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Setting up a Lightnet Network in Lightwave 7.0b and Win2K
Some of the points covered in this document will be similar to the text file that comes with Lightnet but that document is wrong on many points. The following method has been used to successfully set up a mixed network of AMD and INTEL based machines all using Windows 2000. The version of Lightnet is Version 3 The Justice Build Beta 2.
I followed the drive mapping suggestions
from the Lightnet doc. It
suggested the establishment of three drives the X, Y, and Z drives. There are many different ways that
these drives can be set up and mapped but I chose to do it the following
way. I think it is a simple
solution but it is definitely not the only way to do it.
Drive Setup
First, I decided on which machine would be my Master Computer for the Lightnet Network. On this machine I had three separate drives that I gave the drive letters X: ,Y: , and Z: . The X: drive was to be used as the program drive where the main programs for Lightwave, Lightwave plugins, Lightwave Config Files, and Lightnet would be located. The Y: drive is for the Content files such as Objects, Images, Scenes. I placed a Content folder on the Y: drive and put the necessary directory structure for Objects, Images, Scenes, etc.. Inside. The Z: drive was setup to be the Output drive for all renders. I placed a Renders folder on this drive.
I installed Lightnet and Lightwave on the
X: drive and then went to my other machines on the network and mapped the
X: , Y: , and Z: drives of the Master Computer to the X:,Y:, Z: drive
letters on those machines.
All drive letter mappings have to be the same across the entire
network. On the Master
Computer, these drive letters don’t need to be mapped because it already
has the drives locally named X: , Y: , and Z:.
After this I create shortcuts on the desktop of all of my machines for Lightwave and Lightnet from the X: drive.
Pointing Lightwave to the same Config Files
Right click on the shortcut for Lightwave and choose properties from the menu. Then in the Target entry box you will see the location of the Lightwave.exe file on your X drive. Add a –c(plus the path) to the end of that to tell Lightwave to use the same config on your X: drive. For example -cX:\LightWave_3d_7.0\Programs
This must be done for all of the shortcuts
on all computers on the network.
You should also do this for your modeler configs.
This will make the maintenance of your
Lightwave config files very simple.
You will only need to add plugins and change settings on the one
set of configs and then magically all of your machines Lightwave are
updated! By default it will
keep all of your content directories the same on all machines.
You must also enter your Lightwave license keys for all the machines in the key file on the Main Computer X: to be able to run the interface for Lightwave on the networked machines other than the Main Computer. If you only have one version of Lightwave that you have purchased then you can still use the other networked machines to render with, but you will only be able to open the Lightwave interface on the Main Computer.
Lightnet Details
Open Lightnet on the master computer and
go to Program > Options and make the following changes.
**NOTE - You should set up your Master’s
directories before you set it to Master or you could run into some
problems.
Commands Directory =
X:\Lightnet\Commands (I
added the Commands folder to keep it organized better because if you don’t
it puts a lot of files in the root Lightnet directory.)
Screamer File =
X:\LightWave_3d_7.0\Programs\LWSN.exe (Assuming you used the X:
mapping)
Screamer Config file or directory = X:\LightWave_3d_7.0\Programs (Assuming you used the X: mapping)
The next step is very important and was not mentioned in the Lightnet documents at all: You should make sure that the Screamer processor number is set to whatever you want for the Master Computer. Past this point, each of the Remote nodes must have a unique number that is different from the Master Computer or they won’t show up.
**NOTE – for multiprocessor machines you must put two numbers!
After this is done on the Master Computer, go to Program > Master to set it to the Master Computer for the Lightnet Network.
At this point you can change any other
settings that you want in the options, depending on what you need.
Now go to all of your Remote Nodes on the network and make sure that their Lightnet directory options are the same as the Master. (Assuming that the master’s local program drive is X: and all of the remote nodes have that mapped as X:) Also make sure that they are set to Remote and not Master in the Program menu.
You should see the black screamer window pop up on each machine. For multi-proc machines you will have two screamer windows to open.
When setting up your scenes, make sure to set your output to the Z:\Renders folder and you should be ready to render. Hope this helps you avoid some of the problems that I encountered! Happy Renders!
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