FAQ — RenderMan Pro Server

  1. What is the relationship between RenderMan® Pro Server and other Pixar RenderMan products?
  2. Can RenderMan Pro Server be used for animation?
  3. How much does RenderMan Pro Server cost?
  4. Are volume discounts for render farms available?
  5. Can I evaluate RenderMan Pro Server before I purchase?
  6. What platforms does RenderMan Pro Server support?
  7. Does RenderMan Pro Server support heterogeneous networks of mixed operating systems?
  8. What versions of Autodesk Maya does RenderMan Pro Server support?
  9. What support options are available for RenderMan Pro Server?
  10. Is RenderMan Pro Server available as either a floating or node-locked license?
  11. How many threads and invocations (instances) of a RenderMan Pro Server license can be run at any one time?
  12. Why will RenderMan Pro Server v15.0 change to unlimited threads?
  13. How much will it cost to upgrade from Renderman Pro Server v14.0 to v15.0?
  14. If I purchase RenderMan Pro Server v14.0 now can I get a free upgrade to v15.0?
  15. Can I transfer my RenderMan Pro Server floating license server to another machine?
  16. Are educational discounts available for RenderMan Pro Server?

 

  1. What is the relationship between RenderMan Pro Server and other Pixar RenderMan products?
    RenderMan Pro Server is Pixar's server based renderer optimized specifically to run in batch mode on remote render farms. A highly flexible and extensible product, RenderMan Pro Server is often thought of as the "classic" RenderMan traditionally used in feature film animation and visual effects. The primary input is scene data described in the RIB file format generated by RenderMan Studio (or other software solutions) and sent to the remote RenderMan Pro Server batch licenses for final rendering. RenderMan Pro Server also includes Alfserver that allows remote control by Pixar's Alfred render management software.
  2. Can RenderMan Pro Server be used for animation?
    No, RenderMan is a renderer only, designed for rendering photo-realistic levels of detail in feature film animation and visual effects. RenderMan products do not offer modeling or animation capabilities and generally our customers use 3D applications such as Maya to model and animate scene data before exporting it to RenderMan Pro Server for final rendering. To provide an accessible and attractive interface, Pixar sells RenderMan Studio as the "bridge" between Maya and RenderMan Pro Server. Other 3D applications such as Houdini, Massive, and Cinema 4D also include their own RIB (RenderMan Interface Bytestream) outputs that are fully compatible with RenderMan Pro Server.
  3. How much does RenderMan Pro Server cost?
    RenderMan Pro Server costs $3,500 (US dollars) per license.
  4. Are volume discounts for render farms available?
    A; Yes, extensive volume discounts are available. We are always happy to discuss your rendering needs at rendermansales@pixar.com.
  5. Can I evaluate RenderMan Pro Server before I purchase?
    Yes, we encourage you to evaluate RenderMan Pro Server so that you are reassured that it properly addresses your needs before you purchase. Please contact us at rendermansales@pixar.com so that we can assist with your rendering and render farm questions.
  6. Q. What platforms does RenderMan Pro Server support?
    Windows XP 32-bit, Windows Vista 32-bit and 64 bit, Windows 64-bit HPC Server, Linux 32-bit and 64-bit, and Mac OS X are all supported.
  7. Q. Does RenderMan Pro Server support heterogeneous networks of mixed operating systems?
    Yes, our floating license server will allow you to run Renderman Pro Server across mixed operating system network such as Windows based workstations and a Linux based render farm.
  8. What versions of Autodesk Maya does RenderMan Pro Server support?
    Technically RenderMan Pro Server is a stand-alone solution that reads RIB scene data and is not dependent on any specific Maya version or other solution. However RIB scene data is most commonly exported from RenderMan Studio ensuring that the latest Maya features are supported. RenderMan Studio is compatible with the current Maya 2009, previous Maya 2008, and Maya 8.5. We will also support the next version of Maya when announced by Autodesk.
  9. What support options are available for RenderMan Pro Server?
    A full maintenance offering is available for RenderMan Pro Server including all upgrades and hotline technical support within the annual term of maintenance. There is also a dedicated online support forum and many of your questions can be answered on this forum by either the RenderMan support and development team or by other customers who have encountered similar issues.
  10. Is RenderMan Pro Server available as either a floating or node-locked license?
    Being designed primarily for render farms and for maximum network flexibility, RenderMan Pro Server is available as a floating license only.
  11. How many threads and invocations (instances) of a RenderMan Pro Server license can be run at any one time?
    Currently RenderMan Pro Server v14.0 enables you to use 4 threads or 4 invocations with any one license. Following are some example run-time scenarios:
    • 1 batch render with 4 threads and no interactive session
    • 2 batch renders with 2 threads each and no interactive session
    • 4 batch renders with 1 thread each and no interactive session
      When RenderMan Pro Server v15.0 is released in the fall of 2009 RenderMan Pro Server's licensing will change to 1 invocation and unlimited threads.
  12. Why will RenderMan Pro Server v15.0 change to unlimited threads?
    Current and future multi-core processors continue to increase in size and potential performance and Pixar has invested heavily in threading RenderMan Pro Server to take advantage of this expanding capacity. We also believe that a new license model is necessary to reflect the realities of current processor development, a model that is both flexible and adaptable and not limited by the specifics of any particular hardware platform. Unlimited threading addresses all of these requirements and is simple and easy to administer.
  13. How much will it cost to upgrade from Renderman Pro Server v14.0 to v15.0?
    RenderMan Pro Server customers on current maintenance will receive the v15.0 upgrade for free. RenderMan Pro Server v14.0 customers who are not on current maintenance will be able to upgrade for $1,050 per license.
  14. If I purchase RenderMan Pro Server v14.0 now can I get a free upgrade to v15.0?
    Yes, all customers who purchase a new copy of RenderMan Pro Server v14.0 from now on will receive an automatic free upgrade when v15.0 is released.
  15. Can I transfer my RenderMan Pro Server floating license server to another machine?
    All customers who purchase maintenance can transfer their license server to any platform or operating system. Customers who are not on maintenance (or decide not to renew) can have their license server assigned to a designated machine of choice
  16. Are educational discounts available for RenderMan Pro Server?
    Yes. All RenderMan products are available at a special academic price either direct from Pixar or through Journey Ed Marketing.


If this FAQ does not completely answer your questions, please contact us directly at Ask RenderMan Sales.

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