Workflow & app guides

Install the renderBeamer app and start it. Once renderBeamer is done with the installation process, you need to choose the default download directory. This path will be used as the main output place for all your renders. Next, just log in using the account ID you received or your account email. Please keep in mind that the app should always be running in the background whenever uploading a project or downloading rendered frames.

Maya V-Ray — renderBeamer startup windows - default download directory on the left, and login panel on the right

Once renderBeamer is installed, and you’re logged in, you’ll see the Plugins panel. Plugins installation panel should automatically open after the first renderBeamer startup. You can also open it anytime you need to install additional plugins for your 3D apps.

Please keep in mind that each 3D app (DCC) you use needs to have a plugin installed to properly connect to and render on our farm.

Prepare the project - page render mode (single & multi page stills)

At first, you’ll need to prepare your SketchUp project for .vrscene export. Our SketchUp plugin works as an automated .vrscene exporter, so we require everything to have been prepared before using it. Preparation should be done in accordance with the intended renderer mode. Preparation process should be done directly in SketchUp settings, and V-Ray render options. This step is crucial because of the .vrscene export procedure.

You can use our plugin with 3 modes - page render (with multi page option), page animation , and frames render.

Page render mode - single page rendering

This mode is designed to render single or multiple SketchUp pages as still shots. With page render you can choose to render still shots from your current project pages. Below you can find directions on how to prepare your scene for the .vrscene export procedure used by our plugin.

Head to V-Ray settings and make sure you do the following:

set the right resolution
set the file output path
turn off the Animation switch (for single page render) - for multi page render, turn on the Animation switch
select your GI caching (Single frame to cache it on our side or From File to use your own cache)
select all your desired render outputs under Render Elements

V-Ray render options needed to set before using our plugin with Page render mode with single page still shot rendering

Now your scene should be correctly set up and ready to go. Please make sure you save your scene before going to the next step. Next, just run renderBeamer from the extensions menu.

Page render mode should be used only to render Sketchup pages as still shots.

We will divide your still image into several parts called strips and will distribute them across multiple nodes. You can select the number of strips you want to render with (1 strip = 1 node, usually the higher number means the image will complete sooner, with some exceptions). An important thing to note is that the image resolution height must be divisible by the number of strips you choose. For example, 1920x1080 can be divided by 10 and thus the image will be split into 10 strips.

Our plugin reads your GI settings and just forwards them to the UI. We strongly suggest to always leave the “bake” switch (next to GI engines) on. Otherwise, you can expect visible connection lines between rendered strips, as every render node will calculate its “own” GI files. Using the bake switch with the “off” setting is only recommended when rendering scenes with setups like BR, BR+BR or with pre-cached GI maps.

To continue, just select the number of strips, choose the strips orientation (horizontal or vertical), double check the bake switch box (this means we will cache the GI), and select the pages you want to render. Now, your project is fully set up and ready to be sent to the farm.

Page render mode - multi page rendering

If you have multiple pages, and want to render them as still images, first, you need to make sure you have your SketchUp Animation settings properly configured. Go to View > Animation > Settings and enable Scene Transitions and input 1 second in the time field just like in the image below.

SketchUp animation setting for multi page still shot rendering

Now head to V-Ray settings and make sure you do the following:

set the right resolution
set file output path
turn on the Animation switch
use Frame Range in Time Segment and click Get Animation Range to adjust the frame range
select your GI caching (Single frame to cache it on our side or From File to use your own cache)
select all your desired render outputs under Render Elements

V-Ray render options needed to set before using out plugin with Page render mode using multi page still shot rendering

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Now your scene should be correctly set up and ready to go. Next, just run renderBeamer from the extensions menu. Plugin usage is exactly the same as for single page rendering.

Prepare the project - page animation mode (animated pages)

This mode should be used for fully animated camera shots. First, you need to make sure you have your SketchUp Animation settings properly configured. Go to View > Animation > Settings, enable Scene Transitions and input 1 second in the time field. Sketchup operates in seconds, not frames. By default, V-Ray 3.x sets 30 frames per second. That means if you set the Scene Transition time to 1 second - you will receive 30 frames rendered between Page 1 -> Page 2. If you set 2 seconds for scene transition, you will get 60 frames rendered between your SketchUp pages.

Now head to V-Ray settings and make sure you do the following:

set the right resolution
set file output path
turn on the Animation switch
use Entire Animation for Time Segment
select your GI caching (Single frame to cache it on our side or From File to use your own cache)
select all your desired render outputs under Render Elements

Now your scene should be prepared correctly and ready to go. Please make sure you save your scene before going to the next step. Next, just run renderBeamer from the extensions menu.

Page animation mode should be used only to render animated projects.

