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Third Largest Supercomputer... at Weta Digital

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the rendering-monkeys dept.

Designadrug writes "This story at the BBC details how the worlds third largest supercomputer (conditions apply) lives at Weta Digital - the company that provided CGI effects for The Lord of the Rings movies. The article also goes on to discuss the 500 TeraBytes of data generated for the films and how the epic Battle of Pelennor Fields almost defeated the film itself."

14 of 245 comments (clear)

  1. conditions apply by pbjones · · Score: 5, Insightful

    and for a limited time only... things change tooooo quickly these, todays supercomputer is tomorrows laptop

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    There was an unknown error in the submission.
  2. File system ? by kbsingh · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Be interesting to know what kind of a file system they use one something like this, and while they say loads and loads of data was generated - how and in what format was it actually stored.

    MySQL is prolly not the best fit in this situation :)

    1. Re:File system ? by neuroklinik · · Score: 5, Informative

      HFS+ has no theoretical limit on file size. It is limited only by the size of the volume (Max 16TB in Panther).

      See Apple Knowledgebase article 25557 for more.

  3. Re:What platform? by OS24Ever · · Score: 5, Informative

    It was the IBM eServer BladeCenter

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    As a rock-in-roll Physicist once said, No matter where you go, there you are.

  4. 3rd Largest? by binaryDigit · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If they're just counting the number of cpu's available to do a particular task, don't you then have to include things like Googles setup (10000+)?

    1. Re:3rd Largest? by pe1rxq · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Weta's goal is to perform one very large task as quickly as possible.

      Maybe not, if you render frame by frame you end up with lots of independ tasks.

      Jeroen

      --
      Secure messaging: http://quickmsg.vreeken.net/
    2. Re:3rd Largest? by galen · · Score: 5, Informative

      The system is called Massive. During one of the early runs they noticed the guys in the back (on both sides) were wandering off. The problem was that they couldn't 'see' the action so they wandered around randomly looking for opponents. The effect was that it looked like they were running away. The problem was solved by giving the agents something similar to the ability to hear. Thus they could sense the action over greater distances and act accordingly.

      I've seen this misrepresented so many times it's begun to bug me. I believe all the information I just dropped is available on the Extended Edition DVDs special features (probably FotR). If not, then I'm sure a Google search will turn it up.

  5. So anyone can build the largest? by BondGamer · · Score: 5, Funny

    If I collected 5121 computers (486s) and connected them all together I would have the largest supercomputer in the world?

  6. Re:only number is processor number by JAPrufrock · · Score: 5, Interesting

    No kidding. Especially since it sounds more like a renderfarm than a single "supercomputer". Then there's the data storage. That's nothing (though I say it myself). Go to high-energy physics for serious storage/processing centers. Little ol' me uses ~15 TB from 4 months of work, and I'm nothing compared to some people's requirements. I use up about 0.4% of our mass storage here (rough guess). WETA's cool - but not in supercomputer/HPC land.

  7. Not just graphics by surgeonsmate · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Weta also did the model work. I was over in Wellington some months ago and the model for Barad-dur was on display in the foyer of the national museum. About twenty feet high and superbly detailed. Awesome.

    They also built the models for the ships used in Master and Commander, but the computer graphics were handled elsewhere.

    After seeing these films, I'm going to be very keen indeed to see what these Kiwis can come up with next!

  8. Top500 by FU_Fish · · Score: 5, Informative

    *cough* Top500 List *cough*

  9. Based solely on processor count by jsin · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sure that there are landfills that beat this setup...

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    second society
  10. DVD set by erroneous · · Score: 5, Funny

    Personally, I'm looking forward to the 2005 release of the 100000-DVD-set with all 500TB of extra footage and of making of documentaries.

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    erroneous: look me up in a dictionary
  11. Look out! Here comes new zealand! by nfabl · · Score: 5, Funny

    2 posts ago they were building stonehenge, now they have the 3rd largest supercomputer in the world.

    I for one...