I try to run a FumeFX retime simulation job via Deadline. After the first few frames the job breaks. I tried it in backburner sim mode and by sending a maxscript job.
Is it possible that Deadline cannot handle the retime dialog from FumeFX?
Deadline Version: 4.1.0.42706
3ds Max Version: 13.0 SP1
FumeFX Version: 2.1b
Are there error reports being generated for the job? If there are, you can find them by right-clicking on the job in the Monitor and selecting Job Reports -> View Error Reports. It would definitely be helpful to see if there is anything in the report that would explain why the job “breaks”.
Thanks!
Here is the error report.
[code]<?xml version="1.0"?>
2011-06-16T11:06:54.0944313+02:00
Slved_p08s0122
0
Exception during render: An error occurred in RenderTasks(): RenderTask: Unexpected exception (Dialog popup detected: Title “FumeFX”, Message “\cacheserver-B\fxcache_B\pxmtestproject_pxt-0000\Cache\rnd\ffx\01_ffx\cgfx_testscene-fumefx\FumeFX002_v001_cde\wavelet\FumeFX002_wt_0000.fxd”)
at Deadline.Plugins.ScriptPlugin.RenderTasks(Int32 startFrame, Int32 endFrame, String& outMessage)
<_SlaveVersionString>v4.1.0.42706 R</_SlaveVersionString>
[FFX_MXS-SIM] pxt_rnd_ffx_cgfx_testscene-fumefx_v001_cde__FumeFX002
xxxxx.xxxxx
M09i0157
2011-06-16T11:04:14
3dsmax
1-1
87
RenderPluginException
at Deadline.Plugins.Plugin.RenderTask(Int32 startFrame, Int32 endFrame)
at Deadline.Slaves.SlaveRenderThread.RenderCurrentTask()
r Samples set to 10
0: INFO: +Object Motion Blur Subdivisions set to 10
0: INFO: +Apply Image Motion Blur set to true
0: INFO: +Image Motion Blur Duration set to 0.5
0: INFO: +Apply Image Motion Blur To Environment Map set to false
0: INFO: +Image Motion Blur Transparency set to false
0: INFO: +Enable SSE set to false
0: INFO: +Conserve Memory set to false
0: INFO: >Performing XREF workaround…
0: INFO: >Scanning Renderer Paths…
0: INFO: >Done Scanning Renderer Paths.
0: Plugin rendering frame(s): 1
0: INFO: Render Tasks called
0: INFO: Executing script: C:\Documents and Settings\render\Local Settings\Application Data\Prime Focus\Deadline\slave\jobsData\FumeFX_Simulation.ms
0: INFO: Starting FumeFX Simulation …
0: INFO: >Run Simulation for FumeFX [FumeFX002]
0: INFO: +Simulation Type [RETIME]
0: WARNING: Detected popup dialog “FumeFX”.
0: WARNING: ---- dump of dialog ----
0: WARNING: Static: Processing… original frame: 1, range: 0-100, processed: 2
0: WARNING: Button: Cancel
0: WARNING: Static: Channels: IN [vel smoke fuel temp ] OUT [vel smoke fuel temp ]
0: WARNING: Static: \cacheserver-B\fxcache_B\pxmtestproject_pxt-0000\Cache\rnd\ffx\01_ffx\cgfx_testscene-fumefx\FumeFX002_v001_cde\wavelet\FumeFX002_wt_0000.fxd
0: WARNING: Static: \cacheserver-B\fxcache_B\pxmtestproject_pxt-0000\Cache\rnd\ffx\01_ffx\cgfx_testscene-fumefx\FumeFX002_v001_cde\retime\FumeFX002_pp_0001.fxd
0: WARNING: Static: IN:
0: WARNING: Static: OUT:
0: WARNING: ---- end dump of dialog ----
Scheduler Thread - Render Thread 0 threw an error:
Scheduler Thread - Exception during render: An error occurred in RenderTasks(): RenderTask: Unexpected exception (Dialog popup detected: Title “FumeFX”, Message “\cacheserver-B\fxcache_B\pxmtestproject_pxt-0000\Cache\rnd\ffx\01_ffx\cgfx_testscene-fumefx\FumeFX002_v001_cde\wavelet\FumeFX002_wt_0000.fxd”)
at Deadline.Plugins.ScriptPlugin.RenderTasks(Int32 startFrame, Int32 endFrame, String& outMessage)
1465884672
35
1300500224
31
53
217566
30
[/code]
Thanks for posting the error report. It looks like we just need to tweak our existing FumeFX popup ignorer in Deadline’s 3dsmax plugin. Go to \your\repository\plugins\3dsmax and open 3dsmax.py in a text editor. Find this section of code:
# For Fume FX
self.AddPopupIgnorer( ".*FumeFX:.*" )
self.AddPopupIgnorer( ".*FumeFX Dynamics:.*" )Remove the colon from the first popup ignorer so that it looks like this:
# For Fume FX
self.AddPopupIgnorer( ".*FumeFX.*" )
self.AddPopupIgnorer( ".*FumeFX Dynamics:.*" )Save the file, and try rendering again. The change we made actually makes the second popup ignorer redundant, but we can worry about that after we confirm that this fix works for you. 
Cheers,
Perfect! Works for me.
Thanks for confirming! We’ll include this fix in future versions of Deadline.