Have a question?

Follow these steps:

1. Check your credentials:

   • Username: administrator

   • Studio Name: your studio name

   • Password: your password

2. Check your firewall. Temporarily disable your firewall and try again. If that resolves it, add an exception for the Cloud Manager.

3. Check your network. If you're on a restricted network, ports 17392 and 17393 must be open. The host address is www.dropandrender-farm.com.

4. Still unable to log in? Contact us directly

By default, Drop & Render automatically downloads all completed frames to the output folder selected in your 3D application.

If this doesn't happen, try the following:

Restart the Cloud Manager

This often re-triggers the download. Make sure your workstation doesn't enter sleep mode during downloads.

Use the Archive tab

We store all completed files for 7 days. Open the Cloud Manager, go to the Archive tab (third tab), select your job, and download individual frames or the full sequence.

Request FTP access

Contact our support team to receive FTP credentials.

Download from the website

Go to your online dashboard, select your job and download full jobs or individual frames. These downloads go through AWS and may be faster, especially for users outside Europe.

Still having issues?

Reach out to our support team with your job name and we'll help right away.

30% faster with Custom Slice Numbers

If your frames render in under 5 minutes on the farm, you can increase the custom slice number to reduce overhead. By default, each node renders a single frame. Increasing the slice number sends multiple frames to each node, saving startup time and pre-calculation costs.

To adjust this, go to the Advanced tab in the plugin and change the slice number. A good target is around 20 minutes per slice. For example, if a frame takes 5 minutes, set the slice number to 4 (20 ÷ 5).

Change priority after submission

You can change your job's priority while it's rendering or waiting in the queue. This is useful if you notice a long queue or want to ensure your project keeps rendering.

To do this, open the Cloud Manager, right-click your job and select "Change render queue". A list of available priorities will appear.

Follow these steps:

1. Make sure you're connected to the Cloud Manager.

2. Verify that the Cloud Manager is installed in the default location:

   • Mac: /Applications/dropandrender

   • PC: C://Program Files/SquidNetSoftware/dropandrender

   If not, you can adjust the path in the Advanced tab of the C4D plugin. We recommend using the default location when possible.

3. Try saving your project to a local drive (e.g. your desktop) and submit again.

4. Open the Cinema 4D console (Shift + F10), go to the Python tab, and take a screenshot after clicking Submit inside the plugin.

Uploading the log file from your project folder will also help us diagnose the issue.

Follow these steps:

1. Check your assets. Most Cinema 4D errors are caused by missing assets. Save your project with assets using File > Save Project with Assets.

2. Check your application profile. If you're using R16 or lower with third-party plugins, try setting the profile to R18 or R19 in the plugin's Advanced tab.

3. Check plugin compatibility. Visit our specs page to verify your plugins are supported.

4. Generate a log file. Hold Ctrl+Shift while clicking Submit. This creates a log in the Cinema 4D console (Shift + F10). Copy the output and send it to us.

If the issue persists, send us your project details including the log file and we'll look into it.

Rendering with takes on the farm is straightforward. Simply enable "Take rendering" in the plugin — all marked takes will be rendered.

You can use C4D tokens or set different output paths as needed. Make sure each take has a unique output location or filename.

This is the first step of the upload process, where we compress your project folder on your workstation. The speed depends on your CPU and the size of your project folder.

After compression, the project is uploaded to our servers. We have a 500 Mbps download speed, so uploads are typically fast depending on your connection.

Once received, we decompress the files on our servers and rendering begins.

To render with X-Particles on the farm, make sure your simulation is cached first. Add an XP Cache object to your scene and keep all settings at their defaults — the cache must be set to "External Cache".

You don't need to enable "Cache Files as Assets" or make any other changes. Just use the default setup with an absolute path to your cache files.

Our system handles everything else automatically.

For assets to work on the farm, all paths need to be relative to your project folder. Start by saving your project with assets (available under Tools in the plugin, or File > Save Project with Assets in Cinema 4D).

For textures, this is usually enough. Some third-party plugins — like HDR Studio Rig, XP Cache, Realflow or TFD — may require an additional step. The C4D plugin will guide you through this.

For example, if a path reads:

C:\Documents\Files\Realflow\Mycachefile.bin

This points to your local machine and won't be uploaded. Move the file into your project directory and update the path to a relative one:

Mycachefile.bin

The Cloud Manager will then upload and render all files correctly.

Use image sequence formats (JPEG, PNG, etc.) instead of video formats (AVI, MP4, etc.). Video formats are not supported on the farm.

Enable the "Tile Render" checkbox inside the Drop & Render C4D plugin. Your image will be split and rendered across multiple machines.

Watch this video to learn more:

We support GI for most render engines. For the Standard and Physical renderers, we recommend using QMC as the primary (and optionally secondary) method. This produces the best results and doesn't require a pre-pass render.

If you need Irradiance Cache or Light Mapping, our system handles it automatically. Before rendering each frame, we run a script that generates the GI cache in the correct location — with no added delay.

Set up your render pass path inside the Octane settings just as you would for a local render. Our system automatically converts the path on the farm.

Before rendering each frame, we run a script that remaps your render pass path to a location on our network storage. The rendered passes are then downloaded back to your workstation — seamlessly, just like a local render.

Log in to your account, click your account name and open the Transactions tab. Click on a transaction to download the invoice as a PDF.

Try removing your VAT number from your account and purchasing again. You can update your profile settings by going to the {a(Studio settings,/dashboard/account) dashboard page.

If this doesn't resolve the issue, contact us for live chat on the website.

Follow these steps:

1. Check your location. You must be in the country of your VAT registration. If you're not, remove the VAT number from your profile (click your Studio Name in the dashboard) and pay the tax rate for your current location.

2. Verify your details. Your company name must match your VAT number. We validate against the official EU database:

VIES VAT number validation

3. Alternative. You can leave the VAT field empty and reclaim the tax in your own country.

We enforce these rules strictly as we must be able to verify your company for our records.

We support all Octane versions. Our plugin auto-detects your setup and uses environment variables to replicate your exact Cinema 4D and Octane configuration on the farm — whether you're on the latest release or an older one.

We support all Redshift versions. Our plugin auto-detects your setup and uses environment variables to replicate your exact Cinema 4D and Redshift configuration on the farm — whether you're on the latest release or an older one.

To get better control over your deadline, watch the video below. It explains how to use priorities and other features to get your files as soon as possible:

This is most commonly caused by the environment color in your Octane settings, which isn't transferred between projects.

Check if your environment color differs from the default (RGB 153, 153, 153). If it does:

1. Reset the environment color in Octane to the default (RGB 153, 153, 153).

2. Add an Octane Sky with an environment tag and set it to your desired value.

This ensures consistent results on the farm.

If this doesn't resolve the issue, contact us with your Octane version and output settings.

