Fix build issues using pyinstaller

* Add api_version to status api and server_proxy.py

* Add api_version to Zeroconf and filter out incompatible versions when finding available servers

* Filter incompatible versions from the UI

.github/workflows/create-executables.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+name: Create Executables
+            
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  release:
+    - types: [created]
+
+jobs:
+  pyinstaller-build-windows:
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Create Executables (Windows)
+        uses: sayyid5416/pyinstaller@v1
+        with:
+          python_ver: '3.11'
+          spec: 'main.spec'
+          requirements: 'requirements.txt'
+          upload_exe_with_name: 'Zordon'
+  pyinstaller-build-linux:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Create Executables (Linux)
+        uses: sayyid5416/pyinstaller@v1
+        with:
+          python_ver: '3.11'
+          spec: 'main.spec'
+          requirements: 'requirements.txt'
+          upload_exe_with_name: 'Zordon'
+  pyinstaller-build-macos:
+    runs-on: macos-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Create Executables (macOS)
+        uses: sayyid5416/pyinstaller@v1
+        with:
+          python_ver: '3.11'
+          spec: 'main.spec'
+          requirements: 'requirements.txt'
+          upload_exe_with_name: 'Zordon'

.github/workflows/pylint.yml

@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-name: Pylint
-
-on: [push]
-
-jobs:
-  build:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        python-version: ["3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
-    steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
-    - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-      uses: actions/setup-python@v3
-      with:
-        python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-    - name: Install dependencies
-      run: |
-        python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-        pip install pylint
-    - name: Analysing the code with pylint
-      run: |
-        pylint $(git ls-files '*.py')

README.md

@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
+![Zordon Screenshot](docs/screenshot.png)
+
+---
+
 # Zordon
 
-A tool designed for small render farms, such as those used in home studios or small businesses, to efficiently manage and run render jobs for Blender, FFMPEG, and other video renderers. It simplifies the process of distributing rendering tasks across multiple available machines, optimizing the rendering workflow for artists, animators, and video professionals.
+A lightweight, zero-install, distributed rendering and management tool designed to streamline and optimize rendering workflows across multiple machines
+
+## What is Zordon?
+
+Zordon is tool designed for small render farms, such as those used in home studios or small businesses, to efficiently manage and run render jobs for Blender, FFMPEG, and other video renderers. It simplifies the process of distributing rendering tasks across multiple available machines, optimizing the rendering workflow for artists, animators, and video professionals.
+
+
+Notice: This should be considered a beta and is meant for casual / hobbiest use. Do not use in mission critical environments!
 
 ## Supported Renderers
 

main.spec

@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@ from PyInstaller.utils.hooks import collect_all
 import os
 import sys
 import platform
-sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath('.'))
+src_path = os.path.abspath("src")
+sys.path.insert(0, src_path)
 from version import APP_NAME, APP_VERSION, APP_AUTHOR
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath('.'))
 
 datas = [('resources', 'resources'), ('src/engines/blender/scripts/', 'src/engines/blender/scripts')]
 binaries = []
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@ a = Analysis(
     runtime_hooks=[],
     excludes=[],
     noarchive=False,
-    optimize=0,
+    optimize=1,  # fyi: optim level 2 breaks on windows
 )
 pyz = PYZ(a.pure)
 
@@ -40,7 +42,7 @@ if platform.system() == 'Darwin':  # macOS
         name=APP_NAME,
         debug=False,
         bootloader_ignore_signals=False,
-        strip=False,
+        strip=True,
         upx=True,
         console=False,
         disable_windowed_traceback=False,
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ if platform.system() == 'Darwin':  # macOS
         a.datas,
         strip=True,
         name=f'{APP_NAME}.app',
-        icon=None,
+        icon='resources/Server.png',
         bundle_identifier=None,
         version=APP_VERSION
     )
@@ -87,7 +89,7 @@ elif platform.system() == 'Windows':
         name=APP_NAME,
         debug=False,
         bootloader_ignore_signals=False,
-        strip=False,
+        strip=True,
         upx=True,
         console=False,
         disable_windowed_traceback=False,
@@ -108,7 +110,7 @@ else:  # linux
         name=APP_NAME,
         debug=False,
         bootloader_ignore_signals=False,
-        strip=False,
+        strip=True,
         upx=True,
         console=False,
         disable_windowed_traceback=False,

requirements.txt

@@ -35,3 +35,7 @@ attrs>=23.2.0
 lxml>=5.1.0
 click>=8.1.7
 requests_toolbelt>=1.0.0
+pyinstaller_versionfile>=2.1.1
+py-cpuinfo~=9.0.0
+requests-toolbelt~=1.0.0
+ifaddr~=0.2.0

server.py

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-from init import run
+from src.init import run
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     run(server_only=True)

src/api/api_server.py

@@ -10,87 +10,80 @@ import ssl
 import tempfile
 import time
 from datetime import datetime
-from zipfile import ZipFile
 
+import cpuinfo
 import psutil
 import yaml
-from flask import Flask, request, send_file, after_this_request, Response, redirect, url_for, abort
+from flask import Flask, request, send_file, after_this_request, Response, redirect, url_for
 from sqlalchemy.orm.exc import DetachedInstanceError
 
 from src.api.add_job_helpers import handle_uploaded_project_files, process_zipped_project
 from src.api.preview_manager import PreviewManager
 from src.distributed_job_manager import DistributedJobManager
-from src.engines.core.base_worker import string_to_status, RenderStatus
 from src.engines.engine_manager import EngineManager
 from src.render_queue import RenderQueue, JobNotFoundError
-from src.utilities.benchmark import cpu_benchmark, disk_io_benchmark
 from src.utilities.config import Config
 from src.utilities.misc_helper import system_safe_path, current_system_os, current_system_cpu, \
     current_system_os_version, num_to_alphanumeric
-from src.utilities.zeroconf_server import ZeroconfServer
+from src.utilities.status_utils import string_to_status
+from src.version import APP_VERSION
 
 logger = logging.getLogger()
 server = Flask(__name__)
 ssl._create_default_https_context = ssl._create_unverified_context  # disable SSL for downloads
 
-categories = [RenderStatus.RUNNING, RenderStatus.ERROR, RenderStatus.NOT_STARTED, RenderStatus.SCHEDULED,
-              RenderStatus.COMPLETED, RenderStatus.CANCELLED]
+API_VERSION = "1"
+
+def start_server(hostname=None):
+
+    # get hostname
+    if not hostname:
+        local_hostname = socket.gethostname()
+        hostname = local_hostname + (".local" if not local_hostname.endswith(".local") else "")
+
+    # load flask settings
+    server.config['HOSTNAME'] = hostname
+    server.config['PORT'] = int(Config.port_number)
+    server.config['UPLOAD_FOLDER'] = system_safe_path(os.path.expanduser(Config.upload_folder))
+    server.config['MAX_CONTENT_PATH'] = Config.max_content_path
+    server.config['enable_split_jobs'] = Config.enable_split_jobs
+
+    # disable most Flask logging
+    flask_log = logging.getLogger('werkzeug')
+    flask_log.setLevel(Config.flask_log_level.upper())
+
+    logger.debug('Starting API server')
+    try:
+        server.run(host=hostname, port=server.config['PORT'], debug=Config.flask_debug_enable, use_reloader=False,
+                   threaded=True)
+    finally:
+        logger.debug('Stopping API server')
 
 
-# -- Error Handlers --
-
-@server.errorhandler(JobNotFoundError)
-def handle_job_not_found(job_error):
-    return str(job_error), 400
-
-
-@server.errorhandler(DetachedInstanceError)
-def handle_detached_instance(error):
-    # logger.debug(f"detached instance: {error}")
-    return "Unavailable", 503
-
-
-@server.errorhandler(Exception)
-def handle_general_error(general_error):
-    err_msg = f"Server error: {general_error}"
-    logger.error(err_msg)
-    return err_msg, 500
-
-
-# -- Jobs --
-
-
-def sorted_jobs(all_jobs, sort_by_date=True):
-    if not sort_by_date:
-        sorted_job_list = []
-        if all_jobs:
-            for status_category in categories:
-                found_jobs = [x for x in all_jobs if x.status == status_category.value]
-                if found_jobs:
-                    sorted_found_jobs = sorted(found_jobs, key=lambda d: d.date_created, reverse=True)
-                    sorted_job_list.extend(sorted_found_jobs)
-    else:
-        sorted_job_list = sorted(all_jobs, key=lambda d: d.date_created, reverse=True)
-    return sorted_job_list
-
+# --------------------------------------------
+# Get All Jobs
+# --------------------------------------------
 
 @server.get('/api/jobs')
 def jobs_json():
-    try:
+    """Retrieves all jobs from the render queue in JSON format.
+
+    This endpoint fetches all jobs currently in the render queue, converts them to JSON format,
+    and returns them along with a cache token that represents the current state of the job list.
+
+    Returns:
+        dict: A dictionary containing:
+            - 'jobs' (list[dict]): A list of job dictionaries, each representing a job in the queue.
+            - 'token' (str): A cache token generated from the hash of the job list.
+    """
     all_jobs = [x.json() for x in RenderQueue.all_jobs()]
     job_cache_int = int(json.dumps(all_jobs).__hash__())
     job_cache_token = num_to_alphanumeric(job_cache_int)
     return {'jobs': all_jobs, 'token': job_cache_token}
-    except DetachedInstanceError as e:
-        raise e
-    except Exception as e:
-        logger.error(f"Error fetching jobs_json: {e}")
-        raise e
 
