Phoenix 4.2 (Max) possible license bug

[jeffbrown]

I recently upgraded my Phoenix software to version 4.2.0.0, using 3ds Max 2020, and V-Ray Next.
When submitting a render-only job (via Deadline) to my small farm, I get "Unable to load dll" errors relating to Phoenix. Example:
"2020/08/13 09:40:03 WRN: [04632] [02064] Missing dll: phoenixfd.dlr - PHXFoam
2020/08/13 09:40:03 WRN: [04632] [02064] Missing dll: phoenixfd.dlr - PhoenixFD Atmosphere
2020/08/13 09:40:03 ERR: [04632] [02064] Error loading file C:/Users/.../AppData/Local/Thinkbox/Deadline10/slave/render-81/jobsData/5f34722028892... [etc]"

Since I have 2 simulation licenses, I discovered the error only happens when Phoenix 4.2 is installed as a V-Ray Render-Only instance. When selecting "Sim and Render" as install type, render-only jobs proceed OK.
This is a perfectly good work-around (and for more than 2 simultaneous renders), but thought you might want to investigate. Let me know if I can provide any more info. Thanks for great software and support.

-Jeff B.

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Hmm, gotta check if we've been clear enough in the installer info and the docs - The V-Ray Standalone Render Slave install type works ONLY with V-Ray Standalone.

phoenixfd.dlr is the 3ds Max Phoenix plugin, so whatever is trying to load it, is trying to use Phoenix through 3ds Max and not through V-Ray Standalone, so this naturally can't happen.

Thanks for the heads up though! Will see if there is a way to make this clearer...

[jeffbrown]

Ah, maybe * I * was not clear. The "standalone" I was referring to is when installing Phoenix (see screengrab). In the past, I have used this choice to install only the rendering components of Phoenix FD. (?) It worked prior to 4.2.0 (4.1.0 and earlier), although maybe this was not intended! Thanks for the quick reply!
-Jeff B.

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Yup, we are on the same page indeed. This mode does not install phoenixfd.dlr which is the 3ds Max Phoenix plugin, so if it worked before, maybe it wasn't a clean install or there was some other issue previously.

But the message you are getting now suggests that maybe deadline or some other component in the pipeline is erroneously trying to fire up the 3ds Max plugin which won't work unless you install the full Workstation install. The V-Ray Standalone installer of Phoenix would work only with vray.exe...

[Joelaff]

I messed this up on a render node recently. Thought to myself, I don’t need the simulation on this node, only rendering. So I tried the last option shown above. Needless to say it didn’t work. I reinstalled and chose the middle option which I had always used in the past. This worked of course.

So yes, please make that more clear when you get a chance.

[HenrikBC]

Hmm, gotta check if we've been clear enough in the installer info and the docs - The V-Ray Standalone Render Slave install type works ONLY with V-Ray Standalone.

phoenixfd.dlr is the 3ds Max Phoenix plugin, so whatever is trying to load it, is trying to use Phoenix through 3ds Max and not through V-Ray Standalone, so this naturally can't happen.

Thanks for the heads up though! Will see if there is a way to make this clearer...

Please do make this more clear in the installer. I have fallen into this hole several times now. When I need to install a plugin on a render slave (with 3ds max + V-Ray, etc.) I would never presume to select either the "Full Workstation" option or anything with "Simulation" in it, when both of those options, to my knowledge, requires an additional license. And to top this off there is very clickable "Render Slave" option - save for the mischievous little detail of "Stand Alone".

Is there some overlap here - with the middle option being both for simulating on a slave AND network rendering with 3ds max + Phoenix installed? If that is the case, then I would suggest adding either some more text to the mid option along the lines of "+ 3ds max Render Slave" - or maybe adding a 4th option to the menu.
In either case, the way it is currently is super unclear if you simply want the 3ds max + Phoenix render slave option.

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Hey HenrikBC , can you give me more information about what is your use case?

Since all the files that Phoenix installs are in the vicinity of 30-40 MB, I'm thinking about removing all install options anyway and always using the Full install.
- Phoenix will not engage any license when you are rendering anyway.
- It will only use a simulation license if you have submitted the simulation via Deadline or Backburner or if you are running 3ds Max without GUI or Maya in Maya-batch mode.
- Phoenix will use a GUI license only if you are simulating from inside 3ds Max and Maya in GUI/interactive mode.

This is why I need to know why anyone uses the slave/server options at all. I inherited those options from the previous devs and I believe the reasoning behind those was simply to make the Phoenix installer much like the V-Ray installer, and nothing more.

Cheers!

[HenrikBC]

Hi Svetlin.Nikolov

My use case is that I own a single PhoenixFD license for a workstation and simply need to be able to render on both the workstation and my one slave (two machines - one for sims, both for rendering).
To accomplish this I use Backburner - and sometimes 3dsmaxcmd.exe (to executive more than one render job simultaneously - for jobs that only use eg. 50% CPU).

TLDR: In my opinion, always install the full 40MB. Licensing will enable/disable what you paid for in any case.

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Yesss, so the full install will not break anything for you. Then this is what I will do - I'll leave only the full install option and if anything else is needed, then maybe I will add a zip install like for Maya.

[HenrikBC]

Yesss, so the full install will not break anything for you. Then this is what I will do - I'll leave only the full install option and if anything else is needed, then maybe I will add a zip install like for Maya.

Great!
Sounds like the only reason - at all - to have the three options, was to save a few MBs? If that's all, then good riddance to the options/confusions.

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Aaaand an update: from tomorrow's nightlies these options will be gone from the Max and Maya installers of Phoenix, so if anyone really really needs them, please ping us

Cheers!

[HenrikBC]

Awesome!