Corrupt Proxy issue

[TheMulf]

We have been experiencing a constant issue with proxies for a while. We are using Max 2012, and latest version of Vray.

First, the proxies we create are stored on our server with the rest of our assets and projects. At seemingly random times, a proxy will become 'corrupt' and no longer render, as in, it will crash as soon as a bucket lands on it, or crash as a LC begins. This has happened to random tree's, plants and cars and the modify time/date never changes on these files as well. No matter what computer tries to render the proxy, they will crash. Tested with max 2011-2013. It's weird; somehow the proxy files are modified and corrupted.

My solution for now is to just make a backup on a separate computer in anticipation of another corruption. It would be nice to know what is the root cause of this problem, as it HAS happened in the middle of important jobs.

note: this seems to happen on average once a month-ish.

Thanks a million,
Thomas M.

[vlado]

Some random questions:

1. Can you get me one of the corrupted proxies?
2. Are the proxies "read-only"? I.e. no-one modifies them when they are on the server.
3. Have you tried enabling read-only access to the server files?
4. What is the date of last modification for the corrupted files? Is it still the original creation date or newer?

Best regards,
Vlado

[TheMulf]

1.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/h4tddj
2. Nope, the proxy are not read-only. They are exported to our "H:/" drive, which houses our non-proxies (max files) assets as well, they don't corrupt.
3. I'll see if that can be done for the "proxy" folder these files are exported to.
4. The date is from May 17th 2011, so the 'date modified' has never changed on these files.

Thanks!

I've also copied the files to thumb drive, to test at another location, and their max 2012 crashed when rendering the proxy.

[TheMulf]

Is the proxy corrupt for you or anyone? Should I not use 'sendspace.com'?

[TheMulf]

Folks, we really need some help if anyone has an idea. This problem will not go away, we are pulling our hair out!!!

So to recap. Randomly, proxies are becoming 'corrupt'.

1. Once a bucket lands on the location of a bad proxies, max crashes to desktop.
2. Same goes with lightcache, once LC starts, if there is a bad proxies, it will crash.
3. There is no change in their created/modified/accessed dates and times.
4. The file size does not change.
5. It seems to happen with evermotion models more often, although they do comprise a lot of our proxies and has happened to non-evermotion models.

This is happening almost every day. This causes a critical stop to our animations, a severe situation to say the least!
I keep all our proxies “backed up” on another computer, and overwrite the proxies as they become bad on our main server. This is how I fix the situation, but its no solution.

Here is one of the bad proxies:
https://www.yousendit.com/download/W...cVhqV0NVbDhUQw

And here is a good version of it:
https://www.yousendit.com/download/W...R0YzMWx1a3NUQw

Please help! Thanks!
Thomas M.

[vlado]

There are two bytes that are different in the two files - I have to check exactly in which of the file's structures.

It is an odd situation as V-Ray itself never writes to the proxy files when rendering (they are only used for reading). Does this happen to other files stored on that server that are accessed often (e.g. textures)?

Best regards,
Vlado

[TheMulf]

Nope, only proxies. I also moved the proxies to another hard-drive and sooner then later one of the proxies corrupted. We might have to extend that test to another computer/server, as I am not sure if that test was comprehensive enough.

Well to reanswer your question, if this is happening to any other file, it has not manifested its self in any kind of noticeable or effected way. The same drive stores max files and textures, all seem fine.

[leo.surrealismo]

I`m experiencing this on a scene right now.
I had a 3dsmax fatal error, the scene closed, and afer that It doesn`t open. I`ve changed proxie`s path so 3dsmax doesn`t find the proxies and the scene opens fine.
I tried to import the proxies one by one on a new scene and found out that 9 proxies out of 15 are corrupted. Fatal error happens.