Another Important thing to note is that by default SketchUp renders 30 frames per page. You can adjust this value in SketchUp’s settings View > Animation > Settings using the time field. Next, you need to select your page range (the starting Page and the ending Page), set baking step (which defines the step for caching GI, i.e. 10 = every 10th frame), and check the store direct light checkbox. Now, your project is fully set up and ready to send to the farm.

Irradiance Map (with incremental add to current map option for GI caching, and from file for rendering) + Light Cache (in flythrough mode for GI caching). If you are using any other GI setup, please use Frames render mode instead.

Prepare the project - frames animation mode (advanced frames mode)

Frames animation mode is designed for more advanced users who are familiar with operating on frames - not SketchUp pages. If you're not sure about the workflow with frames & SketchUp please use Page render or Page animation modes instead.

With frames animation you can choose which exact frames you want to render, or which frame needs to be rendered as still shots. By default, SketchUp renders scenes with 30 frames per second (FPS). That means if your project starts from page 1 and ends on page 8 - you will have 210 frames to render (starting from frame 0). Frames mode allows you to operate in two combined modes - range rendering and still image rendering.

To use Frames render with range rendering just put desired render range in “Frame range” field. You can also set a render step (for testing purposes) by changing the “s” value at the end of frame range. For example, setting render range to 0to210s10 will render every 10th frame. Please keep in mind that our plugin will not allow you to render a range greater than what is set in the project. As for GI settings, they are forwarded from your V-Ray render setup and reflected on the plugin UI. By default, the bake switch is on so that your scene can be GI cached before rendering.

To use Frames render mode with distributed still shot rendering you need to put a single frame value in “Frame range” field. Still shot mode (similar to “Page render”) works only with single frames rendering. That means you can select frames in your project render range and just forward it to the farm as one still shot. By default, the strips on/off switch will be always ON when using single frame render range. Next, you can select how many strips you want to use. More strips usually means faster rendering.

Please keep in mind that your resolution needs to be divisible by an even number!

Good example - 3840x2160 - you can easily use 10, 20, or 30 strips with this resolution

Bad example - 3843x2169 - it’s much harder to divide this resolution and so only a few strips will be available

sRGB switch and SketchUp while processing the scene

After you click SEND TO FARM please don’t perform any operations in SketchUp while the plugin is exporting the scene. It may seem like the program is hanging but, in fact, the V-Ray exporter is working in the background. It may take a minute or longer depending on the size and complexity of your scene. With bigger projects (like 500MB+ and lots of geometry, additional assets and so on) .vrscene export can take even 10 minutes or longer. After that, you can continue using SketchUp for your work or close it since we won’t be needing it anymore.

Our plugin will remind you about checking the sRGB output settings you have used in your scene. It’s crucial to render the scene with the same setup as on your local machine. Open the V-Ray frame buffer and check your color space settings at the bottom of the window. By default, the sRGB switch is always on. You will also be able to set sRGB ON or OFF later, after uploading the scene

sRGB switch in V-Ray frame buffer window

You should always run a test job first prior to rendering a full range animation or full resolution still image to check for potential issues and to get an estimated job cost. For animations, try to render a shorter range or a single page first. For still images, you should render a smaller resolution job (i.e. ⅕ res). This is a very important step to follow, and will help you fully test the service without potentially overspending your credits. To get a preliminary cost estimation, use our Cost Calculator. While this is only a rough number and shouldn’t replace the actual testing, it’s a quick way to get a cost and render time estimate for animations (it doesn’t work for stills).

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You can read more about the importance of testing and ways to estimate the render cost and time in our FAQ.

Upload the project

Once our plugin completes the scene export, your project will be redirected to renderBeamer to be uploaded. In a nutshell, renderBeamer is a standalone uploader/downloader application that works in conjunction with our plugins. Simply put, it takes care of the file transfers.

renderBeamer: uploading project (submitted by plugin)

After the scene has been fully uploaded, the app will show you a window with a direct link to your scene on Web Manager (web dashboard). To continue use the click here to submit job button. If for some reason you closed the window with the link or it didn’t work, don’t worry, you can locate your project in the web dashboard and submit your scene by clicking on the scene file any time (more on that in the next step). You can also copy the link to clipboard and manually paste it into your web browser.

renderBeamer: window with upload confirmation and a link to add the job to render farm

If you close the submission window using the close button, you do not need to prepare or upload the scene again. To reopen the submission window, right-click the prepared item and select submit using web manager. The previously generated submission link will be displayed again.

Submit the job (add the job to the render queue)

Now that your project is uploaded you will need to follow the final step - creating and submitting a job to render farm. Web Manager is a home to all your projects and render jobs.

