Set up your Maya options for animation Use Windows->Settings/Preferences->Preferences Choose the Time Slider section Set Framerate: 30 fps
Render Settings Render Settings icon upper right (Windows->Rendering Editors->Render Settings...)
Change Render Using to Arnold Renderer (Arnold is the default) Presets-> Import Render Settings->Default Settings (This resets all settings) Under the Common tab: Choose Image format: tif Uncheck Dither Change Frame/Animation ext: to name.#.ext Input the Start frame and End frame range
Faster render settings, with transparency Under the Arnold Renderer tab: Under the Sampling arrow: Set Camera (AA) to 3 (default 3) Set Diffuse to 1 (default 2) Set Specular to 1 (default 2) Set Transmission to 2 (default 2) Set SSS to 0 (default 2) Set Volume Indirect to 0 (default 2)
Under the Ray Depth arrow Set Total to 2 (default 10) Set Diffuse to 1 (default 1) Set Specular to 1 (default 1) Set Transmisssion to 2 (default 8) Set Volume to 0 (default 0) Set Transparency Depth to 2 (default 10)
DEADLINE Renderfarm File Setup
Make a folder on your Desktop named Deadline Renders
Make a folder under Deadline Renders with your DMA username Make 2 folders in the username folder: scenes and images
Place copies of any textures, scene file, cache data folder in the scenes folder.
Start Maya Run File Set Project... Go to your Desktop\Deadline Renders select username folder Select Set
Run File->Project Window Choose Edit->Reset Settings
Open your Maya scene file from the Deadline area.
Run Render Settings icon upper right Make sure the Path: is Desktop/Deadline Renders/username/images Make sure Frame/Animation ext: is set to name.#.ext The Start and End frames might be important.
Once you have the workspace.mel file and a copy of your scene file in the Deadline Renders area, you can revert your Maya project back to where you prefer. The Render Settings window should be looking for an images folder, it should not matter where you have it after you set this up.

Use Deadline Render Login to support.dma.ucla.edu Look at the menu under Help Select Tutorials Select A. or B. Preparing to Use Deadline in order to install software on your computer.
Follow the directions for C. Maya Simple Job Submission.
Under your name you should have an images and a scenes folder
Place any textures, scene file, cache data folder into the scenes folder
Thinkbox->Deadline Monitor 10 Submit 3D->Maya Fill in Job Name something descriptive Project Directory same as your Desktop Maya File Output folder Frame List 1-300 etc Frames per Task 5 Renderer Arnold Version 2020 Hit Submit, answer yes a lot

SFTP to view Render files Do this after setting up your project with the cloud. This will be easier than using the cloud, no zip files
Mac use Filezilla, PC use WinSCP Host: file.design.ucla.edu port 22 User ID: Your login
Navigate to /data/export/renders/yourname/
Under your name you should have an images and a scenes folder
When you view the images folder after the render, you should run Refresh in order to see the files.

Nextcloud sync a DMA Cloud folder to a folder on your computer. Do this after setting up your project on the cloud. This will make it easier to use the cloud, no zip files You will sync your cloud.dma.ucla.edu Deadline Renders/images folder to your local Desktop/Deadline Renders/yourname/images folder. It is a two-way sync, files update automatically on both ends.
Install Software Download the software for your computer: https://nextcloud.com/install/#install-clients Double click the installer from your Downloads folder
Start Nextcloud this starts the app as a utility running all the time. Select Log in to your Nextcloud Type Server Address: https://cloud.dma.ucla.edu (Click in the start of the field and type.) Click Next> If asked, select Trust this certificate anyway Select Log in Grant access to your computer Close the browser
Useless Wizard For first time users, Nextcloud connection wizard should appear Select Skip folders configuration (It does not remember what you set!)
Start the Nextcloud utility Mac: Nextcloud is accessible through the green circle with a checkmark icon top right menu. PC: NextCloud is the green circle with a checkmark icon in the lower right menu
Select the small down arrow, open Settings
Local Folder Select Add Folder Sync Connection Select the Local Folder on your Desktop to sync, Desktop\Deadline Renders\yourname\images Click Connect
Remote Folder Open Deadline Renders folder->yourname Select images folder Click Add Sync Connection
More Settings Select the General section Uncheck Ask for confirmation before synchronizing folders larger than 500 MB
Next time you use Deadline, the files will automatically move to your computer as they are being rendered. Compare the file sizes to make sure all the files were able to sync. You may need to move a few manually.

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