This tutorial assumes you have already installed the Render Rocket LaunchPad plugin.  If you are using a StratusCore Virtual Workstation, you DO NOT need to install the LaunchPad plugin OR log into the LaunchPad plugin.

If you need to download Render Rocket LaunchPad, please browse here:
https://www.stratuscore.com/v3/usr_launchpad.php

If you need help installing Render Rocket LaunchPad, please click here:

Adjust the render settings inside your creation software as you normally would.  Depending on your creation software, this may include setting the output resolution, output format, renderable camera, layers, passes, etc.

PLEASE NOTE: StratusCore Render Rocket DOES NOT support output formats that include producing a video file.  i.e.  .mov or .mp4 or .avi  etc.

You will need to save your scene, and then start LaunchPad.  The LaunchPad plugin is accessed differently depending on your creation software.

*Start LaunchPad for Maya:

*Start LaunchPad for 3DS Max:

*Start LaunchPad for C4D:
PLEASE NOTE: Depending on your version of C4D, the LaunchPad plugin may appear in the Plugin menu OR the Extensions menu


*Start LaunchPad for Nuke:
PLEASE NOTE: You will need a WRITE NODE to use LaunchPad.

If its the first time you are opening LaunchPad, you will be prompted to log in.  You can use your Render Rocket credentials... OR if you signed up via StratusCore you may use those credentials.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are using a StratusCore Virtual Workstation, you will NOT be prompted to log in because you are already logged in while using the Virtual Workstation. 

If your creation software is set to "Maximize" and or full screen, you may need to minimize it to access the LaunchPad window (or click the icon in your task bar to bring the LaunchPad window forward).

NOTE: You may be prompted to save your scene before submitting your render job via LaunchPad.  LaunchPad may detect changes in your scene or render settings before you start.

Logging In

Enter your StratusCore/Render Rocket email address and password to login.  If you do not have an account, click "Create an Account" or visit www.stratuscore.com and click "sign up" to get started.  Render Rocket is a service of StratusCore.

If you've forgotten your password, click "Forgot Password" and enter the email associated with your StratusCore/Render Rocket account to reset your password.

Scene Summary and Render Settings

Once LaunchPad connects, two windows will come up. One will be the main LaunchPad application and the other will be your Render Settings window.

The LaunchPad plugin will read your render settings and attempt to pre-fill most of the settings for you.

1. Begin by selecting a "Project" or creating a new Project by clicking the "+" button.
   "Projects" are folders which will store your scene file and assets for the render nodes to retrieve.  
   
   
2. Choose the Mode you want to render in.  Its best practice to RUN A TEST render to make sure your scene and assets render appropriately.  If you want to submit a final production render, make sure you have render credits! Click here to purchase render credits.
   
   
3. Specify your frame range. Free Render Test jobs are limited to 5 frames.  Additionally, each free test render is limited to 20 core hours.  So if your frames have a long render time, your free test may auto abort because you ran out of time on that render test.  You can try again with fewer frames, OR if your scene has a high resolution, you can lower the resolution temporarily, just to see the completed test.
   
   
4. If you'd like to make changes to your resolution or output, we recommend clicking "cancel" and returning to your scene. Make the necessary changes in your application's render settings, then re-save your scene and invoke LaunchPad again.
   
   
5. Some render test jobs are limited in the output format you can select. These limitations do not apply for Normal or Econ modes.
   
   
6. Specify the camera you want to render with, or leave it as "default" to use your scene's settings.
   
   
7. Click "Submit Job" to send your job to Render Rocket. 

Monitoring Your Jobs

1. After you've submitted your job(s), you will see it appear in your Job List. LaunchPad will automatically upload the scene file and scene assets to the render farm.  Depending on the size of your scene assets, this may take some time. The job will become queued to render on the farm once it's completely transferred, and will begin when a render node is available.
   
   
2. Clicking on a job will provide you with more details on the job. This includes:
   1. Summary: Overall details and controls to Pause and Abort your job.
   2. Frames: The render progress of each of your job's frames.
   3. Output: Details on your outputted frames.
   4. Log: The render logs of your frames (useful for diagnosing issues!).
      
      
3. After your job has completed rendering, LaunchPad will automatically download the completed frames to your local machine. Click on "Output Files" in the Summary tab.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

• Use the "Support" button at the bottom-right corner of this window.
• Email us at support@stratuscore.com.

Not finding what you are looking for here? Try our searchable Help Resources or contact our support team for more information.  You can always email support@stratuscore.com for technical questions.  Don't hesitate to contact us - we are here to help you get your renders done and meet your deadlines.