From: "Kris Bushover" <kris@(email surpressed)>
Subject: change render target
   Date: Mon, 07 Nov 2005 06:14:12 -0800

Hello, we are using a customized version of the xsi submit.  We also have a 
storage system divided into two volumes, one for holding working files such 
as scn files, and the other solely for rendered output (.sgi files, 
quicktimes, etc).  These are shared via two samba servers
  I would like to change the render target from the user supplied database 
(ie, user loads scene file from \\share1\jobs\show\sequence\scene) to the 
rendered frames target ( \\share2\renders\sequence\render_pictures )

There appears to only be parameter for the target, which is defined by the 
Database variable and is obviously derived from the user supplied database 
definition.

Can I add a new variable in the render command to specifiy a new target for 
the rendered frames?

-K 

If you open up a XSI shell and type:

xsibatch -r -h

You get this answer.

'-filename              "string": defined the file/path
'                                  for the rendered image.
'                                  Automatically the rendering pass name will
'                                  be appened to filename: c:\foo_<<pass_name>>
'                                  -no_append can be used to prevent this.

So I guess it would be possible to override the output path with a
parameter "-filename". I have no idea of what the code would be, but I
would love if you could share later what you came up with.

regards
stefan andersson



On 11/7/05, Kris Bushover <kris@(email surpressed)> wrote:
> [posted to rush.general]
>
> Hello, we are using a customized version of the xsi submit.  We also have a
> storage system divided into two volumes, one for holding working files such
> as scn files, and the other solely for rendered output (.sgi files,
> quicktimes, etc).  These are shared via two samba servers
>   I would like to change the render target from the user supplied database
> (ie, user loads scene file from \\share1\jobs\show\sequence\scene) to the
> rendered frames target ( \\share2\renders\sequence\render_pictures )
>
> There appears to only be parameter for the target, which is defined by the
> Database variable and is obviously derived from the user supplied database
> definition.
>
> Can I add a new variable in the render command to specifiy a new target for
> the rendered frames?
>
> -K
>
>
>

Stefan Andersson wrote:

If you open up a XSI shell and type:
xsibatch -r -h

You get this answer.

'-filename              "string": defined the file/path
'                                  for the rendered image.
'                                  Automatically the rendering pass name will
'                                  be appened to filename: c:\foo_<<pass_name>>
'                                  -no_append can be used to prevent this.

	Right -- you can specify that at the "Render Flags:" prompt..
	just scroll down the submit form a little to the 'Advanced Options',
	and supply the filename flag there, eg:

		-filename //some/pathname..

--
Greg Ercolano, erco@(email surpressed)
Rush Render Queue, http://seriss.com/rush/
Tel: (Tel# suppressed)
Cel: (Tel# suppressed)
Fax: (Tel# suppressed)

Greg Ercolano wrote:

If you open up a XSI shell and type:
xsibatch -r -h

You get this answer.

'-filename              "string": defined the file/path [..]

    Right -- you can specify that at the "Render Flags:" prompt..
    just scroll down the submit form a little to the 'Advanced Options',
    and supply the filename flag there, eg:

        -filename //some/pathname..

	BTW, I'd be happy to add an 'Image Pathname:' prompt to the softimage/xsi
	submit script, but I never really understood if that was supposed to be
	a pathname with the frame number embedded in it (ie. on a per-frame basis),
	or if it automatically sticks the frame number in there somehow, or if there's
	options for both..?

	This is why I never added a prompt for it; I didn't understand from the docs
	how that was supposed to work.

--
Greg Ercolano, erco@(email surpressed)
Rush Render Queue, http://seriss.com/rush/
Tel: (Tel# suppressed)
Cel: (Tel# suppressed)
Fax: (Tel# suppressed)

If we could have a "checkbox" for it that would be great. So if it's
not checked it will use the default values. I haven't check myself yet
though what happens if you use the -filename and then doen't have any
values typed in.

I will investigate some more.

regards
stefan andersson


On 11/7/05, Greg Ercolano <erco@(email surpressed)> wrote:
> [posted to rush.general]
>
> Greg Ercolano wrote:
> >> If you open up a XSI shell and type:
> >> xsibatch -r -h
> >>
> >> You get this answer.
> >>
> >> '-filename              "string": defined the file/path [..]
> >
> >     Right -- you can specify that at the "Render Flags:" prompt..
> >     just scroll down the submit form a little to the 'Advanced Options',
> >     and supply the filename flag there, eg:
> >
> >         -filename //some/pathname..
> >
>
>         BTW, I'd be happy to add an 'Image Pathname:' prompt to the softimage/xsi
>         submit script, but I never really understood if that was supposed to be
>         a pathname with the frame number embedded in it (ie. on a per-frame basis),
>         or if it automatically sticks the frame number in there somehow, or if there's
>         options for both..?
>
>         This is why I never added a prompt for it; I didn't understand from the docs
>         how that was supposed to work.
>
> --
> Greg Ercolano, erco@(email surpressed)
> Rush Render Queue, http://seriss.com/rush/
> Tel: xxx-xxx-xxxx
> Cel: xxx-xxx-xxxx
> Fax: xxx-xxx-xxx
>

Stefan Andersson wrote:

If we could have a "checkbox" for it that would be great. So if it's
not checked it will use the default values. I haven't check myself yet
though what happens if you use the -filename and then doen't have any
values typed in.

I will investigate some more.