We support all Arnold versions. Our plugin auto-detects your setup and uses environment variables to replicate your exact Cinema 4D and Arnold configuration on the farm — whether you're on the latest release or an older one.

Welcome! Drop & Render is designed to be simple, fast and user-friendly — perfect for both beginners and professionals.

To get started:

1. Visit our Getting Started page.

2. Watch the short 2-minute demo video for your application — Cinema 4D, Blender or Houdini.

Once you're comfortable with the basics, check out our manuals for advanced information covering:

• Tile rendering

• Resubmitting jobs

• Custom frame lists

• Credit-saving techniques like custom slice numbers

If you have any questions, our support team is always here to help.

To use Drop & Render on multiple machines, use the User Manager feature.

Watch the video below to learn how it works:

If you're using TFD version 1465 or higher, no setup is needed — our plugin handles everything automatically.

For older versions, you'll need to set the cache path to a relative path. Our plugin will detect if this is necessary.

The relative path must point to the folder that contains your simulation cache folder. For example, if your cache is in a folder called "Cache 001" inside your project folder, the relative path is simply ./.

Step by step:

1. If you've already generated your cache, place the cache folder inside your project folder.

2. In the TFD settings, enter ./ in the path field.

3. For a new simulation, point the path to your project folder. Run the simulation, then enter ./ in the path field.

The price calculator provides an estimate, but actual costs can vary due to the many variables involved in rendering.

The most common reason is startup and pre-calculation time. By default, each node renders a single frame. Every time a frame starts, the node must launch Cinema 4D, load the project and run any pre-calculations (simulations, GI, etc.). This can add 1–2 minutes per frame.

For frames that render in under 10 minutes, this overhead becomes significant. Our Custom Slice Number feature solves this by sending multiple frames to each node.

If you still have questions about costs, send us:

• Your workstation specs (CPU, GPU and RAM)

• Your project specs (frame count, render time per frame)

• The name of your submitted job

• (Optional) The log file from your project folder

We support all versions of every plugin we offer — both the latest releases and older ones.

Our C4D plugin auto-detects all your installed plugins and their versions, then replicates your exact setup on the farm using environment variables. This eliminates version mismatches and ensures a high success rate.

We update all plugins daily, so the latest releases are always available.

A pool is a selection of specific node types on our farm. This option is useful for test frames or single images. For full animations, we recommend using the default pool for maximum speed.

CPU

Nodes with Cinebench scores over 3000. Ideal for single frames or quick test renders.

GPU

Nodes with 4 or more GPU cards (1080 Ti or 2080 Ti). Includes machines with up to 10 × 2080 Ti cards, and a 10 × Titan RTX machine available on request.

Memory

Nodes with more than 64 GB of RAM.

We recommend using the default install location for the Cloud Manager:

• PC: C:/Program Files (x86)/SquidNetSoftware/dropandrender

• Mac: /Applications/dropandrender

If you can't use the default path, you can set a custom location in the C4D plugin. Point it to the Cloud-Rendering or Cloud_ui folder so the plugin and Cloud Manager can communicate.

Our plugin auto-detects all your installed plugins and their versions. By default, this process is fully automatic.

For example, if you're using Redshift, the plugin detects your version and matches it on the farm — the same applies to X-Particles, TFD, GSG products and more.

The custom plugin field is primarily used during support. If a specific version causes issues, we can give you access to alternative versions through this field. The "Replace" button overrides the automatic detection, requiring manual entry — this is only used during troubleshooting.

Our system maintains all versions of every supported third-party plugin on the farm.

When you click "Check Scene" in the plugin, it scans your project for all active third-party plugins and their versions — entirely in the background.

For example, if you're using Redshift as your render engine and X-Particles for simulations, the plugin detects both versions and creates matching environment variables on the farm. This eliminates version differences and ensures your renders match your local output.

We always have the latest releases ready, but feel free to contact us to confirm.

Follow these steps:

1. Make sure you're logged in to the Cloud Manager.

2. Verify the Cloud Manager is installed in the default location:

   • Mac: /Applications/DropandRender

   • PC: C://Program Files/SquidNetSoftware/DropandRender/

3. Reset the Advanced tab inside the C4D plugin.

4. Save your .c4d project to a local drive.

If the issue persists, send us the log file from your project folder.

No special setup is needed. You can use an absolute path for your cache just as you normally would. Our C4D plugin automatically finds all cache files and remaps the paths on the farm.

Make sure this option is enabled so all GPU cards on our nodes are utilised. Don't forget to save your project afterward.

On macOS Catalina and later, you need to allow the Cloud Manager in Security & Privacy.

1. Open System Preferences > Security & Privacy.

2. Launch the Cloud Manager. Click "Cancel" when the warning appears.

3. The Cloud Manager will now appear in Security & Privacy. Click "Allow" to grant access.

We support:

• R15 through to the latest release (2025 at the time of writing)

• Both Mac and Windows

For more details:

Supported software

Cryptomatte passes are fully supported on the farm and require no additional setup. Render them just as you would locally.

Cryptomatte passes are fully supported on the farm and require no additional setup. Render them just as you would locally.

No. Drop & Render lets you create unlimited team member accounts at no extra cost. Each user gets their own renders, data and settings, while sharing a common credit pool and invoicing under one administrator.

Read more on our dedicated page.

24/7, 365 days a year.

We email your invoice automatically after each credit purchase. You can also download it as a PDF from your user profile.

As long as you don't delete your Drop and Render account, your render credits will not expire!

The free render credits are added automatically when you create an account.

To make your payment as easy as you want, you can choose out of many payment methods:

• American Express

• Apple Pay

• Maestro

• Mastercard

• PayPal

• Visa

• Bancontact (BE)

• Carte Bleue (FR)

• Dankort (DK)

• EPS Ãœberweisung (AT)

• iDeal (NL)

• Trustly (Most of EU)

• SOFORT (EU)

If the Cloud Manager crashes on login, your workstation may be blocking the connection.

Make sure the Cloud Manager is whitelisted in both your antivirus software and your firewall.

Still having issues?

If you're on a restricted network with closed ports, we need ports 17392 and 17393 to be open. The host address is: www.dropandrender-farm.com

With our Smart Upload system, you don't need to manually collect your project before sending it to the farm. This applies to all asset types, including textures, VDB, Alembic, OCIO, Xref, Redshift Proxy, X-Particles cache, Realflow cache, FTD cache, FumeFX cache and more.

How it works:

1. We scan your project and build a list of every file needed to render it.

2. Only the required files are uploaded.

3. Once your job starts, a script remaps all paths to work on our farm — including XP cache, render pass locations and more — with no added delay.

We store all your files for 7 days. If you upload another project using the same assets within that period, those files won't need to be uploaded again.

