Updated max 6 DR install Tutorial

[Long John]

[vlado]

If you get your max opening and closing all the time, look at the Max.log file in the network folder of 3dsmax (would be the same for Viz I presume). It usually says why Max has shutdown. I had an issue where the 3dsmax install was copied, and not installed properly - 3dsmax failed to find some of the backburner .dll files and exited immediately. Another test you can do is to try to do a rendering from the command line using 3dsmaxcmd; in many ways this is similar to opening 3dsmax in slave mode and can give you some pointers.

Best regards,
Vlado

[Long John]

we have installed max from the original cd´s already because we tried to eliminate all possible issues.

the max log file is not very helpfull:

2004/11/15 20:15:56 INF: MI 0.0 progr: reading startup file "rayrc"
2004/11/15 20:15:56 INF: MI 0.0 progr: parsing file rayrc
2004/11/15 20:15:56 INF: LINK 0.0 progr: module #1 (.shaders_standardshaders/3dsmax7.dll) loaded
2004/11/15 20:15:56 INF: LINK 0.0 progr: module #2 (.shaders_standardshaders/subsurface.dll) loaded
2004/11/15 20:15:56 INF: LINK 0.0 progr: module #3 (.shaders_standardshaders/lume.dll) loaded
2004/11/15 20:15:56 INF: LINK 0.0 progr: module #4 (.shaders_standardshaders/physics.dll) loaded
2004/11/15 20:15:56 INF: LINK 0.0 progr: module #5 (.shaders_standardshaders/contour.dll) loaded
2004/11/15 20:15:56 INF: LINK 0.0 progr: module #6 (.shaders_standardshaders/base.dll) loaded
2004/11/15 20:16:01 DBG: Starting network
2004/11/15 20:16:01 INF: Loaded D:3dsmax7
etworkvraydummy60.max
2004/11/15 20:16:01 INF: Job: D:3dsmax7
etworkvraydummy60.max
2004/11/15 20:16:01 INF: Starting network rendering
2004/11/15 20:16:01 INF: Max is ready to begin render
2004/11/15 20:27:13 INF: Loaded D:3dsmax7\networkvray_server_scene.max
2004/11/15 20:27:13 ERR: File Open Failed: D:3dsmax7\networkvray_server_scene.max
2004/11/15 20:27:13 ERR: An unexpected exception has occurred in the network renderer and it is terminating.

i think it failed because the vray_server_scene.max is only 0 bytes big.

will try if the command line will give me some hints.

thx

[dapeter]

Sounds like the issue that's happening with VIZ 2005. All I did to get VIZ to stop giving the "cannot open" error message (that causes the program to restart) was render a test image across my network on the scanline renderer (using backburner), then I found the XML file this job created in the Backburner jobs folder. After renaming this XML file "vraydummy60.xml" and copying it into the root VIZ folder (overwriting the existing file created during install), it's worked perfectly ever since.

There's more info in another thread here about getting DR to work with VIZ, you might want to check that out if my explaination isn't good enough. If that doesn't work, then... good luck!

[vlado]

Well, if the scene file is 0 bytes, it's obvious why max fails. Now I only have to find why it is not transferred correctly.

As for banshee, as far as I know, it doesn't transfer the scene, but requires it to be in a place visible by all servers, so it wouldn't have this particular sort of an issue.

Best regards,
Vlado

[Long John]

Sounds like the issue that's happening with VIZ 2005. All I did to get VIZ to stop giving the "cannot open" error message (that causes the program to restart) was render a test image across my network on the scanline renderer (using backburner), then I found the XML file this job created in the Backburner jobs folder. After renaming this XML file "vraydummy60.xml" and copying it into the root VIZ folder (overwriting the existing file created during install), it's worked perfectly ever since.

have done the same but it still does not work.

[Dynedain]

have you tried the new 1.46.05 build? that has solved some of the DR issues for me. (cancelling a rendering still breaks things but having nodes show up and the wierd DLL errors I was getting are gone)

[Long John]

yes, i wrote it already, we are using 1.46.05

it´s the same for all 1.46 betas.

the file in the network folder is 0 bytes no matter what i try.


my test scene is a sphere with a green standard material, a omni light with shadow maps and a camera.

no plugins used, no maps, nothing!

[a2is]

I do experience the same problem. The vray_server_scene file in the server network directory file is 0 byte and cannot be loaded by max, even with very simple scene (a box and an omni ligth).

I have this problem with all the server if the PC with VRLServer is the client or a server for the rendering. This PC is a dual xeon with 3Gb RAM, max 6 sp1 and win XP pro SP2 (same pb with win pro sp1).

If I do not use this "VRLServer" PC for rendering, DR works fine. I just have to do a local (i.e. non DR) rendering on the client machine (not the VRLserver machine), cancel it, and then start my DR. Without the local rendering before the DR, it fails everytime (host x.x.x.x failed).

So, for me, the server installation is not the problem as all the servers work if I do not use this VRLServer machine for DR.

The cause of this problem seems to be linked with this machine:
- VRLServer?
- dual Xeon?
- other?


Any idea?

[travistlo]

Anyone else still having these issues? I tried to do what this says here still no luck. The xml file says it has errors. Can anyone post a working xml? or PM one.

thanks,
Travis

[paulison]

travistlo if you used an xml from an old job, check that the vradummy.max file that you created isnt missing something....

like in my case I had to add a camera called cam_0 to my blank vraydummy.max file for it to work!

look under the viz\network directory for a log file that is temporarily created when vrayspawner tried to load vraydummy

weird eh

[travistlo]

Thanks, but timmatron pm'ed me working files.

Thanks dude.

[zapcat]

Gotta bring this thread back to life....

I'm setting DR here and I keep having the vraydumm60.max opening and closing when I start the spawner. The Max.log says this -


------------ 3ds max Log File -------------

2005/02/05 15:17:17 DBG: Starting network
2005/02/05 15:17:18 ERR: Error loading *.max file
2005/02/05 15:17:25 DBG: Stop network
2005/02/05 15:17:55 DBG: Starting network
2005/02/05 15:17:56 INF: Loaded C:3dsmax7vraydummy60.max
2005/02/05 15:17:58 INF: Job: C:3dsmax7vraydummy60.max
2005/02/05 15:18:28 DBG: Stop network
2005/02/05 15:19:04 DBG: Starting network
2005/02/05 15:19:04 ERR: Error loading *.max file
2005/02/05 15:19:04 DBG: Stop network
2005/02/05 15:19:39 DBG: Starting network
2005/02/05 15:19:39 ERR: Error loading *.max file
2005/02/05 15:19:40 DBG: Stop network
2005/02/05 15:19:59 DBG: Starting network
2005/02/05 15:19:59 ERR: Error loading *.max file
2005/02/05 15:20:00 DBG: Stop network

And the toServer.txt file says this -

error
Unknown error while loading application

Which really isn't much help....

I have cleared out my network folder and this didn't resolve the problem. Can anyone suggest another possible solution?

I'm running XP Pro (SP2), Max 7, & Vray 1.46.10 on all my machines.

Hope you can help.

Zap

[jujubee]

Can anyone suggest another possible solution?

Reinstall? Don't mean to be a wise-ass but it usually solves most of my problems.


I've got a question regarding Irradiance Maps and DR - do you need to save these as well over the network using a UNC convention? And if so, do I have to load them into the paths of Max's external files? I did a search but came up blank.

[zapcat]

Thanks for the suggestion but I've already reinstalled vray. No luck.