Out now! BitWrk 0.6.4 with GPU selection

BitWrk 0.6.4 is out now.

Homepage | Download | GitHub

This maintenance release contains the following changes:

  • Feature: Make GPU rendering selectable in BitWrk settings panel [#153]
  • Enhancement: Make tile complexity an advanced option [#155]
  • Bugfix: Blender: Selection caused error on render [#160]
  • Bugfix: CAFS: Workers kept using up all available space [#161]
  • Bugfix: CAFS: Memory leak when saving exact same file twice [#158]

Easy GPU selection | video
Since 0.6.4 it is possible to configure local rendering to use the GPU.

Easier setup | video
The BitWrk client is now started from the Blender add-on. Use of command-line no longer necessary. Makes installation a breeze.

Network rendering | video
Connect a bunch of computers in your network and create your own render farm, without using the BitWrk service at all. You can get additional power from BitWrk at any time. This feature has been requested here and even works on still images.

Local rendering | video
It is now very easy to start a local rendering slave from the Blender add-on.

About BitWrk
BitWrk is a Bitcoin-fueled peer-to-peer service for distributed Blender (Cycles) rendering. What sets it apart from its contenders is that anybody can contribute with their own hardware, even earning some (micro-)Bitcoins.

As a Free and Open Source project BitWrk is my attempt to contribute something useful to the Blender community.

Join the community
Why not give BitWrk a try? There are servers providing BitWrk rendering for Blender 2.79 for FREE, i.e. they’re bidding for BTC 0. BitWrk is anonymous and requires absolutely no registration. The following video shows how to get started.

Have fun and tell me what you think!
Jonas

“Network rendering | video
Connect a bunch of computers in your network and create your own render farm, without using the BitWrk service at all. You can get additional power from BitWrk at any time. This feature has been requested here and even works on still images.”

So this means I could use this on the grid too that starts and quits Blender instances via command line as needed or do I have to open and run Blender instances on all nodes as needed by hand?

Everything you can achieve in the Blender add-on UI, you can also achieve on the command line. Even more flexible.

You need to choose a master host and unpack the BitWrk executable archive somewhere. Start the BitWrk daemon once with an option to accept connections from all network devices (otherwise, for security reasons, it would accept connections only on loopback):

bitwrk-client -intiface ""

Then, on as many worker hosts as you like, install Blender and unpack render_bitwrk.zip somewhere. Start the worker with this command line:

python blender-slave.py --blender PATH_TO_BLENDER_EXECUTABLE --bitwrk-host MASTERIP --max-cost 512M --device GPU

Hint: Blender brings its own python executable which you can use, so you don’t have to worry about installing Python.

Finally, on every workstation, install Blender and install the BitWrk add-on into it. In the BitWrk settings panel, point to the master host IP/port. A connection is immediately established and you’re able to dispatch render jobs.

BitWrk is featured on BlenderNation! :yes:

hi
is there any news about 2.8 version?

Thanks for asking, and indeed, there is news! BitWrk is now a German-Brazilian startup and we have defined a set of goals we want to reach in the next months. Blender 2.8x support is on th e top of that list and is already being worked on. We’re still looking for volunteers in our bounty hunt program.

We also recently released a (2.79-based) version 0.6.5 with a preview on some other features where there has been progress, especially concerning transmission of work data.

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