GPU : a Global Processing Unit

[CTZn]

If someone could write a plugin for this software, it could be the solution for distributed rendering

Mission
The Global Processing Unit (GPU) is a collaborative world-wide effort to build the first giant Internet Supercomputer. This giant supercomputer will be used for open, free and peaceful research purposes only. It will be used as for distributed computing projects, for agent-driven applications and as a monitoring network with sensors. There are many examples of collaborative efforts which are succesful like the Wikipedia, Debian and its Linux kernel to build a free operating system, One Laptop Per Child which aims to donate a laptop to each child in developing countries. GPU would like to convey efforts from the Open Source Community to build the first giant supercomputer, built, supported, documented and run by volunteers. self link to wiki

For example you can run a whiteboard and paint and users connected have real time feedback !

http://gpu.sourceforge.net/

[alex22]

Lol I'm in the hall of fame because I'm 1 of just 11 users

[CTZn]

yes you need to start connection

At connection the chat panel pops up, channel 1. let's try to meet there !

[CTZn]

and you set the nickname in the bottom left, I'm CTZn actually

[Borgleader]

So basically you want to create a plugin for indigo so that we can lend our un-used cpu cycles to other people?

[CTZn]

yeah, according to the software I'm actually offering 6.1GHz or 2.5GFlops.

Alex connected in, we can chat, many channels, I can see alew drawing and typing its text realtime, although drawings are not smooth, need to go slow.

[CTZn]

Actually as alex stated (on chat) terragen scenes are managed already, maybe we could contact the author of the plugin...

We are for now located channel two point one: meeting point... ah, no, I lost alex XD ah no he's here.

k more on this later !

[alex22]

now you lost me
I'm updating
edit: its slow

[CTZn]

yep its a bit laggy but interface is involved, we are having an interesting discussion with a user and he said since Indigo sends all data through the net by itself it's just the matter of writing a script for GPU.