 
 @server.get('/api/jobs_long_poll')
 def long_polling_jobs():
-    try:
     hash_token = request.args.get('token', None)
     start_time = time.time()
     while True:
@@ -101,52 +94,6 @@ def long_polling_jobs():
         if time.time() - start_time > 30:
             return {}, 204
         time.sleep(1)
-    except DetachedInstanceError as e:
-        raise e
-    except Exception as e:
-        logger.error(f"Error fetching long_polling_jobs: {e}")
-        raise e
-
-
-@server.route('/api/job/<job_id>/thumbnail')
-def job_thumbnail(job_id):
-
-    try:
-        big_thumb = request.args.get('size', False) == "big"
-        video_ok = request.args.get('video_ok', False)
-        found_job = RenderQueue.job_with_id(job_id, none_ok=False)
-
-        # trigger a thumbnail update - just in case
-        PreviewManager.update_previews_for_job(found_job, wait_until_completion=True, timeout=60)
-        previews = PreviewManager.get_previews_for_job(found_job)
-        all_previews_list = previews.get('output', previews.get('input', []))
-
-        video_previews = [x for x in all_previews_list if x['kind'] == 'video']
-        image_previews = [x for x in all_previews_list if x['kind'] == 'image']
-        filtered_list = video_previews if video_previews and video_ok else image_previews
-
-        # todo - sort by size or other metrics here
-        if filtered_list:
-            preview_to_send = filtered_list[0]
-            mime_types = {'image': 'image/jpeg', 'video': 'video/mp4'}
-            file_mime_type = mime_types.get(preview_to_send['kind'], 'unknown')
-            return send_file(preview_to_send['filename'], mimetype=file_mime_type)
-    except Exception as e:
-        logger.error(f'Error getting thumbnail: {e}')
-        return f'Error getting thumbnail: {e}', 500
-    return "No thumbnail available", 404
-
-
-# Get job file routing
-@server.route('/api/job/<job_id>/file/<filename>', methods=['GET'])
-def get_job_file(job_id, filename):
-    found_job = RenderQueue.job_with_id(job_id)
-    try:
-        for full_path in found_job.file_list():
-            if filename in full_path:
-                return send_file(path_or_file=full_path)
-    except FileNotFoundError:
-        abort(404)
 
 
 @server.get('/api/jobs/<status_val>')
@@ -159,20 +106,33 @@ def filtered_jobs_json(status_val):
         return f'Cannot find jobs with status {status_val}', 400
 
 
-@server.post('/api/job/<job_id>/send_subjob_update_notification')
-def subjob_update_notification(job_id):
-    subjob_details = request.json
-    DistributedJobManager.handle_subjob_update_notification(RenderQueue.job_with_id(job_id), subjob_data=subjob_details)
-    return Response(status=200)
-
+# --------------------------------------------
+# Job Details / File Handling
+# --------------------------------------------
 
 @server.get('/api/job/<job_id>')
-def get_job_status(job_id):
+def get_job_details(job_id):
+    """Retrieves the details of a requested job in JSON format
+
+    Args:
+        job_id (str): The ID of the render job.
+
+    Returns:
+        dict: A JSON representation of the job's details.
+    """
     return RenderQueue.job_with_id(job_id).json()
 
 
 @server.get('/api/job/<job_id>/logs')
 def get_job_logs(job_id):
+    """Retrieves the log file for a specific render job.
+
+    Args:
+        job_id (str): The ID of the render job.
+
+    Returns:
+        Response: The log file's content as plain text, or an empty response if the log file is not found.
+    """
     found_job = RenderQueue.job_with_id(job_id)
     log_path = system_safe_path(found_job.log_path())
     log_data = None
@@ -188,7 +148,7 @@ def get_file_list(job_id):
 
 
 @server.route('/api/job/<job_id>/download')
-def download_file(job_id):
+def download_requested_file(job_id):
 
     requested_filename = request.args.get('filename')
     if not requested_filename:
@@ -203,7 +163,7 @@ def download_file(job_id):
 
 
 @server.route('/api/job/<job_id>/download_all')
-def download_all(job_id):
+def download_all_files(job_id):
     zip_filename = None
 
     @after_this_request
@@ -218,6 +178,7 @@ def download_all(job_id):
     found_job = RenderQueue.job_with_id(job_id)
     output_dir = os.path.dirname(found_job.output_path)
     if os.path.exists(output_dir):
+        from zipfile import ZipFile
         zip_filename = system_safe_path(os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(),
                                                      pathlib.Path(found_job.input_path).stem + '.zip'))
         with ZipFile(zip_filename, 'w') as zipObj:
@@ -229,6 +190,10 @@ def download_all(job_id):
         return f'Cannot find project files for job {job_id}', 500
 
 
+# --------------------------------------------
+# System Environment / Status
+# --------------------------------------------
+
 @server.get('/api/presets')
 def presets():
     presets_path = system_safe_path('config/presets.yaml')
@@ -260,13 +225,31 @@ def snapshot():
     return server_data
 
 
-@server.get('/api/_detected_clients')
-def detected_clients():
-    # todo: dev/debug only. Should not ship this - probably.
-    return ZeroconfServer.found_hostnames()
+@server.route('/api/status')
+def status():
+    return {"timestamp": datetime.now().isoformat(),
+            "system_os": current_system_os(),
+            "system_os_version": current_system_os_version(),
+            "system_cpu": current_system_cpu(),
+            "system_cpu_brand": cpuinfo.get_cpu_info()['brand_raw'],
+            "cpu_percent": psutil.cpu_percent(percpu=False),
+            "cpu_percent_per_cpu": psutil.cpu_percent(percpu=True),
+            "cpu_count": psutil.cpu_count(logical=False),
+            "memory_total": psutil.virtual_memory().total,
+            "memory_available": psutil.virtual_memory().available,
+            "memory_percent": psutil.virtual_memory().percent,
+            "job_counts": RenderQueue.job_counts(),
+            "hostname": server.config['HOSTNAME'],
+            "port": server.config['PORT'],
+            "app_version": APP_VERSION,
+            "api_version": API_VERSION
+            }
 
 
-# New version
+# --------------------------------------------
+# Job Lifecyle (Create, Cancel, Delete)
+# --------------------------------------------
+
 @server.post('/api/add_job')
 def add_job_handler():
     # Process request data
@@ -353,31 +336,9 @@ def delete_job(job_id):
         return f"Error deleting job: {e}", 500
 
 
-@server.get('/api/clear_history')
-def clear_history():
-    RenderQueue.clear_history()
-    return 'success'
-
-
-@server.route('/api/status')
-def status():
-
-    # Get system info
-    return {"timestamp": datetime.now().isoformat(),
-            "system_os": current_system_os(),
-            "system_os_version": current_system_os_version(),
-            "system_cpu": current_system_cpu(),
-            "cpu_percent": psutil.cpu_percent(percpu=False),
-            "cpu_percent_per_cpu": psutil.cpu_percent(percpu=True),
-            "cpu_count": psutil.cpu_count(logical=False),
-            "memory_total": psutil.virtual_memory().total,
-            "memory_available": psutil.virtual_memory().available,
-            "memory_percent": psutil.virtual_memory().percent,
-            "job_counts": RenderQueue.job_counts(),
-            "hostname": server.config['HOSTNAME'],
-            "port": server.config['PORT']
-            }
-
+# --------------------------------------------
+# Engine Info and Management:
+# --------------------------------------------
 
 @server.get('/api/renderer_info')
 def renderer_info():
@@ -499,35 +460,95 @@ def get_renderer_help(renderer):
         return f"Cannot find renderer '{renderer}'", 400
 
 
+# --------------------------------------------
+# Miscellaneous:
+# --------------------------------------------
+@server.post('/api/job/<job_id>/send_subjob_update_notification')
+def subjob_update_notification(job_id):
+    subjob_details = request.json
+    DistributedJobManager.handle_subjob_update_notification(RenderQueue.job_with_id(job_id), subjob_data=subjob_details)
+    return Response(status=200)
+
+
+@server.route('/api/job/<job_id>/thumbnail')
+def job_thumbnail(job_id):
+
+    try:
+        big_thumb = request.args.get('size', False) == "big"
+        video_ok = request.args.get('video_ok', False)
+        found_job = RenderQueue.job_with_id(job_id, none_ok=False)
+
+        # trigger a thumbnail update - just in case
+        PreviewManager.update_previews_for_job(found_job, wait_until_completion=True, timeout=60)
+        previews = PreviewManager.get_previews_for_job(found_job)
+        all_previews_list = previews.get('output', previews.get('input', []))
+
+        video_previews = [x for x in all_previews_list if x['kind'] == 'video']
+        image_previews = [x for x in all_previews_list if x['kind'] == 'image']
+        filtered_list = video_previews if video_previews and video_ok else image_previews
+
+        # todo - sort by size or other metrics here
+        if filtered_list:
+            preview_to_send = filtered_list[0]
+            mime_types = {'image': 'image/jpeg', 'video': 'video/mp4'}
+            file_mime_type = mime_types.get(preview_to_send['kind'], 'unknown')
+            return send_file(preview_to_send['filename'], mimetype=file_mime_type)
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.error(f'Error getting thumbnail: {e}')
+        return f'Error getting thumbnail: {e}', 500
+    return "No thumbnail available", 404
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------
+# System Benchmarks:
+# --------------------------------------------
+
 @server.get('/api/cpu_benchmark')
 def get_cpu_benchmark_score():
+    from src.utilities.benchmark import cpu_benchmark
     return str(cpu_benchmark(10))
 
 
 @server.get('/api/disk_benchmark')
 def get_disk_benchmark():
+    from src.utilities.benchmark import disk_io_benchmark
     results = disk_io_benchmark()
     return {'write_speed': results[0], 'read_speed': results[-1]}
 
 
-def start_server(hostname=None):
+# --------------------------------------------
+# Error Handlers:
+# --------------------------------------------
 
-    # get hostname
-    if not hostname:
-        local_hostname = socket.gethostname()
-        hostname = local_hostname + (".local" if not local_hostname.endswith(".local") else "")
+@server.errorhandler(JobNotFoundError)
+def handle_job_not_found(job_error):
+    return str(job_error), 400
 
-    # load flask settings
-    server.config['HOSTNAME'] = hostname
-    server.config['PORT'] = int(Config.port_number)
-    server.config['UPLOAD_FOLDER'] = system_safe_path(os.path.expanduser(Config.upload_folder))
-    server.config['MAX_CONTENT_PATH'] = Config.max_content_path
-    server.config['enable_split_jobs'] = Config.enable_split_jobs
 
