Render a project from an headless Linux machine

Hello,
I'm wondering if it's possible to render a Fusion 8.2 project on an headless linux machine (i.e.: a machine without any monitor and keyboard).
So, essentially, I need to know if it's possible to run Fusion from command line and specify a project to render as argument and render it.
Something like:

./Fusion --project /path/to/project

here is a thread about this on windows, i guess under linux its similar:

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=31291

I've already saw that post and it related to Fusion 7.6 that was before the heavy refactoring of Fusion 8 for supporting Linux and Mac.
So, I'm not sure if that feature has been ported to Linux.
Anyone knows ?

I couldn't find anything into documentation.

Also, when I try to run Fusion from command line for get the list of parameters to pass, I just get an error. It seems the Fusion is trying to load the graphical interface instead of give me the command line help of what arguments to pass.

So, I'm still looking for a definite answer.

Thanks,
Gianluca.

So ... no one here in the forum know the answer ??

Is there here anyone from blackdesign monitoring this forum and that can answer ?

I can't believe that this community forum lacks blackdesign staff and developer.

So ... please, can someone from blackdesign give me a definite answer on this respect ?

Many thanks,
Gianluca.

Hi Gianluca.

Your question has several parts to it.

Fusion Studio 8.x is needed for command line rendering on Linux as Fusion Free has that option disabled. The command line syntax required for launching a new rendering job in Fusion Studio is very similar on Mac/Windows/Linux so the tips mentioned in the link from Michael Vorberg should help you get started.

You will probably use a launching command similar to:

Code: Select all

Fusion "/Render/Composition1.comp" -render -quit -verbose -log "/Render/Composition1.comp.log" 2>&1

The next issue is the discussion of how Fusion Studio 8.x interacts on a system without an active monitor connection / graphical desktop session. If you want to use Fusion Studio 8's native render manager feature, the standard Fusion 8 Render Node program runs inside of a graphical session as a menu bar item. I haven't tested it but this issue could possibly be worked around with the addition of the latest round of MESA drivers and an X-Server X11 virtual frame buffer tool like Xvfb.


Finally there is the part about the actual computer hardware that would be used as the headless render node. Typically a headless render node would be a high density rack mount server computer like Blade system, or a low profile rackmount system like a Supermicro server where you are lacking a modern graphics card that has recent OpenGL and OpenCL drivers.

NVIDIA and AMD have stopped developing new high performance low profile graphics cards and seem to be focusing on stubby full height cards for mini ATX cases. This means you are going to have a patch work of issues in finding and installing Linux video drivers that work well with a slightly older video card.

If you don't have working hardware accelerated OpenGL and OpenCL drivers on Linux you are going to run into issues very quickly with Fusion's 3D workspace, particles, animated cameras, polygon meshes, texture projections, and the Renderer3D node when it is set to use the OpenGL Renderer / OpenGL UV Renderer mode, along with OpenCL accelerated 2D filters. This means you won't get identical rendered output to what your artists created on a Windows/Mac/Linux desktop system.

Thank you very much!