View Full Version : Conflict of written documentation and reality
Luis Otero
11-01-2010, 08:37 AM
I recently acquired a RedRocket card. Based on RR installation documentation, it should be placed on slots 1 or 2. Based on BM Resolve documents, it recommends to use slots 3 or 4 (12 core 2010). To use the Resolve, I used the BM recommendation. However, it creates for me two issues:
1. As I open other any other application that uses RR, I receive a message indicating that it is not installed on the correct PCI slot.
2. EVERYTHING reacts so slow, that even PPro Mercury Engine benefits are simply gone.
Then, my question is, aside of the recommended documentation, what is the REAL configuration that must be used?
Currently I have a 2010 Mac, 12 core, 24 GB RAM and the sits use is as follows:
1. Slot 1 GTX 285
2. Slot 2 GT 120
3. Slot 3 HD Link 3d+
Jeff Kilgroe
11-01-2010, 09:40 AM
Put the Rocket in Slot-2. Put the GT120 in Slot-4. That will make better use of potential bandwidth allocation. Remember, Slot-1 is the double-width slot on the bottom, Slot-4 is on the top closest to the drive trays.
Now, as for your performance issues, that may or may not be due to card placement, but I think you may have something else going on. If the above swap does not fix the performance issues, remove the GT120 and see what happens. What resolution settings are you operating at? What sort of storage are you working from?
Luis Otero
11-01-2010, 10:25 AM
Put the Rocket in Slot-2. Put the GT120 in Slot-4. That will make better use of potential bandwidth allocation. Remember, Slot-1 is the double-width slot on the bottom, Slot-4 is on the top closest to the drive trays.
Now, as for your performance issues, that may or may not be due to card placement, but I think you may have something else going on. If the above swap does not fix the performance issues, remove the GT120 and see what happens. What resolution settings are you operating at? What sort of storage are you working from?
Jeff,
Thanks for your response. I will try and report once I get back to the studio.
I have an internal 8TB Raid 0 configuration. The machine has less than a week of use. I am operating most of the time 2K and/or 1080p. Before installing the RR, Resolve was running real time 100% of the time. Also, the Premiere CS5 was also performing real time 100% of the time.
If I remove the GT 120, will the RR be the connection to use for the monitors?
So, as a proactive step, I think that both, BMD and Red, should publish a configuration proposal when both are used together. There is a discrepancy between both company documentation. This can help the users to get the most of their system, and more customers can be more prone to buy such product combination.
Uli Plank
11-01-2010, 11:22 AM
The RR can't be used for monitoring.
Jeff Kilgroe
11-01-2010, 11:35 AM
The GT120 must be used for the GUI monitor in Resolve and the GT285 would be used as the GPU for processing your correction nodes. It seems there is something amiss with you installing the Rocket. Definitely get it into Slot-2 and see what happens. Also make sure you have the current drivers and firmware installed.
The reasoning behind removing the GT120 is for testing performance with other apps, like CS5. I've seen some instances where multiple GPUs can confuse Mercury. And you must run CS5 off whatever GPU you want for acceleration. So you will want your primary monitor(s) connected to the GTX285. But you will need to shut off those monitors when you launch Resolve and use a monitor connected to the GT120. Most any conflicts with the two video cards related to CS5 or resolve is going to be related to what monitors are connected to what.
The only apps that can monitor output from the Rocket are REDCINE-X and Storm currently.
Luis Otero
11-01-2010, 08:28 PM
The RR can't be used for monitoring.
Not for Redcine-X?
Stephen Strangways
11-01-2010, 08:41 PM
Not for Redcine-X?
It can be used for REDCINE-X, just not for Resolve.
Luis Otero
11-01-2010, 09:34 PM
It can be used for REDCINE-X, just not for Resolve.
That was my understanding...:rofl:
Luis Otero
11-01-2010, 09:40 PM
The only apps that can monitor output from the Rocket are REDCINE-X and Storm currently.
I have followed all RR installation instructions, but what I get from its HD-SDI is a green signal using either, RC-X and Storm. Any idea as to what may be happening? :crazy:
Peter Chamberlain
11-01-2010, 11:01 PM
Hi, SDI monitoring and video I/O from Resolve is via the DeckLink, not by Rocket.
We have seen Rocket work in all slots but as Jeff said, the double wide card needs to be in the double wide slot.
Peter
Stephen Strangways
11-01-2010, 11:13 PM
I have followed all RR installation instructions, but what I get from its HD-SDI is a green signal using either, RC-X and Storm. Any idea as to what may be happening? :crazy:
You are outputting the wrong signal type for your monitor. Most likely you are outputting RGB to a monitor expecting YUV. In REDCINE-X, you can click on the RED ROCKET icon on the viewer window to change your signal output settings.
Jeff Kilgroe
11-02-2010, 12:54 AM
I have followed all RR installation instructions, but what I get from its HD-SDI is a green signal using either, RC-X and Storm. Any idea as to what may be happening? :crazy:
If you're on the Storm alpha, RED Rocket output has been problematic so far and is disabled in the current build.
In REDCINE-X, once again make sure you have the latest Rocket drivers and firmware installed. REDCINE-X should notify you if you don't, but you may need to reinstall both. If you continue to get green output, it could be a mode mis-match. Is the Rocket performing as it should in REDCINE-X otherwise? Does it accelerate playback and render? Is the Rocket icon lit up orange? You can change your output settings by clicking on that icon and then enable monitor output by clicking on the monitor icon next to it.
Luis Otero
11-02-2010, 03:01 AM
Stephen & Jeff,
Thank for all your pointers. For RCX, changing the signal type made the trick for the external monitor. However, the RCX viewer image stays still. Maybe that is expected and I do not know the fact...
With Storm Alpha, the story is different. The RR is active, but as soon as I try to modify the signal parameters, the RR icon changes color, indicating deactivation... :(
Thanks for all your help...!!!
Jeff Kilgroe
11-02-2010, 07:59 AM
Luis,
That is correct for Storm at the moment. As I said, monitor output is disabled and it screws with Rocket activity. Has something to do with a glitch in the RED SDK. I don't know how much of this info I'm really supposed to share, but if you're an official member of the Storm alpha team, this is mentioned along with the latest alpha release. Some of us have had ongoing Rocket/monitor issues with Storm since the beginning and it seems that The Foundry has at least identified some issue(s) related to that. Storm is not a good test case at the moment.
RCX is behaving correctly. When you activate monitor output, the viewer window ceases to function and so does the histogram. It's somewhat of a problem if you're trying to fine-tune a grade or look and you have to switch monitor output on and off in order to double-check the histogram. And the program likes to crash if you do it too much, but stability is improving... I have not run the latest 348 release through any tests yet other than to load it up and see we have FPS indicators back and this time they work! :)
Luis Otero
11-02-2010, 09:07 AM
Jeff,
Thanks for remind me... I think that almost 50 consecutive hours being awake have had some effect on my cognitive skills...:cryin:
That is true, I was aware of it (at the awake level), so thanks again to refresh my memory.
Regarding RC-X, I always experience crashes if I play too much with it, not just with monitoring now that I got the RedRocket, but in general it always has been that way. It has its flaws, but it is also SUPER underestimated.
However, now with Storm, my love is being shared...:001_wub: