R_tist,

Here's steps to get it going.

1. Install Carrara on your main machine + patch.
2. Install Carrara Render Nodes on your other machines + render node patch.
3. Install plug-ins on all machines.
4. If you're running a firewall, open it up for Carrara. If you're using XP with service pack 2's firewall, launch control panel, select Windows Firewall, and on the Exceptions tab use the Add Program button to add Carrara 4 and Carrara 4 Render Node where they are installed.
5. The render node application will only have one port number. Make that the same on all nodes and make the first port in Carrara on your main machine match that. It defaults to 5020 and that seems to work good for most people. It does not for me, something else is using that port on my network so I changed it to 6000.
6. Start the render node application on all the nodes you want to use.
7. Go back to your main machine and launch Carrara, go to the render room, switch to the batch queue and load a file. On the render properties, make sure the Enabled network rendering option is checked.
8. Click Launch to render the file.

If everything goes well you should see numbered squares for each CPU on your main machine and grey squares with an N for every CPU on a render node. There will be a delay as the file is copied out to the render nodes.

Remember the port must match on all nodes and must be the first port number on the main machine. If it doesn't work try a different value than the default 5020.

If you've got some slower machines in the group, kick down the Tile Size. That way your slow machines won't hold your fast ones back.

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,
Eric Winemiller
Digital Carvers Guild
Plug-ins for Carrara
http://digitalcarversguild.com

Eric Winemiller
Digital Carvers Guild
Carrara and LightWave plug-ins