(23:21:52:545 fr) CTZn> u there alex ?
(23:21:09:168 de) rendax> y ·
(23:23:49:152 de) rendax> gonna reconnect ·
(23:22:56:529 fr) CTZn> k
(23:24:28:498 fr) CTZn> well if it's working for terragen cud work 4 indigo
(23:24:21:152 de) rendax> it basically
(23:24:56:168 de) rendax> GPU will probably just start and stop the programs and send some data ·
(23:25:04:529 fr) CTZn> yes thats the point, to be a "portal" between users
(23:25:46:826 fr) CTZn> its just an architecture t
(23:26:03:482 fr) CTZn> do you see some possible issue with it ?
(23:25:25:152 de) rendax> m
(23:26:41:793 de) rendax> no ·
(23:26:40:529 fr) CTZn> igi are big
(23:26:51:199 de) rendax> maybe it would be enough it GPU would just
(23:28:26:123 fr) CTZn> Lol
(23:28:30:357 fr) CTZn> just what ?
(23:29:35:154 fr) CTZn> I am testing the chat translator
(23:30:38:824 de) rednax> so I'm back ·
(23:29:52:529 fr) CTZn> maybe it would be enough it GPU would just
(23:32:13:652 de) rednax> o
(23:32:34:981 de) rednax> does indigo currently send the data to the clients? ·
(23:32:48:654 fr) CTZn> yeah, packed
(23:32:47:324 de) rednax> so it would theoretically be enough if indigo would get the server adress over gpu ·
(23:32:55:857 fr) CTZn> zipped
(23:33:03:156 nl) Thexa4> hi ·
(23:33:04:529 fr) CTZn> hi, who's there ?
(23:33:17:281 nl) Thexa4> Max ·
(23:33:19:562 nl) Thexa4> are you new to GPU? ·
(23:33:31:184 de) rednax> y ·
(23:33:32:326 fr) CTZn> thexa: yes
(23:33:36:529 fr) CTZn> alex: do you think we can test now ?
(23:33:51:562 nl) Thexa4> do you know how you want to use gpu? ·
(23:34:08:529 fr) CTZn> like now
(23:33:48:481 de) rednax> could do that ·
(23:34:29:289 fr) CTZn> better said, no
(23:34:34:543 de) rednax> for rendering ·
(23:34:23:562 nl) Thexa4> I used it for rendering terragen movies for a while ·
(23:34:46:981 de) rednax> http://www.indigorenderer.com ·
(23:34:40:539 fr) CTZn> ok I follow your orders
(23:35:01:653 fr) CTZn> thexa: is this efficient ?
(23:34:55:562 nl) Thexa4> depends on how many computers are in the network ·
(23:35:15:887 de) rednax> what? ·
(23:35:27:562 nl) Thexa4> are you going to use indigo renderer with gpu? ·
(23:35:12:548 fr) CTZn> alex > I mean if you know how to launch a render using my cpus id be glad
(23:35:20:277 de) rednax> would like to do th
(23:36:02:407 fr) CTZn> Thexa > we are thinking about that
(23:36:16:402 de) rednax> there seems to be a scripting language ·
(23:35:59:562 nl) Thexa4> the
(23:36:15:329 fr) CTZn> we are just users
(23:36:25:796 nl) Thexa4> yes, I made it ·
(23:36:28:615 fr) CTZn> yes alex, good spot
(23:36:31:562 nl) Thexa4> but they are not realy usefull ·
(23:36:44:428 fr) CTZn> I read you thexma, wich was the last render engine used here ?
(23:37:03:562 nl) Thexa4> i
(23:37:07:593 nl) Thexa4> gpu can only render terragen at the moment ·
(23:37:18:671 nl) Thexa4> that's povray ·
(23:37:20:557 fr) CTZn> ah ok thx
(23:37:35:562 nl) Thexa4> is the indigo renderer open source / free? ·
(23:37:50:463 fr) CTZn> nope, it's closed source but free
(23:38:01:125 nl) Thexa4> could it be included with gpu? ·
(23:36:29:652 de) rednax> at least
(23:38:23:527 de) rednax> it already has network rendering ability ·
(23:38:11:260 fr) CTZn> thats the point, we don't know but possibly
(23:38:35:824 de) rednax> so for the moment it should be possible to let GPU call the renderer and let it connect to a specific IP adress maybe ·
(23:38:07:562 nl) Thexa4> yes, but you cannot use it with gpu ·
(23:38:46:234 nl) Thexa4> that way ·
(23:39:09:652 de) rednax> yeah its a bit of
(23:39:30:199 de) rednax> best
(23:39:11:562 nl) Thexa4> how do you render it? ·
(23:39:30:328 nl) Thexa4> with a dll or an application? ·
(23:39:41:652 de) rednax> its renderer from an external application ·
(23:38:56:557 fr) CTZn> why not ? with a small script yes, maybe !?
(23:40:00:557 fr) CTZn> ups sorry
(23:39:43:562 nl) Thexa4> what do you mean? ·
(23:40:15:562 nl) Thexa4> you can call me max ·
(23:40:14:573 fr) CTZn> is that possible thexma ? I meant that was getting to interesting points
(23:40:45:109 nl) Thexa4> the problem is interfacing the application with gpu ·
(23:40:52:500 nl) Thexa4> you need to give is some commands ·
(23:40:57:937 nl) Thexa4> like connect or render this file etc ·
(23:41:04:557 fr) CTZn> command lines ?
(23:40:13:652 de) rednax> currently there is no api for the renderer but there are commandlines with which you can start the renderer ·
(23:41:19:562 nl) Thexa4> yes ·
(23:42:23:562 nl) Thexa4> do
(23:42:39:843 nl) Thexa4> how do you store scenes? ·
(23:42:46:328 nl) Thexa4> to render I mean ·
(23:42:08:557 fr) CTZn> they can be sent packed by the software (rendere)
(23:42:21:652 de) rednax> afaik it does that automatically ·
(23:42:55:562 nl) Thexa4> can you set everything up through command line? ·
(23:43:12:557 fr) CTZn> yep
(23:44:16:156 nl) Thexa4> server and client? ·
(23:43:25:652 de) rednax> y ·
(23:44:56:448 fr) CTZn> thohoho, looks like almost done
(23:45:20:557 fr) CTZn> well i'm anticipating of course
(23:46:24:557 fr) CTZn> so according to what I understood, since indigo is sending all the data necessary only a little script is missing, is that correct max ?
(23:44:31:562 nl) Thexa4> yes ·
(23:47:04:375 nl) Thexa4> is the indigo manual for windows? ·
(23:47:08:995 fr) CTZn> oh woaw
(23:47:18:651 fr) CTZn> indigo works for win and linux (builds)
(23:47:33:312 nl) Thexa4> ah I see now ·
(23:47:43:562 nl) Thexa4> do you know how to make scripts for starting a server and clients? ·
(23:45:00:856 de) rednax> how come pe
(23:48:00:557 fr) CTZn> I don't but ppl on forum would
(23:48:15:562 nl) Thexa4> I'll try to look in the manual ·
(23:48:34:949 de) rednax> i just read you can use a batch file but you won't get the commandline right that wa ·
(23:48:58:606 de) rednax> w
(23:48:59:465 de) rednax> way ·
(23:48:47:562 nl) Thexa4> why not? ·
(23:49:19:562 nl) Thexa4> it seems pretty simple ·
(23:50:23:562 nl) Thexa4> does anyone have a server running? ·
(23:48:32:557 fr) CTZn> not me
(23:50:50:263 fr) CTZn> can I make our discussion public in a forum max ?
(23:50:55:562 nl) Thexa4> the program is open source, so the chat as well I think ·
(23:51:12:575 fr) CTZn>

