by Bill Love
After Effects 6.5 Pro adds some REALLY cool software as far as networked rendering goes. We've only just begun to play with the new X-Factor developed by GridIron Software. But its results are impressive. It allows you to gang up to 3 machines together to tackle a tough render. It even allows you to gang machines up for preview purposes.
Few things to keep in mind:
We've seen results nearly three-times faster by using three comparable machines.
The software is well documented and easy to set-up . It uses a peer-to-peer approach with no administration, configuration, or management needed,
You can buy more licenses if you want to go beyond the three machine limit.
On a Mac, you must install XLR8 must be installon the same hard drive as After Effects.
Don't have footage items with the same filename. Even if they reside in different directories, it wil cause problems when rendering.
You can even take a few older machines and add to your render station. Just get the machines configured and then leave them waiting to help.
You'll get better results using Ethernet networks rather than wireless, but both work.
Be sure to check out Adobe's help documentation as well as GridIron Software for more information (http://www.gridironsoftware.com ).