	Unless I'm missing something, I would think the pathname
	that follows -filename would be mandatory. ie:

		-filename //path/to/some/directory/foo

	..I'm guessing that would cause the output images to be
	something like:

		//path/to/some/directory/foo.1.sgi
		//path/to/some/directory/foo.2.sgi
		..

	Correct me if I'm wrong.

> I haven't check myself yet
> though what happens if you use the -filename and then doen't have any
> values typed in.

	I would think you'd get an error, based on the docs.

> If we could have a "checkbox" for it that would be great. So if it's
> not checked it will use the default values.

	I don't think this would be a check box flag, so much as it
	would be an input field that, if left blank, would do nothing,
	but if set to a pathname, would cause the script to automatically
	append "-filename //the/pathname" to the XSI command line.

	This is how all the other submit scripts work; I would think
	the Softimage script would work similarly.




--
Greg Ercolano, erco@(email surpressed)
Rush Render Queue, http://seriss.com/rush/
Tel: (Tel# suppressed)
Cel: (Tel# suppressed)
Fax: (Tel# suppressed)

I'm getting some wierd results now when trying the define a new
output. Mainly this is because I know very little of Perl, so much of
my learning right now consists of "copy/paste" and watch the results.

However, I'm trying to set a new $opt so that I can set the new path,
but it duplicates the $opt{renderflags} for some reason.
I've edited the "default form" so that it has a line called
"RenderFileOut". I added a opt (based on how the rest looks.

$opt{RenderFileOut} = $ARGV[0]; shift(@ARGV);

The added in "my $command =" as the last command

"-filename $opt{RenderFileOut}";

But it duplicates the Renderflag option...

anyidea? (I'm sure you are just laughing...)

regards
stefan andersson


On 11/8/05, Greg Ercolano <erco@(email surpressed)> wrote:
> [posted to rush.general]
>
> Stefan Andersson wrote:
> > If we could have a "checkbox" for it that would be great. So if it's
> > not checked it will use the default values. I haven't check myself yet
> > though what happens if you use the -filename and then doen't have any
> > values typed in.
> >
> > I will investigate some more.
>
>         Unless I'm missing something, I would think the pathname
>         that follows -filename would be mandatory. ie:
>
>                 -filename //path/to/some/directory/foo
>
>         ..I'm guessing that would cause the output images to be
>         something like:
>
>                 //path/to/some/directory/foo.1.sgi
>                 //path/to/some/directory/foo.2.sgi
>                 ..
>
>         Correct me if I'm wrong.
>
>  > I haven't check myself yet
>  > though what happens if you use the -filename and then doen't have any
>  > values typed in.
>
>         I would think you'd get an error, based on the docs.
>
>  > If we could have a "checkbox" for it that would be great. So if it's
>  > not checked it will use the default values.
>
>         I don't think this would be a check box flag, so much as it
>         would be an input field that, if left blank, would do nothing,
>         but if set to a pathname, would cause the script to automatically
>         append "-filename //the/pathname" to the XSI command line.
>
>         This is how all the other submit scripts work; I would think
>         the Softimage script would work similarly.
>
>
>
>
> --
> Greg Ercolano, erco@(email surpressed)
> Rush Render Queue, http://seriss.com/rush/
> Tel: xxx-xxx-xxxx
> Cel: xxx-xxx-xxxx
> Fax: xxx-xxx-xxx
>

Hi Stefan,

One thing you could do to make things easy on yourself
is to implement the modifications this way:

        1) Add the new "Render File Out:" field to the form, eg:

                Render File Out: ___________________________________________ ? Browse

        2) In the '-submit' section of the script, check $in{RenderFileOut}:

                # CHECK IF USER SPECIFIED A 'RENDERFILEOUT'
                if ( $in{RenderFileOut} ne "" && $in{RenderFileOut} ne "-" )
                {
                    $in{RenderFlags} .= " -filename $in{RenderFileOut}";
                }

I think that would be all that's necessary, and avoids having to
make extra logic to pass the flags through to the -render section;
the above simply adds the -filename and path to the RenderFlags,
which has logic already to pass it on to the -render section of the code.

If you need more help, I can simply send a modified version of the script,
as I intend to include this in the future submit-softimage anyway. BTW, which
version of rush are you running.. 102.41 or 102.42? I'm assuming the latter
with the above.

Hi Greg!

Thanks for the tip! I forgot to include what version I'm using, it's
102.42, and I'll send you the new script once I have updated it with
some more options (once I've found the "Flush BSP" option).

best regards
stefan andersson


On 11/8/05, Greg Ercolano <erco@(email surpressed)> wrote:
> [posted to rush.general]
>
> Hi Stefan,
>
> One thing you could do to make things easy on yourself
> is to implement the modifications this way:
>
>          1) Add the new "Render File Out:" field to the form, eg:
>
>                  Render File Out: ___________________________________________ ? Browse
>
>          2) In the '-submit' section of the script, check $in{RenderFileOut}:
>
>                  # CHECK IF USER SPECIFIED A 'RENDERFILEOUT'
>                  if ( $in{RenderFileOut} ne "" && $in{RenderFileOut} ne "-" )
>                  {
>                      $in{RenderFlags} .= " -filename $in{RenderFileOut}";
>                  }
>
> I think that would be all that's necessary, and avoids having to
> make extra logic to pass the flags through to the -render section;
> the above simply adds the -filename and path to the RenderFlags,
> which has logic already to pass it on to the -render section of the code.
>
> If you need more help, I can simply send a modified version of the script,
> as I intend to include this in the future submit-softimage anyway. BTW, which
> version of rush are you running.. 102.41 or 102.42? I'm assuming the latter
> with the above.
>