Find the answers regarding rendering and animation work done in The New School Technology Labs.

How are the animation projects and media managed?

Create a master folder in Work In Progress. Save your project and preferences there. When launching the application, always reset the preferences to your own. Animation projects, by default, save to the last targeted volume and if you do not reset, your files may be misplaced into another user's folder. When backing up your project or moving it, always take the master folder and all its contents, including project file, preferences, and render files.

What could have caused my project to crash?

Sometimes the complexity of a project as well as other attributes, such as resolution, can affect the performance of your software. Modeling and Animation software is memory (RAM) intensive.

Maximize computer performance through these basic tips:

  1. Work from Work in Progress, never from the Drop Box or removable media.

  2. Delete the work history to free memory and save your work at various stages.

  3. Work in wireframe or quick shade when necessary, rather than in high resolution mode.

  4. Change the camera's perspective to refresh your workspace.

To where do I render my animation?

Render to Work In Progress. Back up to an external drive. Do not render to the Drop Box or to a remote drive, or your application will crash and your progress will be lost.

When can I render my project?

You can begin rendering a project any time the labs are open and stations are available, but you should monitor it when you do. If you are in a classroom, check the classroom schedule.

You can also render overnight. Set your project to render just before the lab closes, fill out a "Rendering" sign which are available from the lab reception area, and place the sign on your workstation's keyboard or in a visible location on the workstation. Retrieve your project first thing the following morning to avoid incoming users from deleting your work. If you're late picking up your rendered project, incoming users may delete your work if they need disk space, or even by mistake.

Can I leave my workstation while rendering my project?

Leaving your workstation while rendering is at your own risk. If you are unable to monitor your project as it renders, place the rendering sign. If users need to use your station, they may minimize your application and get to work on their own projects. To avoid unexpected surprises, monitor your render, or at least check on it frequently.