1. Open the Cloud Manager.

2. Go to Preferences:

   • PC: Help > Preferences

   • Mac: cloud_ui > Preferences

3. Click the "Plugin Manager" button at the bottom.

4. Right-click the plugin you want to uninstall and select "Uninstall".

After submitting a test frame and confirming the results, you can use the resubmit feature to change the frame range without uploading again.

Go to your online dashboard, click on your job and select "Change render" in the top right. Here you can adjust the frame range, frames per slice and optionally enter a custom frame list.

Note: resubmitting always overwrites the existing job in the queue (if still present).

The most accurate way is to render a few test frames on the farm, then multiply the cost by your total frame count.

For an upfront estimate, you have two options:

1. Use the online cost calculator, which gives a rough but useful estimate.

2. Use the Deadline Control feature in the C4D plugin. This provides both a price estimate and an expected completion time.

Redshift proxy files are fully supported on the farm. If your proxy file contains textures, their paths must be relative to the final .c4d project. We can't remap Redshift texture paths inside proxies as there is no API available for this.

In Cinema 4D:

1. Open the original proxy scene (.c4d file).

2. Convert all texture paths to relative paths (save your project with assets).

3. Save this file in the same location as your main .c4d project.

4. Export the .rs file to the same folder as your main project.

5. Import the proxy into your main project.

In Houdini:

1. Open the original proxy file in Houdini.

2. Convert all paths to relative paths.

3. Export the .rs file to the same folder as your main .c4d project.

4. Import the proxy into your main project.

Where possible, we recommend using Alembic files instead. They offer the same benefits as proxy files without the path setup.

Drop & Render is a small, dedicated team based in The Netherlands, serving professionals and studios worldwide.

Our goal is to build advanced yet user-friendly tools that speed up your workflow. Whether you're an independent contractor on a tight deadline or part of a large studio requiring a range of features, we're here to help you save time and money.

We're a team of 3D software enthusiasts who work seven days a week, always looking for new ways to improve our service and deliver your renders as quickly as possible.

Visit the pages below for a comprehensive list of all supported software, render engines and plugins:

Supported software for Cinema 4D

We always support your version. Our Cinema 4D plugin detects all your installed plugins and their versions, then replicates your exact setup on the farm. This virtually eliminates version-related issues.

We update all plugins daily.

For a quick estimate, use the price calculator on our website:

Pricing page

For a more accurate figure, submit a few test frames to the farm and multiply the cost by your total frame count.

You can also use our Deadline Control feature to set a maximum budget and deadline before submitting:

Existing account holders

Go to your dashboard and open the support page. Our team is available to help with any questions.

New users

Use the chat system on our website for immediate assistance.

Direct contact

For additional enquiries, email us at info(at)dropandrender(dot)com.

Support hours

Our team is available nearly 24/7 through the chat system.

Time zone: CET (Central European Time)

Headquarters

Dordrecht / Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Company details

• VAT Number: NL863831965B01

• Chamber of Commerce: 86013165

If you'd like to submit jobs in advance and start rendering later, disable the "Auto Start Job" option in the Advanced tab of the Cinema 4D plugin. This is useful for saving upload time or preparing multiple jobs to start at once.

Our upload system simplifies the process of submitting Cinema 4D projects to the farm. Instead of manually remapping assets and ensuring relative paths, the system handles everything for you.

How it works

When you upload a project, the system identifies all necessary assets, uploads them individually and remaps the paths on our end.

Built-in synchronisation

Each file is stored individually for 7 days. If you upload another project that uses the same assets within that period, those files won't be uploaded again — saving time on consecutive jobs.

Should I keep this enabled?

We strongly recommend keeping Smart Upload enabled. If you disable it, only your project folder will be uploaded and you'll need to ensure all asset paths are relative.

Yes. Drop & Render offers full native support for Solaris and USD workflows within Houdini's LOP context.

Connect our submitter HDA directly to your render node (such as a "usdrender_rop") inside the LOP network and click "Submit Project".

We offer two modes under the Karma Render Workflow option:

• USD conversion per frame: Each frame is converted to USD and rendered immediately. Often faster to submit and avoids long conversion times upfront.

• USD convert all frames first: All frames are converted to USD before rendering starts. More stable for complex scenes or when you want full control over USD outputs.

In both cases, final rendering is handled by Husk — fully managed by our system.

Yes. Connect our submitter HDA directly to your caching nodes — such as File Cache, Alembic Export or Redshift Proxy nodes — and submit with a single click. You can submit up to 100 caching tasks per submission.

Once the cache completes, output files are placed in the exact location specified in your Houdini nodes. No manual file management needed.

Yes! Drop & Render supports flexible submissions directly from your Houdini networks. You can submit jobs from:

• SOP networks: Ideal for geometry or simulation caching tasks.

• ROP networks: Perfect for rendering with engines like Redshift, Karma, or Mantra.

• LOP networks (Solaris): Optimized for USD-based workflows and rendering with Husk.

Simply connect our Drop & Render submitter HDA to your chosen node and submit your project with a single click, fitting seamlessly into your preferred Houdini workflow.

Yes. Our system automatically detects and activates your custom HDAs upon submission — no additional setup required.

If your HDA uses restricted Python modules, you may be asked to become a Certified Studio, which involves a simple verification form.

We take data security seriously. Your files and project data are encrypted and protected throughout the entire rendering process. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.

Yes. Our system automatically checks each file: if it was uploaded within the past 7 days, it won't be uploaded again. This significantly reduces upload times for consecutive jobs.

You have up to 5 TB of storage available, with more available on request. No manual file management is needed — you can check the sync status of your files in the Assets tab of the Drop & Render panel.

Yes. Drop & Render offers several ways to monitor your jobs:

• Cloud Manager: Track status and progress directly from your desktop.

• Online dashboard: View real-time progress and access log files from any browser.

• Mobile apps (iOS & Android): Manage your jobs on the go.

All options let you suspend, cancel, adjust priority and manage your renders from anywhere.

Yes.

Parallel rendering

Connect multiple nodes to the Drop & Render HDA. All connected nodes render simultaneously.

Sequential rendering (dependencies)

Chain dependent nodes together (e.g. cache a simulation before the final render), then connect only the final node to the HDA. Our system automatically handles the execution order.

You can place the HDA in various networks:

• SOP networks: For simulations, connect directly to file cache nodes.

• LOP networks: For Solaris/USD workflows.

• Fetch & Merge nodes: To reference nodes across networks or control execution order.

Render times and charges are based on standardised benchmarks:

• GPU rendering: Charged according to OctaneBench scores.

• CPU rendering: Charged according to Cinebench scores.

For a quick estimate, visit our pricing page and compare your workstation's performance to our hardware.

For the most accurate estimate, submit a few test frames directly to the farm.

Yes. You can use environment variables freely — our system automatically resolves them on the farm. No adjustments needed before submission.

