berlin based will be great to build the machine in horizontal and place it like a pavement on the floor, with a pipeline for ventilation with 2 exits, 1 outside the room and 1 inside the room. That can be a good winter solution to substitute coal heating for cheap rents and let in summer the hot air out

Niklas and Tk suggest both to use a Blender script and Tk seems to be convinced to can use one of our Networks computer, with 2 or 2×2 GHz, but I m speaking about a video-brain, usable for producing different kinds of videos, not an unique Blender output, for example a compositing of stop motion in HD with digital animation. A machine that allows you to promise good quality fast rendering, remember that is a job standalone to render, can even bring specific clients. I believe our 2×2 ghz network machine is enough to start, but in the while you render you will have no much possibility to use the computer otherwise. and you cannot risk to loose some frames for overloading and restart rendering the scene. Anyway is a long time project that can be realized before 2012, nothing now and nothing fast. Is only that I have 1000 projects and Im always in doubt how to invest the money, professional video camera or professional computer? both are around 3000€ Analyzing the market and my clients I ll say our computers are always running and the camera you can rent it for short period.

Comments Off on Shell Basics Workshop Report n. 3/3 Juli 2010

By ZBog, July 27, 2010 03:24

>> nerdcafe Vetomat 26.7.2010        snufu/fuzzy speach, Zbog report
SHELL BASICS N°3

$ ncal -w

calendar for the current week (it shows the all month)

$ red

open a (strange) text editor in the terminal to go out: q + enter

$ mcedit filename

the famous midnight-command editor (apt-get install mc)

$ mc

clone of an oldschool filemanager

—————————-

$ tput

initialize a terminal

$ reset

query terminfo database
(clear the complete terminal window)

————————–

$ cp "source" "destination"

copy files in directory (is an automatic paste)
=======================================================================================

$ mkdir "name"

make directory “name”

$ ls -l

list all the files and folders in the directory

(-l)     use a long listing format
as the details mode in a location window

$ ls -l "directory-name"

is giving the list of the called directory

$ pwd

Print Working Directory
shows the actual folder content

$ cd ..

go one level up

$ if cd /somewhere; then date;

Only if there is cd folder called like so then show the date

$ echo mario > test/.secret

with the point on the new name it will create a hidden file that is  normally not shown in the interface and  in the command ls

$ ls -a

to recall a hidden file in a list  -a

$ echo /.*

will call also all the hidden files

./

it represents the current directory

../

it represents the parent directory
—————————

$ rm filename

remove file

$ rm /dir/

remove folder

$ rm -r foldername

empty the directory    (delete the files but keep the folder)
—————————-

$ set -x

$ set +x

set
start the behavior session
+
the commmand string is printed on screen before the execution
–
the command string session will not show anymore the command screen

$ echo foo | cat

“pipe echo foo into cat” write the info foo into the file and show the content (cat)
the 2 commands are connected to eatch other and have the same content

Report of Linux-works shell meeting in Vetomat 26.Juli.2010

Comments Off on Shell Basics Workshop Report n. 2/3 Juli 2010

By ZBog, July 20, 2010 03:24

>> nerdcafe Vetomat 19.7.2010        snufu/fuzzy speach, Zbog report
SHELL BASICS N°2

$ nmap 192.168.1.0

scan the local subnet to check for available hosts – nmap returns all IPs of running machines in the specified subnet. 192.168.1.0-100 scans IPs 1-100.

(you ll need to apt-get install nmap)

$ uptime

Shows when the pc started; how many users; load average; how many processes are running

$ date

gives you back a date and time

$ ncal

to call the calendar

#

Comment sign
to insert a not exacutable text, frequently used for human comunication instead of the normal typing in the terminal that is readed by default as a command to the computer

*

is a jolly to ask for existing files/Directory for example

$ echo D*

gave:
Desktop Dokumente…
(every file with the D as first letter in the directory where we are located)

?
$ fsdsf?

if you dont remember the last letter of a data
for example fsdfz
the command returns the possible files you are searching
like the asterisc but applies only on the last letter in doubt

$

the dollar $ itself
means a variable

|

the pipeline | between commands is to add multiple commands without writing multiple lines in the terminal

""

are to consider the string as text

$ rm filename

removes files – take care there is no restore the file will be deleted!

$ clear

clean the monitor terminal from previous output lines

$ iwlist wlan0 scan

scan for avalaible networks with network interface wlan0 (the 1. wlan card,usually)

$ ps

programs running by everybody

$ ps aux

more info about the running programs

$ ps aux | less

pipe the processes output into “less” – just for easy reading

>

to redirect and copy the command output to another program

>>

append
attach the output left of >> to the end of the file right off >>
for example

$ echo hiho > foobar
$ cat echo >> foobar

will give as output
foobar

foobar

<

\

(escape) to take out special meaning and read the value as text
example echo “mb\”r*” gives the output
mb”r

true is 0
and frequently in programming it is the opposite: true is 1 !!

$ wc

words count

$ wc -l

wordcount –lines

Report of Linux-works shell meeting in Vetomat 19.Juli.2010

Comments Off on Shell Basics Workshop Report n. 1/3 Juli 2010

By ZBog, July 15, 2010 03:20

>> nerdcafe Vetomat 12.7.2010        snufu/fuzzy speach, TKilla report
SHELL BASICS N°1

LinuxWorks workshop about Linux usage of the terminal.

