Does Backburner for Maya actually work?

[wreliford]

I've spent many days if not weeks over the past year trying to get BackBurn to work in Maya. I am using BackBurner 2015 version with Maya 2015. I've have searched various forums and the internet and I have yet to hear people talking about BackBurner working with Maya. Yes if you are a Max user you are good with BackBurner.

And yes, I've read BackBurner installation and user manuals.

My setup is one master machine with one single seat of Maya (stand alone). Am I suppose to install maya on every node and activate it? In other words buy additional licenses for each node. Boy the could be expensive! 

Or am I suppose install Maya on each node and don't activate it. It is enough for BackBurner to know Maya is on each node?

Is there an alternative to BackBurner? What are other people who are using maya using for network rendering?

[tony.su]

You question is render farm licneses.

The rule is you can run 5 batchrender(mental ray or trutle) per 1 Maya netowrk licnese. 

If you want build render farm inclould 10 machines, you need 2 Maya network licnese, and so on.

[wreliford]

Are these steps correct:

1) I must first change my Maya standalone license on my main workstation to a network license.

2) I then can install Maya on each of the five other render nodes (computers) and activate Maya with my network license. I can only do this with only five other computers plus my main workstation.

3) Install backburner on all six computers.

4) Configure BackBurner (which I have done).

5)Send a Blackburn job out from my master workstation. Maya will only OPEN on my master workstation per my license.

If these steps are correct then this is solved. It is steps one and two that I need clarification on. Is steps one and two correct?

(Yes) or (No)? 

[tony.su · Accepted solution]

Yes. First of all，get a network license. And then install Maya as network on other 5 render farm computers. Make sure you can lunch Maya on those computers.
Note: If you have 1 Maya network license, you can start 5 batch render include your main workstation. On the other word, if you start 5 batch render job on render farm, you couldn't start another one on your main workstation.