Distributed rendering on viz 2006

[RErender]

Also, go to viz2006/network/ and look for a viz.log file or something like that and check for any errors. If there are any what do they say?

[vlado]

To get DR to work on VIZ 2006, on all render slaves you need to create a file vrayspawner.ini in the root folder of VIZ with this contents:

[Directories]
AppName=<VIZ root folder>\3dsviz.exe

If you are having problems with loading vraydummy60.max, or if it is missing you can optionaly do this:

• Start VIZ with an empty scene;
• Save the scene as vraydummy60.max in the root folder of VIZ;
• Open the Render Scene dialog and tick "Network render";
• Start backburner2 manager and server;
• Render the scene;
• Copy the files vraydummy60.max and <backburner2Folder>\Network\ServerJob\vraydummy60.xml to the root folder of VIZ on all render slaves.

If the render slaves fail to start for some reason after you run vrayspawner60.exe, look at the files c:\vrspawner.log and <VIZ root folder>\Network\VIZ.log for any error messages.

Sometimes, if several different 3dsmax/VIZ versions are installed over one another, or just copied without proper installation, 3dsmax/VIZ may refuse to start when run by the vrayspawner application, because it cannot find the proper backburner DLLs. This can be corrected by adding the path to the backburner2 folder to your PATH environment variable.

Best regards,
Vlado

[mikeh]

To get DR to work on VIZ 2006, on all render slaves you need to create a file vrayspawner.ini in the root folder of VIZ with this contents:

[Directories]
AppName=<VIZ root folder>\3dsviz.exe

If you are having problems with loading vraydummy60.max, or if it is missing you can optionaly do this:

• Start VIZ with an empty scene;
• Save the scene as vraydummy60.max in the root folder of VIZ;
• Open the Render Scene dialog and tick "Network render";
• Start backburner2 manager and server;
• Render the scene;
• Copy the files vraydummy60.max and <backburner2Folder>\Network\ServerJob\vraydummy60.xml to the root folder of VIZ on all render slaves.

If the render slaves fail to start for some reason after you run vrayspawner60.exe, look at the files c:\vrspawner.log and <VIZ root folder>\Network\VIZ.log for any error messages.

Sometimes, if several different 3dsmax/VIZ versions are installed over one another, or just copied without proper installation, 3dsmax/VIZ may refuse to start when run by the vrayspawner application, because it cannot find the proper backburner DLLs. This can be corrected by adding the path to the backburner2 folder to your PATH environment variable.

Best regards,
Vlado

Vlado,
I followed your instructions and still the process fails at the xml level. Here is the log...

0: [2006/_ÅC/11|07:09:17] ========================== Starting new session ==========================
1: [2006/_ÅC/11|07:09:17] Got this module name: C:\Program Files\CADD\VIZ 2006\vrayspawner60.exe
2: [2006/_ÅC/11|07:09:17] Got this INI file name: C:\Program Files\CADD\VIZ 2006\VRaySpawner.ini
3: [2006/_ÅC/11|07:09:17] Reading settings from INI file: "C:\Program Files\CADD\VIZ 2006\VRaySpawner.ini"
4: [2006/_ÅC/11|07:09:17] --
5: [2006/_ÅC/11|07:09:17] Dumping current settings...
6: [2006/_ÅC/11|07:09:17] VRaySpawner temp dir: ""
7: [2006/_ÅC/11|07:09:17] Application name (MAX/VIZ): "<C:\ Program files\CADD\VIZ 2006\3dsviz.exe>"
8: [2006/_ÅC/11|07:09:17] --
9: [2006/_ÅCP_/11|07:09:17] Process id is 3920 (0xf50)
10: [2006/_ÅCP_/11|07:09:17] *** ALERT! Error opening file "<C:\ Program files\CADD\VIZ 2006\vraydummy60.xml" for reading
11: [2006/_ÅC¸@3/11|07:09:17] Exiting our service due to errors
12: [2006/_ÅC/11|07:09:17] ========================== Ending session ==========================

The viz log showed nothing because it never started.


mh

[arobbert]

Thank you for your reply Vlado. I have been doing exactly as you suggested with no results on two different computers with identical results.

Add the vrayspawner.ini file as required.

I start viz save a file in the root viz 2006 folder called:vraydummy60.max

Run a job on backburner, copy the backburner.xml file to the viz folder and re-name it to vraydummy60.xml.