No. Drop & Render is an official SideFX partner and we cover all Houdini licence costs. You can scale your rendering across our entire farm — easily over 100 machines — without worrying about licensing.

Yes. Through our web interface, you can create and manage multiple user accounts with Admin or User-level permissions.

All team members can:

• Submit and manage jobs

• Share and access project assets

• Download each other's rendered outputs

To manage your team, go to the Team section in your studio settings.

For an up-to-date overview of all supported Blender versions, add-ons and render engines:

Blender software support

We support all Octane versions. Our plugin uses environment variables to match your local Blender and Octane setup — even if you're using an older version. Everything is auto-detected, with no manual configuration required.

Enable the "Tile Render" checkbox in the Drop & Render Blender add-on. Your image will be split and rendered across multiple machines for a significant speed boost.

Our pricing calculator provides an estimate, but actual costs may vary — especially with short frame render times.

The most common reason is startup overhead. Each frame launches a new Blender instance, which involves loading the project and running pre-calculations (simulations, GI, displacement, etc.). This can take 1–2 minutes per frame. If your frames only take 5–10 minutes to render, a significant portion of your credits goes toward setup rather than rendering.

Solution: Use the Custom Slice Number in our plugin to send multiple frames to each machine, reducing startup overhead.

Still unsure? Send us:

• Your workstation specs (CPU, GPU, RAM)

• Your project specs (frame count, render time per frame)

• The name of your submitted job

• (Optional) The log file from your project folder

We support all versions of all major add-ons — both the latest and older releases.

Our plugin automatically detects all your installed Blender add-ons and their exact versions, then replicates your setup on the farm. Everything is updated daily.

Our plugin auto-detects your add-ons and their versions. For example, if you're using Redshift 3.5.12, we match that version exactly on the farm. The same applies to Flip Fluids, Octane, LuxCore and others.

No manual configuration is needed.

Advanced use: If a specific version causes issues during support, we may provide access to manual version override options using the "Replace" button. This is only used during troubleshooting.

Follow these steps:

1. Make sure you're logged in to the Cloud Manager.

2. Verify the Cloud Manager is installed in the default location:

   • Mac: /Applications/DropandRender

   • Windows: C:\Program Files\SquidNetSoftware\DropandRender\

3. Reset the "Advanced" tab inside the Blender add-on.

If the issue persists, send us the log file from your project folder.

A render farm is a network of high-performance computers working together to render 3D images, animations, and visual effects far faster than a single workstation ever could. Instead of rendering one frame at a time on your local machine, the work is distributed across hundreds of machines simultaneously, so a project that would take days locally can often be completed in a matter of hours.

Cloud render farms like Drop & Render work entirely online. You submit your project directly from your 3D application, our system replicates your exact setup on the farm, and completed frames are delivered back to you automatically. You only pay for the computing time you actually use, with no hardware to buy, maintain, or upgrade.

With Drop & Render, the whole process happens directly inside Cinema 4D. No extra steps, no file collecting, no path remapping. You install our Cinema 4D plugin, hit "Check Scene" to make sure everything is ready, and submit. That's it.

Once submitted, your project is automatically uploaded to our farm. Our system recreates your exact Cinema 4D setup, the right version, the right plugins, the right render engine, and spreads your frames across dozens of machines working in parallel. When each frame finishes, it's automatically downloaded straight to your workstation, placed in the exact output folder you defined inside Cinema 4D. It works just like rendering locally, except many times faster.

You don't need to babysit it either. Track progress in real time via the Cloud Manager on your desktop, the web dashboard, or our iOS and Android app.

We support all major Cinema 4D render engines, and every version of each one: Redshift, Octane, Arnold, Corona, V-Ray, Cycles 4D, Physical, and Standard.

What makes this seamless is our automatic version matching. Our plugin detects exactly which render engine and version you're running locally, then replicates that environment on the farm. So whether you're on Redshift 3.5 or the latest 2026 release, Octane from two years ago or today, you'll get a pixel-perfect match with your local renders, every time.

No manual configuration. No version conflicts. Just submit and render.

It's more affordable than most people expect, and you can try it risk-free. Every new account starts with 25 euros in free credits, which is enough to render a real project and see exactly how it works before committing to anything.

Pricing is based on your render engine's benchmark score (Cinebench for CPU rendering, OctaneBench for GPU rendering). The more powerful our hardware is relative to yours, the faster your renders complete, and you only pay for the actual render time used.

To get a quick estimate for your specific project, use our pricing calculator at https://dropandrender.com/pricing. Enter your frame count, your per-frame render time, and your render engine, and you'll get a realistic cost breakdown instantly.

For even more accuracy: submit a single test frame to the farm first, then multiply that result by your total frame count. That gives you the most reliable estimate before you commit your full job.

No, and this is one of the biggest things that sets Drop & Render apart.

Most render farms require you to "Save Project with Assets," manually remap texture paths, and double-check every external file reference before you can submit. We've eliminated all of that.

Our plugin scans your entire scene and automatically identifies every file your project needs: textures, VDB caches, Alembic files, X-Particles caches, TurbulenceFD caches, Redshift Proxies, OCIO profiles, XRefs, RealFlow data, and more. It then uploads only what's needed (and skips anything already on our servers from a previous job), remaps all paths on our end, and starts rendering.

From your side, you just hit submit. Everything else is handled automatically.

We support all versions of all the plugins we carry, including older releases that other farms have dropped. Our plugin auto-detects every third-party plugin active in your scene, along with the exact version you're using, and mirrors that setup on the farm. This dramatically reduces version-related issues and means you're never forced to upgrade before a deadline.

Supported plugins include: X-Particles, TurbulenceFD, Forester, FumeFX, Krakatoa, Ornatrix, RealFlow, Hot4D, GSG Light Kit Pro, GSG HDRI Studio, GSG HDRI Link, GSG Signal, GSG Transform, GorillaCam, Cycles 4D, CV-ArtSmart, CV-BooleTools, CV-Effectors, CV-Splines, TerraformFX, Trypogen, Topowire, Topoformer, MeshTools, Nexus, Wireshader Pro, and many more.

We update all plugin versions daily so the latest releases are always ready. If you're unsure whether your specific plugin or version is supported, just reach out. Our team is available nearly 24/7.

Very fast. We run our own dedicated datacenter equipped with the latest GPUs, and on average your job will have 100 to 200 GPUs working on it simultaneously.

That kind of parallelization changes what's possible. A 200-frame animation doesn't render frame by frame. It renders all 200 frames at the same time, each on its own machine. What would take overnight on your workstation can be done in the time it takes to have lunch.

For large still images, our Tile Rendering feature splits a single frame across multiple machines, which means even hero shots render in minutes rather than hours.

