Question Do you use dedicated rip computer?

[GB2]

How exactly do you network all your computers but not be accessible to or from the internet?

 

[WildWestDesigns]

How exactly do you network all your computers but not be accessible to or from the internet?

Switch and assign static IPs, but not outside connection coming to and from the switch. Could do the same thing with a router that isn't getting an outside connection and have it set the IPs. The thing is to not have that outside line.

Nothing in the WAN port in other words.

 

[FatCat]

We simply use 2 different networks. Our design stations, my computer and my office managers computer with quickbooks all are on a network with internet access. Our RIP computer which runs Wasatch and Summa Cutter control is on a totally different network and doesn't get access to the internet unless we need to install a necessary update or patch. We carry files back and forth on USB sticks - perhaps not the most efficient process, but keeping the RIP computer off the internet makes me feel better.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

We simply use 2 different networks. Our design stations, my computer and my office managers computer with quickbooks all are on a network with internet access. Our RIP computer which runs Wasatch and Summa Cutter control is on a totally different network and doesn't get access to the internet unless we need to install a necessary update or patch. We carry files back and forth on USB sticks - perhaps not the most efficient process, but keeping the RIP computer off the internet makes me feel better.

What we do as well, except design computers are also on the LAN only network. There isn't much travel involved going from a computer connected to the internet to a computer connected to the LAN here, so using USBs isn't that much of a hardship.

One thing that I would add, is that I do scan files that came though as well, before I put them on the LAN. I don't care what PC you are running connected to the outside network (here, we are Linux, but this would apply to any PC OS in my mind (Windows, Linux and Mac)).

 

[Sign.ed]

I agree workload would really dictate the NEED for a separate device. I finally got my boss to allow me to have a stand alone for our rip and it absolutely helps the work flow. All the machine does is rip and print. Its a standing station to prevent anyone from lingering too long.

It's nice not losing what I am doing when Onyx has a huge file and crushes the machine too, or when trying to download an attachment and it slows my versaworks to a crawl.

 

[Andy_warp]

We have a standalone rip/file server that acts as a separate entity from our network. SSD main drive and 2 huge hard disk drives. We have it shared to our macs so if our network goes down we can limp along. The key for us is keeping our design and print layouts separate from sales/marketing/adminstrative/cad department. The only thing art related that gets put on our network is digital pdf proofs. People can view them but not get into our graphics files. With multiple prepress techs it's a pain for one person to have to stop while something rips. If one person is doing everything, not sure it's necessary. Our printer has a front end, so we are ripping to a file format instead of directly driving the printer.

 

[chinaski]

I use caldera and run it on my old imac after I updated my design computer to a macpro. The imac still has really good specs, which is probably a little overkill for a RIP, but its fast and I already had it. So it works.

I just went from Macbook Air (not recommended) to 5k Imac with SSD and upgraded Caldera from V9,2 to 11,1 and my difference in speed is impressive. For example, a 2sqm pdf would take 1hr on macbook air (no APPE), while on my new Imac, just about everything rips in under 1 minute, even with top resolution, adaptive error diffusion screening, etc. I've tested both versions on both machines and the biggest improvement comes from the machine upgrade and a bit from APPE4/V11.

 

[jfiscus]

We have two dedicated RIP computers here, both with dual SSDs and maxed out RAM, etc. We print a lot of large files. We also have a NAS (actually 2) to hold our 5+ terrabytes of data securely and backed up. The RIP computers sit near the printers and no one touches them besides the two of us. The NAS is accessible to the sales dept and the art dept. Production employees and installers can access old computers to see the daily scheduling software or watch netflix at lunch.

 

[ProColorGraphics]

I just went from Macbook Air (not recommended) to 5k Imac with SSD and upgraded Caldera from V9,2 to 11,1 and my difference in speed is impressive. For example, a 2sqm pdf would take 1hr on macbook air (no APPE), while on my new Imac, just about everything rips in under 1 minute, even with top resolution, adaptive error diffusion screening, etc. I've tested both versions on both machines and the biggest improvement comes from the machine upgrade and a bit from APPE4/V11.

When I got mine, I believe V9, you could get it preinstalled on a macmini. That just got really slow as I tend to work with large file sizes. I agree, the ripping time was cut DRASTICALLY!! I too use all of the settings for the best quality, but say will slow it down and it's still fast.

 

[wleong]

Can anyone confirm that RIP performance is affected more by GPU rather than CPU speed?

 

[papabud]

Can anyone confirm that RIP performance is affected more by GPU rather than CPU speed?

i would think its more affected by total ram, your gpu now days has its own ram that can assist. but your gpu affects rendering directly. so if you do 3d modeling, you need more gpu power

 

[WildWestDesigns]

so if you do 3d modeling, you need more gpu power

This can also affect if you work in a lot of "preview" mode as well with a lot of effects. Work in wireframe/outline mode, GPU doesn't take so much of a hit. Doesn't necessarily need to be 3D work. Most of my work is 2D (although my digitizing software renders in 3D when in "TrueView") even my animation work for the most part is 2D.

Some GPU is geared more to FPS as well, which what gamers would need. We do not. One of the reasons why I'm not a fan of getting a tricked out gamer rig. Yes, it more then likely would work, but more from a "brute force" standpoint and not really from an efficiency stand point.

 

[petepaz]

we have 5 roland printers and 4 people who can use them at any time so we have a pc on each one to run the rip. just easier this way no one gets in anyone's way and no slow down in production.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

One interesting thing about setting up a VMs is that if you have the ports for it (2 keyboards, 2 mice, multiple monitors; the appropriate ones would need to be passed through to the VM only however), "you" can actually set up the VM to totally be isolated from the host OS.

In other words, one person can be working on the host and another working on the guest and not interfere with each other. One physical computer, but in reality accomplishing the work flow of 2. Now the physical machine will need to be spec'ed out accordingly, but that is a possibility as well.

Doesn't work for all work flows and needs, but that is another possible way of doing things if space (or other considerations) is tight for physical computers.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

A standalone laptop runs our RIP and I can't see any reason to do it any other way. If I had to design and rip from the same computer and the system went down, I'd be in a world of hurt trying to get everything back up and running. I'm pretty sure it could set me back as much as a week. We bought the cheapest HP laptop we could buy from WalMart. I think it cost around $299 and it works great.

 

[mmblarg]

We're kinda all over the place depending on what update caused what problem and what printer is networked to which computer.... It's organized chaos. Out of 6 computers, all 6 are set up for pricing. 3 are set up for design. 4 (the 3 design and our front desk pricing computer) are set up for RIP, but only 2 of those 4 communicate with our Gerber and only 1 is networked to our Graphtec plotter...

Definitely would not advise this setup haha. But this is what it's deteriorated to after 26 years of business and needing to use multiple work stations.

 

[unclebun]

Can anyone confirm that RIP performance is affected more by GPU rather than CPU speed?

I would say that RIP is pretty much all CPU. There isn't any display going on at all. Onyx recommends a multicore processor with 4GB RAM per core.