If you followed the link generated earlier by renderBeamer, you will now see the job submission window with several fields and settings. If you didn’t follow the link or it didn’t work, you can do it manually by locating your project in the file browser under the projects tab, finding the scene file within the project folder (in your folder structure look for the folder called “data”, i.e. Project_name/data/SceneName.vrscene), and clicking on it to open the job window.

creating a job directly from the Web Manager file browser

Most render settings are automatically detected and pre-filled based on your scene. Before submitting the job to the render queue, review the options below and make any adjustments required for your specific project.

Advanced mode - located in the top-right corner of the submission window. By default, this mode is disabled to keep the interface simple and focused on the most commonly used settings. Enabling it reveals additional optional settings, including Output Path, Output File Name, Advanced Settings, Retries, and Job Node Limit, providing greater control over job submission for advanced workflows.

Job name - displays the name that will be assigned to the submitted job. By default, it is generated automatically based on the project structure and scene file name. This farm-side path helps organize and identify jobs submitted to the render farm. The generated name will be visible in the Web Dashboard and can help you easily identify and manage your render jobs.

job settings: output path, output file name

Output path - here you can find the default save path for rendered frames in the given job. The default output path is generated based on the name of your project and scene. You can customize this path if needed, for example when rendering multiple versions of the same project or when your workflow requires a specific output structure. This option is available in "Advanced mode".

‍Output file name (without extension) - by default, the output file name is generated based on the name of your scene. If you need a custom naming convention or want to create a unique output name that better fits your pipeline, you can specify your own file name. This option is available in "Advanced mode".

For V-Ray Scene standalone (.vrscene) projects, the "Output path" and "Output file name (without extension)" fields are displayed for reference only. They cannot be edited and are intended to help verify the output location and file name.

‍Version - for V-Ray Scene standalone (.vrscene) projects, this field shows the source DCC application from which the .vrscene file was exported (e.g. 3ds Max, SketchUp, Rhino). This value is provided for reference only, displayed as read-only, and cannot be changed.

Extension - a format for the output file is the same as in your scene settings. However, if you want to change the extension to a different one, you can choose from the available options, i.e: PNG, EXR, JPEG, SGI, TIF, TGA, JPG, VRIMG, HDR.

Enabled 'test job' switch where the range for test job is automatically defined

test/full job - by default, this switch is enabled (set to the "test job" option) for animation ranges containing more than 5 frames in total. This means that our system automatically sets up your scene's range to render every n-th frame. We always recommend performing a test render before proceeding with the final render. This allows you to identify potential errors and estimate costs. If you want to define the test range manually or want to render the full range without prior testing, simply toggle the switch to the "full Job" option.

For more details on the benefits and usage examples of this option, please refer to a separate article.

‍Frame range - use this field to specify the frame range you want to render. Frame range example for animations: 1to780s1 - this is a sequence of 780 frames in total, and all frames from 1 to 780 will be rendered. The parameter s1 means that every subsequent frame in the given range will be rendered. If you want to perform a test render first, set a higher step value, for example s20. This will render every twentieth frame in the animation range. For example, if you set the range to 1to780s20, the frames 1, 21, 41, 61, 81, 101, ..., 741, 761 will be rendered.

If you only want to render a single frame (still image), enter a single frame number into the field. For example, 1 will render frame number 1.

If you are going to render an animation or a still image, we always recommend that you perform a test before the final rendering:
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- For animations, the best way to get a cost estimate is to run a test of the scene on the farm with around 20 frames spread evenly across the range. For example, a frame range 1to200s20 will render every 20th frame as a test and based on that our system will produce a cost estimate for the full render.

- For stills, please render the image in 1/5 resolution or any other smaller resolution. In the case of 1/5 resolution test, the cost of full resolution render will be 25 times bigger than the cost of a test. For example, if you want to render an image in resolution 5000x6000, run a test in 1000x1200 res first. If your test costs $1, then the estimated cost for the full res image should be around $25 (5 x 5 = 25). For a 1/4 test it would be $16 (4 x 4 = 16) and so on.

There's more information about running tests and estimating the cost in our documentation.

Resolution - here you can set the output resolution in pixels. This option is disabled by default in the web dashboard. If you want to change the resolution for your project it is required to resubmit the scene via our plugin. It is impossible to overwrite the resolution at this stage.

If you are going to render a still image in high resolution and your scene does not contain any post-production effects, then it’s recommended to use "Strips" to speed up rendering by using multiple nodes simultaneously (see more info below).

job settings: fpe (frames per execution)

Frames per execution - this option is only available for animations. By default, the value for FPE is set to 1 for projects rendered on CPU. This means that each frame will be rendered as a new execution (a separate task), in other words, the scene will be loaded on each node every time a new frame starts. In the case of projects rendered on GPU, the value for FPE is set to 5 by default. So it means that 5 frames will be rendered in a row on one node.

