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Does anyone know if V4 and V3 render nodes are compatible? I can't seem to find a way to buy V3 render nodes and I have no need for GPU rendering right now. I would, however, like to set up a small render farm. I can't seem to find any way to purchase render nodes for V3 so I'm wondering, if I purchase V4 render nodes, can I use them with my V3 copy of Maxwell?

Did you also contact Sales through the customer portal? Would be the best way to get an accurate answer.

I don't know if we still sell v3 nodes. Anyway, V4 maxwell nodes will render v3 scenes on CPU. The only thing I see really in need of v3 nodes is if you want the mxi (generated on v4 nodes) to resume the render on a V3 maxwell, not compatible backwards.

My version of V3 is node locked and the only nodes for purchase are floating nodes. Will this be an issue or can I use floating nodes with a node locked V3 license.

The answer from sales about buying v3 Nodes is "The answer is no, I'm afraid, unless there is a very special request".

And yes, now nodes are floating. If nodes are for other machines there are no problem, it can have some configuration issue on the same machine, but at the end it works.

Ok, These nodes are going to be going on a separate computer computer system (render farm) made up of Dell server blades running Windows 7. I will be sending files to the server from a Mac running OS X and Maxwell Render V3. It sounds like it should work.

I also assume, should I upgrade to V4, on my Mac, everything regarding the server nodes will continue to work fine without further configuration. Is that correct?

mjcherry wrote: I also assume, should I upgrade to V4, on my Mac, everything regarding the server nodes will continue to work fine without further configuration. Is that correct?

You don't need to upgrade to V4 on the working machine unless you need some of the new features on V4. V3 generated mxs are compatible to be rendered on V4 nodes.

Thank you, Luis!

Luis,

A friend of mine is setting up the first render server. He's running into an issue and asked me to ask you:

"I just purchased a packet of 5 render nodes from the Maxwell online shop. I received the activation key via email, and followed the instructions to the letter. There is no reference anywhere for just installing the nodes, there is simply a link that takes you to an install button. I was on the Windows server blade that will be my render farm, when I clicked on the download. I was logged on as administrator, and all firewalls were turned off. I didn't touch anything until the program prompted me for an activation key, which I typed in several times. Each time I was told the activation wouldn't work.

I already had downloaded the RLM, so I didn't include that with the install. I did create a folder inside the Nextlimit folder, and I titled it "licenses", which is what the instructions said to do.

I'm running the most recent cut of Maxwell 3 on a Mac. The RLM is on the Windows server blade. Maxwell V4 is on the Windows server blade. the windows server blade is going to be my render farm. I eventually will install a total of 8 Dell R620 server blades. I currently only have one server blade.

Right now I have no idea why I can't get the activation code to work, or why the Network Manager on the Mac, the Network Monitor on the Mac, or the Network Render Node on the Mac, can't see anything on the Windows computer. Both computers are talking to one another, there are folders from each computer open on each computer.

When I open any of the monitors on the Mac, the only node they indicate is the Mac. I need to see the Windows node.

I'm a bit mystified by this whole "Node" thing, because so far, I've not found any instructions that tell me what to expect to see on either computer from a "Node Only" install. I was surprised that the install on the Windows server blade was the entire Maxwell V4 software package. I was kind of expecting I would be installing something called a "Node".

I'm of the opinion that I should be able to open a packed file, or a regular MXS file, on my Mac, via the Network Monitor on my Mac, and send that MXS file as a job, over to the Windows server blade.

I'm assuming there is a communication problem somewhere. Either I don't understand the install process, or I had something turned on/off that was in error. I've been as explicit as I can be in outlining the process I followed. Can anyone help me?"

mjcherry wrote:Luis,

A friend of mine is setting up the first render server. He's running into an issue and asked me to ask you:

"I just purchased a packet of 5 render nodes from the Maxwell online shop. I received the activation key via email, and followed the instructions to the letter. There is no reference anywhere for just installing the nodes, there is simply a link that takes you to an install button. I was on the Windows server blade that will be my render farm, when I clicked on the download. I was logged on as administrator, and all firewalls were turned off. I didn't touch anything until the program prompted me for an activation key, which I typed in several times. Each time I was told the activation wouldn't work.

I already had downloaded the RLM, so I didn't include that with the install. I did create a folder inside the Nextlimit folder, and I titled it "licenses", which is what the instructions said to do.

I'm running the most recent cut of Maxwell 3 on a Mac. The RLM is on the Windows server blade. Maxwell V4 is on the Windows server blade. the windows server blade is going to be my render farm. I eventually will install a total of 8 Dell R620 server blades. I currently only have one server blade.

Right now I have no idea why I can't get the activation code to work, or why the Network Manager on the Mac, the Network Monitor on the Mac, or the Network Render Node on the Mac, can't see anything on the Windows computer. Both computers are talking to one another, there are folders from each computer open on each computer.

When I open any of the monitors on the Mac, the only node they indicate is the Mac. I need to see the Windows node.

I'm a bit mystified by this whole "Node" thing, because so far, I've not found any instructions that tell me what to expect to see on either computer from a "Node Only" install. I was surprised that the install on the Windows server blade was the entire Maxwell V4 software package. I was kind of expecting I would be installing something called a "Node".

I'm of the opinion that I should be able to open a packed file, or a regular MXS file, on my Mac, via the Network Monitor on my Mac, and send that MXS file as a job, over to the Windows server blade.

I'm assuming there is a communication problem somewhere. Either I don't understand the install process, or I had something turned on/off that was in error. I've been as explicit as I can be in outlining the process I followed. Can anyone help me?"

I have a couple of suggestions here, but I'm not an expert on licensing and installing.

<<I did create a folder inside the Nextlimit folder, and I titled it "licenses">> Please check you do so on program data, not program files.

V3 monitor won't work with V4 nodes. I can suggest 2 configurations here.

One of them is having V3 studio (or plugins or whatever) on mac and V4 monitor installed without license (V4 monitor doesn't need license to work) to send the work to V4 nodes.

The other one is having V3 studio on mac, and the v4 monitor on one of the network computers, you your network will be 1 pc with monitor and node, and all the others just nodes.

If you still have problems after this I will send the case to licensing experts.