Network Render Flickering on CPU and GPU

[tommygdawg]

Hey all

I'm trying to run a very basic scene on my small network of two computers (my workstation and my render machine). It's a model that's refractive/reflective, an HDRI, two other lights, and that's it. I'm getting flickering in the buckets from my slave machine. I'm running 3DS Max 2025 and V-Ray 62006. I'm getting this issue on GPU and CPU. On my slave machine I have my drive letters mapped to the same letters as my workstation machine. Everything is hardwired via ethernet. Here's an example where you can clearly see the square outline of the bucket from my render machine:

It doesn't look like it's missing the textures, it looks like it renders with a different brigthness...or something?

[tommygdawg]

Further updates. I did a reset on Max, made a blank scene with nothing but a white dome light and a plane with a vray material and an image in a vraybitmap. This is the result with network rendering:


The lighter teal colored patches are the slave machine. As you can see, it's rendering the image, but it's rendering with a different color. This is so strange!

[hermit.crab]

Further updates. I did a reset on Max, made a blank scene with nothing but a white dome light and a plane with a vray material and an image in a vraybitmap. This is the result with network rendering:


The lighter teal colored patches are the slave machine. As you can see, it's rendering the image, but it's rendering with a different color. This is so strange!

Could you attach (or send) this particular scene?

[tommygdawg]

Here ya go!

[tommygdawg]

Has there been any movement on this? I still can't find a solution.

[hermit.crab]

Thanks for the provided scene. The issue occurs when using the 3ds Max native color management and rendering with DR. Although, I've tested matching both instances of 3ds Max (workstation-slave) the issue still seems to appear. I'll continue troubleshooting.
Otherwise, using the V-Ray color management should yield correct results. Simply set 3ds Max's color management to Unmanaged (Customize>Color Management) and use ours instead(Render Setup>Settings>Color Management).

It is reproducible even if you render DR with your own PC with 3ds Max OCIO. Logged (internal bug-tracker id: VMAX-14155)
Note that it occurs in Arnold and Scanline as well, so it's Autodesk related.

EDIT: Autodesk answered us that the 3ds Max OCIO color management is not yet supported when network rendering.

[tommygdawg]

Interesting. I'm still seeing AN issue (it may be a different issue) even when disabling Max's color management. I've even tried launching Max on my slave machines and setting unmanaged to the system default. Check this out with my text:

This may be a separate issue as I'm now seeing that in my simple DR test scene, the colors render fine between my host and slaves.

[tommygdawg]

Update. There's fractures of the text mesh, and it seems that it has to do with the clipping that occurs between the fracture walls. It's odd though, as this clipping doesn't become problematic when rendering only locally.

[hermit.crab]

Update. There's fractures of the text mesh, and it seems that it has to do with the clipping that occurs between the fracture walls. It's odd though, as this clipping doesn't become problematic when rendering only locally.

Best you send (or attach) this scene as well.

[tommygdawg]

Apologies for the delay. Here you are! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uZ0...ew?usp=sharing

Though, I honestly may have been confused previously. I'm now getting flickering on the walls of the fracture regardless of local or network rendering.

[hermit.crab]

Thanks. Not seeing any flickering. Any particular frames that I should be looking at? Also, having a Missing OSM (top modifier of the text) - what is it?