Can I use old G4 as a "Render Farm"?

[D ROCK]

I'm running Final Cut Pro on a couple of iMac G5's and a couple iMac core duos.

my question is this, "Can I use my old G4 tower to send files to so I can render them and then grab them back to add into my FCP project"? if so how is this best accomlpished?

I could do the transfer over my network but I was hoping firewire was possible?
I don't have USB2 on my G4 so unless I can add that somehow I think firewire might be my fastest connection. if its even possible.

thanks for the help or even for pointing me to other threads. I searched for 30 min but never found anything on this here. lots of other usefull things though....

thanks in advance.
D ROCK🙂

 

[Benjamindaines]

It wouldn't be practical. The way a cluster works is that it requires a controller (you can't just have one computer). Say if you bought 4 Mac Minis and used the old G4 as the controller that would be better, also why use a slower machine to render (iMac G5 vs G4)?

 

[D ROCK]

we just didn't want to turf the old G4 but we all have new G5's and wanted to use it for something helpful to the team. ie add some extra drives and use as a backup machine and or use to convert a video file while we edit on the G5....
yes it would be slower but if we sent it a file and hit "render" then we keep working on other things and whenever it gets done we pull the new movie file back over and we're good to go.... no?

currently we have to stop work on the project while our G5s render even though they are lightyears faster than the G4. also if works with the G4 then if one guy is sick someday we can hook his G5 in the G4's place and use it instead.

can you have two G5s running side by side and just use one to render files and back up files, or burn dvd's etc....?
while doing the main editing etc on the first G5?

thanks D ROCK

 

[D ROCK]

anyone know where I can get info on using a bunch of minis to create a render farm?

 

[Benjamindaines]

All the info you need should be in the FCP manual (under the help menu in the application). If you can't find it there let me know and I (or someone else) will find you some web pages to help you out.

 

[D ROCK]

has anyone else done this, and what could the speed benefits be for me with say 5 original minis hooked together?

is it a major process to send the file to get rendered or is it as simple as a render on your regular machine?

do you just change a setting and everything gets rendered by the farm instead????

I know I know, very "noob" questions, but I don't have access to FCP this month. My brother is doing a wedding and has my mac till he's done....
so until I go see him I havn't been able to read the help files. but I will asap.

any other websites that deal with this in the meantime?
I am going to check the Apple FCP site as well but any info or pointers to this info would be very welcomed by me.


(I don't currently have any minis but have been on ebay looking at some and the original ones are quite reasonable, over time I could see myself creating a farm out of them if the render times would be worth it.)


anybody got any info on this one?
just wondering......