PhoenixFD DR slaves can't see the cache

[Ivaylo Katev]

no, your permissions are ok, but the dr slaves have no permission to access your machine. we made fast test and really the dr machines did not render anything. then we tried to see the cache files using remote desctop and windows explored, and it asked for password. of course the dr slave cant provide any
the cache folder must be accessible without password.

[jstrob]

I don't have any problem accessing cache file by remote desktop. I am not asked for password... it is just a regular windows share. My dr slave can acess my texture which are shared the exact same way but they can't access the Phoenix cacha. Is this a bug on your side?

[Ivaylo Katev]

well, this sounds strange. however the textures are not correct test, they are detected by max and are sent to the remote machines. actually the remote machines are using local copies of the textures, no need to open them in the same way as phoenix cache files.
so, just to be sure, you connect using remote desctop to arbitrary dr slave, open windows explorer on it, and type \\SASORI\PhoeniFDcache\subEauSplash\resim\ in the address bar. you claim the directory content is shown without any problems and password dialogs? you can see the cache files and can open them? the second one is very important, because sometimes windows can see the directory content but fails trying to open the files. to test the opening use right click, open with, and select notepad.

[jstrob]

Yes that's exactly what I did. I used windows remote desktop and i opened the cache with notepad. When I render on the network, I use unc path for my textures and they are not sent to be called locally on the slave.

[Ivaylo Katev]

really strange, ok i will tell you if we find the reason, hopefully today

[Ivaylo Katev]

ok, we were unable to reproduce your problem with your scene. can you share some additional info, for example
- is it happening only with this scene or any scene refuses to render in dr
- is it happening only with resimulation cache files, or with the original ones too
- is it a relatively new problem, can you tell which version started to cause it?

[jstrob]

I just noticed with another scene that DR is not loading textures... I thought it was working... It seems it stopped working since I install phoenixFD 2.2 and vray 3.00.05.

Even if I check "transfer texture" the dr slave don't see them.

[Ivaylo Katev]

in this case i'm back to the permission hypothesis. can you send us the phoenix log file (it's one level above the samples)?

[jstrob]

Can you remond me where ar the samples, I can't find them...

[jstrob]

Ok found them in the documents/PhoenixFD
I sent them to you on chaosgroup support email

[Ivaylo Katev]

didn't receive it, can you send it again?

[jstrob]

Sorry for the late answer.

I think i may have found it. Some of my slave were not logged with my credentials. finally. It's still the same issue I have when i install phoeniFD: My vrayspawner get unsinstalled and I have to reinstall it. Which I do with a bat file but I don't know how to enter the credential for the service to log in with in that bat file...

like this:
net stop VRayRTSpawner
net stop "VRaySpawner 2014"
pushd \\Kurayami\softwarez\3D\3DSMAXPLUGZ\@@@2014
phoenixFD_adv_22000_max2014_vray_30_x64.exe -configFile="\\Kurayami\softwarez\3D\3DSMAXPLUGZ\@@ @2014\bat\configRenderFarm.xml" /l*v "\\Kurayami\softwarez\3D\3DSMAXPLUGZ\@@@2014\bat\% computername%PhoenixInstall.log" /i
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2014\vrayspawner2014.exe" -service
net start VRayRTSpawner
net start "VRaySpawner 2014"

anywway I enter them all manually now but I can't confirm it is working now cause I am rendering some ugent animation for a contract for a few days. My frame are like 10 hours each so it's difrficult to interrupt them. I will see after.

[Ivaylo Katev]

well, but if the spawner is the problem, the rendering will be distributed among the rest of the dr slaves and there will be no black squares.

[jstrob]

Ok now I can confirm it is working now (with vray 3.00.06 and PhoenixFD 2.2) . The problem is if the spawner service does not have the right credentials, it will try to render but will not be able to get the assets files from the network and it will render black.

Since the spawner service credentials always get reset to default when installing a new version, we must make sure to set the service credentials each time we update.

I found the command line for setting those up:

Just replace "Username" and "Password" by your credentials for logging in windows.

sc config "VRaySpawner 2014" obj= .\Username password= Password
net stop "VRaySpawner 2014"
net start "VRaySpawner 2014"

sc config VRayRTSpawner obj= .\Username password= Password
net stop VRayRTSpawner
net start VRayRTSpawner

I put this in a batch file and run it with deadline on all my slaves by selecting all of them and choosing "Remote Control" => "Execute Command..."

[Ivaylo Katev]

thanks, good to know.