@TBoxman (TBoxman) posted a new topic, subject "HOT4D on Renderfarm". It read:

   We're currently working on a scene using the HOT4D plugin for ocean waves, foam, and spray. Is there a way to use it across slaves on Net Render or with team machines using Team Render?
    
    I have the plugin installed on each slave machine and it renders the waves fine. But the spray is calculated by each slave so the solution starts over with each frame range per client. Can this be cached or pre-calculated?
    
    TIA,  
    Terry

Then @gdogfunk (gdogfunk) said

    Perhaps the Point Cache tag will work?
    
    http://www.c4dcafe.com/ipb/topic/81185-bake-hot4d-animation/

After which, @fuat (fuat) added

    i didnt use it on a render farm yet, but i assume since foam & spray are usually SPH-based solved (rather than FLIP or other Grid-Based fluids) they have to be integrated over time-steps.  
    so caching is the only chance here i guess.  
    only thoughts, no warranty.  
    hth  
    fuat

To which @valkaari (valkaari) replied

    The system rely on vertex map to create the foam or the particles spray.
    
    So you need to find a way to either bake the vertex map (??), or bake the texture you created with it. After that, bake the geometry.
    
    I think the spray particles can be created from the texture.
    
    You can also use a texture for the foam as in this video  
    http://vimeo.com/97123467
    
    (scene file is in description)
    
    But i note down the features request …

So @mjdowswell (mjdowswell) replied

    valkaari:
    
    > You can also use a texture for the foam as in this video  
    >  http://vimeo.com/97123467
    
    Woah that is INSANE!..and the forest fire too…wow!

To which @dann_stubbs (dann_stubbs) replied

    TBoxman:
    
    > We're currently working on a scene using the HOT4D plugin for ocean waves, foam, and spray. Is there a way to use it across slaves on Net Render or with team machines using Team Render?
    > 
    > I have the plugin installed on each slave machine and it renders the waves fine. But the spray is calculated by each slave so the solution starts over with each frame range per client. Can this be cached or pre-calculated?
    > 
    > TIA,  
    >  Terry
    
    what version of HOT4D are you using? i see that .3 is out now, not sure if you are using that one of the previous
    
    any other issues, or has it been working ok?
    
    just had a request to add it to the farm so just wondering if there is anything to watch out for.
    
    thanks!
    
    dann

@TBoxman (TBoxman) replied

    We ended up brute force rendering the scene on a couple of machines. I'll post the video as soon as I'm released from NDA.
    
    Maybe R16 TR will work better for situations like this?
    
    Terry

After which, @MidnightCow (MidnightCow) added

    You can shove the thinkingparticles group into a cloner object and use the mograph cache tag to cache them - did you try that?


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