3ds Max 2021 V-Ray 5 export to Standalone incorrect

anthonygelatka · December 6, 2020, 7:15pm

3ds Max 2021 (23.0.0.915)
V-Ray 5 Hotfix 2 (5.00.05)
Deadline 10.1.11.5 (fresh install)
Windows 10

I’m submitting back to the same machine, using an Evermotion Architectural Interior scene to test

If I export the scene in 3ds Max and then submit a V-Ray Standalone job via the Monitor I get the expected result (1hr render)

If I use the V-Ray Workflow in the submitter to export 3ds locally and render in V-Ray standalone via Deadline I get the expected result (1hr render)

If I use the V-Ray Workflow in the submitter to export 3ds via Deadline and render in V-Ray standalone via Deadline it isn’t exported properly (5min render)

So it looks like something is going wrong in the V-Ray export job

2020-12-06 18:51:45:  0: INFO: Loading 3dsmax scene file
2020-12-06 18:51:54:  0: INFO: Scene loaded successfully
2020-12-06 18:51:54:  0: INFO: Executing script: C:\ProgramData\Thinkbox\Deadline10\workers\ET-North-WS1\plugins\5fcd26e743bcfb0678575a05\customize.ms
2020-12-06 18:51:54:  0: INFO: >Version Information:
2020-12-06 18:51:54:  0: INFO:   >OS version: Microsoft Windows NT 6.2.9200.0
2020-12-06 18:51:54:  0: INFO:   >3ds MAX, API, SDK version: #(23000, 57, 0, 23, 0, 0, 915, 2021, "")
2020-12-06 18:51:54:  0: INFO:   >3ds Max Version: 23.0.0.915
2020-12-06 18:51:54:  0: INFO:   >Assigned renderer: V_Ray_5__hotfix_2:V_Ray_5__hotfix_2
2020-12-06 18:51:55:  0: INFO: >Applying customizations to max file...
2020-12-06 18:51:55:  0: INFO: >Adding scene path 'C:\ProgramData\Thinkbox\Deadline10\workers\WS1\jobsData\5fcd26e743bcfb0678575a05' to session paths
2020-12-06 18:51:55:  0: INFO: >General Renderer Settings:
2020-12-06 18:51:55:  0: INFO: >Bitmap Pager Settings:
2020-12-06 18:51:55:  0: INFO: >Render Environment Settings:
2020-12-06 18:51:55:  0: INFO: >V-Ray detected as current renderer.2020-12-06 18:51:55:  0: INFO: >V-Ray version, build: #("5.00.05", "00001", "3b0b7ce1")
    2020-12-06 18:51:55:  0: INFO: >Enabled V-Ray silent mode
    2020-12-06 18:52:14:  0: INFO: >Performing XREF workaround...
    2020-12-06 18:52:14:  0: INFO: >Completed XREF workaround.
    2020-12-06 18:52:15:  0: INFO: >Scanning Renderer Paths...
    2020-12-06 18:52:15:  0: INFO: >Done Scanning Renderer Paths.
    2020-12-06 18:52:15:  0: Done executing plugin command of type 'Start Job'
    2020-12-06 18:52:15:  0: Plugin rendering frame(s): 1
    2020-12-06 18:52:15:  0: Executing plugin command of type 'Render Task'
    2020-12-06 18:52:15:  0: INFO: Render Tasks called
    2020-12-06 18:52:15:  0: INFO: Executing script: C:\ProgramData\Thinkbox\Deadline10\workers\WS1\jobsData\5fcd26e743bcfb0678575a05\MAXScriptJob_VRayStandaloneExport.ms
    2020-12-06 18:52:16:  0: INFO: >Starting VRSCENE Export MAXScript Job...
    2020-12-06 18:52:16:  0: INFO: >Exporting VRSCENE File...
    2020-12-06 18:52:26:  0: INFO: +Finished VRSCENE Export MAXScript Job in 11.012 sec.
    2020-12-06 18:52:26:  0: Done executing plugin command of type 'Render Task'

I know there are several topics on issues with using V-Ray 5 with Deadline, some resolved quite simply and others not, is there an ETA for the next release and will this include V-Ray 5 support?

I’d look into comparing the 5 exporter docs against the Next (4) docs but its been archived so I’m trying to download it
5 docs here
https://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/VMAX/V-Ray+Scene+Exporter
4 (Next) docs here
https://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/VMAX/Archived+Versions
links to a google drive zip
https://drive.google.com/u/0/uc?id=1fs2b9Am3pQyo8Ktr3bvLtWQuBkUsgbqg&export=download

Something I just thought of was the export application being run successfully with the V-Ray for 3ds but incorrectly with Standalone, I’m now trying a Standalone scene via the 3ds exporter using standalone to export (sounds confusing!). I could switch the Deadline standalone plugin location to the 3ds max one but the end goal is to submit to linux

Looks like this works too, so something about the Deadline Exporter

DeadlineRepository10\submission\3dsmax\Main\Workflows\SMTDWorkflow_VRayStandaloneExport.ms

Bobo · December 7, 2020, 6:34pm

So just to confirm, a VRSCENE is being exported, but it renders incorrectly?
All that the Deadline Job script is doing is calling the vrayExportRTScene() MAXScript function to export. There is barely any code in it So if it is not working properly, it must be one of the following

The syntax of vrayExportRTScene() might have changed
It does not like that 3dsMax is running in network (slave) mode instead of Force Workstation mode. The local workstation’s export code looks pretty much the same, but it obviously runs in Workstation mode.

If you look at the output of the 5 minute job, does it render anything? In other words, is the geometry there, but the lighting and shading is wrong? Or is the scene missing content?

I don’t have VRay 5 installed yet, but I will have to run some tests with VRay Next to make sure it actually worked before…

anthonygelatka · December 8, 2020, 8:29am

Thanks Bobo, it looks like it’s textures that aren’t being passed over. I had the feeling the syntax may have changed but with the Next(4) docs being zipped and archived I haven’t compared the two

I’ll give workstation mode a go, and also try and get version 4 tested

Could also been the texture pathing so I’ll try copying these to the same folder as the vrscene

PS. the final image looks a little different to this as it was actual designed in Next(4), although I’m ok with the result apart from the deadline export version.
Still not tested the deadline export via Next(4) so hopefully will update