Team Render
This menu contains numerous settings for Team Render (see also 
Team Render
Machines...
In the following description, numerous references are made to servers and render clients:
- Server: The computer from which the Team Render rendering is initiated This can be a normal Cinema 4D version or a Team Render server.
- Render Client: The computer(s) to which the server sends render jobs via Team Render (this can be a regularly-installed version of Cinema 4D or a Team Render client installed via the installer).
Note that not all settings will be displayed for all Team Render versions. For example, the Team Render server engine will have different settings from the render client.
This option can be used to completely disable Team Render and make it invisible to the network.
If enabled, Cinema 4D will "eavesdrop" in on the network and make the computer visible to the network. This doesn’t mean that Team Render can automatically use this computer to render (compare the Share Machine over Network option described below).
This is the name with which your computer will be listed in other computers’ Team Render Machines windows. The name defined by the operating system will be used by default. However, a different name can be entered, if desired.
The Security Token must be entered on computers wanting to use this computer for Team Render. Pass the Security Token to persons who have permission to use your computer’s resources for Team Render. If your computer was already verified and you subsequently changed the Security Token, your computer must be re-verified using the new code.
When installed, render clients will automatically be assigned the Security Token12345. This makes it easier to get set up. If you want a unique code, simply enter a new one in this field.
This setting can be "outsourced" using a little trick: Create a text file in the same folder as the Cinema 4D .exe file with the following name: c4d_net_securitytoken.txt. Enter a Security Token (without pressing return) that consists of at least 5 characters. Cinema 4D will then use this Security Token. This way Cinema 4D render clients (incl. this file) can be quickly copied onto other computers, which will then all have the same Security Token.
The Security Token can consist of numbers, letters (capitalization included) and special characters.
Team Render requires a network port so Cinema 4D can contact other computers. This setting normally does not have to be changed. The only exception: You already have software installed that uses port 5400. Or you want to install a Team Render server in addition to the normal Cinema 4D installation on the same computer.
If you want to manually connect to your computer from another computer via 
Add
Machine...
What is Bonjour? Bonjour is a software that connects devices/programs within a local (IP) network without requiring any additional network administration.
Even if you have Bonjour installed, you can deactivate it for Team Render. Simply disable this option to do so. If this option is enabled (and Bonjour is installed on both server and render client), the computer will be displayed in other computers’ Team Render Machines list.
The following 4 options apply to your computer as a render client; if these settings are modified on the server, they will have no function.
If you’re a Windows user and you want to connect to other computers using this option, you have to first install Bonjour. This is done most easily by installing Apple iTunes because it contains the most recent version of Bonjour. If you don’t want to install iTunes, you can install Apple Bonjour (Download: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL999).
Announce Service To Local Network
If this option is enabled, a different mechanism (for the experts among you: SSDP; referred to below as SSDP Service) is used so running Cinema 4D instances can find each other. This is an alternative to Bonjour. Nothing changes for you as a user. The SSDP Service works perfectly with Bonjour. Both options can be enabled. If both options are enabled, the respective computer will still only appear once in the list of machines.
If problems occur, make sure the UDP port 1900 is not blocked by a firewall (this port is required by the SSDP Service).
If neither the SSDP Service nor Bonjour work, you can always connect manually (see Add
Machine...
When the Team Render Server is started, it will require a different port from the one described in the Port setting above for the internal server. Both servers can then run parallel.
This and the following three options are only available in the Team Render Server settings menu.
Disable this option if you do not want to use the User Management, e.g., because you are the only one using Team Render at the moment. You will then not have to login to the browser interface and the User Page will not be displayed. You will automatically have admin status.
Keep B3D files after assembling
When Team Render calculates a video, all frames will first be rendered as *.b3d files and subsequently be merged to create a video. If this option is enabled, all individual frames will be kept, which means that you still have all individually rendered frames (that can be loaded and converted by the Picture Viewer) in case anything goes wrong when the video is created.
Wake-On-Lan for Offline Machines
If this option is enabled, Team Render can wake render clients that have gone into hibernate mode and include them in the render process. These computers should also have this function activated in their operating system / BIOS.
Restart Jobs After Unexpected Server Termination
This option defines the following if the Team Render Server quits unexpectedly while it’s processing jobs:
- Enabled: After the Team Render Server is restarted, these jobs will automatically be started again or continued (animations will be continued starting from the last frame rendered).
- Disabled; After the Team Render Server is restarted, no jobs will be started again or continued. These jobs must be started again using the browser interface.
If this option is enabled, other computers (those that have been correctly verified) can render using via Team Render using your computer.