The FPE (Frames Per Execution) option allows you to render several frames (the value you put in) in a row without the need to reload the scene on a render node, and potentially may improve rendering efficiency. If your scene has a long loading time but a short rendering time, you can set FPE to a higher value (for example 4). If the loading time is not long but the rendering time is long, leave the default value or set it to 1.

Detailed information on the use and examples of the FPE option in practice can be found in our dedicated guide: https://garagefarm.net/documentation/how-to-use-and-optimize-frame-per-execution-fpe

Use sRGB - enables sRGB color space for the rendered output.

‍Advanced settings - available after enabling "Advanced mode". This section contains advanced configuration options intended for special workflows and support-assisted setups. In most cases, these settings should be left unchanged unless instructed otherwise by our support team.

Job dependencies - if you want this job to start rendering only after another job in the queue has finished, you can select that job here. The current job will remain on hold until the selected dependency job is completed.
Custom script - if your job requires a modified render environment or a custom script prepared by our support team (for example, a custom plugin installation), select the appropriate script from the list.‍
Custom node version - if you need a different software setup (e.g. custom software version), put here the value you received from our support. Note that inputting a wrong number may cause errors during rendering.

The options above are intended for advanced use cases and are empty by default. Do not modify them unless instructed to do so by our support team.

Priority - before adding a job to the render queue, you can decide how you want to prioritize it. Depending on the queue and farm traffic, a higher priority may allow your job to quickly acquire nodes to render your project faster. Each priority has a different rate and gives you a different number of nodes - a detailed list can be found here:https://garagefarm.net/pricing

Node groups (preferred hardware) - by default, the system sets the preferred hardware to nodes with 62GB RAM. Depending on the rendering device you choose to render the job with (CPU or GPU), you can also switch the node group button to custom setup and select the particular group of nodes either based on RAM or device:

CPU - based on the CPU device you can select between a group of nodes based on the minimum amount of RAM available or the CPU type:
- RAM preference: Min. 62GB RAM; Min. 121GB RAM; Min. 240GB RAM
- CPU preference: Intel Xeon v4 / 22cores, Intel Xeon v4 / 44 cores, AMD Epyc 32 cores, AMD Epyc 64 cores

custom hardware setup: node groups available for CPU

GPU - based on the GPU device you can select between a group of nodes based on the minimum amount of RAM available or the GPU type:
- RAM preference: Min. 62GB RAM; Min. 121GB RAM; Min. 240GB RAM
- GPU preference: 1xL40S; 1xRTX6000BW

custom hardware setup: node groups available for GPU

The full technical specification of nodes can be found here: https://garagefarm.net/pricing#specs

If you know that your scene requires more than 62GB RAM, then when adding a job to the queue select the group with 121 GB RAM or more to render more optimally only on nodes that have more RAM.

‍Retries - the value for this option is set to 2 by default. This means that if a rendering process fails or the software crashes, our system will perform two additional rendering attempts. We recommend leaving this option set to default (value 2) as this is the optimal setting to retry rendering in the case of some random 3rd party software errors.

Job node limit - by default, the value for this option is empty and so the nodes are assigned automatically depending on the job priority and nodes availability on the farm. Nevertheless, if you want to limit the number of nodes for the given job, please put here the value of the maximum number of nodes you want to be used during rendering.

Add job as paused - if you tick this option and then submit your job, it will be added with the status “paused”. This means that it will not start rendering automatically. It is useful to use this option if you intend to add the job to the queue, but you do not intend to render it at the moment. After adding a "paused" job, you can resume it at any time by selecting the "resume job" option (right-click on the job).

Job submission actions: Back and Submit buttons

Back - if you do not want to add the current job to the render queue or you want to reset your settings and add the scene again, you can use this option. The submission window with the settings for the given job will be closed and all changes will be cancelled.

Submit - when you press this button, the system will immediately add the job to the render queue. Please remember to check all settings before submitting a job!

Monitor render progress

After giving your render settings a final check and choosing your preferred priority hit Submit to add your job to the render queue. If you’re a first time user, you will have received $25 worth of credit to test out our service. The credits should be enough to run a few test jobs and get you familiar with the service.

You can right click on the job to get additional options: change priority, pause job, kill job, and archive job.

The estimate is based on the currently finished frames, and is an approximation at that point. Rendering a test as prompted in the plugin (using a step i.e. 1to100s10) is highly recommended for more accurate estimates and for detecting potential errors.

jobs added to render queue and options available under right mouse button

When the job has started rendering, you can check the real-time progress of currently processed frames. To do that, just select the render job from the main project list and then click the arrow on the top right side to open the progress panel.