Need it even faster? Our priority system, Sapphire, Emerald, and Diamond, lets you jump the queue when you have a real deadline. And with Deadline Control built into the plugin, you can get an upfront estimate of both render time and cost before you commit, so there are no surprises.

Yes, and we take this seriously at every level.

All file transfers between your workstation and our servers are fully encrypted. Our datacenter holds an ISO 27001 certification, which is the internationally recognized standard for information security management. This isn't a checkbox. It means your project files, client assets, and render outputs are protected by rigorously audited security practices.

Your files are stored on our servers for 7 days after your job completes, then automatically deleted. We never share, access, or use your project data for any purpose beyond rendering it.

If you're working on a sensitive client project and need an additional layer of protection, we also offer an NDA you can sign before submitting. You can find more detail in our Privacy Policy at https://dropandrender.com/privacy.

Yes, and there's no extra charge for it. Drop & Render includes full team functionality at no additional cost. You can add an unlimited number of team members to your account.

Each artist gets their own login and sees their own jobs, while the studio shares a single pool of credits and a unified billing overview. Admins can monitor all active jobs across the team, manage user permissions, and download anyone's completed renders without interrupting their workflow.

It works just as well for a two-person freelance duo as it does for a larger studio running multiple projects simultaneously. Everyone submits from their own Cinema 4D, everything lands where it should, and the account stays organized and under control.

No. Your credits never expire. As long as your Drop & Render account is active, any credits you've purchased will be there whenever you need them. There's no pressure to use them within a certain window, so you can buy credits when it suits you and render when your project is ready.

We support a wide range of payment methods to make purchasing credits as straightforward as possible, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, Apple Pay, Maestro, iDeal (NL), Bancontact (BE), Carte Bleue (FR), Dankort (DK), EPS Uberweisung (AT), Trustly (most of EU), and SOFORT (EU).

It's purely pay as you go. There are no monthly fees, no subscriptions, and no minimum spend. You buy credits when you need them, use them at your own pace, and your account stays active for as long as you like. If you have a quiet month with no renders, you pay nothing. Credits roll over and are always there when your next project starts.

Yes. Every new account starts with 25 euros in free credits, no payment details required to get started. That's enough to submit a real project, see how the plugin works, and get a reliable sense of what your renders will cost before you commit to anything.

We'd recommend using those free credits to render a few test frames first. Multiply that per-frame time by your total frame count and you'll have the most accurate cost estimate possible before you run your full job.

It depends on your deadline and how quickly you need machines allocated to your job.

Sapphire is the most affordable option and works well for the majority of renders. In most cases your job starts within minutes. If you have time to spare and want to keep costs down, this is the right choice.

Emerald is the sweet spot for teams and studio work. Your jobs always start before Sapphire and gather additional machines faster, with a 150% speed boost. If you're on a regular production schedule with consistent deadlines, Emerald gives you reliable turnaround without paying for maximum priority.

Diamond is for when every minute counts. You get the fastest possible machine allocation and a 250% speed boost. It's the right call for tight client deadlines where the cost of being late outweighs the cost of the priority tier.

One thing worth knowing: you're only charged for a higher tier if it actually speeds up your job. If machines are available and your job starts immediately, even Diamond is billed at the Sapphire rate.

There are a few things you can do to make sure there are no surprises before you commit a full job.

The most reliable method is to submit one or two test frames first. This gives you a real per-frame cost on our hardware, which you can then multiply by your total frame count for an accurate estimate. It's more precise than the calculator because it accounts for your specific scene complexity.

The pricing calculator on this page gives you a solid upfront estimate based on your benchmark score, frame count, and average frame time. It won't be exact, but it's a good starting point.

For the most control, use the Deadline Control feature inside the plugin. It estimates both the cost and completion time for your job before you submit, so you can adjust priority or frame settings if needed.

If costs do come in higher than the calculator suggested, the most common reason is short frame render times. Each frame requires a brief startup period to load your project and any pre-calculations. If your frames only take a few minutes each, that startup time becomes a bigger proportion of your total cost. Using the Custom Slice Number in the plugin sends multiple frames to a single machine, reducing that overhead and bringing costs back in line.

The calculator uses your benchmark score to compare your workstation's performance to our farm hardware, which is how it calculates render time and cost estimates.

For CPU rendering you need a Cinebench score, and for GPU rendering you need an OctaneBench score. If you haven't run these benchmarks before, you can find your score and compare it to our hardware directly on our benchmarks page at https://dropandrender.com/benchmarks.

If you'd rather skip the benchmark entirely, just submit a single test frame to the farm and use that as your estimate. It's the most accurate method and takes just a few minutes with your free credits.

Yes. Drop & Render offers bulk credit discounts, so the more credits you purchase at once, the better the rate you get. This makes it easy for studios and frequent users to plan their render budget efficiently and get more rendering done for the same spend.

If you have a large project coming up or want to stock up for a busy production period, buying in bulk is the most cost-effective way to use the platform.

A render farm is a network of high-performance computers working together to render 3D images, animations, and visual effects far faster than a single workstation ever could. Instead of rendering one frame at a time on your local machine, the work is distributed across hundreds of machines simultaneously, so a project that would take days locally can often be completed in a matter of hours.

Cloud render farms like Drop & Render work entirely online. You submit your project directly from your 3D application, our system replicates your exact setup on the farm, and completed frames are delivered back to you automatically. You only pay for the computing time you actually use, with no hardware to buy, maintain, or upgrade.

A render farm makes sense any time your deadline is tighter than your local hardware can handle. The most common situations are: animations or sequences with a large number of frames, complex scenes with heavy geometry, detailed lighting, VDB volumes, or particle simulations, and projects with high resolution output like 4K or 8K.

It also makes sense for studios with multiple artists who would otherwise compete for a shared render machine, and for freelancers who want professional-grade output without investing in dedicated render hardware. With Drop & Render you can try the service for free with €25 of credits on signup, so there is no commitment required to find out whether it suits your workflow.

Drop & Render supports Cinema 4D, Blender, and Houdini. All versions of each application are supported, and our system automatically detects which version you are using so nothing needs to be configured manually.

Supported render engines include Redshift, Octane, Arnold, V-Ray, Corona, Karma CPU, Karma XPU, Mantra, Cycles, EEVEE, Physical, and Standard. Drop & Render is an official Maxon partner for Cinema 4D and Redshift, and an official SideFX partner for Houdini and Karma. All render engine licensing on the farm is covered by us — you do not need to purchase additional licenses to render at scale.

Submission works directly from inside your 3D application with a single click. For Cinema 4D users, you install our plugin and submit from the Drop & Render panel inside C4D. For Blender users, the process is the same through our Blender add-on. For Houdini users, we provide an HDA that you connect to your render node inside your network.

In all cases, our system automatically scans your scene, collects all assets and dependencies, checks for compatibility issues, and sends everything to the farm. There is no manual asset collection, no file path remapping, and no need to leave your application. Completed frames are delivered to the output path defined in your scene, exactly as if you had rendered locally.

