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Author Topic: Forest Pro Problems on Net Render  (Read 12995 times)

Mike Truly

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Forest Pro Problems on Net Render
« on: May 08, 2007, 02:28:44 AM »
Hi Carlos,

I have been having a real problem when net rendering and I can't seem to solve it.  I mentioned it before in an email but it's still a problem.

For some reason, when I go to do a net-render, certain render slaves (not all but some) pop up a dialog like they can't find the custom distribution map I'm using.  Literally, the map is present in the exact folder that is shown.  If I click OK, then it will start rendering.  But then the next net render job will have the same problem later on.  This is on ver 2.33.

For all maps in every project, I use a single 'maps' directory such as \\PC18\d-drive\projectname\maps\.  I always UNC pathnames.  I place the custom BMP file inside the maps directory and use a UNC pathname to specify it.  In addition, I have a folder on each machines C drive called ForestPro_maps that contains all the distributions maps I use and I have this folder specified in MAX8 paths.

This problem still happens and I have to babysit each job and click OK on the dialog to get it to start rendering.  This is a big problem for me.

This is running MAX8 SP3 on computers that are XP x64, XP32, and Win2000.  Today, the error popped up mostly on the x64 systems but once also on the XP32 systems.

Any ideas how to make ForestPro see the maps that are in the directories right in front of it?

Thanks!

Mike Truly
Sincerely,

Mike Truly
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Mike Truly

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Re: Forest Pro Problems on Net Render
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2007, 02:35:45 AM »
I should also note that the render slaves seem to have no problem finding all the other maps that reside in the same directory.  Only the ForestPro maps are not found.

Thanks!

Mike Truly
Sincerely,

Mike Truly
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iToo

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Re: Forest Pro Problems on Net Render
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2007, 06:05:43 PM »
Hi Mike,

I'm doing some tests, but i cannot to reproduce the problem... a random bug may be really annoying to catch it.

We use a standard Max function to load the bitmaps, that searchs automatically in all map paths, so i don't know why it fails only with Forest. As a workaround, you may try copying, in each slave computer, the distributions maps in the same folder of the computer used to edit the scene (as  c:\3dsmax8\plugcfg\dense.bmp).

I will continue with the tests, but almost sure i will email to you some debug Forest version, that show us more information about the error.
Carlos Quintero
iToo Software

Mike Truly

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Re: Forest Pro Problems on Net Render
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2007, 12:09:42 AM »
Hi Carlos,

Sorry it's taken so long to get back to this... I've been busy.

It appears totally random as to when the problem appears.  Last night, I had 7 scanline net renders in Backburner.  On the first net_render, several computers popped up the dialog and I clicked OK to get them to start rendering.  The rest of the job rendered fine.  When I came in this morning, the last job was rendering and one machine was stopped with the dialog.  It appears the 5 jobs in between rendered without problems.  This morning I submitted 4 render jobs.  The first one rendered fine without the dialog showing up.  When the second job started, one machine was stopped with the dialog.  Weird I know.

When the dialogs to appear, they are even showing the correct UNC path:
\\PC18\d-drive\projectname\maps\whatever.bmp

I wonder if it is a network connection problem where at the moment the system tries to get the file, it can't connect so it pops up the dialog (and the dialog is already in the right place and the file is right there)?

Some systems have MAX8 installed at the root level, other have MAX8 installed down in (x86)Progam Files.  All the distribution bitmaps are in 3 places:

1.  In the 3dsmax8\plugcfg folder
2.  In a folder C:\ForestPro_maps
3.  In the project maps folder

The specified file in the FP panel is the map file in the project maps folder.

One thing I notice, when I use the 'Bitmap/Photometric Paths' utility to edit all the map paths in the project to make sure they're UNC, the maps used by ForestPro do not show up there.  Seems like they should since they are a map like the others.

Thanks!

Mike Truly
Sincerely,

Mike Truly
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Mike Truly

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Re: Forest Pro Problems on Net Render
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2007, 12:24:08 AM »
Carlos,

Here is a screen capture of the error dialog if it helps.

Thanks!
Sincerely,

Mike Truly
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iToo

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Re: Forest Pro Problems on Net Render
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2007, 07:46:11 PM »
Mike,

After reviewing  the source code again, i have not found any bug and all tests works fine for me, so i think this issue may be a network problem. As you can can see in the dialog, Max finds the bitmap in the map paths (and it even shows a preview !).

Please, use the attached ForestPro.dlo. This release retries to load the bitmap three times before displaying the error message, that may help if there is a network problem.

Quote
All the distribution bitmaps are in 3 places:

1.  In the 3dsmax8\plugcfg folder
2.  In a folder C:\ForestPro_maps
3.  In the project maps folder

Copy them also in the same path of the plugcfg folder used to edit the scene. For example, if the computer where you created the scene has the maps in c:\3dsmax8\plugcfg, create this folder in the slave stations and copy the maps there. By default, Max (and Forest) tries to load the file with the original path (as c:\3dsmax8\plugcfg\dense.bmp), and if it doesn't exists then searchs in the map paths.

However, try this only if the modified plugin fails too (i like to know if it fixes the problem).

Quote
One thing I notice, when I use the 'Bitmap/Photometric Paths' utility to edit all the map paths in the project to make sure they're UNC, the maps used by ForestPro do not show up there.  Seems like they should since they are a map like the others.

That is the expected behaviour. This tool only works with materials and textures, not with the custom bitmaps used by the plugins.

« Last Edit: December 01, 2008, 10:31:54 PM by Itoo »
Carlos Quintero
iToo Software

Mike Truly

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Re: Forest Pro Problems on Net Render
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2007, 02:14:32 PM »
Carlos,

Thanks, I will give this a try but I will be gone for about a week before I get a chance.

Thanks again.
Sincerely,

Mike Truly
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Mike Truly

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Re: Forest Pro Problems on Net Render
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2007, 03:23:15 PM »
Carlos,

An update for you.  I installed the modified ForestPro.dlo file that trys loading the BMP several times on all systems and so far, I have not received the ForestPro loading error again.  I will be watching to see if it occurs again.

Thanks for this modification and I hope you include it in future builds.

Thanks again.

Mike Truly
Sincerely,

Mike Truly
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Truly Media
1.800.829.4990
http://www.trulymedia.com