Weekly appointment every Monday in Vetomat at 19:00. Scharnweberstrasse 35, F’hain, Berlin.

the “shell” is the program in the terminal,
–> Application –>Accessories —>Terminal
where you can run all the commands installed on the system
(the shell is called “bash” or “sh” or similar)

>> nerdcafe Vetomat 12.7.2010        snufu/fuzzy speach;  Tk report
SHELL BASICS N°1
———–

all lines in this text starting with $ can be executed in a terminal
watch the output of the commands!!  (almost) every error is written there!

useful commands:
TAB
Its enough to write few letters and use TAB key — multiple times —
to autocomplete the command!!

history:
arrow-up key     – goes back to the previous command
ctrl+r command    – search in command history

the format of the command is always:

commandname parameter1 parameter2 ..
programname -h          or
programname –help  for a long version

gives a short help and possible parameters of the command

$ man programname

manual of the program – RTFM – read this to know what it does 😉

$ apropos burn cd

tells which programs are doind the task

$ ssh user@hostname

login to another computer by console

$ screen -x

join a shared session (on another computer)
must be connected before to (ssh username@hostname)
screen runs multiple terminals (on a remote system) and you can switch between them

screen commands:
ctrl+a    a    – switch to another terminal
ctrl+a  ESC      – scroll with cursor keys

$ ls

list content of current directoy

$ ls -a

list –all: shows also hidden “.” dot-files (config files mostly)

$ less

shows 1 PAGE of output of a command  (contrast to “more” – that shows more 🙂 )

$ echo hiho > foobar

write hiho into the variable “foobar”

$ cat myman</pre>
<pre>$ tom

outputs the name of the var

$ cd /
"change dir" to root-dir "/"
"/" is the whole system - including all discs/partitions

[c]$ cd    or  cd ~

“change dir” to your home dir “/home/yourusername/”,

$ echo foo > file1

write “foo” into a textfile file1

$ cat file1

print output of file1

$ head

show first lines of file

$ head -n 50

show first 50 lines of file

pipe command “>”

$ iwconfig > file1

write _standard_ output to file1

$ iwconfig > file1

write _serror_ output to file1 – “2” is the code for error outputs

$ echo ritual > fileX

add lines to file

$ echo ritual2 >> fileX

$ echo ritual3 >> fileX

connect terminal to remote window system

$ ssh username@hostname

connect to another computer and executes commands there

$ ssh -X username@hostname

activate X11 windowing forward on other computer

$ username@hostname: firefox

starts for example firefox on the remote machine and shows it on your screen

$ mv    file1 newfile

move file1 to another

$ less filename

show content of a text file

Comments (1)

By ZBog, June 19, 2010 13:53

Ohne Captcha und andere Schutzmechanismen schlagen pro Tag zwischen 5 und 20 neue Spam-Kommentare hier ein.

Hier werden wir die lustigsten Kommentar Spam Posts senden, die sich in dieser WordPress Installation ansammeln.

Meistens geht es um “Online Insurance” -Versicherungen und “Pharmacie” – Viagra, Schmerztabletten, uvm.  Wir sparen uns, dafür Werbung zu machen und posten hier nur Kommentare, die nicht so leicht als Spam zu identifizieren sind.

Die Adressen der verlinkten Seiten geben meistens Aufschluß über den Sinn des Kommentars. Am Besten gar nicht nachschauen bei offensichtlichen Werbe-Links und falls doch: Vorsicht vor Viren! Nicht Internet Explorer benutzen!

06.2010

Hi, I’m very interested in Linux but Im a Super Newbie and I’m having trouble deciding on the right distribution for me (Havent you heard this a million times?) anyway here is my problem, I need a distribution that can switch between reading and writing in English and Japanese (Japanese Language Support) with out restarting the operating system.

Will einen Link zu einer Webseite setzen. Schon mehr als 10x gelesen,.. nicht glaubwürdig.

Super-Duper site! I am loving it!! Will come back again – taking you feeds also, Thanks.

Will einen Link zu einer Poker- Webseite setzen.

nice post. thanks.

Will einen Link zu einer Pharmacie Webseite setzen.

alright so here is how stupid I am, halfway through reading through your post I dropped my sensitive mouse and closed the site by mistake and I couldn’t find your web page once again until 3 days afterwards to finish reading from the spot i had left off for the reason that I forgot how I linked to your web site to begin with haha at any rate it was worth the delay..regards

Das ist ein besonders komischer Text. Der Web-Link zeigt auf ein Forum-Profil, wo sehr versteckt Pokerchips für Facebook verlinkt sind. Oh, also doch Spam..

heya i posted a comment a little while back regarding how to speed up my twilight eclipse website’s loading time seeing that we made use of the very same theme at that time and someone placed a comment responding to it on my site a week ago – if that was you I simply wanted to say thank you, and if it was not you then i’m sorry to take the time you, but cheers anyways!

Der gleiche Text wurde bei etlichen Blogs gepostet. Virales Marketing?!  Schööööööööööön :-/

Nach dieser Information hatte ich gesucht, vielen Dank!

Will einen Link zu einer “Ex-Zurück” Werbe- Webseite setzen

Hi, I like your article. This is a great site and I wanted to post a comment to let you know, good job! Thanks Cathy

Will einen Link zu einer  “Giftbags”- Werbe- Webseite setzen.

The Amyloidosis Foundation estimates that approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with amyloidosis each year in North America and that blood cancers overall have increased more than 40% in the last decade.

Hat ja mal gaaar nichts mit den Themen dieses Blogs zu tun