Drop & Render runs its own dedicated datacenter equipped with the latest Nvidia GPU hardware. On average, each render job has 100 to 200 GPUs working on it simultaneously. That level of parallelization means a single-frame scene that takes 2 hours locally can often complete in under a minute on the farm, and a 500-frame animation that would take weeks locally can be done in hours.

Jobs are distributed using tile rendering for single frames and frame-by-frame distribution for animations and sequences. You can also choose your priority level — Sapphire, Emerald, or Diamond — to control how aggressively the farm allocates resources to your job. Our pricing calculator at dropandrender.com/pricing lets you estimate your render time and cost before you commit.

Drop & Render uses a pay-as-you-go model with no subscription fees, no monthly minimums, and no contracts. You purchase render credits and spend them only when you actually render. Credits never expire as long as your account remains active.

The exact cost of a job depends on the complexity of your scene, the render engine you use, and the priority level you choose. You can get an upfront estimate using our pricing calculator at dropandrender.com/pricing — enter your Cinebench or OctaneBench score and the calculator gives you a projected cost and render time before you submit anything. Bulk credit purchases are available at a discount for studios and heavy users.

Yes. Every new account receives €25 of free render credits on signup. No payment details are required to claim them. You can use those credits to render real frames from your own projects and evaluate the speed, quality, and workflow before deciding whether to purchase more.

We recommend using your free credits on a test frame first to verify your scene renders correctly on the farm and to get a realistic sense of the render time and cost for your specific project.

Yes. Drop & Render is ISO 27001 certified, which is the internationally recognized standard for information security management. All file transfers between your machine and our datacenter are fully encrypted. Project files are automatically deleted from our servers after 7 days, and you can request earlier deletion at any time.

For studios and clients with stricter requirements, we offer a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) which you can sign digitally at dropandrender.com/nda. Our full privacy policy is available at dropandrender.com/privacy.

No. All software licensing on the farm is covered by Drop & Render. This includes licenses for Cinema 4D, Blender, Houdini, and all supported render engines including Redshift, Octane, Arnold, V-Ray, Corona, Karma, and others.

Drop & Render is an official Maxon partner and an official SideFX partner. When you scale from 1 machine to 200 machines on the farm, there is no additional licensing cost on your end. You only need your own local license for working in your application, which you already have. Everything on the farm side is fully managed and covered by us.

With Drop & Render, the whole process happens directly inside Blender. No extra steps, no file collecting, no path remapping. You install our Blender add-on, hit "Check Scene" to make sure everything is ready, and submit. That's it.

Once submitted, your project is automatically uploaded to our farm. Our system recreates your exact Blender setup, the right version, the right add-ons, the right render engine, and spreads your frames across dozens of machines working in parallel. When each frame finishes, it's automatically downloaded straight to your workstation, placed in the exact output folder you defined inside Blender. It works just like rendering locally, except many times faster.

You don't need to babysit it either. Track progress in real time via the Cloud Manager on your desktop, the web dashboard, or our iOS and Android app.

We support all major Blender render engines, and every version of each one: Cycles, EEVEE, and Octane for Blender.

What makes this seamless is our automatic version matching. Our add-on detects exactly which render engine and version you're running locally, then replicates that environment on the farm. So whether you're on an older Octane release or the very latest build, you'll get a pixel-perfect match with your local renders, every time.

No manual configuration. No version conflicts. Just submit and render.

It's more affordable than most people expect, and you can try it risk-free. Every new account starts with 25 euros in free credits, which is enough to render a real project and see exactly how it works before committing to anything.

Pricing is based on your render engine's benchmark score (Cinebench for CPU rendering, OctaneBench for GPU rendering). The more powerful our hardware is relative to yours, the faster your renders complete, and you only pay for the actual render time used.

To get a quick estimate for your specific project, use our pricing calculator at https://dropandrender.com/pricing. Enter your frame count, your per-frame render time, and your render engine, and you'll get a realistic cost breakdown instantly.

For even more accuracy: submit a single test frame to the farm first, then multiply that result by your total frame count. That gives you the most reliable estimate before you commit your full job.

No, and this is one of the biggest things that sets Drop & Render apart.

Most render farms require you to manually pack your Blender project, remap texture paths, and double-check every external file reference before you can submit. We've eliminated all of that.

Our add-on scans your entire scene and automatically identifies every file your project needs: textures, HDRI maps, Alembic caches, VDB volumes, simulation data, and more. It then uploads only what's needed (and skips anything already on our servers from a previous job), remaps all paths on our end, and starts rendering.

From your side, you just hit submit. Everything else is handled automatically.

We support all versions of all the add-ons we carry, including older releases that other farms have dropped. Our add-on auto-detects every third-party add-on active in your scene, along with the exact version you're using, and mirrors that setup on the farm. This dramatically reduces version-related issues and means you're never forced to upgrade before a deadline.

Supported add-ons include: FLIP Fluids, Botaniq, Scatter, Bricker, ACES, and more.

We update all add-on versions daily so the latest releases are always ready. If you're unsure whether your specific add-on or version is supported, just reach out. Our team is available nearly 24/7.

Very fast. We run our own dedicated datacenter equipped with the latest GPUs, and on average your job will have 100 to 200 GPUs working on it simultaneously.

That kind of parallelization changes what's possible. A 200-frame animation doesn't render frame by frame. It renders all 200 frames at the same time, each on its own machine. What would take overnight on your workstation can be done in the time it takes to have lunch.

For large still images, our Tile Rendering feature splits a single frame across multiple machines, which means even hero shots render in minutes rather than hours. Just enable the Tile Render checkbox in the Drop & Render Blender add-on and we handle the rest.

Need it even faster? Our priority system, Sapphire, Emerald, and Diamond, lets you jump the queue when you have a real deadline. And with Deadline Control built into the add-on, you can get an upfront estimate of both render time and cost before you commit, so there are no surprises.

Yes, and we take this seriously at every level.

All file transfers between your workstation and our servers are fully encrypted. Our datacenter holds an ISO 27001 certification, which is the internationally recognized standard for information security management. This isn't a checkbox. It means your project files, client assets, and render outputs are protected by rigorously audited security practices.

Your files are stored on our servers for 7 days after your job completes, then automatically deleted. We never share, access, or use your project data for any purpose beyond rendering it.

If you're working on a sensitive client project and need an additional layer of protection, we also offer an NDA you can sign before submitting. You can find more detail in our Privacy Policy at https://dropandrender.com/privacy.

Yes, and there's no extra charge for it. Drop & Render includes full team functionality at no additional cost. You can add an unlimited number of team members to your account.

