This template shows how to use Blender to render using an application template to separate the logic of processing from administration and management.
With an application template, the processing steps required for the job are defined in a separate file - see render-template.json which is appropriately parameterized. The job itself references the template, supplies any required parameter values and specifies the pool on which the job is to run.
- Split job configuration and management with reusable application templates
- Parametric sweep task factory
- Automatic persistence of task output files to Azure Storage
You will need an Azure Batch account with a linked Azure Storage account. See Create an Azure Batch account using the Azure portal for details.
You will need a Blender scene to render.
The sample specifies an Azure Batch Pool with the id blender-pool - if you don't already have one, run this command:
az batch pool create --template pool.jsonThe default settings in pool.json specify a pool named blender-pool containing 3 STANDARD_D1 virtual machines.
You are billed for your Azure Batch pools, so don't forget to delete this pool through the Azure portal when you're done.
If you want to use an existing pool to run the job, modify the render-job.json file to specify the unique id of your pool.
To upload your blender files:
az batch file upload --local-path <path> --file-group blender-dataRun this command on a folder containing the blender files you want to process. blender-data is the default value of the sceneData parameter in the job template. If you upload your files to a different file group, be sure to provide this value for the sceneData parameter when creating your job (see the next section).
Edit the render-job.json file to specify appropriate parameters for the job:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| blendFile | The Blender scene file to be rendered |
| sceneData | The file group where the input data is stored |
| outputPrefix | The prefix to use when naming the rendered outputs |
| frameStart | Index of the first frame to render |
| frameEnd | Index of the last frame to render |
| outputFileStorageUrl | The SAS URL for a container where outputs will be stored |
When you are ready to run the job, use this command:
az batch job create --json-file render-job.jsonYou can use this command to monitor the tasks in the job and their progress:
az batch task list --job-id <jobid>`You can also use the Azure portal or Batch Explorer for monitoring.
| File | Content |
|---|---|
render-job.json |
Specifies the job to run, including the pool to use and any runtime constraints. Does not contain any of the job logic - instead it has an applicationTemplateInfo element that specifies the template to use (see filePath) and any parameters required by the template (see parameters). |
render-template.json |
Template file describing the required processing, making use of the taskFactory feature. |