Multi-threaded support / large batch support

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blewis
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Multi-threaded support / large batch support

Post by blewis »

We are beginning a project which will require very large batches of greyscale TIFF images to be converted. I have used Nconvert in the past, but given the size of our batch (50,000+ images at a time), I didn't know if nconvert could handle it well. We plan on doing this on a pretty powerful workstation (one or two quad-core processors, 8 GB memory) hooked to a very fast RAID array. Can nconvert take advantage of the multi-core/multi-processors and available memory? This will be running a 64-bit version of Windows (probably Vista Biz)...the download page specifically says "Windows Xp 64". Does this mean Vista 64 is not yet supported?

Thanks,
Bryan
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xnview
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Re: Multi-threaded support / large batch support

Post by xnview »

No currently nconvert doesn't support multi-core/processor, and can be run on vista 64
Pierre.
blewis
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Post by blewis »

Thank you Pierre.

Are there any plans for this in the near future? I assume since this is single-threaded that the large memory available will not really help much either? If we wanted to use nconvert, we would be better off with a faster single-core processor machine.

Bryan
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xnview
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Post by xnview »

Ok, i'll try to make a special version
Pierre.
blewis
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Post by blewis »

Pierre,

That is very generous of you to look at a special version. Thanks.

In my defense, everything is really going multi-core and 64-bit. You pretty much cannot buy a single-core computer anymore and most of the mid-range Dell's I looked at were quad-core. 4GB of RAM was the minimum Dell offered on most of these also...meaning Vista 64 was pretty much as common as the 32-bit version.

Thanks again,
Bryan
blewis
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Post by blewis »

Pierre,

My project is moving forward and I was wondering if that special multi-threaded version was still a possibility? My quad-core workstation is bored! :)

Thanks,
Bryan
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xnview
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Post by xnview »

blewis wrote:My project is moving forward and I was wondering if that special multi-threaded version was still a possibility? My quad-core workstation is bored! :)
Sorry but currently i have no time to do it...
Pierre.
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khaledhawari
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Re: Multi-threaded support / large batch support

Post by khaledhawari »

Hi Pierre,

Did you get a chance to get nconvert to run multi thread and make use of more RAM?

We also have a big project that needs multi thread abilities, or if you can help out in how to get the most out of nconvert for this project: we have around 200,000 images and we want to use nconvert to generate small thumbs for them.

What do you suggest the best approach be?

Thanks for your time and help!!
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xnview
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Re: Multi-threaded support / large batch support

Post by xnview »

perhaps to launch more than 1 instance of nconvert??
Pierre.
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khaledhawari
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Re: Multi-threaded support / large batch support

Post by khaledhawari »

Thanks a lot for your response Pierre!

we already tried this approach, we ran 5 "parallel" command lines on batches of images, but for some reason after a few hours the scripts would return errors, as if the nconvert.exe is being locked by one of the commands and thus the others are failing to call it?

so to solve you think if i just create nconvert.exe, ncovnert1.exe , nconvert2.exe, nconvert3.exe ... and call each one on each command line, would that be the solution?
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xnview
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Re: Multi-threaded support / large batch support

Post by xnview »

Do you start each instance on same files?
Pierre.
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khaledhawari
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Re: Multi-threaded support / large batch support

Post by khaledhawari »

Nope each instance runs on separate batch of files
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xnview
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Re: Multi-threaded support / large batch support

Post by xnview »

khaledhawari wrote:Nope each instance runs on separate batch of files
So strange that you have a problem... No message?
Pierre.
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