XML header


The XML structure is

<rrJob_submitFile syntax_version="6.0">

<DeleteXML>1</DeleteXML>

<Job>

...

</Job>

<Job>

...

</Job>

<Job>

...

</Job>

<Job>

...

</Job>

</RR_Job_File>




DeleteXML:

DeleteXML tells the submitter to delete this file after it has been loaded.



<Job>   </Job>:

This section includes all scene settings (scene file name, camera, layer, ...) for each job as xml nodes.


Example Submitter file without RR settings

You can add as many jobs to one xml file as you like.

All jobs that are in one file get the same base rrJob {ID} in RR. 
The preID (last small letter of the ID "a", "b", "c", ...) changes automatically.


A job can be anything, you may create an xml file with

  • one scene only
  • one scene with multiple cameras or layers
  • multiple scene files
  • multiple scene files of different render applications. (e.g. render with Maya and directly comp that rendering with Nuke.) 



Default settings:

You do not have to set everything. 
If you do not set a parameter in the xml file, then the default is used.





<Job> XML Attributes - required


Software

Name of your render application. Same as in the render config file. (Maya, Softimage)

Renderer

Renderer you use. Same as in the render config file (VRay, Mental Ray, Arnold)

Version

Version you want to render with. (5.11, 2010, 12) 

SceneName

Name of the scene file with full path.

IsActive

Is the job enabled for submission?

SeqStart,

SeqEnd,

SeqStep,

SeqFileOffset


Sequence settings of this job

ImageDir,

ImageFilename,

ImageExtension

If you specify ImageDir, then ImageFilename has no path. If you do NOT specify ImageDir, then ImageFilename has to include the path. Same for ImageExtension.

Important: Do not forget any _ or . in front or after the frame numbering. Usally ImageExtension always starts with a . (.tga .sgi .exr)

ImagePreNumberLetter

Some applications always add a . or _ in front of the frame number. Set this variable to that character. The user can then change the filename at the rrSubmitter and the submitter keeps track of this character.

ImageSingleOutputFile

If you render a single file, e.g. Quicktime or Avi, then you have to set this value. Videos have to be rendered at once on one client.

SceneOS

The OS the scene was created on, all texture paths are set on that OS. Possible values are windows, linux, osx 



Use other job variables inside an value

Available variables inside variables are:

  • <User>
  • <LocalHost>
  • <NetworkShare>
  • <CompanyProject>
  • <Layer>
  • <Channel>
  • <CustomScene>
  • <CustomShot>
  • <CustomVersion>
  • <Scene>
  • <SceneFolder>
  • <Database>
  • <../>

Special xml variables

The xml parser supports some special variables:

  • <xmlFolder>
    The directory where this xml file is located. 



Note: 
If you write your own XML write and you do not use a xml module/class, 
do not forget to escape < and > with &lt; and &gt;






Required for some render applications:

SceneDatabaseDir

The database of your scene file. 
In Maya and XSI called "project", in Lightwave "content dir"

ImageWidth,

ImageHeight

Required if you want to split frames on multiple clients

Camera


Layer


Channel



<Job> XML Attributes - optional


RequiredPlugins

Used for the RR render license function.

E.g. If you render with mentalRay, then add mentalRay. If you render with Nuke and you use Furnace plugins in your comp, add Furnace.

Render licenses can be set in rrConfig

CustomA, CustomMyData, CustomMore

Custom variables, that can be used in a render config or postscript. 

ImageFramePadding

Frame Padding of the frame number in the rendered filename. Some render config files are setting the padding at render time.

OverrideImageFormat

Some render applications support overriding the image format at the render commandline.

ChannelFilename,ChannelExtension

rrControl can display the name of additonal channels that are rendered. Each channel requires these two values. ChannelFilename contains the full path.

PreID

A value between 0 and 255. Each job gets the Pre ID attached as small letter to the main ID. A new main ID is generated for every machine for every 5/1000s.

WaitForPreID

When the job is received by the server, the server checks for other jobs send from this machine. If a job with the PreID was found, then this jobs waits for the other job. Note: This flag can be used multiple times to wait for multiple jobs. 




Submitter Options


The <job> flags include everything about the scene.

But you have a lot of additional Render parameter (Priority, Verbose, Quality ) and Royal Render options (Which client, Post-scripts, Notification )

These settings are not scene related and usually controlled by "Submitter Defaults Files".

These "Submitter Defaults Files" are stackable. And the rrSubmitter commandline or this .xml is just another stack item for the default settings.



There are two modes:

  • Global per Submission:
    This is the recommended way.
    Add a global xml node and include the same parameter as you would in a commandline.
    For example an .xml file could start like this:
    <rrJob_submitFile syntax_version="6.0">
        <DeleteXML>1</DeleteXML>
        <SubmitterParameter> RenderPreviewFirst=1~0 </SubmitterParameter>
        <SubmitterParameter> "CustomSeQName=1~345" "CustomSHotName= 1~17a" </SubmitterParameter>
        <Job>
                   .
                   .
                   .

       </Job>

  • Local per job:
    You can set these settings per job. But this has some disadvantages:
    1) You will not see the settings in the UI of the rrSubmitter.
    2)  Usually the Submitter Default Files "last" and "non_admin" are applied after the artist changes the rrSubmitter UI, sets flags via commandline or via a global xml setting.
    In this case the settings are applied after these files. But before the render config overrides non-valid settings.
           <Job>
                   <SubmitterParameter> "CustomSeQName=1~345" "CustomSHotName= 1~17a" </SubmitterParameter>
                   .
                   .
                   .
           </Job>




Some option examples (full and short name)

Please read  Submitter Defaults Files for more information about these settings and their names.


"CustomUserInfo=0~My custom message for the job"

"CUI=0~My custom message for the job"


"RenderPreviewFirst=0~1"

"RPF=0~1"


"SeqDivMIN=0~10"

"SDMIN=0~10"


"UserName=0~myUserName"

"UN=0~myUserName"


"CustomSeQName=1~P12" "CustomSHotName=1~50" "CustomVersionName=1~3B"

"CSCN=1~P12" "CSHN=1~50" "CVN=1~3B"



Option name?

You have multiple ways to get the name of an option:

  • Open the rrSubmitter, menu item Default Values,  "Edit preset file - via text editor".
    Use the editors search function to search for a part of the option name as shown in the rrSubmitter.
    Note: This does now show new options added by an Update of RR or by your custom changes like new post-scripts.

  • Open the rrSubmitter, menu item Default Values,  "Edit preset file - via UI".
    Press the first Edit/Read button.
    Enter a part of the option name as shown in the rrSubmitter into the filter box.
    See "string value loaded" in the title line of the option. 
    Note: This shows all recently added options as well.

  • Open one of the files \sub\cfg_global\submitter_*.txt in any text editor.
    Use the editors search function to search for a part of the option name as shown in the rrSubmitter.
    Note: This does now show new options added by an Update of RR or by your custom changes like new post-scripts.

  • There is an example file with most settings in this help as well.




rrControl .xml export?

rrControl can export a job as an XML files.

You can use these xml files to submit jobs.

But submitter options are not loaded as the format is different.






Python script

If you want to create your own xml file via python, please take a look in the python script:

RR\render_apps\_submitplugins\rrSubmit_Nuke_5.py

The file includes some functions that will help you to create .xml files.

You will need the two sections:


##############################################

# JOB CLASS #

##############################################


##############################################

# GLOBAL FUNCTIONS #

##############################################