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Using the Render Network Manager App

Comprehensive guide to using the Render Network Manager APp

Once you’ve connected your API token, the Render Network Manager App becomes a full production hub for rendering, monitoring, and downloading your scenes.

Interface Overview

At the top-right, you’ll find your account info and balance. Along the top-left toolbar, several icons give access to key tools:

  • Help → Opens the Render Network Knowledge Base

  • App Updates → Lists version changes and available updates

  • Settings → Adjust file handling, compression, directories, and more

  • Calculator → Estimate render costs anytime

Settings and Configuration

Within the Settings menu, you can:

  • Set you API Access Token

  • Set your Octane Standalone location

  • Define how the app packages ZIP uploads

  • Enable Differential Uploading for incremental scene updates

  • Choose your compression method

  • View your local GPU OctaneBench score

  • Set output directories for render downloads

Uploading and Processing Scenes

You can upload scenes in multiple formats:

  • .zip (Blender, C4D, or ORBX)

  • .orbx

  • .ocs

Drag and drop your scene or archive into the Activity tab to begin processing. You can upload multiple scenes at once and even auto-start jobs once processing completes.The Activity tab is a monitor for jobs uploading, scenes processing, and render jobs in-progress.

Scene and Job Management

The Render Network Manager App separates your workflow into two clear stages: Scenes and Jobs. Each tab plays a distinct role in managing your rendering pipeline efficiently.

Scenes Tab - Preparing and Managing Source Files

The Scenes tab is where you upload, process, and prepare your files before rendering. Scenes appear here after being uploaded and processed, but before they’ve been turned into active jobs.

You can:

  • Upload .zip, .orbx, or .ocs files (from Blender, C4D, or Octane Standalone).

  • Batch-select multiple scenes to create jobs using presets.

  • Monitor processing progress while your scenes are being prepared.

  • Create jobs directly from ready scenes, either individually or as grouped submissions.

This makes the Scenes tab your staging area - a place to organize, review, and prepare files before committing them to render.

Jobs Tab - Managing Active and Completed Renders

Once a scene becomes a render job, it appears in the Jobs tab. This section mirrors the Render Network Web App dashboard but provides real-time control and visibility.

From the Jobs tab, you can:

  • View live frame completions with the Frame Status Grid.

  • Preview renders as they complete, download preview frames or generate MP4 previews.

  • Download final frames and open your download folder directly.

  • Review job details including settings, GPU tier, frame range, and cost.

  • Duplicate jobs for re-renders or variation passes.

  • Create new presets directly from any job for fast reuse in future submissions.

  • Open in Browser to view the same job in the Web App.

This tab serves as your command center for production-level monitoring and output retrieval – everything from frame previews to downloading completed results.

🔄 Combined Workflow

  1. Upload & Process → Scenes Tab

  2. Create & Manage → Jobs Tab

  3. Preview & Download → Jobs Tab

This two-stage design keeps the workflow clean and scalable – ideal for artists who process multiple projects or studios managing large render queues. Presets tab - save & reuse render configurations

Presets live in their own tab and are used every day to standardize job submissions. You can (a) create a preset from any finished or in-progress job (Jobs → Create preset from the job), and (b) apply a preset when creating a new job from a scene.

What a preset captures (exactly as grouped in the job form):

Where you’ll work with presets:

  • Presets tab - view/manage your library; apply one when creating jobs from scenes.

  • Jobs tab - click Create preset from the job to snapshot current job settings into a reusable preset.

Built-in defaults (as shown):

Calculator Tool

A dedicated Calculator tab lets you estimate job costs using your desired GPU tier, frame range, and settings - perfect for quoting or budgeting before submission.

Pro Tip

Save time by creating custom Presets for your most common jobs – they store all your settings (Render Network job settings, AOVs, output formats, etc. ) and can be recalled instantly during new submissions.

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