3.2 unhides lights

[dejan]

Since installing 3.2, when I render it unhides my lights somehow
So I have all my lights hidden (shift+L or hide by category: lights) and each time I click render, it unhides the lights. Not a major issue, but a little annoying since I usually hide my lights while not working on them.
Thanks

[vlado]

Which 3ds Max version?

Best regards,
Vlado

[dejan]

3ds Max Design 2015 SP3

[tashko.zashev]

3ds Max Design 2015 SP3

Thank you.
Can you post a few screenshots of this issue, since in my tests everything works correct ?
Is the "hidden lights" option enabled for this scene?

[dejan]

Yes, hidden lights is enabled.
Not sure how to show this better but here are 3 screenshots... So as soon as I click on render you can see on the right that the check mark on lights disappears and in screen3 you can see the lights in the viewport

[tashko.zashev]

Thanks, most probably the issue has noting to do with the Hidden lights option. It looks like the render resets the Hide by category setup.
Are you able to replicate this in a very simple scene setup ? If works fine then we would like to check the original file.

I can't replicate it here with 3DS max Design 2015 / V-Ray 3.20.01.

[dejan]

Hmm, you're right. I tried it now in a new scene and it doesn't hide the lights... Also it doesn't happen in other scenes. Even tried to merge one of those IES lights into a new scene and I couldn't replicate the issue.

But now I remember one other weird thing that happened in this scene, maybe it has nothing to do with this problem but I'll mention it... I created a tree proxy with the new preview option and when I wanted to import it in this scene I dragged and dropped it from a folder and accidentally instead of "merge" I clicked on "XRef". Then I immediately deleted it, but I can still see a ghost of that proxy which I now can't delete or even select or anything. I don't usually work with xrefs so I don't know what to do with it now... After that I just merged the proxy correctly and it renders fine, but I can still see that ghost. The ghost even renders correctly as the complete tree, but it's far away from view of my cameras so it didn't bother me.

Now I tried to merge everything into a new scene, the weird proxy xref ghost wasn't imported but clicking render unhides lights again, so that didn't help...

[tashko.zashev]

But now I remember one other weird thing that happened in this scene, maybe it has nothing to do with this problem but I'll mention it... I created a tree proxy with the new preview option and when I wanted to import it in this scene I dragged and dropped it from a folder and accidentally instead of "merge" I clicked on "XRef". Then I immediately deleted it, but I can still see a ghost of that proxy which I now can't delete or even select or anything. I don't usually work with xrefs so I don't know what to do with it now... After that I just merged the proxy correctly and it renders fine, but I can still see that ghost. The ghost even renders correctly as the complete tree, but it's far away from view of my cameras so it didn't bother me.

This is very weird. It could be a Max Viewport issue. Do you have anything in the Xref Object/Scene editors ?

Now I tried to merge everything into a new scene, the weird proxy xref ghost wasn't imported but clicking render unhides lights again, so that didn't help..

Can you strip down the scene and send it to our support mail? We need only the files required to replicate the issue.

[dejan]

This is very weird. It could be a Max Viewport issue. Do you have anything in the Xref Object/Scene editors ?

Ah OK, it was in the XRef Scene editor and I was able to remove it from there. Like I said, I have no experience with XRefs, so I didn't know where to look.

Can you strip down the scene and send it to our support mail? We need only the files required to replicate the issue.

I can do that, I'll delete everything except the lights and cameras if that's ok...
And since I've already taken enough of your time, this is obviously not a priority issue, I'm working on something else today anyway, so push it down on the to-do list

Thank you!

EDIT: So I tried to render after deleting everything and now it didn't unhide the lights....

[tashko.zashev]

Glad to hear that you've found the "ghost"mesh in the scene and the second issue is sorted out.

can do that, I'll delete everything except the lights and cameras if that's ok...
And since I've already taken enough of your time, this is obviously not a priority issue, I'm working on something else today anyway, so push it down on the to-do list

You can send us the whole scene and we will try to find what makes the issue there.

