Google Cloud Platform Blog: Cloud rendering solutions by VFX artists for VFX artists

Google Cloud Platform Blog

Product updates, customer stories, and tips and tricks on Google Cloud Platform

Cloud rendering solutions by VFX artists for VFX artists

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

From its inception, Zync has been a rendering solution designed by VFX artists for VFX artists. Since joining Google, the team has been hard at work integrating Zync into the broader Google Cloud Platform offering. The result allows artists to use the rendering tools they’re familiar with such as Maya and Nuke to seamlessly tap the performance, scale, and economic benefits of Google’s infrastructure.` Today we’re pleased to announce the beta of Zync on Google Cloud Platform, slated to go live next week on 8/20. We invite artists to sign up and be notified when Zync launches next week, and get access to 1,600 dedicated Compute Engine cores to power your V-Ray, Arnold and Nuke-based renders. Zync was designed at a visual effects studio based on a workflow that fits VFX artists’ existing pipelines. With Zync now powered by Google Cloud Platform, artists get the scale, performance, and security of Google’s infrastructure while still maintaining the familiarity and interactivity of a local render farm. The pricing benefits of Google’s cloud infrastructure enable you to spin up compute nodes on-demand in minutes, while per-minute billing ensures you pay for only what you render with no wasted overhead. In addition, we’ve further reduced our on-demand prices by another 15-25% for all applications we support. Our TCO calculator allows you to compare your total on-premises spend with the per-minute billing model Zync offers. Sensitive to the critical, schedule-driven needs of creative professionals doing rendering work, Google will offer Monday-Friday support with 4-hour response times during business hours. In addition to the existing platforms we support, we’re also pleased to announce Zync support for Pixar’s RenderMan software with a beta available in the coming month. After 25 years, Pixar’s RenderMan technology continues to set the standard for graphics rendering, evolving to enable the latest techniques including physically-based visual effects and state-of-the-art ray tracing. "We are thrilled to announce RenderMan’s upcoming integration with Zync by Google Cloud Platform,” said Chris Ford, RenderMan Business Director at Pixar Animation Studios. "When the integration is released in the near future, RenderMan users will have easy access to Google's incredible cloud rendering infrastructure, for convenient access to burst computing power to meet animation and VFX deadlines.” To learn more about Zync, we invite you to view our series of tutorial videos. New users can take advantage for Google Cloud Platform’s $300 credit on Zync which provides over 100 hours of free rendering. - Posted by Todd Prives, Product Manager, Google Cloud Platform