Workflow: Click here to get a broader description of how our service works.
TitanREMOTE: Click here for a step by step guide with screenshots explanantions.
If you have any questions, please always feel free to call us. We are here to help you complete your render process quickly and within your budget.
Can I upload zipped files?
Yes. Once you have uploaded your zipped files simply log into rendertitanaccess.com and choose the “Unzip already uploaded files” option from your homepage. Next, select the desired zip files from your FTP folder that you wish to have decompressed and click “”Unzip”.
Re-Render?
We only will re-render a file if it is discovered that it did not render correctly due to our manual work or a hardware failure. If this is the case we will happily correct the problem and re-render at no extra charge.
However, if the problem is with the file, you will need to correct the problem and resubmit the file. We cannot be responsible for any rendering anomalies, “buggy” software, or unexpected results that are due to your software, workflow, or optimization.
We do not do 3D Work!
Our system is setup so that you have direct access to our farm allowing you to submit jobs and troubleshoot as if you had your own local render farm. However, if you get to the point that you do need our help with a problem file (beyond the normal support we offer) we will look at your file for a cost of $250 USD.
Just to be clear our render support is for making sure our systems are working properly, elements like textures and plug-ins are present, no error messages are displayed, that your file is batched correctly, and so forth.
If something is failing on the farm, we first need to make sure that our systems are operating properly but often in that investigation we also discover what maybe wrong with your file which we are happy to share that info. If it is a hardware problem or an issue with our software, we will correct the issue and re-render any problem files. If it is in your file and you want us to correct the problem, then that is 3D work.
Manual Administration?
In certain situations, clients may not be able to remotely submit their files or might need extra help with submissions. For those situations we do offer manual submissions, however there are certain restrictions that go along with this. We must have your files in house by 3pm CST so we can launch them same day, otherwise we will launch on the next business day, assuming there is not a technical delay. We do have an after-hours service (after 3pm or weekends) for emergency situations. Please call in advance for availability and pricing.
The benefit of manual administration is that there is an actual person administering your files that can be in contact with you to make sure that the rendering is done correctly; however, we must limit our involvement to render issues, and not 3D work. Please be careful to not use us as a beta tester or simply send files that are not production ready. Just let us know what you need and we can work something out to be streamlined and cost effective.
Do you support LAYERS or PASSES?
It depends on how you define these terms. Items like alpha passes, Z-Buffers, etc… we refer to as PASSES, however we refer to things like having another sequence, multiple cameras, or another scene, etc. embedded in the master project file as LAYERS.
We do not make any limits on PASSES, however, please be mindful that having too many passes may hinder you because you may have too much to download. We do have shipping options if you do need to acquire all the passes. Also, too many passes can sometimes slow down the render nodes so please chose only what you need.
With layers, some things are just known to cause problems. (Maya tends to have the most issues with this technique.) Having layers were each layer has a different camera, different set of objects, or different render engine usually creates errors or an overall failure. It is best to send one file for each camera so that if a job does fail, it maybe easier to find the problem. You will be responsible if any render fails with layers.
Pre-Calculations / IR Maps / GI Maps
The concept of a render farm is to use many computers to speed up calculations; some operations CANNOT be speed up by the use of multiple computers. Pre-Calculations use the info from the previous frame to calculate the next frame which means a linear workflow is needed and if you try to force the issue you will either get intense flickering, and a significantly higher cost of rendering.
NOTE: We can render Pre-Calculations, however, before contacting us, you should already know your Pre-Calculation settings otherwise you do not know what your final look will be. There is no universal answer or common settings for us to suggest that will magically make your client happy. If you must ask, we always suggest stochastic or brute force for liability reasons. Yes it takes longer, but it always works. Rendering still frames DOES NOT show what the quality of an animation will be.
Also, Maxon’s new GI render farm solution asks all computers to calculate the same solution and takes the results from the fastest computer so why not just send it to your fastest computer from the start? If you do use this feature, you will then be paying each computer to calculate the same solution.
What is Baking?
No, we are not talking about cooking! Due to the nature of render farms, frames get broken into segments to be rendered by multiple computers. The best way to do this is through batch rendering which means each node is assigned a frame one at a time, but not necessarily the next frame in the sequence. The benefit of this is that we can assign many computers to work on your animation simultaneously. The only caveat is that each node doesn’t know what was calculated on the previous frame. Certain elements, like dynamically calculated particles, irradence maps, and light caches, need to be baked so that each computer knows what will happen next and render the exact same thing.
By baking as many aspects of your animation as possible, you are limiting the number of possible errors that may pop up. Also, when an error does appear, it reduces the number of things we have to investigate speeding up support.
Some baking examples
Irradiance map modes: static scenes from multiple angles
http://www.spot3d.com/vray/help/150R1/tutorials_imap1
Light Cache
http://www.spot3d.com/vray/help/150R1/tutorials_imap2
Plug-Ins?
We do support several plug-ins, but it is always best to bake any results from the plug-ins that you are using. In most cases, files render faster. If they cannot be baked, you must check with us if the plug-in is currently available on our systems. Depending on the plug-in and size of job, you maybe required to supply the license for our use. We take this on a case by case basis.