-    # disable most Flask logging
-    flask_log = logging.getLogger('werkzeug')
-    flask_log.setLevel(Config.flask_log_level.upper())
+@server.errorhandler(DetachedInstanceError)
+def handle_detached_instance(_):
+    return "Unavailable", 503
 
-    logger.debug('Starting API server')
-    server.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=server.config['PORT'], debug=Config.flask_debug_enable, use_reloader=False,
-               threaded=True)
+
+@server.errorhandler(Exception)
+def handle_general_error(general_error):
+    err_msg = f"Server error: {general_error}"
+    logger.error(err_msg)
+    return err_msg, 500
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------
+# Debug / Development Only:
+# --------------------------------------------
+
+@server.get('/api/_debug/detected_clients')
+def detected_clients():
+    # todo: dev/debug only. Should not ship this - probably.
+    from src.utilities.zeroconf_server import ZeroconfServer
+    return ZeroconfServer.found_hostnames()
+
+
+@server.get('/api/_debug/clear_history')
+def clear_history():
+    RenderQueue.clear_history()
+    return 'success'

src/api/preview_manager.py

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class PreviewManager:
     _running_jobs = {}
 
     @classmethod
-    def __generate_job_preview_worker(cls, job, replace_existing=False, max_width=320):
+    def __generate_job_preview_worker(cls, job, replace_existing=False, max_width=480):
 
         # Determine best source file to use for thumbs
         job_file_list = job.file_list()

src/api/server_proxy.py

@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ from urllib.parse import urljoin
 
 from src.utilities.misc_helper import is_localhost
 from src.utilities.status_utils import RenderStatus
-from src.utilities.zeroconf_server import ZeroconfServer
 
 status_colors = {RenderStatus.ERROR: "red", RenderStatus.CANCELLED: 'orange1', RenderStatus.COMPLETED: 'green',
                  RenderStatus.NOT_STARTED: "yellow", RenderStatus.SCHEDULED: 'purple',
@@ -26,15 +25,8 @@ LOOPBACK = '127.0.0.1'
 
 
 class RenderServerProxy:
-    """
-    The ServerProxy class is responsible for interacting with a remote server.
-    It provides methods to request data from the server and store the status of the server.
-
-    Attributes:
-        system_cpu (str): The CPU type of the system.
-        system_cpu_count (int): The number of CPUs in the system.
-        system_os (str): The operating system of the system.
-        system_os_version (str): The version of the operating system.
+    """The ServerProxy class is responsible for interacting with a remote server.
+    It provides convenience methods to request data from the server and store the status of the server.
     """
     
     def __init__(self, hostname, server_port="8080"):
@@ -54,6 +46,11 @@ class RenderServerProxy:
         self.system_cpu_count = None
         self.system_os = None
         self.system_os_version = None
+        self.system_api_version = None
+
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Basics / Connection:
+    # --------------------------------------------
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return f"<RenderServerProxy - {self.hostname}>"
@@ -73,6 +70,10 @@ class RenderServerProxy:
         running_jobs = [x for x in self.__jobs_cache if x['status'] == 'running'] if self.__jobs_cache else []
         return f"{len(running_jobs)} running" if running_jobs else "Ready"
 
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Requests:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
     def request_data(self, payload, timeout=5):
         try:
             req = self.request(payload, timeout)
@@ -100,8 +101,14 @@ class RenderServerProxy:
         return None
 
     def request(self, payload, timeout=5):
+        from src.api.api_server import API_VERSION
         hostname = LOOPBACK if self.is_localhost else self.hostname
-        return requests.get(f'http://{hostname}:{self.port}/api/{payload}', timeout=timeout)
+        return requests.get(f'http://{hostname}:{self.port}/api/{payload}', timeout=timeout,
+                            headers={"X-API-Version": str(API_VERSION)})
+
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Background Updates:
+    # --------------------------------------------
 
     def start_background_update(self):
         if self.__update_in_background:
@@ -119,17 +126,6 @@ class RenderServerProxy:
         self.__background_thread.daemon = True
         self.__background_thread.start()
 
-    def stop_background_update(self):
-        self.__update_in_background = False
-
-    def get_job_info(self, job_id, timeout=5):
-        return self.request_data(f'job/{job_id}', timeout=timeout)
-
-    def get_all_jobs(self, timeout=5, ignore_token=False):
-        if not self.__update_in_background or ignore_token:
-            self.__update_job_cache(timeout, ignore_token)
-        return self.__jobs_cache.copy() if self.__jobs_cache else None
-
     def __update_job_cache(self, timeout=40, ignore_token=False):
 
         if self.__offline_flags:  # if we're offline, don't bother with the long poll
@@ -147,15 +143,21 @@ class RenderServerProxy:
             self.__jobs_cache = sorted_jobs
             self.__jobs_cache_token = status_result['token']
 
+    def stop_background_update(self):
+        self.__update_in_background = False
+
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Get System Info:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
+    def get_all_jobs(self, timeout=5, ignore_token=False):
+        if not self.__update_in_background or ignore_token:
+            self.__update_job_cache(timeout, ignore_token)
+        return self.__jobs_cache.copy() if self.__jobs_cache else None
+
     def get_data(self, timeout=5):
         return self.request_data('full_status', timeout=timeout)
 
-    def cancel_job(self, job_id, confirm=False):
-        return self.request_data(f'job/{job_id}/cancel?confirm={confirm}')
-
-    def delete_job(self, job_id, confirm=False):
-        return self.request_data(f'job/{job_id}/delete?confirm={confirm}')
-
     def get_status(self):
         status = self.request_data('status')
         if status and not self.system_cpu:
@@ -163,28 +165,22 @@ class RenderServerProxy:
             self.system_cpu_count = status['cpu_count']
             self.system_os = status['system_os']
             self.system_os_version = status['system_os_version']
+            self.system_api_version = status['api_version']
         return status
 
-    def is_engine_available(self, engine_name):
-        return self.request_data(f'{engine_name}/is_available')
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Get Job Info:
+    # --------------------------------------------
 
-    def get_all_engines(self):
-        return self.request_data('all_engines')
+    def get_job_info(self, job_id, timeout=5):
+        return self.request_data(f'job/{job_id}', timeout=timeout)
 
-    def send_subjob_update_notification(self, parent_id, subjob):
-        """
-        Notifies the parent job of an update in a subjob.
+    def get_job_files_list(self, job_id):
+        return self.request_data(f"job/{job_id}/file_list")
 
-        Args:
-            parent_id (str): The ID of the parent job.
-            subjob (Job): The subjob that has updated.
-
-        Returns:
-            Response: The response from the server.
-        """
-        hostname = LOOPBACK if self.is_localhost else self.hostname
-        return requests.post(f'http://{hostname}:{self.port}/api/job/{parent_id}/send_subjob_update_notification',
-                             json=subjob.json())
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Job Lifecycle:
+    # --------------------------------------------
 
     def post_job_to_server(self, file_path, job_list, callback=None):
         """
@@ -232,29 +228,36 @@ class RenderServerProxy:
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"An error occurred: {e}")
 
-    def get_job_files_list(self, job_id):
-        return self.request_data(f"job/{job_id}/file_list")
+    def cancel_job(self, job_id, confirm=False):
+        return self.request_data(f'job/{job_id}/cancel?confirm={confirm}')
 
-    def download_all_job_files(self, job_id, save_path):
+    def delete_job(self, job_id, confirm=False):
+        return self.request_data(f'job/{job_id}/delete?confirm={confirm}')
+
+    def send_subjob_update_notification(self, parent_id, subjob):
+        """
+        Notifies the parent job of an update in a subjob.
+
+        Args:
+            parent_id (str): The ID of the parent job.
+            subjob (Job): The subjob that has updated.
+
+        Returns:
+            Response: The response from the server.
+        """
         hostname = LOOPBACK if self.is_localhost else self.hostname
-        url = f"http://{hostname}:{self.port}/api/job/{job_id}/download_all"
-        return self.__download_file_from_url(url, output_filepath=save_path)
+        return requests.post(f'http://{hostname}:{self.port}/api/job/{parent_id}/send_subjob_update_notification',
+                             json=subjob.json())
 
-    def download_job_file(self, job_id, job_filename, save_path):
-        hostname = LOOPBACK if self.is_localhost else self.hostname
-        url = f"http://{hostname}:{self.port}/api/job/{job_id}/download?filename={job_filename}"
-        return self.__download_file_from_url(url, output_filepath=save_path)
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Renderers:
+    # --------------------------------------------
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def __download_file_from_url(url, output_filepath):
-        with requests.get(url, stream=True) as r:
-            r.raise_for_status()
-            with open(output_filepath, 'wb') as f:
-                for chunk in r.iter_content(chunk_size=8192):
-                    f.write(chunk)
-        return output_filepath
+    def is_engine_available(self, engine_name):
+        return self.request_data(f'{engine_name}/is_available')
 
-    # --- Renderer --- #
+    def get_all_engines(self):
+        return self.request_data('all_engines')
 
     def get_renderer_info(self, response_type='standard', timeout=5):
         """
@@ -285,3 +288,26 @@ class RenderServerProxy:
         form_data = {'engine': engine, 'version': version, 'system_cpu': system_cpu}
         hostname = LOOPBACK if self.is_localhost else self.hostname
         return requests.post(f'http://{hostname}:{self.port}/api/delete_engine', json=form_data)
+
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Download Files:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
+    def download_all_job_files(self, job_id, save_path):
+        hostname = LOOPBACK if self.is_localhost else self.hostname
+        url = f"http://{hostname}:{self.port}/api/job/{job_id}/download_all"
+        return self.__download_file_from_url(url, output_filepath=save_path)
+
+    def download_job_file(self, job_id, job_filename, save_path):
+        hostname = LOOPBACK if self.is_localhost else self.hostname
+        url = f"http://{hostname}:{self.port}/api/job/{job_id}/download?filename={job_filename}"
+        return self.__download_file_from_url(url, output_filepath=save_path)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def __download_file_from_url(url, output_filepath):
+        with requests.get(url, stream=True) as r:
+            r.raise_for_status()
+            with open(output_filepath, 'wb') as f:
+                for chunk in r.iter_content(chunk_size=8192):
+                    f.write(chunk)
+        return output_filepath

src/distributed_job_manager.py

@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class DistributedJobManager:
         """
         Responds to the 'frame_complete' pubsub message for local jobs.
 
