EXR Problem with 3DS Max 2010 Connection Extension

Deadline
21

Yes, it SHOULD be, and when we ran into this problem, it was a few Max versions ago, so I’m not even sure if it’s still a problem anymore. When we pushed out the exr config settings, we first set up the correct settings on a single workstation, saved everything so that the ini file(s) were updated, then copied those exr files to all machines.

22

Seems the OpenEXR.ini file is for the Splutterfish plugin, which is not the one used in the Connection Extension (which may be from Cebas). There is an fOpenEXR.cfg file in the plugcfg folder that might contain the info, I just don’t know how to edit it.

While DL might not be explicitly controlling the EXR settings, would there be a way to handle that? Like if we set up the configuration with maxscript using the fOpenEXR controls, could we execute the resulting .ms with the job? I’m not sure what the “correct” way to handle that would be, as a pre-frame script, or as a callback, or something else entirely.

  • Chad
23

I would guess that when you edit the default exr settings within max, that they would be saved to this file. If that’s the case, you could set this up on one machine, then push that cfg file to all your other machines.

If there are maxscripts hooks into these settings, then a pre-frame .ms script might work as well. If that’s the case, then the script would only need to be written once (setting the appropriate settings), and then every max job you submit would just have to include this as a pre-frame script (I believe you could tweak the SMTD sticky settings .ini file to make this sticky).

Cheers,

  • Ryan
24

fOpenEXR does seem to contain the defaults, but I can’t figure out how they are set. There’s no reference to the ones that are there, like the ranges. But if you create new defaults, it does save the to the .cfg, but as strings. So you don’t see the logic of how the data is read, you just get a string.

showinterfaces fOpenEXR lets me see what I think is all the maxscript I need. So now I’ve got a basic .ms that reads in camera and render settings, machine name, CPU type, etc. Works fine for local renders.

I’ll try some tests with the .ms pre-frame script. That needs to be on a network share, right? It’s not submitted with the job? Meaning, if someone edits the .ms to add in more data relevant to their scene, they need to save a different .ms, as the old one gets read in each time? Or is it sent with the job so that it’s immune to changes after the submission?

Why the fOpenEXR.cfg is binary, I have no idea… Seems about half the .cfg’s are binary, and half ascii. Confusing…

25

I took a look at the SMTD code, and the preframe .ms file should be submitted with the job, so it would be immune from changes after submission.

26

Is there a script template or some guidelines for how to form these scripts?

I’m getting “Exception during render: An error occurred in RenderTasks(): RenderTask: Unexpected exception (Script did not return success: Computer)”

So I’m thinking I need my script to return more success. What is Deadline looking for?

  • Chad
27

Funny, the same issue came up here today:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3742&start=10#p15005

Try adding a “return true” statement at the end of your script.

Cheers,

  • Ryan
28

Hi,

I had the same issue and got it working by adding the return true line.

But now all print messages are muted.

How can I output messages to the Deadline task log?

29

How are you printing the messages? Are you using the LogMessage API function explained here (see the “New Script From Template” section)?
software.primefocusworld.com/sof … cripts_Tab

Cheers,

  • Ryan