Installing the Shake Submit Script

These steps should be done by the person setting up the submit-shake.pl script for the first time.

  1. Copy the submit-shake.pl script to your file server.

    2. It is important the submit-shake.pl script exists on a file server that all the machines can see with the same path. This is because the script will be executed on each machine to render frames, so all machines must see it.

    Many companies have a 'job' directory somewhere (eg. //server/jobs/), and typically create a 'rush' sub directory there, and copy the rush related scripts into that directory. eg: 

    	   UNIX: cp /usr/local/rush/examples/submit-shake.pl /yourserver/jobs/rush
	WINDOWS: copy c:\rush\examples\submit-shake.pl \\yourserver\jobs\rush

  2. Modify the script to initialize the shake environment.

    3. This script will be executed not only by the user to bring up the shake-submit GUI, but it will also be executed on all the render machines to run the renders.

    To ensure the renders run with the proper environment, you'll need to add some lines at the top of the script to set this up.

    At minimum, you'll need to add the shake bin directory to the PATH.

    In the following example, the blue lines show a unix example, the red lines a windows example. Use both if you are running in a cross-platform environment. Modify as needed: 

    # CUSTOMIZE AS NECESSARY
if ( ! $G::iswindows ) { $ENV{PATH} .= ":/usr/nreal/shake/bin"; }  # UNIX
if ( $G::iswindows )   { $ENV{PATH} .= ";c:/nreal/shake/bin";   }  # WINDOWS

    Shake may also depend on other variables; you can define them similarly.

    Here's a more complete example, giving context as to where the lines should be added in the script. If you use these examples, don't just take them verbatim; customize the paths! 

    #!/usr/bin/perl

# SHAKE SUBMIT GUI
# erco@netcom.com 03/13/01

[...]

# CUSTOMIZE THESE IF NECESSARY
if ( ! $G::iswindows ) { 	# UNIX
    $ENV{NR_SHAKE_LOCATION} = "/usr/nreal/shake/bin"; 
    $ENV{NR_INCLUDE_PATH}   = "$ENV{NR_SHAKE_LOCATION}/include:/server/sw/genarts/sapphire-nreal/include";
    $ENV{NR_ICON_PATH}      = "$ENV{NR_SHAKE_LOCATION}/icons:/server/sw/genarts/sapphire-nreal/icons";
    $ENV{PATH}             .= ":$ENV{NR_SHAKE_LOCATION}/bin"; 
}

if ( $G::iswindows ) {          # WINDOWS
    $ENV{NR_SHAKE_LOCATION} = "c:/nreal/shake/bin"; 
    $ENV{NR_INCLUDE_PATH}   = "$ENV{NR_SHAKE_LOCATION}/include://server/sw/genarts/sapphire-nreal/include";
    $ENV{NR_ICON_PATH}      = "$ENV{NR_SHAKE_LOCATION}/icons://server/sw/genarts/sapphire-nreal/icons";
    $ENV{PATH}             .= ";$ENV{NR_SHAKE_LOCATION}/bin"; 
}
$G::title      = "Rush Shake Submit";
$G::progname   = "submit-shake";
[...]

  3. Make a shortcut to the script.

    4. Windows

    1. Right click on the desktop, choose New | Shortcut.
    2. Change settings as shown above.
    3. Hit OK.
    4. Double click on the shortcut to test it.

    If you get a 'black DOS window' along with the submit-shake gui, you can disable the DOS window by editing the shortcut's Properties, and choosing "Run: Minimized".

    Linux

    1. Right click on the desktop, choose New | Link To Application.
    2. Choose the "Execute" tab, and set up a 'perl' command that will invoke the script with a full path, eg:

      perl //server/job/rush/submit-shake.pl

    3. Hit OK.
    4. Try the new shortcut.

    Your mileage may vary, due to the variety of window managers available.
    Example shows RedHat 7.2 with KDE.

    Irix

    1. In the toolbox, click on Desktop | Home Directory.
    2. Navigate to the /usr/local/rush/bin directory.
    3. Drag and drop the irush to your desktop.
    4. To run irush, double click on the new icon.

  4. Test the shortcut by running it.

    5. See the document that describes how to use submit-shake.