[Dave_Wortley]

There might have been some callback script hidden in the file, open the problem file and run this

Callbacks.show()

In the maxscript listener.

See if there is any mention of preRender scripts that look like they might unhide lights.

[dejan]

This is what I get... I don't see anything that would match...

Callbacks.show()
unitsChange:
id:#PhysXUnitChange, "PxUnitsChange()"
spacemodeChange:
id:#PhysXPlugin, "px_stopSimulationForEditing()"
systemPreReset:
id:#PhysXPlugin, "px_systemPreReset()"
systemPostReset:
id:#PhysXToolPanel, "PxPanelClose()"
id:#vfb_rollouts, "VFB_methods_struct.Reset()"
id:#PhysXPlugin, "px_systemPostReset()"
systemPreNew:
id:#PhysXPlugin, "px_systemPreNew()"
systemPostNew:
id:#vfb_rollouts, "VFB_methods_struct.Reset()"
id:#PhysXPlugin, "px_systemPostNew()"
filePreOpen:
id:#PhysXPlugin, "px_filePreOpen()"
filePostOpen:
id:#PhysXPluginRagdoll, "PxRagFilePostOpen()"
id:#vfb_rollouts, "if (callbacks.notificationParam() !=2) do VFB_methods_struct.Reset()"
id:#PhysXPlugin, "px_filePostOpen()"
filePreSave:
id:#PhysXPlugin, "px_filePreSave()"
selectionSetChanged:
id:#PhysXPlugin, "px_selectionChangedDirty()"
sceneNodeAdded:
id:#PhsyXPlugin, "px_syncRagdollList()"
preSystemShutdown:
id:#CATUtils, "CAT_OnMaxShutdown()"
id:#PhysXPlugin, "px_systemPreShutdown()"
sceneUndo:
id:#PhysXToolPanel, "PxPanelUndo()"
sceneRedo:
id:#PhysXToolPanel, "PxPanelUndo()"
preModifierAdded:
id:#PhysXModRB, "PxModRBPreAdded()"
id:#ApexClothingModifier, "PxApexModifierPreAdded()"
id:#MassFXClothModifier, "PxClothModifierPreAdded()"
postModifierAdded:
id:#PhysXModRB, "PxModRBPostAdded()"
id:#ApexClothingModifier, "PxApexModifierPostAdded()"
id:#MassFXClothModifier, "PxClothModifierPostAdded()"
preModifierDeleted:
id:#PhysXModRB, "PxModRBPreDelete()"
id:#ApexClothingModifier, "PxApexModifierPreDelete()"
id:#MassFXClothModifier, "PxClothModifierPreDelete()"
postNodesCloned:
id:#PhysXModRB, "PxModRBCloneHappend()"
postRendererChange:
id:#vfb_rollouts, "VFB_methods.VFB_ResetRollouts()"
preNodeBonePropChanged:
id:#PhysXPlugin, "px_stopSimulationForEditing()"
preNodeGeneralPropChanged:
id:#PhysXPlugin, "px_stopSimulationForEditing()"
preImageViewerDisplay:
id:#vfb_rollouts, "VFB_methods.VFB_AddRollouts (callbacks.notificationParam())"
OK

[dejan]

Hi again. So I finally had some time today and I was able to determine the exact problem and I was able to reproduce it in a new simple scene.

It's caused by a VRayLightMtl with Direct illumination enabled. If I disable Direct illumination or change the object's material or delete the object, the lights stay hidden.

Can you see if you can reproduce that?

[Dave_Wortley]

Can reproduce here, Max 2014 + VRay 3.2

Good detective work!!

[vlado]

Thanks, will check it out. Generally we had issues with VRayLightMtl and hidden stuff, because the light would be created, but the geometry not and it looked weird. Maybe something went wrong there.

Best regards,
Vlado