Optimizing speed across two computers, 24 cores

[AdGoodwin]

Hello All,

First off thanks for this wonderful space. I'm new to Houdini and have that bug that seems we all share... 20 years in first Max then Maya and nothing compared to the wonders I've found in these first few weeks. The information here has been most informative!

So... As I fall further into the procedural rabbit hole, built using L-systems I assume, my sim and cook times are rocketing. I gather there is a stream-lining process to the right nodes to use and miss out, and efficient network building. I'm learning

But what would be the best way to utilize my two computers running 12 cores a piece to speed up cooking and sim times?

How would I run multiple instances on one machine? Across the two machines? And what nodes can multiple instances help with? I guess ROP Outs, can they help to cache, and how about RBD, particle and fluid simulation?

Sorry for any noobness here, but I thought this community seems like the place to be to learn I'm not illiterate when it comes to scripting, but inexperienced when it comes to batch files and cmd line use. Running windows 8 by the way.

Thanks in advance,

Adam

[Guest tar]

Probably one the single best speed up you can do, especially for memory management in simulations, is run Houdini in Linux if possible.

[mangi]

Hi Adam

Did you look into this:

Dynamics Distributing fluid simulations

http://localhost:48626/dyno/distribute

http://www.sidefx.co...1516&Itemid=216

How to distribute particle fluid simulation using HQueue (advanced)

http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini10.0/howto/distribute_particle_fluid

HQueue Render render node

http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini10.0/nodes/out/hq_render

Edited November 1, 2013 by mangi

[AdGoodwin]

Thanks Marty. Been looking at a linux setup for a while, maybe time to take the plunge. Don't want to be too distracted finding my way round linux but pay-out up front should mean pay-off over and over further down the line, the houdini theory in action.

And thanks for those Mangi, the Houdini information network still seems like a bit of a black box to me when it comes to finding my way round. Great resources and a real open community when I do find what I'm after, but some feeling of endless data trawling (I might make a hotkey for my searches so I don't have to type Houdini !Harry every time). Those look pretty much like what I was after.

[Neil78]

I use Hqueue all the time to spilt fluid / pyro sims to geo exports. Its fantastic - bit of a faf setting up but sidefx is very helpfull if you need it.

Had it working in windows now linux. Linux is noticably faster all round for distributed sims - faster for everything really, amnd setting up drive share in linux with nfs is a breeze once you figure it out.

I got 2 computers - so sometimes slice a volume in 2 for sims - or just send a sim to the other computer, and use my comp for something else.

The only bugger is the price of a batch license for generating ifd's for simming- having said this i don't know if you can get round this by creating ifd's and then sharing them across 2 computers.....