Each artist gets their own login and sees their own jobs, while the studio shares a single pool of credits and a unified billing overview. Admins can monitor all active jobs across the team, manage user permissions, and download anyone's completed renders without interrupting their workflow.

It works just as well for a two-person freelance duo as it does for a larger studio running multiple Blender projects simultaneously. Everyone submits from their own Blender, everything lands where it should, and the account stays organized and under control.

Yes. Drop & Render supports submissions from any Houdini network context:

• SOP networks: Ideal for geometry processing and simulation caching tasks.

• ROP networks: Perfect for rendering with Redshift, Karma, Mantra, or Octane.

• LOP networks (Solaris): Fully optimised for USD-based workflows and rendering with Husk.

Just connect our Drop & Render HDA to your chosen node and submit with a single click. The HDA adapts to your graph, whether you're running a straightforward render, a multi-step simulation pipeline, or a complex PDG network, and fits into the workflow you already have without requiring any restructuring.

With Drop & Render, the entire process happens directly inside Houdini. No complex exports, no manual path remapping, no leaving the application. We're an official SideFX partner, and our custom HDA lives right inside your Houdini graph. You connect it to your render or cache nodes, hit submit, and your job is sent to the cloud instantly.

Our system recreates your exact Houdini setup on the farm, the right version, the right plugins, the right render engine, and distributes your frames across many machines working simultaneously. Outputs land directly on your workstation in the exact folder path defined in your ROPs, just like rendering locally.

You can track everything in real time via the Cloud Manager, the web dashboard, or our iOS and Android app, from anywhere, without needing to be at your workstation.

We support all major Houdini render engines, and every version of each one: Redshift, Karma (both XPU and CPU), Octane, and Mantra.

Our system automatically detects the exact render engine and version you're running locally and matches it precisely on the farm. Whether you're on an older Redshift build or the latest Karma release, you'll get a pixel-perfect match with your local renders every time.

No manual configuration needed. No version conflicts. Just connect your nodes and submit.

It's more affordable than most people expect, and you can try it risk-free. Every new account starts with 25 euros in free credits, which is enough to render a real project and see exactly how it works before committing to anything.

Pricing is based on your render engine's benchmark score (Cinebench for CPU rendering, OctaneBench for GPU rendering). The more powerful our hardware is relative to yours, the faster your renders complete, and you only pay for the actual render time used.

To get a quick estimate for your specific project, use our pricing calculator at https://dropandrender.com/pricing. Enter your frame count, your per-frame render time, and your render engine, and you'll get a realistic cost breakdown instantly.

For even more accuracy: submit a single test frame to the farm first, then multiply that result by your total frame count. That gives you the most reliable estimate before you commit your full job.

Very fast. We run our own dedicated datacenter equipped with the latest GPUs, and on average your job will have 100 to 200 GPUs working on it simultaneously.

For Houdini users this matters especially with heavy simulation and FX work. Rather than waiting hours or days for simulations to cache and render locally, you can submit your entire pipeline, cache nodes, render nodes, and dependencies, in a single click. Our system respects your dependency chain automatically, so simulations finish before rendering begins, just as they would locally.

You can also submit up to 100 concurrent tasks in one submission, and our priority system, Sapphire, Emerald, and Diamond, lets you jump the queue when a deadline is real.

Yes, and this is one of the most powerful things you can do with Drop & Render. Simulation caching is fully supported. Simply connect our HDA directly to your caching nodes, File Cache, Alembic Export, Redshift Proxy, or others, and submit in a single click.

You can submit up to 100 caching tasks simultaneously in one submission, and our system handles the dependency order automatically. If your pipeline requires a simulation to finish before rendering starts, just chain your nodes accordingly and we'll respect that order exactly.

Once caching completes, output files are placed directly in the path you've defined in your Houdini nodes. No manual file management, no downloads required. It's as seamless as running it locally, just dramatically faster.

Yes, and we take this seriously at every level.

All file transfers between your workstation and our servers are fully encrypted. Our datacenter holds an ISO 27001 certification, which is the internationally recognized standard for information security management. This isn't a checkbox. It means your project files, simulation caches, client assets, and render outputs are protected by rigorously audited security practices.

Your files are stored on our servers for 7 days after your job completes, then automatically deleted. We never share, access, or use your project data for any purpose beyond rendering it.

If you're working on a sensitive client project and need an additional layer of protection, we also offer an NDA you can sign before submitting. You can find more detail in our Privacy Policy at https://dropandrender.com/privacy.

Yes, both Karma CPU and Karma XPU are fully supported. Our farm hardware is equipped with the latest CPUs and GPUs, so whichever mode your project is set up for will run correctly without any changes to your scene.

Karma XPU in particular benefits enormously from the farm. Since XPU is GPU-accelerated, having 100 to 200 GPUs working on your job simultaneously means render times that simply are not achievable on a local workstation. You submit the same way regardless of mode, and our system handles the rest.

Everything happens directly inside Houdini through our Drop & Render HDA. You connect the HDA to your Karma render node inside your network, hit submit, and the job is sent to the farm instantly. There is no need to leave Houdini, export anything manually, or remap file paths.

Our system scans your scene, collects all necessary assets, and replicates your exact Houdini setup on the farm, including your Karma version and any custom HDAs you are using. Completed frames are delivered directly to the output path defined in your ROPs, just like rendering locally.

Full setup instructions are available in our Houdini manual at https://dropandrender.com/manuals/houdini.

Yes, full native support for Solaris and USD workflows is included. You connect our HDA directly to your Karma render node inside the LOP network, such as a usdrender_rop, and submit with a single click.

We offer two Karma render workflow modes:

• USD conversion per frame: Each frame is converted to USD and rendered immediately. This is typically faster to submit and avoids long upfront conversion times.

• USD convert all frames first: All frames are converted to USD on our farm before rendering begins. This is more stable for complex scenes where you need full control over USD outputs.

In both cases, final rendering is handled by Husk, SideFX's native USD renderer, fully managed by our system with no manual setup required.

Yes, and this is one of the most powerful ways to use the farm. You can submit your entire pipeline in a single click, from simulation caching through to final Karma renders, and our system handles the dependency order automatically.

Just chain your nodes the way you normally would: connect your File Cache or simulation nodes first, then your Karma render node, and attach our HDA to the end of the chain. The farm will run your simulation, wait for it to complete, and then start rendering without any manual intervention.

You can submit up to 100 tasks simultaneously in one submission, making it practical to cache and render an entire shot or sequence in one go.

Yes. Our Drop & Render HDA supports submissions from any Houdini network context:

• LOP networks (Solaris): The primary context for Karma, fully optimised for USD-based workflows and rendering with Husk.

• ROP networks: Also supported for Karma render setups outside of Solaris.

• SOP networks: Ideal for geometry processing or simulation caching tasks that feed into your Karma pipeline.

