Deadline 5 and 3dsmax 2012

Deadline
1

Looking for some help here.

We just upgraded to 2012 and have Deadline Version: 5.0.0.44528 installed everywhere. I did a simple test scene and it seems to work ok, but a more complicated scene is failing all over the farm. It seems to just crash. I tried to open the deadlineStartupMax2012.max file in the pljugins folder (c$\Users\svcrender\AppData\Local\Thinkbox\Deadline\slave\plugins) and that files seems to crash max.

Is there any trick to getting 2012 working with deadline 5?

Fred

(the error log)

=======================================================
Error Message

An error occurred in StartJob(): 3dsmax startup: Error getting connection from 3dsmax: Monitored managed process “3dsmaxProcess” has exited or been terminated.
2012/06/12 11:42:43 INF: Hair Farm Rendernode 1.4.2 (build 105) is loaded.
2012/06/12 11:42:51 ERR: An unexpected exception has occurred in the network renderer and it is terminating.

=======================================================
Slave Log

0: Task timeout is disabled.
0: Loaded job: GMR Monroe r2 v08 - Beauty (009_090_009_439f232b)
0: INFO: StartJob: initializing script plugin 3dsmax
0: INFO: About: 3dsmax Plugin for Deadline
0: INFO: Start Job called - starting up 3dsmax plugin
0: INFO: Rendering with 3dsmax version: 2012
0: INFO: Build of 3dsmax to force: 64bit
0: INFO: Rendering with executable: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2012\3dsmax.exe
0: INFO: Checking registry for 3dsmax language code
0: INFO: Found language code: 409
0: INFO: Language code string: enu
0: INFO: Fail on existing 3dsmax process: 0
0: INFO: Load 3dsmax timeout: 1000 seconds
0: INFO: Start job timeout: 1000 seconds
0: INFO: Progress update timeout: 8000 seconds
0: INFO: Progress update timout disabled: 0
0: INFO: Slave mode enabled: 1
0: INFO: Silent mode enabled: 0
0: INFO: Local rendering enabled: 1
0: INFO: Strict 3dsmax check enabled: 1
0: INFO: Verifying installation of 3dsmax 2012 at C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2012
0: INFO: Version of core.dll: 14.2.0.375
0: INFO: Ensuring 3dsmax install is valid
0: INFO: Running 3dsmaxcmd workaround
0: INFO: 3dsmaxcmd.exe returned: P6/12/2012 11:42:37 AM; Error opening scene file: “C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2012”
0: INFO: 3dsmax start up file: C:\Users\svcrender\AppData\Local\Thinkbox\Deadline\slave\plugins\deadlineStartupMax2012.max
0: INFO: Using user profiles: 1
0: INFO: Using 3dsmax ini file: C:\Users\svcrender\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsmax\2012 - 64bit\enu\3dsmax.ini
0: INFO: Network log file: C:\Users\svcrender\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsmax\2012 - 64bit\enu\Network\Max.log
0: INFO: Plugin ini file: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2012\plugin.ini
0: INFO: Not including user profile plugin ini because it does not exist: C:\Users\svcrender\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsmax\2012 - 64bit\enu\Plugin.UserSettings.ini
0: INFO: Lightning connection plugin: C:\Users\svcrender\AppData\Local\Thinkbox\Deadline\slave\plugins\lightning64Max2012.dlx
0: INFO: 3dsmax socket connection port: 63933
0: INFO: Creating startup script: C:\Users\svcrender\AppData\Local\Temp\lightning_startup.ms
0: INFO: Copying C:\Users\svcrender\AppData\Local\Thinkbox\Deadline\slave\plugins\lightning64Max2012.dlx to C:\Users\svcrender\AppData\Local\Thinkbox\Deadline\temp\lightning\lightning.dlx
0: INFO: Copying dl.ini to C:\Users\svcrender\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsmax\2012 - 64bit\enu to workaround a problem with version 2012
0: INFO: If this fails, make sure that the necessary permissions are set on this folder to allow for this copy to take place
0: INFO: Starting monitored managed process 3dsmaxProcess
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Brazil Console.” will be ignored
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.MSP Acceleration.” will be ignored
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.FumeFX:.” will be ignored
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.FumeFX Dynamics:.” will be ignored
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Maxwell Translation Window.” will be ignored
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.New updates are available - Craft Director Tools.” will be ignored
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “Hair Farm” will be ignored
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “Batch Render In Progress” will be ignored
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.VRay authorization.” will be handled by pressing “Cancel”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.V-Ray warning.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.File Load: Units Mismatch.” will be handled by pressing “Adopt the File’s Unit Scale?;OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.File Load: Gamma & LUT Settings Mismatch.” will be handled by pressing “Adopt the File’s Gamma and LUT Settings?;OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.3ds Max.” will be handled by pressing “Yes”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Frame Rate Change.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.MAXScript Auto-load Script Error.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Render history settings.” will be ignored
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Warning - the software has encountered a problem.” will be handled by pressing “Don’t show me this error again;Continue”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Frantic Films FPS Watchdog.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Missing Dlls.” will be handled by pressing “Cancel”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “Brazil r/s Rio Warning” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “3D Studio MAX” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.New updates are available - Craft Director Tools.” will be handled by pressing “Cancel”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Pop-up Note.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Tablet Version Mismatch.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Tablet Driver.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Gather error.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Image I/O Error.” will be handled by pressing “Retry”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Important nPower Plug-in Messages.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.glu3D.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.glu3D Warning!.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Bitmap Filter Error.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Maxwell Plug-in Update Notification.” will be handled by pressing “Don’t notify me about this version automatically;Close”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.RealFlow Plug-in Update Notification.” will be handled by pressing “Don’t notify me about this version automatically;Close”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Learning Movies.” will be handled by pressing “Show this dialog at startup;Close”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Obsolete File.” will be handled by pressing “Don’t display this message.;OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Error Loading.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.IO Error.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Error.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Loading of custom driver failed.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “Warning” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Welcome To Vue 8 xStream!.” will be handled by pressing “Don’t show this dialog again;Close”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Vue 8 xStream.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.3ds Max Performance Driver.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.* Autodesk Customer Involvement Program.*” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.nPower Software Plugin Product Selection Dialog.” will be handled by pressing “Solids Bundle (Solids + Translators);OK”
0: INFO: Any popup windows with titles matching the regular expression “.Exception.” will be handled by pressing “OK”
0: INFO: Stdout Handling Enabled: False
0: INFO: Popup Handling Enabled: True
0: INFO: Using Process Tree: True
0: INFO: Hiding DOS Window: False
0: INFO: Creating New Console: False
0: INFO: Render Executable: “C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2012\3dsmax.exe”
0: INFO: Render Argument: -p “dl.ini” -q -s “C:\Users\svcrender\AppData\Local\Thinkbox\Deadline\slave\plugins\deadlineStartupMax2012.max”
0: INFO: Startup Directory: “C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2012”
0: INFO: Process Priority: BelowNormal
0: INFO: Process is now running
0: INFO: Waiting for connection from 3dsmax
0: STDOUT: Dark
0: WARNING: Monitored managed process 3dsmaxProcess is no longer running