Here is my spawnerlog

0: [2006/HÅC/11|09:50:48] ========================== Starting new session ==========================
1: [2006/HÅC/11|09:50:48] Got this module name: C:\Program Files\Autodesk VIZ 2006\vrayspawner60.exe
2: [2006/HÅC/11|09:50:48] Got this INI file name: C:\Program Files\Autodesk VIZ 2006\VRaySpawner.ini
3: [2006/IÅC/11|09:50:49] Reading settings from INI file: "C:\Program Files\Autodesk VIZ 2006\VRaySpawner.ini"
4: [2006/IÅC/11|09:50:49] --
5: [2006/IÅC/11|09:50:49] Dumping current settings...
6: [2006/IÅC/11|09:50:49] VRaySpawner temp dir: ""
7: [2006/IÅC/11|09:50:49] Application name (MAX/VIZ): "C:\Program Files\Autodesk VIZ 2006\3dsviz.exe"
8: [2006/IÅC/11|09:50:49] --
9: [2006/IÅC¨/11|09:50:49] Process id is 424 (0x1a8

and my VIZlog

2006/01/11 09:39:30 DBG: Starting network
2006/01/11 09:39:32 INF: [2006/Jan/11|09:39:32] ================================================== ==========
2006/01/11 09:39:32 INF: [2006/Jan/11|09:39:32] Console created, VRay Adv 1.47.03 from May 16 2005, 17:16:41
2006/01/11 09:39:32 INF: [2006/Jan/11|09:39:32] ================================================== ==========
2006/01/11 09:39:32 INF: [2006/Jan/11|09:39:32] Compiled with Intel C++ compiler, version 7.1
2006/01/11 09:39:32 INF: [2006/Jan/11|09:39:32] Host is 3dsVIZ, version 7
2006/01/11 09:39:32 INF: Loaded C:\Program Files\backburner 2\Network\ServerJob\vraydummy61.max
2006/01/11 09:39:32 INF: Job: C:\Program Files\backburner 2\Network\ServerJob\vraydummy61.max
2006/01/11 09:39:32 INF: Starting network rendering
2006/01/11 09:39:32 INF: VIZ is ready to begin render
2006/01/11 09:39:33 INF: Frame 0 assigned
2006/01/11 09:39:33 INF: Frame started at: 09:39:33
2006/01/11 09:39:33 INF: Frame completed
2006/01/11 09:39:36 INF: [2006/Jan/11|09:39:36] ================================================== ==========
2006/01/11 09:39:36 INF: [2006/Jan/11|09:39:36] Console closed normally
2006/01/11 09:39:36 INF: [2006/Jan/11|09:39:36] ================================================== ==========
2006/01/11 09:44:10 INF: [2006/Jan/11|09:44:10] ================================================== ==========
2006/01/11 09:44:10 INF: [2006/Jan/11|09:44:10] Console closed normally

[arobbert]

To add the backburner2 folder to your PATH environment variable.
I went to: configure paths, external files and added backburner2 to the path. Still no results.

[mikeh]

arobbert,
Your spawnerlog doesn't show 10,11 and 12 like mine does? Also, look at the times on your viz log...it shows that viz never started...all it shows is the times you manually started it before launching the spawner.exe
mh

[arobbert]

RErender- I tried running the VIZ4 spawner with no luck.

[arobbert]

Mike it seems like lines 10 and 11 on your spawner log are error messages. I notice that I have no ending session message.

This is the sytem error message I get:
VRay Spawner has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

[Candelero]

10: [2006/_ÅCP_/11|07:09:17] *** ALERT! Error opening file "<C:\ Program files\CADD\VIZ 2006\vraydummy60.xml" for reading

Is your vraydummy60.xml file in that folder?

Best regards,
nikki Candelero

[mikeh]

10: [2006/_ÅCP_/11|07:09:17] *** ALERT! Error opening file "<C:\ Program files\CADD\VIZ 2006\vraydummy60.xml" for reading

Is your vraydummy60.xml file in that folder?

Best regards,
nikki Candelero

yes, it is in that folder which is the root folder for viz which is also where everything else like the vrayspawner60.exe, vrayspawner.ini, vraydummy60.max, etc, is.
mh

[mikeh]

Mike it seems like lines 10 and 11 on your spawner log are error messages. I notice that I have no ending session message.

This is the sytem error message I get:
VRay Spawner has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Your install isn't even getting to the xml file which is where mine errors...sounds like your problem at this point is getting to the xml file.
mh

[arobbert]

I've done this xml max file thing about 50 times and always the same spawner crash.

[arobbert]

Mike it seems like lines 10 and 11 on your spawner log are error messages. I notice that I have no ending session message.

This is the sytem error message I get:
VRay Spawner has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Your install isn't even getting to the xml file which is where mine errors...sounds like your problem at this point is getting to the xml file.
mh

I wonder if this is a path issue?

[arobbert]

I've tried the 1.46 build and it does not work either. Can someone please help me get this working or am I to beleive that it won't work for VIZ 2006.

[mikeh]

based on the lack of response from vray at this point, i would say that they are stumped or too busy to solve the problem. Too bad...seems like false advertising at this point...broken software sold as "working software"...
mh