Web Manager progress panel showing currently rendering frames

The Progress Panel (the panel on the right side of the screen) will show its content only when any of the jobs is selected. The panel is divided into 3 sections.

‍Active frames - it shows currently rendering frames. When a frame finishes, it is moved to the second section Done frames. If you select any frame in the Done frames list, you can then access the render output process log in the bottom section called Process results.

When you’re in the Progress Panel and right click on any of the currently rendering frames in the “Active frames” section, you can access the real-time render log from our nodes.

Please keep in mind that if a job has finished rendering, the frames list in the “Active frames” section will be empty because all frames are already rendered and the list is moved to “Done frames”.

real-time render log from our node accessible in the “Active frames” section under RMB

Download and review frames

Each frame completed rendering is downloaded automatically to your local drive to a directory you selected in the renderBeamer application. If you’re unsure where your download folder is located, you can double-check it or change it in renderBeamer’s settings (click on the cogwheel). Also, ensure you have auto download turned on to get the frames downloaded as soon as they are available. If this box is unchecked, you will have to click on each job in Beamer's "downloads" tab, and manually download the frames.

renderBeamer: default settings with auto download ON

If you prefer more control over what to download and when you can also download your frames manually. To do that, just turn off the auto download switch in renderBeamer settings and go to the “downloads” tab. Next, select the desired render output using a checkbox, and click the download button.

renderBeamer: downloading frames for a selected render job

This workflow will download all rendered frames for the selected job or jobs. However, renderBeamer also gives you an option to download individual frames. You need to use the list files function under RMB to do that.

renderBeamer: electing and downloading specific frames

Once files for the selected job are listed, just roll down the list and select the files you’d like to download using checkboxes. Next, use the same download button.

renderBeamer: the download directory can be opened either from the item's context menu ① or by using the folder shortcut button in the Downloads tab ②

Once your frames are downloaded, you can use the “open directory” option under RMB to open the folder where frames are saved.

Please ensure you keep renderBeamer running whenever you have jobs rendering to get the frames downloaded immediately. It may happen, however, that your frames aren’t downloading at the given moment. It’s likely because our application syncs the files in 15-minute cycles, and it is currently in between the cycles. You can click refresh to force the application to sync.

Purchase credits

You’ll need to charge your account to continue using the service once all trial credits are used up. Please note that when your balance goes below $0, you won’t be able to download rendered frames or start new render jobs.

Credits can be purchased in the Purchase panel available in the Web Dashboard. The default payment method is credit card payment, but you can also use alternative payment methods supporting debit/credit cards, Revolut Pay, and Google Pay. If you prefer paying via bank transfer, detailed wire transfer instructions are also available in the Purchase panel.

You can access the Purchase panel by clicking the $ icon in the main navigation bar next to your account balance, or by selecting “Top up balance” from the Account menu in the top-right corner of the dashboard.

If your rendering needs are high or you plan to render regularly, please make sure to check out our volume discounts.

purchase panel where you can buy credits and choose your preferred payment method

In case your account balance goes below 0, any current jobs will be paused - all frames/strips that were in the middle of rendering will be completed but any subsequent frames/strips will not start rendering. To download rendered frames, your account balance must be positive or equal to $0.

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Contact us anytime

You can talk to the GarageFarm.NET’s tech team any time of the day, any day of the week. We’re here to help you get started, answer your questions, and assist you in any way. Don’t hesitate to give us a shout.

You can contact us through our live chat accessible in the web dashboard or our desktop app when you log in to your account or message us here through the guest chat.

We also recommend checking out our FAQ page which answers most of the questions new users have.

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Table of Contents

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before starting your first render.

Get Started

General

Uploading & Downloading

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Question text goes here

General

Uploading & downloading

Getting started

Testing & estimating

Pricing & billing

Do I need to get a subscription?

On GarageFarm, you pay as you go. Pay only for the time you are rendering. It’s up to you how much you spend. It can be anything between $10 and $10,000 or much more. You’re not required to purchase a subscription and you won’t incur monthly charges for using the service.

Pricing & billing

Do I need to register an account?

To use GarageFarm cloud render farm you need to register an account and then activate it. Registration is straightforward and requires you to provide your name, email, and country. You will get a verification link in the email. When you open the link, your account will get activated and will be ready to use.

We don’t require a credit card to start using the service. As soon as you register and activate an account, you can use a trial that comes with starter credits.

Getting started

Do I need to upload my project again after rendering a test job?

You can submit a job that has been previously tested by right-clicking on it in the web dashboard and selecting ‘Render full range’ without uploading the project again. Please note that the “Render full range” is available for jobs that have been previously rendered with a step (i.e. 1to400s20). Certain renderers and GI modes won’t allow using this feature and you will need to upload the scene again to render the full range.