If this option is disabled, your computer will not be available to Team Render for rendering (but can still be verified).
If the prompt "Bonjour is running but access was denied" appears, your computer’s firewall has blocked access. Check your firewall settings.
Custom Number of Render Threads
If you do not want to make all of your computer’s resources available to Team Render (e.g., because you are using it for your own work) you can use this setting to define the number of render threads you want to allow. You will still have processing capacity for other tasks.
Abort Rendering on Client Error
If this option is enabled, the Team Render rendering process will be aborted if an error is detected for Team Render (memory full, missing texture, missing plugin, etc.). If this option is disabled, the render clients will continue to render in spite of the detected error(s).
The options described below apply to the computer being used as a server. Hence, if these options are modified on a render client these modifications will have no effect.
Fetch Assets Always from Server
This option basically does the same as the Peer-to-Peer Asset Distribution option below but is only applied to a single client. With this option you can define for each render client, whether the Project files/textures should only be obtained from the server (option enabled) or if the render clients should also exchange these files between themselves.
Rendering Timeout (in Seconds)
If no render client responds to a render job after a certain amount of time, the render job will be aborted. Reasons for not responding include: memory error, files could not be read, connection to server was interrupted, no render clients online, etc.
As soon as at least 1 render client has sent a finished image or Bucket to the server, this setting will no longer be in effect.
The options described below apply to the current computer as a server, i.e., modifying these settings on render clients will have no effect!
Exclude Client From Job on Exceeded Memory
If a render client does not have enough memory for rendering, which in turn results in the slower virtual memory being used, the render client can slow to such a degree that the server will think that it is no longer able to render or is no longer accessible. This option should be enabled if this occurs. If a certain memory limit is exceeded (see next section), the render client will stop rendering the render job.
Note that Team Render Server may abort jobs may be aborted if certain setups are used. This can, for example, occur if only 1 render client is temporarily assigned for a follow-up job and the render client aborts the job because this option is enabled (disabling this option will prevent this from happening).
Auto
Memory in GB[1..2147483647]
Define a maximum amount of memory that the render client can use before the render job is stopped. You can select from the following options:
- Auto: The client’s own memory will be used as the limit.
- Memory in GB: If Auto is disabled, you can use this setting to define a custom limit.
Enable this option if you want to provide encrypted files (Project files, textures, etc.) to computers participating in Team Render while trafficking across the network (and only for this purpose).
The files will nevertheless always be temporarily saved on render clients as decrypted.
Let’s assume you have an animation in which an animated material requires large textures to be switched. The following will happen:
- Option enabled: The new texture will first be loaded when the render client has to render the respective frame. This reduces the amount of memory required.
- Option disabled: When rendering begins, the render client will load all textures. This increases the amount of memory required.
Overall, this option reduces the amount of memory required and speeds up the start of rendering because not all data must be loaded by the render client for rendering to begin.
This option only affects animations.
This option applies for Team Render via the Render Queue. If enabled, the Render Queue will abort rendering if a render client issues a warning. This can, for example, occur if a render client does not have a required plugin installed. The Render Queue will then continue with the next render job.
If this option is disabled, the Render Queue will start rendering in spite of any warnings that are issued. This reflects the normal rendering behavior: if you disregard any warnings by clicking on OK, rendering will start.
Exclude Client On Loading Error
If this option is enabled, a client will be excluded from rendering if it encounters problems while loading the project. If this option is disabled, rendering will continue even if, for example, a plugin is missing.
Peer-To-Peer Asset Distribution
If enabled, the render clients will also supply each other with all information required for rendering such as Project data or textures. This speeds up the distribution of data.
If this option is disabled, the render clients will obtain their data exclusively from the server. If for whatever reason the render clients cannot connect to each other across the network and can only establish a connection to the server, this option should be disabled.
Asset Chunk Size (in MB)[2..256]
Render clients that are controlled by the Team Render Server exchange Project elements (if the Peer-to-Peer Asset Distribution option is enabled) such as textures between themselves. This setting is used to define the size of the chunks being exchanged. This value should normally not have to be modified but can be adapted to meet specific networks’ needs, if necessary.
A temporary directory will be created during rendering that is used by render clients (in which Project and texture files, etc. will be saved). The path can be defined here but normally this won’t have to be changed. However, if you have a particularly fast medium (e.g., a SSD hard drive) you would prefer to use you can enter its path here.
Make sure that each render client should use a single, unique directory. Otherwise too many temp files will be generated, which in turn unnecessarily take up memory.
The Team Render server will monitor the ,users/admin’ folder in the path defined here. You can copy Project files into this folder to avoid having to upload them via the web interface (see also Tip).