-        Parameters:
+        Args:
             job_id (str): The ID of the job that has changed status.
             old_status (str): The previous status of the job.
             new_status (str): The new (current) status of the job.
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ class DistributedJobManager:
         Responds to the 'status_change' pubsub message for local jobs.
         If it's a child job, it notifies the parent job about the status change.
 
-        Parameters:
+        Args:
             job_id (str): The ID of the job that has changed status.
             old_status (str): The previous status of the job.
             new_status (str): The new (current) status of the job.
@@ -129,14 +129,12 @@ class DistributedJobManager:
     # --------------------------------------------
 
     @classmethod
-    def create_render_job(cls, job_data, loaded_project_local_path):
-        """
-        Creates render jobs.
-
-        This method  job data and a local path to a loaded project. It creates and returns new a render job.
+    def create_render_job(cls, new_job_attributes, loaded_project_local_path):
+        """Creates render jobs. Pass in dict of job_data and the local path to the project. It creates and returns a new
+        render job.
 
         Args:
-            job_data (dict): Job data.
+            new_job_attributes (dict): Dict of desired attributes for new job (frame count, renderer, output path, etc)
             loaded_project_local_path (str): The local path to the loaded project.
 
         Returns:
@@ -144,7 +142,7 @@ class DistributedJobManager:
         """
 
         # get new output path in output_dir
-        output_path = job_data.get('output_path')
+        output_path = new_job_attributes.get('output_path')
         if not output_path:
             loaded_project_filename = os.path.basename(loaded_project_local_path)
             output_filename = os.path.splitext(loaded_project_filename)[0]
@@ -158,27 +156,27 @@ class DistributedJobManager:
         logger.debug(f"New job output path: {output_path}")
 
         # create & configure jobs
-        worker = EngineManager.create_worker(renderer=job_data['renderer'],
+        worker = EngineManager.create_worker(renderer=new_job_attributes['renderer'],
                                              input_path=loaded_project_local_path,
                                              output_path=output_path,
-                                             engine_version=job_data.get('engine_version'),
-                                             args=job_data.get('args', {}),
-                                             parent=job_data.get('parent'),
-                                             name=job_data.get('name'))
-        worker.status = job_data.get("initial_status", worker.status)  # todo: is this necessary?
-        worker.priority = int(job_data.get('priority', worker.priority))
-        worker.start_frame = int(job_data.get("start_frame", worker.start_frame))
-        worker.end_frame = int(job_data.get("end_frame", worker.end_frame))
+                                             engine_version=new_job_attributes.get('engine_version'),
+                                             args=new_job_attributes.get('args', {}),
+                                             parent=new_job_attributes.get('parent'),
+                                             name=new_job_attributes.get('name'))
+        worker.status = new_job_attributes.get("initial_status", worker.status)  # todo: is this necessary?
+        worker.priority = int(new_job_attributes.get('priority', worker.priority))
+        worker.start_frame = int(new_job_attributes.get("start_frame", worker.start_frame))
+        worker.end_frame = int(new_job_attributes.get("end_frame", worker.end_frame))
         worker.watchdog_timeout = Config.worker_process_timeout
         worker.hostname = socket.gethostname()
 
         # determine if we can / should split the job
-        if job_data.get("enable_split_jobs", False) and (worker.total_frames > 1) and not worker.parent:
-            cls.split_into_subjobs_async(worker, job_data, loaded_project_local_path)
+        if new_job_attributes.get("enable_split_jobs", False) and (worker.total_frames > 1) and not worker.parent:
+            cls.split_into_subjobs_async(worker, new_job_attributes, loaded_project_local_path)
         else:
             worker.status = RenderStatus.NOT_STARTED
 
-        RenderQueue.add_to_render_queue(worker, force_start=job_data.get('force_start', False))
+        RenderQueue.add_to_render_queue(worker, force_start=new_job_attributes.get('force_start', False))
         PreviewManager.update_previews_for_job(worker)
 
         return worker
@@ -189,8 +187,7 @@ class DistributedJobManager:
 
     @classmethod
     def handle_subjob_update_notification(cls, local_job, subjob_data):
-        """
-        Responds to a notification from a remote subjob and the host requests any subsequent updates from the subjob.
+        """Responds to a notification from a remote subjob and the host requests any subsequent updates from the subjob.
 
         Args:
             local_job (BaseRenderWorker): The local parent job worker.
@@ -214,6 +211,14 @@ class DistributedJobManager:
 
     @classmethod
     def wait_for_subjobs(cls, parent_job):
+        """Check the status of subjobs and waits until they are all finished. Download rendered frames from subjobs
+        when they are completed.
+
+        Args:
+            parent_job: Worker object that has child jobs
+
+        Returns:
+        """
         logger.debug(f"Waiting for subjobs for job {parent_job}")
         parent_job.status = RenderStatus.WAITING_FOR_SUBJOBS
         statuses_to_download = [RenderStatus.CANCELLED, RenderStatus.ERROR, RenderStatus.COMPLETED]
@@ -280,15 +285,15 @@ class DistributedJobManager:
     # --------------------------------------------
 
     @classmethod
-    def split_into_subjobs_async(cls, parent_worker, job_data, project_path, system_os=None):
+    def split_into_subjobs_async(cls, parent_worker, new_job_attributes, project_path, system_os=None):
         # todo: I don't love this
         parent_worker.status = RenderStatus.CONFIGURING
-        cls.background_worker = threading.Thread(target=cls.split_into_subjobs, args=(parent_worker, job_data,
+        cls.background_worker = threading.Thread(target=cls.split_into_subjobs, args=(parent_worker, new_job_attributes,
                                                                                       project_path, system_os))
         cls.background_worker.start()
 
     @classmethod
-    def split_into_subjobs(cls, parent_worker, job_data, project_path, system_os=None, specific_servers=None):
+    def split_into_subjobs(cls, parent_worker, new_job_attributes, project_path, system_os=None, specific_servers=None):
         """
         Splits a job into subjobs and distributes them among available servers.
 
@@ -297,10 +302,10 @@ class DistributedJobManager:
         subjob.
 
         Args:
-            parent_worker (Worker): The worker that is handling the job.
-            job_data (dict): The data for the job to be split.
-            project_path (str): The path to the project associated with the job.
-            system_os (str, optional): The operating system of the servers. Default is any OS.
+            parent_worker (Worker): The parent job what we're creating the subjobs for.
+            new_job_attributes (dict): Dict of desired attributes for new job (frame count, renderer, output path, etc)
+            project_path (str): The path to the project.
+            system_os (str, optional): Required OS. Default is any.
             specific_servers (list, optional): List of specific servers to split work between. Defaults to all found.
         """
 
@@ -321,7 +326,7 @@ class DistributedJobManager:
         try:
             for subjob_data in all_subjob_server_data:
                 subjob_hostname = subjob_data['hostname']
-                post_results = cls.__create_subjob(job_data, project_path, subjob_data, subjob_hostname,
+                post_results = cls.__create_subjob(new_job_attributes, project_path, subjob_data, subjob_hostname,
                                                    parent_worker)
                 if not post_results.ok:
                     ValueError(f"Failed to create subjob on {subjob_hostname}")
@@ -342,8 +347,9 @@ class DistributedJobManager:
             RenderServerProxy(parent_worker.hostname).cancel_job(parent_worker.id, confirm=True)
 
     @staticmethod
-    def __create_subjob(job_data, project_path, server_data, server_hostname, parent_worker):
-        subjob = job_data.copy()
+    def __create_subjob(new_job_attributes, project_path, server_data, server_hostname, parent_worker):
+        """Convenience method to create subjobs for a parent worker"""
+        subjob = new_job_attributes.copy()
         subjob['name'] = f"{parent_worker.name}[{server_data['frame_range'][0]}-{server_data['frame_range'][-1]}]"
         subjob['parent'] = f"{parent_worker.id}@{parent_worker.hostname}"
         subjob['start_frame'] = server_data['frame_range'][0]
@@ -368,9 +374,11 @@ class DistributedJobManager:
         :param system_os: str, Restrict results to servers running a specific OS
         :return: A list of dictionaries with each dict containing hostname and cpu_count of available servers
         """
+        from api.api_server import API_VERSION
         available_servers = []
         for hostname in ZeroconfServer.found_hostnames():
             host_properties = ZeroconfServer.get_hostname_properties(hostname)
+            if host_properties.get('api_version') == API_VERSION:
                 if not system_os or (system_os and system_os == host_properties.get('system_os')):
                     response = RenderServerProxy(hostname).is_engine_available(engine_name)
                     if response and response.get('available', False):

src/engines/blender/blender_worker.py

@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ class BlenderRenderWorker(BaseRenderWorker):
             cmd.append('-b')
         cmd.append(self.input_path)
 
+        # Set Render Engine
+        blender_engine = self.args.get('engine')
+        if blender_engine:
+            blender_engine = blender_engine.upper()
+            cmd.extend(['-E', blender_engine])
+
         # Start Python expressions - # todo: investigate splitting into separate 'setup' script
         cmd.append('--python-expr')
         python_exp = 'import bpy; bpy.context.scene.render.use_overwrite = False;'
@@ -40,8 +46,7 @@ class BlenderRenderWorker(BaseRenderWorker):
         if custom_camera:
             python_exp = python_exp + f"bpy.context.scene.camera = bpy.data.objects['{custom_camera}'];"
 