Uploading & downloading

Do you accept American Express card payments?

Yes, we accept American Express card payments. AmEx card payments are possible when you process a transaction through PayPal or Revolut.

Pricing & billing

Do you have ISO certification? Is GarageFarm ISO certified?

We understand that your projects are valuable and confidential, and we take security very seriously.

GarageFarm's sister company, and our infastructure provider, Copernicus Computing is certified as ISO 27001 compliant which means that the organization has been audited by an accredited certification body and have demonstrated that it has implemented an information security management system that meets the international quality standards.

This certification ensures GarageFarm customers that the rendering services comply with strict security and privacy standards, providing an additional level of trust in how their data and projects are managed on the GarageFarm platform.

To learn more about the ISO certification and its implementation process by our sister company, you can read this blog article. You can also view the ISO 27001 certificate here.

General

Do you offer discounts for students?

Sorry but we don’t. You should try our Low priority, though. It’s great for students and artists who are just starting out. In addition, each account comes with $25 trial credits. You can obtain additional credits through coupons giveaways. Make sure to follow us on Twitter or sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop.

Pricing & billing

Do you offer to sign an NDA?

We can either offer to sign our NDA or sign the NDA provided by you after our legal department reviews the document and approves it.

General

Do you support 3rd party plugins? What if I use a plugin that you don’t have on your farm?

We have a broad range of supported plugins that we constantly maintain and update. If you happen to use a plugin that we don’t have or have a different version currently installed, it‘s not a problem. Talk to us via live chat and tell us the app/plugin you’re using. We’ll explore purchase options. If the software is free, we’ll try to get it installed on the farm within a few hours.

Please note that the custom plugin installations apply only to users rendering on Medium and High priorities. Take a look at the list of apps and plugins supported on GarageFarm https://garagefarm.net/supported-apps.

General

Do you support CPU and GPU rendering? What software can render on CPU and what on GPU?

On GarageFarm, you can render on nodes that either use CPU or GPU. The computing device you choose to render on largely depends on your 3D software, the technology it supports, and compatibility with our hardware.

For example, if you're using Redshift, you can mainly render on GPU because that's how Redshift is built (with an exception of newer Redshift that has a CPU rendering capability). If you're using Cycles in Blender, you can choose either CPU or GPU because Cycles supports both technologies and both modes are supported on GarageFarm. V-Ray also supports both CPU and GPU, and both modes are supported on GarageFarm.

Rendering modes supported on GarageFarm:

V-Ray - CPU and GPU

Corona - CPU

Redshift - GPU

FStorm - GPU

ProRender - GPU

Cycles - CPU and GPU

Cycles 4D - CPU and GPU

Arnold - CPU

Cinema 4D native engine - CPU

Modo native engine - CPU

General

Does your price include tax/VAT?

Our prices do not include the tax/VAT.

We are a United Kingdom-based company, which means that for everyone from the UK we need to add 20% of the VAT to the payment. Generally, HRMC will refund the VAT amount to British companies after filing the VAT Return form.

If you are from a country within the European Union, and you have a valid VAT number, the tax/VAT won’t be added to the payment.

If you are from a country within the European Union, but you don’t have the VAT number, we will add the standard VAT rate for your country to your payments.

If you are from a country outside of the European Union, you don’t need to pay the tax/VAT.

Pricing & billing

How can I check rendered frames?

Each completed frame is downloaded automatically to your local drive to a directory you selected in the renderBeamer application. Please make sure you keep renderBeamer running and the auto-download on whenever you have jobs rendering to get the frames downloaded right away.

As an alternative, when you’re logged in to your account on the website https://app.garagefarm.net/, you can preview all rendered frames in the web dashboard. In the file browser on the left, you can see all your project files. Navigate to the folder inside your project with Renders in the name at the end. You can double click on the frame to preview it online.

Uploading & downloading

How can I download frames?

To download frames you will need to open renderBeamer - our desktop client app. If you have auto-download turned on in preferences, the frames will automatically download to your local drive as soon as they finish rendering. If the auto-download is turned off, you can download the frames manually by going to the downloads tab, selecting the job from the list, and right-clicking or hitting the download button. Each frame will download to a directory you selected in your renderBeamer preferences. If you’re not seeing the job or some frames are missing, try the refresh button - it will sync the app with the cloud. Check out our video tutorial showing how to download frames https://youtu.be/z0F0p5TSHRw?t=304.

Uploading & downloading

How can I get a render time and cost estimate?

You can get a quick estimate using our cost calculator. Remember, it’s only an approximation and only works for animations.

