Deadline 10.1.23.6/ 3ds Max 2021 / Vray 5.2 - Unable to toggle vray_lightcache_mode to value of 2. aka "From File"

kramsurfer · December 13, 2022, 6:35am

We’ve an automated system which generates a light-cache and uses on renders after.

via a python job script , I am able to assign the vray_lightcache_loadFileName and set vray_lightcache_mode to the value of 2, which is “From File”, but the rendering file is * NOT * effected by these settings.

I noticed the user settings interface does NOT have this option exposed.

I also added enums to the settings file, with no results.

This does NOT change the mode in my production files:

vray_lightcache_loadFileName= {valid path}
vray_lightcache_mode=2
vray_lightcache_mode_enums=From File
vray_lightcache_mode_enums0=Single Frame
vray_lightcache_mode_enums1=[Deprecated] Fly-through
vray_lightcache_mode_enums2=From File
vray_lightcache_mode_enums3=[Deprecated] Progressive Path Trace

I noticed all other modes/options that are selected with a drop down had these enums settings.
The vray_adv_irradmap_mode required both a value of 2 and an enums of “From File” to make a change in the rendering file.

I’m hoping someone can shed light on this inconsistency. Why does vray_lightcache_mode not have enums and why this does not work.

Thanks

kramsurfer · December 13, 2022, 4:41pm

More investigation has found within the /plugins/3dsmax/ folder there is a maxscript called customize.ms. This script “apparently” has hard coded all the variables that are, and are not, passed to the Vray Renderer.

In it we find that the code to apply vray_lightcache_mode is disabled with a note as to why, which maybe for a specific version of vray? or generally true. I’ll be enabling this and testing on vray 5.2

This maxscript appears to run as a OnFileOpen callback and has access to all the parameters of the deadline job! It’s output can be seen in the log of the rendering task. An ideal spot to do some customization, hence the name I suppose.