[Software] Pidgeon Render Farm 0.1.0 (BETA)

What is Pidgeon Render Farm

Pidgeon Render Farm is an innovative, peer-to-peer render farm software that empowers you to harness the computational power of multiple devices, such as your MacBook, desktop, and laptop, to render a single Blender project. This software operates on a local network, eliminating the need for an internet connection and third-party servers.

Key features:

1. Customizability: Pidgeon Render Farm is highly customizable, allowing you to tailor the software to your specific needs.
2. Integration: It integrates seamlessly with other addons by PidgeonTools, enhancing its functionality.
3. Security: The peer-to-peer nature of the software ensures your data stays secure and only on your devices.
4. Support: Free support is available to help you navigate any challenges.
5. Compatibility: The software supports many operating systems, including modern Windows (7 and above), Linux, and MacOS.
6. Freeware: Pidgeon Render Farm will be freeware, making it accessible to all.

Why Pidgeon Render Farm?

By choosing Pidgeon Render Farm, you're choosing a solution that's secure, customizable, and supportive of your local render farm needs.

Why the BETA version?

By purchasing the BETA version of Pidgeon Render Farm, you're not only supporting the PidgeonTools developers but also gaining access to future BETA versions and gaining more insight into the development of this and other products by PidgeonTools.

Future plans:

Future plans for Pidgeon Render Farm include:

1. support for software other than Blender
2. multiple Blender versions
3. custom Blender builds
4. non-animation projects
5. and more.

Your support will help make these plans a reality.

Installation:

Master:

1. Download: Start by downloading the latest release of Pidgeon Render Farm for your operating system. (currently only Windows)
2. Extract: Once the download is complete, extract the contents of the zip file.
3. Execute: If you're on Windows, double-click the Master.exe to execute it.
4. Logging: You'll be prompted to choose if you want to enable logging. It's recommended to set this to 'on' as it can help troubleshoot any issues that may arise.
5. Port Selection: Next, you'll need to choose which port to use. If you're unsure, you can leave this field empty, and Port 19186 will be used by default.
6. Blender Installation: Provide the program with your Blender installation by pasting the path of the Blender executable into the program. If you have Blender installed via Steam, you can find this by right-clicking Blender in the library, then going to manage -> Browse local files.
7. Data Collection: Choose if you want to allow data collection. We have no access to it, it will never leave your device, and is for debugging purposes only. You can see a list of the data that will be collected here.
8. Ready: Now your Master is ready to go!

Client:

1. Download: Begin by downloading the latest release of Pidgeon Render Farm for your operating system. (currently only Windows)
2. Extract: After the download is complete, extract the contents of the zip file.
3. Execute: If you're on Windows, double-click the Client.exe to execute it.
4. Logging: You'll be asked to choose if you want to enable logging. It's recommended to set this to 'on' as it can help troubleshoot any issues that may arise.
5. Master Addition: Add one Master in the next step. A valid input looks like this: 127.0.0.1:19186. Remember to replace it with your Master's IP and Port. You can find out how to get your IP in the FAQ section.
6. Blender Installation: Provide the program with your Blender installation by pasting the path of the Blender executable into the program. If you have Blender installed via Steam, you can find this by right-clicking Blender in the library, then going to manage -> Browse local files.
7. Rendering Device: Choose which device you want to use for rendering. You can find a detailed description in the FAQ section.
8. Hybrid Rendering: If you decided to use your GPU for rendering, you now have the option to enable hybrid rendering. It's worth trying out, as it only helps for some devices.
9. Render Engines: Stand by for a second and choose whether you want to pick allowed render engines on your own, or if you want to just allow all. If you choose to select, you can pick the engines to allow one by one from the list. To finish your selection, use the "That is it, I don't want to allow more engines" option.
10. Data Collection: Choose if you want to allow data collection. We have no access to it, it will never leave your device, and is for debugging purposes only. You can see a list of the data that will be collected here.
11. Ready: Hit 'Start Client' and your Client is ready!

Remember, you may need to configure your firewall settings to allow Pidgeon Render Farm to operate correctly. You can find more details about this in the troubleshooting section of the Pidgeon Render Farm documentation.