-        # Set Render Device (gpu/cpu/any)
-        blender_engine = self.args.get('engine', 'BLENDER_EEVEE').upper()
+        # Set Render Device for Cycles (gpu/cpu/any)
         if blender_engine == 'CYCLES':
             render_device = self.args.get('render_device', 'any').lower()
             if render_device not in {'any', 'gpu', 'cpu'}:
@@ -66,7 +71,7 @@ class BlenderRenderWorker(BaseRenderWorker):
         # Remove the extension only if it is not composed entirely of digits
         path_without_ext = main_part if not ext[1:].isdigit() else self.output_path
         path_without_ext += "_"
-        cmd.extend(['-E', blender_engine, '-o', path_without_ext, '-F', export_format])
+        cmd.extend(['-o', path_without_ext, '-F', export_format])
 
         # set frame range
         cmd.extend(['-s', self.start_frame, '-e', self.end_frame, '-a'])

src/engines/core/base_downloader.py

@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 import logging
 import os
 import shutil
-import tarfile
 import tempfile
-import zipfile
 
 import requests
 from tqdm import tqdm
@@ -12,26 +10,150 @@ logger = logging.getLogger()
 
 
 class EngineDownloader:
+    """A class responsible for downloading and extracting rendering engines from publicly available URLs.
+
+    Attributes:
+        supported_formats (list[str]): A list of file formats supported by the downloader.
+    """
 
     supported_formats = ['.zip', '.tar.xz', '.dmg']
 
     def __init__(self):
         pass
 
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Required Overrides for Subclasses:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
     @classmethod
     def find_most_recent_version(cls, system_os=None, cpu=None, lts_only=False):
-        raise NotImplementedError  # implement this method in your engine subclass
+        """
+        Finds the most recent version of the rendering engine available for download.
+
+        This method should be overridden in a subclass to implement the logic for determining
+        the most recent version of the rendering engine, optionally filtering by long-term
+        support (LTS) versions, the operating system, and CPU architecture.
+
+        Args:
+            system_os (str, optional): Desired OS ('linux', 'macos', 'windows'). Defaults to system os.
+            cpu (str, optional): The CPU architecture for which to download the engine. Default is system cpu.
+            lts_only (bool, optional): Limit the search to LTS (long-term support) versions only. Default is False.
+
+        Returns:
+            dict: A dict with the following keys:
+                - 'cpu' (str): The CPU architecture.
+                - 'system_os' (str): The operating system.
+                - 'file' (str): The filename of the version's download file.
+                - 'url' (str): The remote URL for downloading the version.
+                - 'version' (str): The version number.
+
+        Raises:
+            NotImplementedError: If the method is not overridden in a subclass.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError(f"find_most_recent_version not implemented for {cls.__class__.__name__}")
 
     @classmethod
     def version_is_available_to_download(cls, version, system_os=None, cpu=None):
-        raise NotImplementedError  # implement this method in your engine subclass
+        """Checks if a requested version of the rendering engine is available for download.
+
+        This method should be overridden in a subclass to implement the logic for determining
+        whether a given version of the rendering engine is available for download, based on the
+        operating system and CPU architecture.
+
+        Args:
+            version (str): The requested renderer version to download.
+            system_os (str, optional): Desired OS ('linux', 'macos', 'windows'). Defaults to system os.
+            cpu (str, optional): The CPU architecture for which to download the engine. Default is system cpu.
+
+        Returns:
+            bool: True if the version is available for download, False otherwise.
+
+        Raises:
+            NotImplementedError: If the method is not overridden in a subclass.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError(f"version_is_available_to_download not implemented for {cls.__class__.__name__}")
 
     @classmethod
     def download_engine(cls, version, download_location, system_os=None, cpu=None, timeout=120):
-        raise NotImplementedError  # implement this method in your engine subclass
+        """Downloads the requested version of the rendering engine to the given download location.
+
+        This method should be overridden in a subclass to implement the logic for downloading
+        a specific version of the rendering engine. The method is intended to handle the
+        downloading process based on the version, operating system, CPU architecture, and
+        timeout parameters.
+
+        Args:
+            version (str): The requested renderer version to download.
+            download_location (str): The directory where the engine should be downloaded.
+            system_os (str, optional): Desired OS ('linux', 'macos', 'windows'). Defaults to system os.
+            cpu (str, optional): The CPU architecture for which to download the engine. Default is system cpu.
+            timeout (int, optional): The maximum time in seconds to wait for the download. Default is 120 seconds.
+
+        Raises:
+            NotImplementedError: If the method is not overridden in a subclass.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError(f"download_engine not implemented for {cls.__class__.__name__}")
+
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Optional Overrides for Subclasses:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
+    @classmethod
+    def all_versions(cls, system_os=None, cpu=None):
+        """Retrieves a list of available versions of the software for a specific operating system and CPU architecture.
+
+        This method fetches all available versions for the given operating system and CPU type, constructing
+        a list of dictionaries containing details such as the version, CPU architecture, system OS, and the
+        remote URL for downloading each version.
+
+        Args:
+            system_os (str, optional): Desired OS ('linux', 'macos', 'windows'). Defaults to system os.
+            cpu (str, optional): The CPU architecture for which to download the engine. Default is system cpu.
+
+        Returns:
+            list[dict]: A list of dictionaries, each containing:
+                - 'cpu' (str): The CPU architecture.
+                - 'file' (str): The filename of the version's download file.
+                - 'system_os' (str): The operating system.
+                - 'url' (str): The remote URL for downloading the version.
+                - 'version' (str): The version number.
+        """
+        return []
+
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Do Not Override These Methods:
+    # --------------------------------------------
 
     @classmethod
     def download_and_extract_app(cls, remote_url, download_location, timeout=120):
+        """Downloads an application from the given remote URL and extracts it to the specified location.
+
+        This method handles the downloading of the application, supports multiple archive formats,
+        and extracts the contents to the specified `download_location`. It also manages temporary
+        files and logs progress throughout the process.
+
+        Args:
+            remote_url (str): The URL of the application to download.
+            download_location (str): The directory where the application should be extracted.
+            timeout (int, optional): The maximum time in seconds to wait for the download. Default is 120 seconds.
+
+        Returns:
+            str: The path to the directory where the application was extracted.
+
+        Raises:
+            Exception: Catches and logs any exceptions that occur during the download or extraction process.
+
+        Supported Formats:
+            - `.tar.xz`: Extracted using the `tarfile` module.
+            - `.zip`: Extracted using the `zipfile` module.
+            - `.dmg`: macOS disk image files, handled using the `dmglib` library.
+            - Other formats will result in an error being logged.
+
+        Notes:
+            - If the application already exists in the `download_location`, the method will log an error
+              and return without downloading or extracting.
+            - Temporary files created during the download process are cleaned up after completion.
+        """
 
         # Create a temp download directory
         temp_download_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
@@ -80,6 +202,7 @@ class EngineDownloader:
             # Extract the downloaded file
             # Process .tar.xz files
             if temp_downloaded_file_path.lower().endswith('.tar.xz'):
+                import tarfile
                 try:
                     with tarfile.open(temp_downloaded_file_path, 'r:xz') as tar:
                         tar.extractall(path=download_location)
@@ -93,6 +216,7 @@ class EngineDownloader:
 
             # Process .zip files
             elif temp_downloaded_file_path.lower().endswith('.zip'):
+                import zipfile
                 try:
                     with zipfile.ZipFile(temp_downloaded_file_path, 'r') as zip_ref:
                         zip_ref.extractall(download_location)

src/engines/core/base_engine.py

@@ -8,9 +8,21 @@ SUBPROCESS_TIMEOUT = 5
 
 
 class BaseRenderEngine(object):
+    """Base class for render engines. This class provides common functionality and structure for various rendering
+    engines. Create subclasses and override the methods marked below to add additional renderers
+
+    Attributes:
+        install_paths (list): A list of default installation paths where the render engine
+        might be found. This list can be populated with common paths to help locate the
+        executable on different operating systems or environments.
+    """
 
     install_paths = []
 
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Required Overrides for Subclasses:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
     def __init__(self, custom_path=None):
         self.custom_renderer_path = custom_path
         if not self.renderer_path() or not os.path.exists(self.renderer_path()):
@@ -20,6 +32,115 @@ class BaseRenderEngine(object):
             logger.warning(f"Path is not executable. Setting permissions to 755 for {self.renderer_path()}")
             os.chmod(self.renderer_path(), 0o755)
 
+    def version(self):
+        """Return the version number as a string.
+
+        Returns:
+            str: Version number.
+
+        Raises:
+            NotImplementedError: If not overridden.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError(f"version not implemented for {self.__class__.__name__}")
+
+    def get_project_info(self, project_path, timeout=10):
+        """Extracts detailed project information from the given project path.
+
+        Args:
+            project_path (str): The path to the project file.
+            timeout (int, optional): The maximum time (in seconds) to wait for the operation. Default is 10 seconds.
+
+        Returns:
+            dict: A dictionary containing project information (subclasses should define the structure).
+
+        Raises:
+            NotImplementedError: If the method is not overridden in a subclass.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError(f"get_project_info not implemented for {self.__class__.__name__}")
+
+    @classmethod
+    def get_output_formats(cls):
+        """Returns a list of available output formats supported by the renderer.
+
+        Returns:
+            list[str]: A list of strings representing the available output formats.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError(f"get_output_formats not implemented for {cls.__name__}")
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def worker_class():  # override when subclassing to link worker class
+        raise NotImplementedError("Worker class not implemented")
+
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Optional Overrides for Subclasses:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
+    def supported_extensions(self):
+        """
+        Returns:
+            list[str]: list of supported extensions
+        """
+        return []
+
+    def get_help(self):
+        """Retrieves the help documentation for the renderer.
+
+        This method runs the renderer's help command (default: '-h') and captures the output.
+        Override this method if the renderer uses a different help flag.
+
+        Returns:
+            str: The help documentation as a string.
+
+        Raises:
+            FileNotFoundError: If the renderer path is not found.
+        """
+        path = self.renderer_path()
+        if not path:
+            raise FileNotFoundError("renderer path not found")
+        creationflags = subprocess.CREATE_NO_WINDOW if platform.system() == 'Windows' else 0
+        help_doc = subprocess.check_output([path, '-h'], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
+                                           timeout=SUBPROCESS_TIMEOUT, creationflags=creationflags).decode('utf-8')
+        return help_doc
+
+    def system_info(self):
+        """Return additional information about the system specfic to the engine (configured GPUs, render engines, etc)
+
+        Returns:
+            dict: A dictionary with engine-specific system information
+        """
+        return {}
+
+    def perform_presubmission_tasks(self, project_path):
+        """Perform any pre-submission tasks on a project file before uploading it to a server (pack textures, etc.)
+
+        Override this method to:
+            1. Copy the project file to a temporary location (DO NOT MODIFY ORIGINAL PATH).
+            2. Perform additional modifications or tasks.
+            3. Return the path to the modified project file.
+
+        Args:
+            project_path (str): The original project file path.
+
+        Returns:
+            str: The path to the modified project file.
+        """
+        return project_path
+
+    def get_arguments(self):
+        pass
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def downloader():  # override when subclassing if using a downloader class
+        return None
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def ui_options(system_info):  # override to return options for ui
+        return {}
+
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Do Not Override These Methods:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
     def renderer_path(self):
         return self.custom_renderer_path or self.default_renderer_path()
 
