3dsmax hangs on boot if vray can`t find license manager ?

[anthonyh]

So we just had a power cut this morning and I`ve got the network up and running but for the last hour I`ve had a nightmare with 3dsmax refusing to start. It runs, gets to the 4 window layout and then freezes. Over and over. Tried removing the 3dsmax config folder and finally tried removing plugins and hey presto, removing Vray worked.
Finally I found that the pc that was running the Vray license server had got to the login screen but not fully booted and run the license server. Once it finished booting windows, 3dsmax started loading fine.
Is it normal for 3dsmax to completely freeze for 20mins because Vray can`t find the license server, even though at launch 3dsmax is set to use Default Scanline renderer ?? I understand it needs to find the license server to be able to render or display the Vray UI when you set Vray as current render engine but just for loading 3dsmax ?
I`d have been pulling my hair out if I had actually had any !
Just a thought.
anthonyh

[andy51]

I lost count of the many times, when I've been the victim of a power cut and when I start up Max, V-Ray is not available, so I would have to Stop the licence server, wait a few seconds, Start it again and then everything was fine. Recently I invested in a UPS and even though I can't go on forever and ignore the fact that the power went off etc, at least I can save work, shut down the system properly or finish booting the system or Max, before closing it down and waiting for the power to come back on. Also happens if my internet connection drops, usually due to updates, but this is rare

However, I have never had Max fail to start up or be usable, even if V-Ray isn't able to connect to the server etc... and as I say, it is usually just a matter of stopping the server, starting it again and all should be fine. Maybe something got corrupted, when your power went off, typically happens, when the computer is busy doing something when the power gets cut, which was the main reason for me investing in an uninterruptible power supply.

[anthonyh]

Hi,
Yeah a UPS would be handy but would have to be pretty beefy as we have about 15 machines plus a couple of servers. The power cut also happened about 5am this morning so I wouldn`t have been able to do anything although the pcs could have time to shut down I guess. Maybe just a UPS for the servers ? Good Idea, worth investigating.
I wasn`t sure if this is expected behaviour for Vray though or maybe it just went odd for a moment ? I went through a bunch of solutions and it wasn`t until I realised I hadn`t logged the 1 pc with the license server that I sorted it and I only realised that when I removed all the plugins folder locally and added them back 1 by 1. It`s a physical license dongle so maybe that`s why ? Nothing seemed corrupted both copies of 3dsmax started fine as soon as that pc logged on and ran the server software. I just didn`t think Vray would be active before being assigned as a render engine.
Just a bit frustrating. I thought I`d mention it in case it seemed out of sorts.
cheers
anthonyh

[andy51]

Yeah far as I know , in my case at least, as I have online licensing (no dongle) the V-Ray licence server and V-Ray itself are active, no matter whether you assign them or not. Still as you said, you hadn't logged the 1 pc with the licence server and sadly you only realised that after removing plugins and added them back one by one... A case of lesson learned in this case, a real pain in the butt too, but such is life. If everything was easy, life would be pretty dull

Anyway, glad you finally solved the problem and at least you'l know where to look or at least where to start, next time eh!

Good luck

[^Lele^]

I have no such issues: the normal timeout for a (Local) lic server is much smaller (~10 seconds, i'm talking ofc of when a license isn't found).
While i can't say for sure, it looks like it was something with the server response on your side, whereby perhaps partial data was received, and that left the server confused.

[anthonyh]

Thanks Lele, it was after a power cut so I suppose it could just be a glitch. No way to be sure without turning everything off and on again. Normally when rendering if no license is found Vray just doesn`t start and ends instantly. Special case I guess with the server not running. Hopefully I`ll remember if it happens again.
anthonyh