Project setup:

1. New Project: In the main menu, choose 'New Project'.
2. .Blend File: Enter the path of your .Blend file.
3. Super Fast Render: Decide whether you want to use 'Super Fast Render' to optimize the scene before rendering.
4. Test Frame: Decide if you want the Master to render a test frame. This test render will be used to calculate the estimated time per frame. If you have no limit on your Client, this step may not be necessary.
5. Chunk Size: Pick a chunk size. This must be a number greater than 0. The chunk size determines how many frames are rendered at once. Instead of rendering only one frame and then reporting to the master, the Client will render a set of frames (the chunk) and after all frames are done it will report back and provide the master with the results. We recommend: 15
6. Project Information: The master now opens your project to obtain information like the selected render engine and Blender version.
7. Waiting for Clients: After this is done, your Master now waits for Clients to connect and start rendering.

Remember, each step in the setup process is crucial to ensure that your project renders correctly. If you encounter any issues, refer to the troubleshooting section of the Pidgeon Render Farm documentation or reach out to their support team.

Troubleshooting:

Server socket won't start

In most cases this is due to the settings of your firewall. You can see if it is the case for you by following the steps below. If that doesn't work visit our Discord Server.

Windows

Go to Control Panel -> System and Security -> Windows Defender Firewall -> Advanced settings -> add your custom (TCP)-port to the firewall.

Linux

Run the following commands. It will add an firewall exception. Be sure to replace <your port> with the one you set in the settings!

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=<your port>/tcp

firewall-cmd --reload

MacOS

It is the easiest to just dissable the firewall entirely.

Info

Do you have questions? Join the Discord!

FAQ

1. What is dotnet (.NET)?: .NET is an open source developer platform, created by Microsoft, for building many different types of applications." It is required in order to execute PRF, but there are binaries including .NET, so you don't have to install it on your system. If you don't feel like downloading up to 50 MB per update extra, then we recommend to install the .NET 6.0 Runtime. The MacOS and Linux versions ship with dotnet.
2. Why should I turn logging on?: Logging helps in troubleshooting by recording the errors thrown by the compiler. It's recommended to keep it on to help resolve any issues that may arise.
3. Where do I find the IP?: When creating a new project, you can find the Master's IP at the top. Alternatively, you can use the command ipconfig in the command prompt on Windows, ip address in the terminal on Linux, or go to System Preferences -> Network -> Select your network -> Advanced -> TCP/IP on Mac to find your IPv4 Address.
4. What is the difference between CRF and CBR?: CRF stands for Constant Quality, which may result in an unpredictable file size. CBR stands for Constant Bitrate, which can lead to somewhat unpredictable quality.
5. What does the Chunks feature do/How does it work?: The chunks feature allows the Client to render multiple frames at once. Instead of rendering only one frame and then reporting to the master, the Client will render a set of frames (the chunk) and after all frames are done it will report back and provide the master with the results. It's recommended to use this feature.
6. Why would I add multiple Masters in the Client?: In case the connection to the main Master fails (because it is offline or you are uploading projects from different machines), the Client will automatically use another connection of the ones you added. It's a nice-to-have feature, but if you don't need it, just add a single connection.
7. What are the hardware requirements for the different render devices/APIs?: The requirements vary depending on the device/API. For example, CUDA requires Nvidia GPUs with CUDA version >= 3.0, while CPU rendering has no specific hardware requirement. Detailed information for each device/API can be found in the FAQ section of the Pidgeon Render Farm documentation.
8. What are the software requirements for the different render devices/APIs?: The requirements vary depending on the device/API. For example, OptiX requires Blender 2.81 or newer and driver version 470 or newer, while CPU rendering can work with any Blender version. Detailed information for each device/API can be found in the FAQ section of the Pidgeon Render Farm documentation.
9. Do you collect any data?: No, unless you decide to allow the collection of data in the setup process. Even then, the data remains on your system and Pidgeon Render Farm won't have any access to it. The data collected contains anonymous information about your system, such as OS version, CPU model, GPU model, and RAM.