Houdini use HDA's start and end frames

[Francois Kruger]

Hi there,

When submitting an XML job one can obviously supply the SeqStart and SeqEnd values. I have a case where I (as the program) don't want to change anything that the user has setup inside of their Arnold Houdini render HDA/ROP.

I tried submitting the scene (through XML) without giving the SeqStart and SeqEnd values, but it seems like RR then automatically makes it start=1 end=100.

Is there any way to stop this "default" from getting applied and leaving the scene to look at it's own Arnold settings? I attached a screenshot of what I mean with the frames on the Arnold HDA/ROP:

Thanks for your time! :)

Francois Kruger

[RR, Schoenberger]

Hi

 

If you submit a .xml, then RR takes a default job and applies your xml settings.

It does not read the scene file at all.

The .xml file is the „scene file“ to read for the rrSubmitter.

 

 

An other option would be to submit the .hip file instead of an .xml file.

Then the rrSubmitter reads the .hip file as usual.

And if you need to override or add some settings, then you can use additional commandline flags.

 

http://www.royalrender.de/help/rrSubmitterConsole.html

[%RR_ROOT%/bin/win64/rrStartlocal]         rrSubmitterconsole   [rrJob xml/ Scene]  [Flags]  

 

Does this work for your case?

 

regards,
Holger Schönberger

 

Please use the rrKnights Tavern
or our support system for new questions.

[Francois Kruger]

Hi Holger,

Sorry I think there is a misunderstanding. We are submitting the hip file, through the XML file. So for example, my xml looks like this:

<rrJob_submitFile>

<Job>

<SceneName>

\\nova\Films\herderboy\asset_publish\set\HighlandsB\_reviewables\model\v012\render_scene.hip

</SceneName>

                ....

</Job>

</rrJob_submitFile>

Now what I have done is I have removed the <SeqStart> and <SeqEnd> values from here. But still when I submit the job. Royal defaults the frame range to 0-100. Even if the frame range is set in the rop in the scene (check my screenshot in my first message).

Regards,

Francois Kruger

[RR, Schoenberger]

Hi

 

Let me explain it a bit different:

 

 

The rrSubmitter reads the „scene“ file that you use in ist commandline.

 

If it is the .xml file, then this file is read. The .hip file is NOT read.

The sequence start end is taken from the xml file.

If there is no start/end, then the default will be used.

 

If you specify a .hip file as commandline argument, then the .hip file is read.

And the rrSubmitter takes the start/end from the .hip file.

 

 

So you cannot use .xml files for the submission.

You have to submit the .hip file.

[Francois Kruger]

Hi Holger,

What do you mean with "If it is the .xml file, then this file is read. The .hip file is NOT read."

How can that be possible? Because of course it is rendering everything I saved in that scene?

Francois

[RR, Schoenberger]

 

 

>Because of course it is rendering everything I saved in that scene?

I am just talking about the submission, not the rendering.

The rrSubmitter does not render the scene.

The client is rendering and just requires the right scene file name to render the right scene.

Your XML file provides this information „scene file name“.

But your xml file does not provide any start/end frame.

 

 

Real world example:

Your wife tells you to buy white eggs from the supermarket around the corner.

You have the right information „white eggs“ and „supermarket around the corner“.

So you get exactly the right eggs.

But your wife did not tell you how many eggs you should buy.

 

 

 

How it works:

 

It is the task of the rrSubmitter is to collect informations about the scene and pack them into a job object.

It collects informations about the scene like

-Scene File Name

-Output picture

-Start/End

To get this information, the rrSubmitter has plugins to read information from input files.

There is a plugin for .xml files and there is one for .hip files.

The rrSubmitter calls the right plugin based on the input file type, the plugin provides the information to the rrSubmitter.

The rrSubmitter itself does not care if the information was read from an .xml file or from a .hip file.

It just calls the plugin and the plugin should return all information required for the job.

 

 

The rrSubmitter packs everything into an job and the job is send to the rrServer.

The rrServer send the job to the rrClient.

The rrClient gets the scene file name from the job object and opens the scene for rendering.

[Francois Kruger]

Hi Holger,

Aaaaaah I see I see. Thanks for the explanations haha! Appreciate it.

So in conclusion, there is no way to leave out the start/end frames, and let the client just render whatever the rop has sent? I HAVE to supply something to the xml otherwise the default 0-100 is used?

Francois

[RR, Schoenberger]

Not with the current render scripts.

They require start and end frame.

 

RR supports Execute jobs that do not check for output frames, but these are currently only config files to execute e.g. a python script.

All other config files are frame based.

It would theoretically be possible to create a new config file, but then you need a new render script as well.

And you do not have any update about the frame progress in rrControl.

 

 

>I HAVE to supply something to the xml otherwise the default 0-100 is used?

Yes, if you use xml files, then you have to provide all information about the scene file.

Or as mentioned before, you do not use an .xml file.

Instead use a rrSubmitter commandline with the .hip file as flag.