Renderfarm

A render farm is a computer cluster, which is used for rendering 3D computer graphics and computer animation. Typically, commercially available IBM-compatible or Apple computers running Linux, Mac OS X or Windows are used. Rarely, UNIX systems such as Solaris or FreeBSD are used.

Compared to a single supercomputer to calculate the pictures that render farm has several advantages: If a single computer fails, expect the other systems further, ie the fancy computers can be replaced during operation. There is not enough computing power to the render farm can easily be extended. The individual computers are cheap and easily available and can be used for other purposes after the completion of the project. It is also possible mitzunutzen the already available in a company office computers at night-time for rendering tasks. The underlying technical issue is dealt with in detail in the article computer cluster.

Many 3D graphics programs have been in the standard scope or as a module over the opportunity to build a render farm. This simple and inexpensive availability has created just for film and animation projects with a small budget production facilities, which was several years ago restricted to large movie studios.

Render farms like The Lord of the Rings or Titanic came, among others, for complex 3D animations for movies to use. Were they formerly used almost exclusively by movie studios for computer effects, so there are also some commercial render farm operators today.