@@ -39,46 +160,3 @@ class BaseRenderEngine(object):
         except Exception as e:
             logger.exception(e)
         return path
-
-    def version(self):
-        raise NotImplementedError("version not implemented")
-
-    def supported_extensions(self):
-        return []
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def downloader():  # override when subclassing if using a downloader class
-        return None
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def worker_class():  # override when subclassing to link worker class
-        raise NotImplementedError("Worker class not implemented")
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def ui_options(system_info):  # override to return options for ui
-        return {}
-
-    def get_help(self):  # override if renderer uses different help flag
-        path = self.renderer_path()
-        if not path:
-            raise FileNotFoundError("renderer path not found")
-        creationflags = subprocess.CREATE_NO_WINDOW if platform.system() == 'Windows' else 0
-        help_doc = subprocess.check_output([path, '-h'], stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
-                                           timeout=SUBPROCESS_TIMEOUT, creationflags=creationflags).decode('utf-8')
-        return help_doc
-
-    def get_project_info(self, project_path, timeout=10):
-        raise NotImplementedError(f"get_project_info not implemented for {self.__name__}")
-
-    @classmethod
-    def get_output_formats(cls):
-        raise NotImplementedError(f"get_output_formats not implemented for {cls.__name__}")
-
-    def get_arguments(self):
-        pass
-
-    def system_info(self):
-        pass
-
-    def perform_presubmission_tasks(self, project_path):
-        return project_path

src/engines/core/base_worker.py

@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ class BaseRenderWorker(Base):
 
     engine = None
 
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Required Overrides for Subclasses:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
     def __init__(self, input_path, output_path, engine_path, priority=2, args=None, ignore_extensions=True, parent=None,
                  name=None):
 
@@ -57,7 +61,7 @@ class BaseRenderWorker(Base):
                 logger.error(err_meg)
                 raise ValueError(err_meg)
         if not self.engine:
-            raise NotImplementedError("Engine not defined")
+            raise NotImplementedError(f"Engine not defined for {self.__class__.__name__}")
 
         def generate_id():
             import uuid
@@ -103,6 +107,50 @@ class BaseRenderWorker(Base):
         self.__last_output_time = None
         self.watchdog_timeout = 120
 
+    def generate_worker_subprocess(self):
+        """Generate a return a list of the command line arguments necessary to perform requested job
+        
+        Returns:
+            list[str]: list of command line arguments
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError("generate_worker_subprocess not implemented")
+
+    def _parse_stdout(self, line):
+        """Parses a line of standard output from the renderer.
+
+        This method should be overridden in a subclass to implement the logic for processing
+        and interpreting a single line of output from the renderer's standard output stream.
+
+        On frame completion, the subclass should:
+            1. Update value of self.current_frame
+            2. Call self._send_frame_complete_notification()
+
+        Args:
+            line (str): A line of text from the renderer's standard output.
+
+        Raises:
+            NotImplementedError: If the method is not overridden in a subclass.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError(f"_parse_stdout not implemented for {self.__class__.__name__}")
+
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Optional Overrides for Subclasses:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
+    def percent_complete(self):
+        # todo: fix this
+        if self.status == RenderStatus.COMPLETED:
+            return 1.0
+        return 0
+
+    def post_processing(self):
+        """Override to perform any engine-specific postprocessing"""
+        pass
+
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Do Not Override These Methods:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
     def __repr__(self):
         return f"<Job id:{self.id} p{self.priority} {self.renderer}-{self.renderer_version} '{self.name}' status:{self.status.value}>"
 
@@ -142,16 +190,13 @@ class BaseRenderWorker(Base):
         return generated_args
 
     def get_raw_args(self):
-        raw_args_string = self.args.get('raw', None)
+        raw_args_string = self.args.get('raw', '')
         raw_args = None
         if raw_args_string:
             import shlex
             raw_args = shlex.split(raw_args_string)
         return raw_args
 
-    def generate_worker_subprocess(self):
-        raise NotImplementedError("generate_worker_subprocess not implemented")
-
     def log_path(self):
         filename = (self.name or os.path.basename(self.input_path)) + '_' + \
                    self.date_created.strftime("%Y.%m.%d_%H.%M.%S") + '.log'
@@ -387,9 +432,6 @@ class BaseRenderWorker(Base):
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"Error stopping the process: {e}")
 
-    def post_processing(self):
-        pass
-
     def is_running(self):
         if hasattr(self, '__thread'):
             return self.__thread.is_alive()
@@ -418,14 +460,6 @@ class BaseRenderWorker(Base):
         if self.is_running():  # allow the log files to close
             self.__thread.join(timeout=5)
 
-    def percent_complete(self):
-        if self.status == RenderStatus.COMPLETED:
-            return 1.0
-        return 0
-
-    def _parse_stdout(self, line):
-        raise NotImplementedError("_parse_stdout not implemented")
-
     def time_elapsed(self):
         return get_time_elapsed(self.start_time, self.end_time)
 

src/engines/engine_manager.py

@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ logger = logging.getLogger()
 
 
 class EngineManager:
+    """Class that manages different versions of installed renderers and handles fetching and downloading new versions,
+    if possible.
+    """
 
     engines_path = None
     download_tasks = []
@@ -283,6 +286,17 @@ class EngineManager:
 
 
 class EngineDownloadWorker(threading.Thread):
+    """A thread worker for downloading a specific version of a rendering engine.
+
+    This class handles the process of downloading a rendering engine in a separate thread,
+    ensuring that the download process does not block the main application.
+
+    Attributes:
+        engine (str): The name of the rendering engine to download.
+        version (str): The version of the rendering engine to download.
+        system_os (str, optional): The operating system for which to download the engine. Defaults to current OS type.
+        cpu (str, optional): Requested CPU architecture. Defaults to system CPU type.
+    """
     def __init__(self, engine, version, system_os=None, cpu=None):
         super().__init__()
         self.engine = engine
@@ -291,6 +305,7 @@ class EngineDownloadWorker(threading.Thread):
         self.cpu = cpu
 
     def run(self):
+        try:
             existing_download = EngineManager.is_version_downloaded(self.engine, self.version, self.system_os, self.cpu)
             if existing_download:
                 logger.info(f"Requested download of {self.engine} {self.version}, but local copy already exists")
@@ -300,7 +315,9 @@ class EngineDownloadWorker(threading.Thread):
             EngineManager.engine_with_name(self.engine).downloader().download_engine(
                 self.version, download_location=EngineManager.engines_path, system_os=self.system_os, cpu=self.cpu,
                 timeout=300)
-
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error(f"Error in download worker: {e}")
+        finally:
             # remove itself from the downloader list
             EngineManager.download_tasks.remove(self)
 

src/init.py

@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
-''' app/init.py '''
 import logging
 import multiprocessing
 import os
 import socket
 import sys
 import threading
-import time
 from collections import deque
 
+import cpuinfo
+
+from api.api_server import API_VERSION
 from src.api.api_server import start_server
 from src.api.preview_manager import PreviewManager
 from src.api.serverproxy_manager import ServerProxyManager
@@ -15,30 +16,61 @@ from src.distributed_job_manager import DistributedJobManager
 from src.engines.engine_manager import EngineManager
 from src.render_queue import RenderQueue
 from src.utilities.config import Config
-from src.utilities.misc_helper import system_safe_path, current_system_cpu, current_system_os, current_system_os_version
+from src.utilities.misc_helper import (system_safe_path, current_system_cpu, current_system_os,
+                                       current_system_os_version, check_for_updates)
 from src.utilities.zeroconf_server import ZeroconfServer
+from src.version import APP_NAME, APP_VERSION, APP_REPO_NAME, APP_REPO_OWNER
 
 logger = logging.getLogger()
 
 
 def run(server_only=False) -> int:
-    """
-    Initializes the application and runs it.
+    """Initializes the application and runs it.
+
+    Args:
+        server_only: Run in server-only CLI mode. Default is False (runs in GUI mode).
 
