Is there a way to view what $(implicit) resolves to?

[t1t4]

I ran into the issue where I'm doing a vray DR mode render and the slave is not picking up the cache files. It took me to long to realize what the problem was, the input was set to $(simoutput). The only way I seen to be able to get it to work over my network is to brows and hard code the network path in. It seems like the $(implicit) and $(simoutput) should work if all the files including the max file are on the network and when I hard code the path I'm setting it to the same network location it must be reading it from using the $() methods right?

Or do the $(implicit) and $(simoutput) resolve to something other than what you get when you use the "cache path..." button to hard code it?

If the some how resolve differently is there a way to see how they resolve to know why they aren't working on the slave machines? I would love to avoid hard coding the paths since some times I like to have a few versions of the same scene but with different sims and it's a lot easier to deal with when they are set the $(implicit) rather than having to go in and set a new path for each file and remembering to change so you don't overwrite data you mean to have tied to a different scene.

Did that make any sense?

[ivaylo.ivanov]

Yes, this was requested and implemented in the Maya version already.

[t1t4]

I this coming to Phoenix for Max or is it already in there and I missed it?

[Ivaylo Katev]

you can see where exactly is $(implicit) pressing the browse button, it will open the resolved folder as starting point.
the detailed description of $(implicit) is given the help , there are other reserved words that may be used.

[t1t4]

Its it possible that $(implicit) and $(simoutput) are some how different under the hood than the path you get when you click on the brows button?

The reason I ask is because if render in DR or submit for network rendering the slave or render host does not understand the path for some reason if it's left as $(implicit) and or $(simoutput). If I click the browse button to hard code the path everything works in DR and network rendering. That makes it seem like it must be resolving differently some how or there is some other bug?

I can open a max file using the $(implicit) and $(simoutput) on any machine on the network and everything shades fine but the slaves and render nodes can't find the cache file. As soon as I click the browse button and it is hard coded it works which if it is resolving to the same thing I'm not sure why it would need to be hard coded.

I was also thinking if I could hard code just the network drive "\\networkdrive\" and leave the rest as "$(dir)\$(scene)_Phoenix_frames\ND$(handle)_$(node name)" so "\\networkdrive\$(dir)\$(scene)_Phoenix_frames\ND$ (handle)_$(nodename)" then maybe things would work? But doesn't $(dir) contain the "\\networkdrive\" part?

[Ivaylo Katev]

the DR slaves resolve the path correctly, but there is nothing at this path at their hard drives, see here for detailed explanation.
you are not the first one who hits this problem, perhaps is time to provide some automation

[t1t4]

Ah, I think I understand now. Is it that the scene the DR slaves use is a local scene that was sent to them and not the scene that the host is looking at? Like a local cache scene on the DR machine which makes it resolve to a different (local hd) place?

[Ivaylo Katev]

exactly, the scene is a local copy and is placed somewhere on their hd.