Fusion 8 Studio - questions, functionality

We're pleased to see Fusion 8 announced. Given the pain transitioning from Fusion 6 to Fusion 7, a few questions from studio users that we'd like to float:

1. Has the bug where Win 7 64 bit Fusion render app crashes at the end of a render been resolved in Fusion 8? Not the full Fusion GUI program, the free rendernode version. This has been extant since we got Fusion 7 in-house, has been reported and remains unsolved to date.

2. Does Fusion 8 now come with a floating license server (as Fusion 6 did) so that we can get away from having to manage 10+ dongles and tracking their location in our studio of 80 workstations?

Will add more as I think of them.

Thanks.

Peter.

Hey Peter,
+1 to both of your questions! Though, I'm really curious about your question number 1. ( sorry to hijack your thread.. )

We've had issues with the render node also since the updated Fusion..I think it was on 7.7.1. I can't seem to find anyone that has had similar issues, and BMD hasn't responded to my emails. ( probably too busy fixing Fu 8 bugs.. )

We've run across other render errors that make me believe that there is an issue with the render node exe. I've listed here a few errors that seem to come up when rendering on the farm, that do not happen locally, or rendering through Fusion.exe.

General error command-line error:
This is the first error that started up a couple fo versions ago. The frames render, but the commandline renderer isn't happy. It tends to kick out this type of error. I haven't been able to find a pattern. I seems to happen towards the end of an allotted sequence of frames..as if the memory is filling up and not being released. But that's just general observation. I have been able to reproduce anything conclusive.

Code: Select all

*++++++++++++++++++++ Royal Render checks the return code of the
executable ++++++++++++++++++++***

*R 12| ++++ Executable returned -1073741819 (0x c0000005) as exit code
for frame 1.*
**
*R 13| Error: Renderer or plugin contains a bug. Crash was caused by a
NULL pointer memory access.

-The Duplicate.Fuse
This node is shipped with Fusion. It renders fine in Fusion, but as soon as it renders on the farm I get these types of errors:

Code: Select all

[string "--- Begin FFI Script ---..."]:12047: attempt to index field 'LabelControl' (a nil value)
stack traceback:
[string "--- Begin FFI Script ---..."]:12047: in function 'BeginControlNest'
...esign\Fusion Render Node\Fuses\Blackmagic\Duplicate.Fuse:135: in function <...esign\Fusion Render Node\Fuses\Blackmagic\Duplicate.Fuse:15>

If I render over the network to a machine with Fusion.exe, the render works. But as soon as it goes to the rendernode consolenode.exe it fails, as it does on the farm going through royal render.
I've been discussing it here with other users: http://www.steakunderwater.com/wesuckle ... ?f=6&t=435

-TimeMachine.Fuse ( a modifier Fuse by Pieter van Houte)
This is a 3rd party node, so I understand that BMD may not offer any support. However, it reinforces my belief that the command-line render node is broken somehow.
Local Fusion renders and network Fusion renders are fine. As soon as it goes through the command-line renderer it bombs. Royal render kicks out these errors:

Code: Select all

"\fusion\7\fuses\TimeMachine.Fuse:1409: attempt to perform arithmetic on local 'time' (a nil value)
stack traceback:
***\_WORKGROUPS\fusion\7\fuses\TimeMachine.Fuse:1409: in function 'XSheet'
***\_WORKGROUPS\fusion\7\fuses\TimeMachine.Fuse:1798: in function <
***\_WORKGROUPS\fusion\7\fuses\TimeMachine.Fuse:1584>"


I've asked the Fuse author, and he hasn't run across this, as he doesn't use a render farm.
http://www.steakunderwater.com/wesuckle ... 4&start=45

I would love for the devs to take a look at this and see what's going on. Maybe when they tweeked the render nodes for "Fusion" vs "Fusion Studio", something got stripped or something. All I know is, we rarely if at all had these types of render farm rendering issues. Anything rendering on the boxes was rendeirng on the farm in 6.4 and 7.0.

It's sad to say, but I'm kinda happy to see we're not the only ones having issues with the render node exe. I don't feel completely crazy. Have you have any issues like these?

The first (return code) rings bells. In Deadline we see a problem when the render process finishes and it doesn't close cleanly, it crashes with error.

Support did eventually answer our many reports/requests and this has been confirmed as a bug. This is why the post here asking if this has been fixed.

From POV of a multi-license studio we have a significant volume investment in Fusion; financial and pipeline toolsets and trained users. However the two problems I mentioned above are strongly indicative that the support for version 7 (and possibly version 8) is not up to scratch. A render process that crashes consistently and hasn't been fixed for months? An application suite that has no floating license capability? This is the 21st century and BMD need to do better. A good start would be answering the points raised here.

At the moment, 8 doesn't have network rendering so i can't tell if anything has changed. Studio for 8 will probably go beta soon, that's the only time we can check it out.

I don't currently have the alpha/beta of Fusion Studio 8 (mac or pc) but I hope to shortly.

I will not lie, I have no clue regarding the licensing yet.

Keep up the pressure on that, as far as our support and forums go, there is very little push from users other than the expect ones, and I agree that we don't want to wait until it ships to sort that out.

I will do my part, please email support asking about your floating license.

Hi,

+1 Peter for floating license!

BMD, wake up guys, 2016 is approching and still no floating license for Fusion...
Too weird.

Regards.

Fusion 8 Studio will have a multi-seat licensing scheme, that's about all I know right now.

Hi Rony,

And thank you for this great news!
But we also contact the Blackmagic Support Team last week (2015-09-28) and here is their reply :

I am afraid that we do not have information regarding the implementation of floating licenses for future release of Fusion Studio.

This ticket has been marked as a feature request for the attention of the development team.
I cannot comment on the possibility of future features or give a timescale for the development of such features.

So I really hope that you are right Rony ; a floating license feature would really improve the flexibility of Fusion Studio for lots of offices...

And could you explain more about the "multi-seat licensing scheme"?

Thanks in advance!
Regards.

I don't have any info regarding the system that will be deployed. what I do know, is that there is a plan to handle multi-seat for studio 8.

Just want to add my +1 for floating licenses. This setup is an absolute standard for VFX software. I'm not sure exactly why it was dropped when Blackmagic acquired Fusion, but I would love to have them back again.

So I really hope that you are right Rony ;

100% Studio will have licensing for multi-seat installations!