=======================================================
Error Type

RenderPluginException

=======================================================
Error Stack Trace

at Deadline.Plugins.ScriptPlugin.StartJob(Job job)
at Deadline.Plugins.Plugin.StartJob(Job job)
at Deadline.Slaves.SlaveRenderThread.RenderCurrentTask(TaskLogWriter tlw)

2

This is max’s generic “something went wrong” error that it prints out before it crashes. Unfortunately, there is no other information that points to what the problem is.

What’s interesting is that the crash happens when Max is loading, not when it’s loading the scene, so I wouldn’t expect it to matter what scene is being submitted.

The deadlineStartupMax2012.max file actually contains a post load call back that initializes the lightning plugin, so it’s normal for it to bring down max if you try to load it manually (since max wouldn’t be setup to load the lightning plugin). In the context of Deadline, it would print out info if there was a problem initializing lightning, so that doesn’t seem to be the case.

All in all, I’m not actually sure what the problem is. You shouldn’t have to do anything fancy to get things working with 2012. I noticed that you don’t have Update 6 installed for 2012, (this update actually breaks things, which Update 7 fixes), so that’s not the problem either.

If I can think of anything, I’ll let you know, but at the moment nothing comes to mind…

3

Hey there,
I have something really hazy in my memory, where I see the last line as 3dsMax crashes: “STDOUT: dark”
I’m thinking the UI is corrupt, potentially around the ribbon and its *.XAML file which can get corrupt in Max2011. I think Autodesk later fixed this for Max2012+?
If you’re running out of ideas, I would see what happens if you (backup first) overwrite the machines UI folder from a known “good / clean” machine.
Have any of your users recently customised their Max UI?
HTH,
Mike

EDIT: Just noticed another line: “Hair Farm Rendernode 1.4.2 (build 105) is loaded.”.It would be worth you removing ALL 3rd party plugins as well to see if that makes a difference and then re-add them 1 at a time. Might be “Hair Farm” crashing for some reason?

4

I slowly stripped the file of everything. That message always comes up if hair farm is on the machine. I even removed vray and used the max scanline renderer.

I also saw that max 2012 and 2013 were having some deadline issues. I think ive decided that this up grade is no longer worth any of my time. Please chime in if there are any other ideas of what might be wrong. if i get time, i will try resetting the ribbon.

Fred

5

The 2012/2013 issues have already been resolved in the latest 3dsmax product updates, and those problems were actually related to loading the scene file, so this is a different issue you’re seeing.

This really sounds like an issue with that hair plugin. Are you able to launch max in workstation mode with the hair farm plugin on your render nodes?