To get a more accurate estimate for animations, we recommend testing a few frames on the farm using a step. For example, if you have 400 frames in your sequence and set the frame range to 1to400s20, you will get 20 frames rendered in total. Our system will then calculate the cost estimate for the full range based on those frames rendered. An important thing to note is that test rendering using a step allows you to test the frames across the entire animation. This results in a more accurate estimation than rendering, for example, 5 successive frames from one part of the animation, i.e. 1to5.

Remember that the more frames you render in a test job, the more accurate the estimation is. Also, you won't need to render those frames again when you choose to render a full range after testing a job with a step.

The calculator works with animations only. To get an estimate for a still, render the image on the farm in a lower resolution.

Please render the image in 1/5 resolution or any other smaller resolution. In the case of a 1/5 resolution test, the cost of a full-resolution render will be 25 times higher than the cost of a test. For example, if you want to render an image in resolution 5000x6000, run a test in 1000x1200 res first, which is 1/5 of the full resolution. If your test costs $1, the estimated cost for the full-res image should be around $25 (5 x 5 = 25). For a 1/4 test, it would be $16 (4 x 4 = 16). You can apply the same logic to any other resolution.

Dive deeper into the why and how of running tests on a render farm https://garagefarm.net/blog/how-to-use-online-render-farms-part-2.

Testing & estimating

How can I know what the current farm load is?

Upon submitting a job on the web dashboard, you’ll be able to see the number of jobs that are currently rendering and waiting in the queue. You can use this info to decide which priority you need to use given the farm load.

General

How can I pay for the service?

We offer a variety of payment options that include debit/credit card, wire transfers, PayPal and some other e-wallets. We encourage you to check out this document detailing how to buy credits on GarageFarm https://app.garagefarm.net/payments.pdf.

Pricing & billing

How can I test the service?

Every new user gets trial credits when registering an account on GarageFarm. You can use the trial to test the service without making a commitment. The trial is sufficient to get familiar with the workflow and to test all features thoroughly.

You won’t be required to use a credit card or to pay when using a trial account on GarageFarm.

Testing & estimating

How can I upload my project to the farm?

Once you have an account on GarageFarm, you’ll need to download and install our software that includes a desktop client app and a plugin for the DCC(3D app) of your choice. After installing the software and a quick setup, you will be able to upload your project to our farm right from your DCC’s interface.

Uploading & downloading

How to get started?

Once you have an account on GarageFarm, you will need to download the desktop client app called rendreBeamer. It bridges your computer with the cloud. In renderBeamer, you can select a DCC (3D app) you want to integrate with. The integration is quick and simple and requires installing a plugin for your DCC.

The next step is to send a project to the farm from the interface of your DCC using the renderBeamer plugin. The full workflow is described step by step in our starter guide https://garagefarm.net/software-guides/general-guide.

Getting started

I got charged for frames that were broken or rendered too long. Can I get a refund?

Don’t worry. Please contact us and we will investigate the issue and will help you find the cause.

If the cause of the incorrect frames was our system failure, we will offer you a refund or some other form of compensation.

Please note that we can’t guarantee a full refund in cases where no tests were performed or the instructions provided in the system or documentation weren’t followed or were neglected. You can read about the Return Policy in our Terms of Service.

Pricing & billing

I have a new scene that uses assets from the same project already uploaded to the farm. Will I have to upload the entire project with all the assets again?

No! Our software will checksum the files that are already present on your GarageFarm account and upload only the new scene, new assets, or the assets that have been modified.

Uploading & downloading

If the calculator says my project would take 10h to render, is it the actual render time?

The calculator shows the farm render time in a best-case scenario where your job gets a maximum number of available nodes, however, in practice that number may vary. In addition, the calculator only shows the time of the nodes when they are rendering. It doesn't include the waiting time in the queue or the time a scene would need to open/load on the render node.

Testing & estimating

Is the farm secure? Can I render a confidential project on GarageFarm?

When uploading scenes to GarageFarm, all transfers are encrypted. Projects stored on GarageFarm are secured on internal servers safe from any external access. We will always ask for your permission in case we want to use your project files to provide better customer support and a better user experience. We will never share your files with anyone outside of GarageFarm without your written consent.

Following controls are in place to prevent unauthorized physical access, damage and/or interference to the data center building and office: Security guards, secure gate and doors to the servers area and server room. Secure gates and doors, barbed wire fence, security officers, security agency monitoring, security cameras, individually issued security cards for accessing separate areas of the building. To ensure physical security and restrict access and protect equipment we have security guards, access cards, reception, ID cards.

By system design, GarageFarm users are not allowed to access any other data than their own. No client is allowed to access data directly. Each client is allowed to access only his data. Data access is highly secured against unauthorized access.