If the text seems to loose it's meaning sometimes that's because u can read the text before the user hit enter, so you can communicate without printing a line...

[CTZn]

Hey pixie, we missed each other, I was in channel 2 !

I get in touch with a developer, things are being fixed if that's possible. Other GPU coders may be involved, they are not aware of the actual action yet.

[pixie]

I've only now seen that there is a second channel

[Thexa4]

I am currently busy trying to make this work with GPU.
More information will folow.

Thexa4

[CTZn]

I'm GLAD you came here Thexa4, thanks !

Pixie, missed you again, your status was iddle for a few minutes when I came, I'm off now...

[Kram1032]

Welcome, Thexa4

[Thexa4]

I got a working plugin, but there still is a problem with error catching, so plugins with an error will keep open.
If you want to use GPU to render your image, you have to perform the following steps:

1. Download GPU:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/gpu/ ... 3_full.exe

2. Install GPU

3. Download the Indigo Renderer 1.1.8:
http://www.indigorenderer.com/joomla/in ... ad&gid=174 (32 bit version)

4. Unpack it to a folder named indigo in your GPU folder.
(So you can get a path to indigo like C:\Programs\GPU\indigo\indigo.exe )

5. Download runindigo.exe and place it in %GPU%\sandbox\applaunch
http://www.flexsl.com/runindigo.exe

6. Start GPU
and press the Start button

You are now ready to act as a slave.
To act as a master you have to perform some more steps

7. Create a bat file in the indigo folder.

8. In the bat file, place the following code:

Code: Select all

set /P path=What scene to render:
set /P port=What port to listen to:
indigo %path% -n m -p %port%

9. If you have a firewall or a router, forward the ports.
If you don't know how to do that, go to this site:
http://portforward.com/

10. Run the bat file
You will now see an indigo screen.

11. Go to GPU, click the processor icon.
You will now see a textbox with 3 buttons beneath it.

12. Enter this code in the textbox:
'ip:port','runindigo',launch
Replace ip and port with your outside ip ( http://www.showmyip.com ) and the port you chose.

13. Press Compute locally to test if it works correctly.
If it does, continue to the next step

14. Now press the Compute globally button, and start rendering!

You can ask questions in the chat if something doesn't work.[/code]