     Returns:
         int: The exit status code.
     """
 
+    def existing_process(process_name):
+        import psutil
+        current_pid = os.getpid()
+        current_process = psutil.Process(current_pid)
+        for proc in psutil.process_iter(['pid', 'name', 'ppid']):
+            proc_name = proc.info['name'].lower().rstrip('.exe')
+            if proc_name == process_name.lower() and proc.info['pid'] != current_pid:
+                if proc.info['pid'] == current_process.ppid():
+                    continue  # parent process
+                elif proc.info['ppid'] == current_pid:
+                    continue  # child process
+                else:
+                    return proc  # unrelated process
+        return None
+
     # setup logging
     logging.basicConfig(format='%(asctime)s: %(levelname)s: %(module)s: %(message)s', datefmt='%d-%b-%y %H:%M:%S',
                         level=Config.server_log_level.upper())
     logging.getLogger("requests").setLevel(logging.WARNING)  # suppress noisy requests/urllib3 logging
     logging.getLogger("urllib3").setLevel(logging.WARNING)
 
+    # check for existing instance
+    existing_proc = existing_process(APP_NAME)
+    if existing_proc:
+        logger.fatal(f"Another instance of {APP_NAME} is already running (pid: {existing_proc.pid})")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
     # Setup logging for console ui
     buffer_handler = __setup_buffer_handler() if not server_only else None
 
-    logger.info(f"Starting Zordon Render Server")
+    # check for updates
+    update_thread = threading.Thread(target=check_for_updates, args=(APP_REPO_NAME, APP_REPO_OWNER, APP_NAME,
+                                                                     APP_VERSION))
+    update_thread.start()
+
+    # main start
+    logger.info(f"Starting {APP_NAME} Render Server")
     return_code = 0
     try:
         # Load Config YAML
@@ -77,16 +109,16 @@ def run(server_only=False) -> int:
         api_server.start()
 
         # start zeroconf server
-        ZeroconfServer.configure("_zordon._tcp.local.", local_hostname, Config.port_number)
+        ZeroconfServer.configure(f"_{APP_NAME.lower()}._tcp.local.", local_hostname, Config.port_number)
         ZeroconfServer.properties = {'system_cpu': current_system_cpu(),
+                                     'system_cpu_brand': cpuinfo.get_cpu_info()['brand_raw'],
                                      'system_cpu_cores': multiprocessing.cpu_count(),
                                      'system_os': current_system_os(),
-                                     'system_os_version': current_system_os_version()}
+                                     'system_os_version': current_system_os_version(),
+                                     'api_version': API_VERSION}
         ZeroconfServer.start()
-        logger.info(f"Zordon Render Server started - Hostname: {local_hostname}")
-
-        RenderQueue.evaluation_inverval = Config.queue_eval_seconds
-        RenderQueue.start()
+        logger.info(f"{APP_NAME} Render Server started - Hostname: {local_hostname}")
+        RenderQueue.start()  # Start evaluating the render queue
 
         # start in gui or server only (cli) mode
         logger.debug(f"Launching in {'server only' if server_only else 'GUI'} mode")
@@ -102,13 +134,13 @@ def run(server_only=False) -> int:
         return_code = 1
     finally:
         # shut down gracefully
-        logger.info(f"Zordon Render Server is preparing to shut down")
+        logger.info(f"{APP_NAME} Render Server is preparing to shut down")
         try:
             RenderQueue.prepare_for_shutdown()
         except Exception as e:
             logger.exception(f"Exception during prepare for shutdown: {e}")
         ZeroconfServer.stop()
-        logger.info(f"Zordon Render Server has shut down")
+        logger.info(f"{APP_NAME} Render Server has shut down")
         return sys.exit(return_code)
 
 
@@ -137,8 +169,8 @@ def __setup_buffer_handler():
 
     buffer_handler = BufferingHandler()
     buffer_handler.setFormatter(logging.getLogger().handlers[0].formatter)
-    logger = logging.getLogger()
-    logger.addHandler(buffer_handler)
+    new_logger = logging.getLogger()
+    new_logger.addHandler(buffer_handler)
     return buffer_handler
 
 
@@ -148,6 +180,8 @@ def __show_gui(buffer_handler):
 
     # load application
     app: QApplication = QApplication(sys.argv)
+    if app.style().objectName() != 'macos':
+        app.setStyle('Fusion')
 
     # configure main window
     from src.ui.main_window import MainWindow

src/render_queue.py

@@ -29,19 +29,37 @@ class RenderQueue:
     maximum_renderer_instances = {'blender': 1, 'aerender': 1, 'ffmpeg': 4}
     last_saved_counts = {}
     is_running = False
-    __eval_thread = None
-    evaluation_inverval = 1
 
     # --------------------------------------------
-    # Start / Stop Background Updates
+    # Render Queue Evaluation:
     # --------------------------------------------
 
     @classmethod
     def start(cls):
+        """Start evaluating the render queue"""
         logger.debug("Starting render queue updates")
         cls.is_running = True
         cls.evaluate_queue()
 
+    @classmethod
+    def evaluate_queue(cls):
+        try:
+            not_started = cls.jobs_with_status(RenderStatus.NOT_STARTED, priority_sorted=True)
+            for job in not_started:
+                if cls.is_available_for_job(job.renderer, job.priority):
+                    cls.start_job(job)
+
+            scheduled = cls.jobs_with_status(RenderStatus.SCHEDULED, priority_sorted=True)
+            for job in scheduled:
+                if job.scheduled_start <= datetime.now():
+                    logger.debug(f"Starting scheduled job: {job}")
+                    cls.start_job(job)
+
+            if cls.last_saved_counts != cls.job_counts():
+                cls.save_state()
+        except DetachedInstanceError:
+            pass
+
     @classmethod
     def __local_job_status_changed(cls, job_id, old_status, new_status):
         render_job = RenderQueue.job_with_id(job_id, none_ok=True)
@@ -55,20 +73,9 @@ class RenderQueue:
         cls.is_running = False
 
     # --------------------------------------------
-    # Queue Management
+    # Fetch Jobs:
     # --------------------------------------------
 
-    @classmethod
-    def add_to_render_queue(cls, render_job, force_start=False):
-        logger.info(f"Adding job to render queue: {render_job}")
-        cls.job_queue.append(render_job)
-        if cls.is_running and force_start and render_job.status in (RenderStatus.NOT_STARTED, RenderStatus.SCHEDULED):
-            cls.start_job(render_job)
-        cls.session.add(render_job)
-        cls.save_state()
-        if cls.is_running:
-            cls.evaluate_queue()
-
     @classmethod
     def all_jobs(cls):
         return cls.job_queue
@@ -98,12 +105,15 @@ class RenderQueue:
         return found_job
 
     @classmethod
-    def clear_history(cls):
-        to_remove = [x for x in cls.all_jobs() if x.status in [RenderStatus.CANCELLED,
-                                                               RenderStatus.COMPLETED, RenderStatus.ERROR]]
-        for job_to_remove in to_remove:
-            cls.delete_job(job_to_remove)
-        cls.save_state()
+    def job_counts(cls):
+        job_counts = {}
+        for job_status in RenderStatus:
+            job_counts[job_status.value] = len(cls.jobs_with_status(job_status))
+        return job_counts
+
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Startup / Shutdown:
+    # --------------------------------------------
 
     @classmethod
     def load_state(cls, database_directory):
@@ -128,6 +138,16 @@ class RenderQueue:
         cls.save_state()
         cls.session.close()
 
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Renderer Availability:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
+    @classmethod
+    def renderer_instances(cls):
+        from collections import Counter
+        all_instances = [x.renderer for x in cls.running_jobs()]
+        return Counter(all_instances)
+
     @classmethod
     def is_available_for_job(cls, renderer, priority=2):
 
@@ -137,24 +157,20 @@ class RenderQueue:
         maxed_out_instances = renderer in instances.keys() and instances[renderer] >= max_allowed_instances
         return not maxed_out_instances and not higher_priority_jobs
 
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Job Lifecycle Management:
+    # --------------------------------------------
+
     @classmethod
-    def evaluate_queue(cls):
-        try:
-            not_started = cls.jobs_with_status(RenderStatus.NOT_STARTED, priority_sorted=True)
-            for job in not_started:
-                if cls.is_available_for_job(job.renderer, job.priority):
-                    cls.start_job(job)
-
-            scheduled = cls.jobs_with_status(RenderStatus.SCHEDULED, priority_sorted=True)
-            for job in scheduled:
-                if job.scheduled_start <= datetime.now():
-                    logger.debug(f"Starting scheduled job: {job}")
-                    cls.start_job(job)
-
-            if cls.last_saved_counts != cls.job_counts():
+    def add_to_render_queue(cls, render_job, force_start=False):
+        logger.info(f"Adding job to render queue: {render_job}")
+        cls.job_queue.append(render_job)
+        if cls.is_running and force_start and render_job.status in (RenderStatus.NOT_STARTED, RenderStatus.SCHEDULED):
+            cls.start_job(render_job)
+        cls.session.add(render_job)
         cls.save_state()
-        except DetachedInstanceError:
-            pass
+        if cls.is_running:
+            cls.evaluate_queue()
 
     @classmethod
     def start_job(cls, job):
@@ -177,15 +193,14 @@ class RenderQueue:
         cls.save_state()
         return True
 
-    @classmethod
-    def renderer_instances(cls):
-        from collections import Counter
-        all_instances = [x.renderer for x in cls.running_jobs()]
-        return Counter(all_instances)
+    # --------------------------------------------
+    # Miscellaneous:
+    # --------------------------------------------
 
     @classmethod
-    def job_counts(cls):
-        job_counts = {}
-        for job_status in RenderStatus:
-            job_counts[job_status.value] = len(cls.jobs_with_status(job_status))
-        return job_counts
+    def clear_history(cls):
+        to_remove = [x for x in cls.all_jobs() if x.status in [RenderStatus.CANCELLED,
+                                                               RenderStatus.COMPLETED, RenderStatus.ERROR]]
+        for job_to_remove in to_remove:
+            cls.delete_job(job_to_remove)
+        cls.save_state()

src/ui/about_window.py

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from PyQt6.QtCore import Qt
 from PyQt6.QtGui import QPixmap
 from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QDialog, QVBoxLayout, QLabel, QDialogButtonBox, QHBoxLayout
 
-from version import *
+from src.version import *
 
 
 class AboutDialog(QDialog):

src/ui/main_window.py

@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import datetime
 import io
 import logging
 import os
-import subprocess
 import sys
 import threading
 import time
@@ -16,20 +15,22 @@ from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QMainWindow, QWidget, QHBoxLayout, QListWidget, QTab
     QTableWidgetItem, QLabel, QVBoxLayout, QHeaderView, QMessageBox, QGroupBox, QPushButton, QListWidgetItem, \
     QFileDialog
 