Just connect the HDA to your chosen node and submit with a single click. The HDA adapts to your graph structure and fits into the workflow you already have without requiring any restructuring.

No. Drop & Render is an official SideFX partner, and all Houdini and Karma licensing on the farm is covered by us. You do not need to purchase additional render node licenses or worry about license counts when scaling across hundreds of machines.

You only need your own local Houdini license for working in the application, which you already have. Everything on the farm side is fully covered by Drop & Render.

Very fast. We run our own dedicated datacenter with the latest GPU hardware, and on average your job will have 100 to 200 GPUs working on it simultaneously.

For Karma XPU projects this is especially impactful. XPU is built to take advantage of GPU parallelization, and having that level of hardware dedicated to a single job produces results that are simply not possible on a local workstation. Complex FX shots and large frame counts that would take days locally can often be completed in a few hours on the farm.

For Karma CPU projects, the same parallelization applies across our CPU nodes, distributing your frames across many machines at once.

You can use the pricing calculator at https://dropandrender.com/pricing to get an upfront estimate before you commit your full job.

We support all Octane versions across all three supported applications, from older releases right through to the latest builds. You never need to upgrade your local Octane installation before submitting a job.

Our plugin automatically detects the exact Octane version you are running and replicates that environment on the farm before rendering begins. This means no version mismatches and no unexpected differences in your output, regardless of how old or recent your build is.

The full list of supported versions is available on the Octane render farm page at https://dropandrender.com/octane-render-farm.

We support Octane across all three of our main applications: Cinema 4D, Blender, and Houdini. Each has its own dedicated plugin that handles submission directly from within the app, with no need to change how you work.

Cinema 4D users submit via our Cinema 4D plugin. Blender users submit via our Blender add-on. Houdini users submit via our HDA, which connects directly to your Octane render nodes inside the graph. In all three cases the process is the same: check your scene, submit, and your completed frames download directly to your workstation.

Yes, Octane Render Passes are fully supported. You configure your render pass outputs inside your 3D application exactly as you normally would, and our system handles the rest. Each pass is rendered and delivered to the output path you defined, with no additional setup required on your end.

This applies to Cinema 4D, Blender, and Houdini workflows.

Yes, Octane VDB volumes are fully supported. Our smart upload system scans your scene and automatically detects all VDB files, uploading them alongside your project without any manual path setup required.

You work with your VDB volumes exactly as you normally would inside your 3D application. Our plugin takes care of finding the files, uploading them, and making sure they are correctly referenced on the farm.

Yes, Cryptomatte is fully supported for Octane renders across all our supported applications. There is no additional setup required. Just configure Cryptomatte in your scene the way you normally would and submit. The passes will be rendered and delivered alongside your beauty renders to the output path you defined.

Yes, Octane Proxies are fully supported. Our plugin automatically detects and uploads all proxy files as part of the normal submission process, with no manual path remapping needed.

For Houdini users, our HDA includes automatic Octane Proxy conversion, so you can work with proxies in your pipeline and submit without any extra preparation steps.

No. All Octane licensing on the farm is covered by Drop & Render. You do not need to purchase additional render node licenses or worry about license counts when scaling across dozens or hundreds of machines.

You only need your own local Octane license for working in your 3D application, which you already have. Everything on the farm side is handled by us.

Very fast. Octane is a GPU renderer, and our farm is built specifically for that. We run our own dedicated datacenter with the latest GPU hardware, and on average your job will have 100 to 200 GPUs working on it simultaneously.

Because all your frames are distributed across multiple machines at once, a 200-frame animation renders in roughly the same time as a single frame would take on our hardware. What takes overnight on your workstation can often be done in under an hour on the farm.

You can use the pricing calculator at https://dropandrender.com/pricing to get an upfront time and cost estimate based on your OctaneBench score and project settings. Or simply submit a test frame with your free credits and use that as your baseline.

We support all Redshift versions, from older releases right through to the latest builds. You never need to upgrade your local Redshift installation before submitting a job. Our system automatically detects the exact version you are running and matches it on the farm, so your renders come out exactly as you created them.

The full list of supported versions is available on the Redshift render farm page at https://dropandrender.com/redshift-render-farm.

We support Redshift across Cinema 4D and Houdini. Each application has its own dedicated plugin that handles submission directly from within the app, so there is no need to change how you work.

Cinema 4D users submit via our Cinema 4D plugin. Houdini users submit via our HDA, which connects directly to your render nodes inside the graph. In both cases the process is the same: check your scene, submit, and your output lands directly on your workstation.

Yes, and this is one of the things we are most proud of. When you submit a job, our plugin scans your local setup and detects the exact Redshift version you are using. We then replicate that environment on the farm before rendering begins.

This means no version mismatches, no unexpected differences in your output, and no need to touch your project settings before submitting. Whether you are on a release from two years ago or the latest update, the farm matches it exactly.

Yes, Redshift AOVs are fully supported. You set up your AOV outputs inside your 3D application exactly as you normally would, and our system handles everything from there. Each AOV is rendered and delivered to the output path you defined, with no additional setup required on your end.

This applies to both Cinema 4D and Houdini workflows.

Yes, Redshift Proxies are fully supported. Our smart upload system scans your scene and automatically detects all proxy files, uploading them alongside your project without any manual path remapping required.

One thing to keep in mind: if your proxy files reference textures, those texture paths need to be relative to your main project folder. Our plugin will flag this if it detects an issue, and our manuals walk you through the exact steps to set this up correctly.

No. Drop & Render is an official Maxon partner, and all Redshift licensing on the farm is covered by us. You do not need to purchase additional render node licenses or worry about license counts when scaling across hundreds of machines.

You only need your own local Redshift license for working in your 3D application, which you already have. Everything on the farm side is handled by Drop & Render.

Redshift is a GPU renderer, and our farm is built for exactly that. We run our own dedicated datacenter with the latest GPU hardware, and on average your job will have 100 to 200 GPUs working on it simultaneously.

Because all your frames are distributed across multiple machines at once, a 200-frame animation renders in roughly the same time as a single frame would take on our hardware. What takes overnight on your workstation can often be done in under an hour on the farm.

You can use the pricing calculator at https://dropandrender.com/pricing to get an upfront time and cost estimate based on your OctaneBench score and project settings.

The process is designed to be as close to rendering locally as possible, and it starts directly inside your 3D application.

For Cinema 4D: install our Cinema 4D plugin, open your project, run the scene check, and hit submit. The plugin collects all your assets automatically, uploads your project, and your completed frames download directly to the output path you set inside Cinema 4D.

For Houdini: install our HDA and connect it to your Redshift render node inside your graph. Hit submit and the farm takes over, respecting your dependency chain and delivering outputs to the folder defined in your ROPs.

In both cases there is no manual asset collection, no path remapping, and no leaving your application. Full setup guides are available in our manuals at https://dropandrender.com/manuals.