RE: Nitris Issues

["Kane Peterson" <kane(at)mwmg.com>]

Title: Message

 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ds(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-ds(at)Softimage.COM] On Behalf Of John Lux
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 8:19 AM
To: DS(at)Softimage.COM
Subject: Nitris Issues

We have been using the DS for about 4 years. But we recently upgraded to the Nitris hardware, including the remote processing, and we are on version 7.6 software. Since the upgrade we have been experiencing a few things that don't seem right. So we have a few questions:

 

1. When using remote processing, do the DS projects live on the local computer or the remote processing computer? We have been told both.

 

The projects 'live' where you create them, usually locally.  The RP will access them through a network share.  RP does create a local DS Projects, but it isn't used by the DS.

 

2. When using the remote processing, is the time needed to process something more than if you were processing locally? Obviously we can still work while processing remotely, but the actual processing time has been significantly more when doing it remotely as opposed to locally. Is that correct?

It will take longer to render, but the 'how much longer' depends.  How fast is you network?  Every frame of video has to be transferred over the network and back.  If possible get everything running on GigE, it might also help to put the DS and the RP on a switch to separate it from the rest of your network.  Or some people will put a second network card in the DS and hook the RP directly to the DS on that.

3. When we import graphics, it takes, literally, 10 minutes to import even a minute or two of files. Is that correct? The importing time is significantly more since the upgrade. 

That import time does sound longer than I would expect, but some more information may help.  What kind of file are you importing? QT, AVI, image sequence?  What size? HD or SD.  What codec is it?  Are your compressing it into DS codec like DNxHD?.  Is the file coming over the network or local or off of a CD? 

Kane Peterson
Chief Technology Manager / Avid DS ACSR
Midwest Media Group
115 W Central Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60195
847-221-2200 x31
www.mwmg.com