Please do not assume we have a plug-in no matter how popular it is. Please always contact us to confirm. Not all software is compatible with something else we may already have so check with us early so we can make arrangements for you if possible.
How long do you keep my files?
You are free to delete you files at anytime. However, we reserve the right to manage any files that are being stored on our systems. If you do not render for more than 30 days, our systems will delete the folders and lock remote access for security and capacity reasons. No 3D/job related data is retained but we will store account information. If you keep in contact with us about special needs, we would be happy to accommodate you. If you need a complete reset of your FTP account, contact us and we will cleanse the system of all traces of your files.
Zero Balance? Add Credits? Never expire!
If while rendering you run out of credits, your job will be paused until a purchase is made. Any frames that are in the middle of rendering will be lost, however all previously rendered frames will still be available to you and can be accessed on your personalized FTP folder. To avoid losing frames you can make a purchase at anytime through rendertitanaccess.com. If you finish rendering with credits left on your account they will remain available for your next project. Credits will never expire.
Why Charge by GHz per Hour?
GHz per hour is a common unit for comparison between render companies and is also a simple business model that is easier for clients to budget for. In essence, you are paying for rendering speed. You will also pay less for slower systems within a single render farm ecosystem. Since we use all modern architectures, all our CPUs have a similar level of rendering efficiency making our model very homogenous.
If a competitor is using older systems then your overall render time is much longer and your costs will be higher because old CPU architectures are very inefficient compared to modern systems. You should also avoid plans that force you to purchase blocks of scheduled time that may not be convenient to your production schedules or do not take the render farms speed into consideration. What use is a month of rendering on slow systems? Why purchase render time for the entire day when you only need an hour.
Our business model allows you to render quickly, when you want, and with your budget in consideration. You can even make bulk purchases and only render when you need to in smaller segments. You are in control of your budget and results.
What’s the GHz Myth?
In the early days, processor speed was king and a simple gauge for performance. Now with the availability of multi core chips, varying architecture in each generation, and the growing popularity of mobile workstations there are more factors to look at than just the CPU clock speed when trying to determine a system’s performance.
Many render farms claim to have hundreds of computers or terahertz of computing power but these figures do not mean anything without noting the overall CPU architecture. This is why we support independent benchmark tools such as Maxon’s CINEBENCH which is designed to measure the performance of a system in a 3D environment. Our score is over 1.3 million.
Most of our competitors use old computers and state clock speeds ambiguously to confuse you into believing they are modern CPUs. Nobody would pay the same price for a Pentium4 and Quad-Core Xeon just because they were both 3GHz. Some competitors use older systems to stretch render times to inflate the costs. We use only modern architectures to complete jobs faster which lower costs significantly.
When will I get my frames?
Once you have submitted your job it is placed on the render queue according to when you submitted and your account type. There it will wait until it reaches the top the queue and is then sent to the farm to render.
Price Match Guarantee?
To get the 25% Price Match Guarantee (PMG), you must first get a detailed quote from us using our procedures. If you find a lower rate, we will beat it by 25%! Our competitor’s rates must be confirmable on their website. The PMG does not include one time specials, “New Client” deals or emailed quotes. The maximum discounted rate achievable is 6¢/Ghz Hr. We reserve the right to escalate your estimate to the next higher discount tier or to a Standard Account. All payments and jobs must still follow our workflow.
Discounts are attained by the total amount purchased per day unless prior arrangements have been made. PMG is not retroactive. Further, we can only compare rates for the same level of service, same software, and for the same job. We only price match major commercial render farms (usually in the USA or Europe). We will not compare our superior service with unknown, shady, or illegal render farms.
Thank You for your understanding.
Setup Fees or Minimums?
We do not charge setup fees unlike some other services where they tack extra costs on to every job. We only charge for the time you actually spend on the farm.
NDA Okay? Involvement & Confidentiality?
We respect your privacy and as a standard procedure we keep all files and information sent to us in the utmost confidence. We are happy to sign a Non Disclosure Agreement, assuming it doesn’t affect our normal business operations. However, we do have our default in house NDA policy listed on our website for your review that we follow for all clients. Click here for more…
Through our 24/7 support and normal system maintenance, we internally must work to bring your projects to a successful completion based on the latest information you have provided us. When issues are discovered, our first action is to attempt to contact the client and then proceed to explore options to protect the health of the render farm.
In the event that you need us to work on one of your files and we must make a creative or technical decision, we will take all of the information provided to us in hopes of creating a solution that meets your deadlines and our overall workflow as well. Our first priority is to get projects rendered as fast as possible. However, if we feel we do not have enough information to make a judgment call, we will delay your job until we can confirm. Our decisions are final so please be available when you send us a job in case there is a problem.
How do I upload files and submit a job?
Once you have signed up for a free trial account, we will create a personalized and secure FTP folder on our 100 Mbps server where you will need to place your files. We suggest using Core FTP LE ,a free FTP program, but you can use the FTP program of your choice to connect. You will then upload all of the files need to render your scene to your FTP folder once this is done you can use either our TitanREMOTE application or our online submission form to submit your job. The TitanREMOTE and the online submission form can both be accessed from your homepage once you have logged in. Please see our walkthrough for more information about the TitanREMOTE.