FCA Farm
Documentation · Sending a scene

Sending a scene

The Render Cloud window, the checks before sending, and what happens afterwards.

Before you send

  • Save. The farm uses the .max file on disk; if there are unsaved changes, the plugin offers to save first.
  • Time Output = Single. In Render Setup (F10) → Common → Time Output pick Single and close the window. The farm renders single frames for now.
  • A stop limit. In Corona settings set at least one of Noise level (3% recommended), Pass or Time limits. Unlimited renders can't be sent; the cost would have no ceiling.
  • Camera. Pick the camera to render in the window. Making the same camera your active view is also recommended; the plugin warns if the active view isn't a camera.

The Render Cloud window

Job name
Filled with the scene name; you can change it.
Camera
The camera to render; the scene's cameras are listed.
Resolution
Taken from Render Setup, up to 8K (8192 pixels). The ⟳ Sahneden Al (pull from scene) button reads it again.
Output format
JPG (high quality, no transparency) or PNG (keeps transparency, for compositing).
Priority
Economy (in turn) or Priority (front of the queue, 1.5× cost).
After upload
Start automatically or wait for my approval: with the second, the job doesn't queue until you press the start button on the job's page in your dashboard.
Estimate and balance
The window shows the estimated cost and your current balance.
Don't use Distributed rendering for now: the farm temporarily doesn't support it. The Save CXR option isn't working at the moment either; a fix is on the way.

Checks while sending

These stop the send

  • Time Output isn't Single, or there's no stop limit.
  • The scene contains V-Ray lights or materials (the farm doesn't run V-Ray).
  • The resolution is above 8K (8192 pixels) or the scene has no camera.
  • The scene is from 3ds Max 2027 or later.

These warn; your call

  • Missing plugins (undefined maps or materials): those surfaces render wrong. Cleaning them first with FCA Farm → FCA Cleaner is recommended; you can still send anyway.
  • Missing texture files: the affected surfaces render black or flat. You can continue or cancel.
  • Materials Corona doesn't support, or a Region/Crop render area.
  • A very low noise target, very high pass count or long time limit: the render and the cost grow.
  • The active view isn't a camera.

Upload

The plugin finds the textures, HDRIs and IES files your scene uses and sends only the ones not uploaded before; the same texture is never uploaded twice. The scene file itself is uploaded on every send. The window shows progress and file details.

After sending

  • On the Render jobs page you follow the job's status and a live screenshot of the machine.
  • When it's done you can download each file or everything as one ZIP; LightMix elements also get their own ZIP.
  • You get an email when it finishes.
  • Cost and cancellation rules: Pricing.