Our data centre operator provides secure internet connectivity. They do not have access to our local network and data contained there and the data transfer is securely encrypted.

We conduct penetration testing and vulnerability scanning at least once a year. We outsource the testing to our data centre operator's IT department. We evaluate our network and infrastructure security by routine checks. We also perform critical vulnerability software security updates - infrastructure systems and networking gear.

We perform regular sandbox tests of our own and acquired software against a set of rules. Additionally, we perform antivirus and malware checks. Security on developers' workstations is monitored with special care. We continuously and actively monitor network, firewall, and system device logs and employ all the newest security patches and updates company-wide. Our development team is regularly trained in the scope of software cybersecurity.

General

Is there a trial available?

Every account comes with $25 trial credits to allow you to test the service without commitment. You can use all the farm features just like on a full account with two limitations - 10 render nodes (machines) and 30 jobs. It means that you can render a project that costs no more than the amount of the trial credits and the number of jobs doesn’t exceed 30. While on trial you won’t be able to utilize the full rendering speed. However, as soon as you make your first credit purchase the node and job limitation will be lifted.

Getting started

What does GarageFarm do?

GarageFarm has been helping 3D artists meet deadlines and scale their businesses since 2010. It seamlessly connects with your 3D software and fully automates the process of rendering. You can send your scene right from the interface of your application without any complex and time-consuming setups. GarageFarm combines the best of both worlds - advanced technology and the human factor. When rendering with us you're never in the dark, left with no help and a looming deadline.

Don't take our word for it. See how our customers use GarageFarm and what they say about us https://garagefarm.net/case-studies.

General

What files should I upload?

To ensure correct results we’ll need all the files used in the scene: textures, proxies, xrefs, lights, cache etc. However, you don’t need to worry about it because our plugin will analyze the project and will collect all the files connected with the scene and upload them to the farm automatically.

Uploading & downloading

What should I do when a scene fails to render?

We have a team of experts that are online and at your disposal at any time of the day 7 days a week. All you need to do is reach out through our live chat and ask about the job that failed. We will troubleshoot it for you and assist you through the process.

General

What will happen when my render job is more expensive than the credits available in my account?

As soon as your account goes below 0, the render job will get paused (not killed!) and the currently rendering frame(s) will continue rendering until finished. This means your account will go to a negative balance. To prevent this from happening it is crucial to run test jobs before deciding to render full range or full-resolution renders in order to estimate job cost and plan accordingly.

The negative balance in the account is the responsibility of the user and must be paid to enable back full system functionality.

Additionally, if you are a new user and haven't made any payment yet, when your balance reaches -$50, the ongoing jobs will be killed to avoid accruing further costs.

Pricing & billing

What’s included in the rendering time and in the price? How am I charged? How is my render job billed?

We only charge for rendering time, in other words, the time nodes (farm computers) are working and actively processing a job. To break it down further, rendering time includes scene/asset loading, pre-processing, rendering, and output saving. All these processes influence the total time it takes to render a project and effectively that’s what is included in the final cost.

We don’t charge for jobs while they’re waiting in the queue, when they’re acquiring nodes, or when software is being installed on the node prior to starting a 3D app. The billing starts as soon as a job is assigned a node and the node starts rendering. We charge by the second and the pricing is all-inclusive - it encompasses electricity cost, license cost, and service cost.

See our Pricing page to learn more.

Pricing & billing

What’s your storage policy? How long will you keep my files?

We allow our users to store project data (project files and any files saved in an account) on our servers for a total of 28 days after a completed render job or project. We guarantee to safely store project data as they are within the initial 7 days. After that, we will relocate the data to archive storage for the remaining period. The archive storage isn’t guaranteed against data loss. We will completely and securely delete the project files stored in your account 28 days after the last completed render job in the given project.

General

When should I pay?

Initially, you receive $25 credits that you can use to run some test jobs and get familiar with our service. Once you use them up, you’ll need to buy credits to continue rendering. You should give our discounts offer a closer look.

Pricing & billing

Where are you based?

We are a UK based business, our data centre is in Poland, and the employees are working remotely from various locations in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

General

Why is running test jobs important?

Network rendering across multiple machines is very different from rendering locally on a single machine, especially when system environments aren’t the same as is often the case with cloud rendering. Tests help you determine whether your scene renders fine and produces the same results as on your local machine. On top of that, you avoid the situation where you pay for results that aren’t what you had in mind.

We always urge users to run tests first no matter how optimized a scene might be or how confident you are that the scene will render without any issues. Better be safe than sorry. In addition, tests cost very little and if the results are correct, the frames rendered in a test won’t be re-rendered and you won’t be charged for them when rendering full range.

Testing & estimating

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