+from api.api_server import API_VERSION
 from src.render_queue import RenderQueue
 from src.utilities.misc_helper import get_time_elapsed, resources_dir, is_localhost
 from src.utilities.status_utils import RenderStatus
 from src.utilities.zeroconf_server import ZeroconfServer
-from .add_job import NewRenderJobForm
-from .console import ConsoleWindow
-from .engine_browser import EngineBrowserWindow
-from .log_viewer import LogViewer
-from .widgets.menubar import MenuBar
-from .widgets.proportional_image_label import ProportionalImageLabel
-from .widgets.statusbar import StatusBar
-from .widgets.toolbar import ToolBar
+from src.ui.add_job import NewRenderJobForm
+from src.ui.console import ConsoleWindow
+from src.ui.engine_browser import EngineBrowserWindow
+from src.ui.log_viewer import LogViewer
+from src.ui.widgets.menubar import MenuBar
+from src.ui.widgets.proportional_image_label import ProportionalImageLabel
+from src.ui.widgets.statusbar import StatusBar
+from src.ui.widgets.toolbar import ToolBar
 from src.api.serverproxy_manager import ServerProxyManager
-from src.utilities.misc_helper import launch_url
+from src.utilities.misc_helper import launch_url, iso_datestring_to_formatted_datestring
+from src.version import APP_NAME
 
 logger = logging.getLogger()
 
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         self.buffer_handler = None
 
         # Window-Settings
-        self.setWindowTitle("Zordon")
+        self.setWindowTitle(APP_NAME)
         self.setGeometry(100, 100, 900, 800)
         central_widget = QWidget(self)
         self.setCentralWidget(central_widget)
@@ -242,7 +243,7 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
 
         # Use the get method with defaults to avoid KeyError
         os_info = f"OS: {server_info.get('system_os', 'Unknown')} {server_info.get('system_os_version', '')}"
-        cpu_info = f"CPU: {server_info.get('system_cpu', 'Unknown')} - {server_info.get('system_cpu_cores', 'Unknown')} cores"
+        cpu_info = f"CPU: {server_info.get('system_cpu_brand', 'Unknown')} ({server_info.get('system_cpu_cores', 'Unknown')} cores)"
 
         self.server_info_os.setText(os_info.strip())
         self.server_info_cpu.setText(cpu_info)
@@ -256,7 +257,7 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
             self.job_list_view.clear()
             self.refresh_job_headers()
 
-        job_fetch = self.current_server_proxy.get_all_jobs(ignore_token=clear_table)
+        job_fetch = self.current_server_proxy.get_all_jobs(ignore_token=False)
         if job_fetch:
             num_jobs = len(job_fetch)
             self.job_list_view.setRowCount(num_jobs)
@@ -276,10 +277,11 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
                 renderer = f"{job.get('renderer', '')}-{job.get('renderer_version')}"
                 priority = str(job.get('priority', ''))
                 total_frames = str(job.get('total_frames', ''))
+                date_created_string = iso_datestring_to_formatted_datestring(job['date_created'])
 
                 items = [QTableWidgetItem(job['id']), QTableWidgetItem(name), QTableWidgetItem(renderer),
                          QTableWidgetItem(priority), QTableWidgetItem(display_status), QTableWidgetItem(time_elapsed),
-                         QTableWidgetItem(total_frames), QTableWidgetItem(job['date_created'])]
+                         QTableWidgetItem(total_frames), QTableWidgetItem(date_created_string)]
 
                 for col, item in enumerate(items):
                     self.job_list_view.setItem(row, col, item)
@@ -410,6 +412,8 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
 
     def update_servers(self):
         found_servers = list(set(ZeroconfServer.found_hostnames() + self.added_hostnames))
+        found_servers = [x for x in found_servers if ZeroconfServer.get_hostname_properties(x)['api_version'] == API_VERSION]
+
         # Always make sure local hostname is first
         if found_servers and not is_localhost(found_servers[0]):
             for hostname in found_servers:
@@ -591,3 +595,21 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         if file_name:
             self.new_job_window = NewRenderJobForm(file_name)
             self.new_job_window.show()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    # lazy load GUI frameworks
+    from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QApplication
+
+    # load application
+    # QtCore.QCoreApplication.setAttribute(QtCore.Qt.ApplicationAttribute.AA_MacDontSwapCtrlAndMeta)
+    app: QApplication = QApplication(sys.argv)
+
+    # configure main main_window
+    main_window = MainWindow()
+    # main_window.buffer_handler = buffer_handler
+    app.setActiveWindow(main_window)
+
+    main_window.show()
+
+    sys.exit(app.exec())

src/ui/widgets/menubar.py

@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 ''' app/ui/widgets/menubar.py '''
-import sys
-
 from PyQt6.QtGui import QAction
-from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QMenuBar, QApplication
+from PyQt6.QtWidgets import QMenuBar, QApplication, QMessageBox, QDialog, QVBoxLayout, QLabel, QPushButton
 
 
 class MenuBar(QMenuBar):
@@ -43,6 +41,9 @@ class MenuBar(QMenuBar):
         about_action = QAction("About", self)
         about_action.triggered.connect(self.show_about)
         help_menu.addAction(about_action)
+        update_action = QAction("Check for Updates...", self)
+        update_action.triggered.connect(self.check_for_updates)
+        help_menu.addAction(update_action)
 
     def new_job(self):
         self.parent().new_job()
@@ -55,3 +56,46 @@ class MenuBar(QMenuBar):
         from src.ui.about_window import AboutDialog
         dialog = AboutDialog()
         dialog.exec()
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def check_for_updates():
+        from src.utilities.misc_helper import check_for_updates
+        from src.version import APP_NAME, APP_VERSION, APP_REPO_NAME, APP_REPO_OWNER
+        found_update = check_for_updates(APP_REPO_NAME, APP_REPO_OWNER, APP_NAME, APP_VERSION)
+        if found_update:
+            dialog = UpdateDialog(found_update, APP_VERSION)
+            dialog.exec()
+        else:
+            QMessageBox.information(None, "No Update", "No updates available.")
+
+
+class UpdateDialog(QDialog):
+    def __init__(self, release_info, current_version, parent=None):
+        super().__init__(parent)
+        self.setWindowTitle(f"Update Available ({current_version} -> {release_info['tag_name']})")
+
+        layout = QVBoxLayout()
+        label = QLabel(f"A new version ({release_info['tag_name']}) is available! Current version: {current_version}")
+        layout.addWidget(label)
+
+        # Label to show the release notes
+        description = QLabel(release_info["body"])
+        layout.addWidget(description)
+
+        # Button to download the latest version
+        download_button = QPushButton(f"Download Latest Version ({release_info['tag_name']})")
+        download_button.clicked.connect(lambda: self.open_url(release_info["html_url"]))
+        layout.addWidget(download_button)
+
+        # OK button to dismiss the dialog
+        ok_button = QPushButton("Dismiss")
+        ok_button.clicked.connect(self.accept)  # Close the dialog when clicked
+        layout.addWidget(ok_button)
+
+        self.setLayout(layout)
+
+    def open_url(self, url):
+        from PyQt6.QtCore import QUrl
+        from PyQt6.QtGui import QDesktopServices
+        QDesktopServices.openUrl(QUrl(url))
+        self.accept()

src/utilities/misc_helper.py

@@ -159,6 +159,33 @@ def copy_directory_contents(src_dir, dst_dir):
             shutil.copy2(src_path, dst_path)
 
 
+def check_for_updates(repo_name, repo_owner, app_name, current_version):
+    def get_github_releases(owner, repo):
+        import requests
+        url = f"https://api.github.com/repos/{owner}/{repo}/releases"
+        try:
+            response = requests.get(url, timeout=3)
+            response.raise_for_status()
+            releases = response.json()
+            return releases
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error(f"Error checking for updates: {e}")
+            return []
+
+    releases = get_github_releases(repo_owner, repo_name)
+    if not releases:
+        return
+
+    latest_version = releases[0]
+    latest_version_tag = latest_version['tag_name']
+
+    from packaging import version
+    if version.parse(latest_version_tag) > version.parse(current_version):
+        logger.info(f"Newer version of {app_name} available. "
+                    f"Latest: {latest_version_tag}, Current: {current_version}")
+        return latest_version
+
+
 def is_localhost(comparison_hostname):
     # this is necessary because socket.gethostname() does not always include '.local' - This is a sanitized comparison
     try:
@@ -183,3 +210,18 @@ def num_to_alphanumeric(num):
         result += characters[remainder]
 
     return result[::-1]  # Reverse the result to get the correct alphanumeric string
+
+
+def iso_datestring_to_formatted_datestring(iso_date_string):
+    from dateutil import parser
+    import pytz
+
+    # Parse the ISO date string into a datetime object and convert timezones
+    date = parser.isoparse(iso_date_string).astimezone(pytz.UTC)
+    local_timezone = datetime.now().astimezone().tzinfo
+    date_local = date.astimezone(local_timezone)
+
+    # Format the date to the desired readable yet sortable format with 12-hour time
+    formatted_date = date_local.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %I:%M %p')
+
+    return formatted_date

src/utilities/zeroconf_server.py

@@ -32,9 +32,11 @@ class ZeroconfServer:
     def start(cls, listen_only=False):
         if not cls.service_type:
             raise RuntimeError("The 'configure' method must be run before starting the zeroconf server")
-        logger.debug("Starting zeroconf service")
-        if not listen_only:
+        elif not listen_only:
+            logger.debug(f"Starting zeroconf service")
             cls._register_service()
+        else:
+            logger.debug(f"Starting zeroconf service - Listen only mode")
         cls._browse_services()
 
     @classmethod

src/version.py

@@ -4,3 +4,5 @@ APP_AUTHOR = "Brett Williams"
 APP_DESCRIPTION = "Distributed Render Farm Tools"
 APP_COPYRIGHT_YEAR = "2024"
 APP_LICENSE = "MIT License"
+APP_REPO_NAME = APP_NAME
+APP_REPO_OWNER = "blw1138"