BlenderNet

The open source version of the BlenderNode client is partially completed. The rewrite of the code requires a new protocol to be implemented therefore significant development is needed prior to the release. The code and protocol is being designed to minimize the chance of lost frames while focusing on speed. More details will be provided as the code nears completion.

BlenderNet is undergoing a radical shift in the overall approach to distributed rendering. Instead of being a fee based service, BlenderNet will now be a completely free service supported by its members. In the coming weeks we will make the source code for the render nodes available as a free open source download. We will continue to develop and maintain the source code for the render nodes as well as integrate patches provided to us by the open source community. To help with the cost of running the BlenderNet web server we will support this free service by partnering with advertisers with the possibility of introducing an ad-free alternative at a later time.

While we encourage you to make your render nodes available for public use, we also support private render nodes that only you or your team can access. This option allows you to have a virtual private render farm for your rendering needs. More information regarding the service will be provided as we progress closer towards the release date.

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I spent a couple of hours brainstorming a new logo idea I thought of that I think will go well with BlenderNet. This is an initial revision and there is still much work that needs to be done.

Below is the final result after a few modifications. The logo is simple, elegant and fits the overall goal of BlenderNet.

New variation of the BlenderNet logo

BlenderNet development has temporarily stopped for a few weeks in order to re-assess the job scheduling routines for a more optimal implementation. After our first internal stress test we noticed a potential performance issue in the scheduling code that could result in submitted jobs taking much longer to be processed (e.g., if a user submits a large job and there are only a few nodes online that job would be processed first before any others). While this “round robin” approach would certainly work with higher end nodes this would leave our users waiting around for their jobs to complete and this is going against everything we are designing the system for.

Development is still on a temporary hold while other options are investigated and tested however we plan to have a solution in place soon. Internal development and testing is expected to resume on August 31st and another internal stress test is being planned for September 4th – 7th weekend.

BlenderNet has been in development for several years and we are excited to launch the services soon however we must take great care to ensure that every component is working flawlessly and there are no major issues before we can open the service to the public. As of this writing we still do not have an official release date but we are targeting a public beta launch within the next few weeks.

We are currently working on new functionality and enhancements to the BlenderNet service. One of the new features we required for BlenderNet is the ability to edit Excel data in-browser without the need for any third party add-ons or ActiveX controls while at the same time supporting Microsoft Excel functions. This R&D formed what is now internally named WExcel. This utility will be distributed as an add-on that you can install and use on your own site.

Most of the functionality is complete for WExcel except for some minor enhancements and milestones that need to be reached. Stay tuned for more information regarding this component. In the meantime please check out the screenshots below of an active session.

Live action screenshot of the web based spreadsheet editor