AWS launches Deadline Cloud
AWS has launched Deadline Cloud, an online service based around its Deadline renderfarm management technology that “makes it easy to set up a cloud-based render farm in minutes”.
Aimed at design and engineering as well as VFX, animation and visualization, it supports Maya, Houdini and Nuke out of the box, and can also be used to manage on-premises hardware.
A complete renderfarm-management system based on AWS’s free Deadline technology
As its name suggests, Deadline Cloud uses technology from Deadline, the renderfarm management software that Amazon acquired in 2017, and made available for free in 2022.
Deadline Cloud is a chance for AWS to make some money from that technology again, in exchange for simplifying the process of setting up and managing a render farm.
As well as actually submitting and managing render jobs, the platform makes it possible to rent cloud render nodes – Amazon EC2 instances – on a on-demand basis.
The online console provides tools for configuring user permissions and managing costs.
Supports Maya, Houdini and Nuke out of the box
The platform comes with integrated job submitter plugins for Maya/Arnold, Houdini/Karma and Nuke, additional licenses of which can be rented on demand, along with render licenses for Houdini’s Mantra renderer, and licenses of real-time visualization took KeyShot.
Studios can create custom integrations for other tools using the Open Job Description standard.
Companies to have used AWS during testing include broadcast animation firm Animaj, post-production firm Company 3 and Houdini developer SideFX.
Price and system requirements
Setting up and managing a render farm through Deadline Cloud is done via an online console, so it should work with any standard web browser.
Deadline Cloud pricing has three components: the cost of using the service itself, the cost of any Amazon EC2 instances you use, and the cost of any software you rent through the platform.
The actual rates vary according AWS region, the type of instances or software you rent, and the length of time you rent software for. You can find the AWS Deadline Cloud price list here.
The service is currently available in AWS’s Ohio, N. Virginia, Oregon, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Ireland regions.
Read more about Deadline Cloud on AWS’s product website
Read AWS’s online FAQs about Deadline Cloud
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