ODD MACHINA
GPU REVOLUTION
As computing changes, so do the tools. Better software and hardware lead to better results quicker. Staying on top of where this technology is going next can be a challenge..
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The slowest part of the 3D animation pipeline is final image rendering. A standard HD commercial runs 30 seconds at 30 frames per second. If a frame takes 1 hour to render, that's 900 hours, or just over 37 days, longer than many post production cycles. How can this get done at all?
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Big companies have banks of computers that can all render simultaneously, and in a production run, thesse computers run constantly in a loud server room, climate controlled,, and a consistant maintainence opperation for IT.
A few years ago, we, at Odd Machine saw a way to accomplish big studio rendering power without the overhead of the equipment involved: Graphics Processors, more commonly known as GPUs
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GPUs are most commonly associated with the computer gaming. It serves as an additional calculation device at first to compliment the CPU, and most recently, all but replace it for 3D graphics calculation.
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The secret of the GPU comes from it's strengths and economy in a few key areas. First is a GPU works differently from a CPU. A traditional CPU can typically work on only one problem at a time. A GPU consists of hundreds of less powerful CPUs that are designed to calculate 3D matrix math natively, one of the fundamental equations of 3D world building.. Imagine you have 1,000 boxes to stack, On the CPU side is the world's best athlete, all by himself. On the other side is 512 average Joes. It's obvious to see who will be done first..
At Odd Machine we spent a great deal of time and resource researching this rapidly evolving technology, the results of which are outstanding.
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We have built a third generation of GPU driven 3D "render boxes" we affectionately call the Odd Machine. Liquid cooled, and top spec in every category, we have built one computer to replace 10 bulky render farm computers, at a fraction of the cost, of hardware, software and maintenance.. Whereas one computer needs a render license, we put eight computers together to utilize one license.
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Forward thinking with technical know-how have enabled Odd Machine to compete with larger resources with winning results.