Installing Deadline into Maya 2023 - shelf not present

stephennspencer · December 6, 2023, 11:07pm

I’ve done the manual installation steps. The two .mel files are in c:/users/username/Documents/maya/scripts (userSetup.mel and DeadlineMayaClient.mel).
(An aside: when I ran the installer, it offered “Maya” as the option, not “Maya 2023” and did not put these files into Documents/maya2023/scripts.)

Starting up Maya 2023, I open the Script Editor, and in the MEL tab run “whatIs userSetup.mel” which returns the correct path to userSetup.mel.

There’s no Deadline shelf, and no “green button that can be clicked on to launch the submitter” as shown in Maya — Deadline 10.3.0.15 documentation - did I miss a step, somewhere?

zainali · December 7, 2023, 4:53pm

Hello @stephennspencer

Thanks for reaching out. Silly question: did you rerun Maya after putting the scripts in their respective folder?

You can add the script manually to see if shelf icon works that way? To do that go to Maya> Mel Script Editor> File> Open [Repo]\submission\Maya\Main\SubmitMayaToDeadline.mel > then again file> save script to shelf. You will see a new icon there. If you click it, does it work? If it does than this might be a permissions issue inside Maya scripts folder.

stephennspencer · December 7, 2023, 5:59pm

Not a silly question at all! Yes, I did run the installer when Maya 2023 was not running, and started it up after the installer was finished.

Just started it up, and went to the MEL Script Editor, and see the following at the top of the file:

running deadline command: -getrepositoryfilepath submission/Maya/Main/SubmitMayaToDeadline.mel
Running submission script "Error: The specified repository path (/csenetid/cs/unix/projects/instr/deadline) does not contain the necessary database connection settings file.

There may be a network issue, or a valid repository has not been installed at this location. If one has not yet setup a repository, it is possible to do so using the repository installer included in the installation files. (Deadline.Configuration.DeadlineConfigException)"
// Warning: file: C:/Users/spencer/Documents/maya/scripts/DeadlineMayaClient.mel line 132: The SubmitMayaToDeadline.mel script could not be found in the Deadline Repository. Please make sure that the Deadline Client has been installed on this machine, that the Deadline Client bin folder is set in the DEADLINE_PATH environment variable, and that the Deadline Client has been configured to point to a valid Repository.
file -f -new;
// untitled
commandPort -securityWarning -name commandportDefault;
onSetCurrentLayout "General";
# Warning: Failed to pull Deadline Integrated submitter: Error: The specified repository path (\\csenetid\cs\unix\projects\instr\deadline) does not contain the necessary database connection settings file.
# 
# There may be a network issue, or a valid repository has not been installed at this location. If one has not yet setup a repository, it is possible to do so using the repository installer included in the installation files. (Deadline.Configuration.DeadlineConfigException)

which tells me I’m not doing something… but I’m not sure what that is. The /csenetid/cs/unix/projects/instr/deadline folder has the DeadlineRepository10 folder in it - that’s the Repository.

I haven’t set DEADLINE_PATH on this Windows host - what parameter should go there?

Thanks for the help!

stephennspencer · December 7, 2023, 7:15pm

Well, I did set DEADLINE_PATH and it points to c:\Program Files\Thinkbox\Deadline10\bin, which is a folder on the local machine that contains things like “deadlinecommand.exe” - lots of files.

That’s not where the Deadline Repository is located, though - that’s on a shared file system that is available to the animator workstations AND the renderfarm clients.

I tried setting DEADLINE_PATH to the path to that shared folder - /csenetid/cs/unix/projects/instr/deadline/DeadlineRepository10/bin - and got different error messages in the MEL Script Editor window when I restarted Maya 2023.

stephennspencer · December 7, 2023, 10:37pm

I went back and reran the DeadlineClient (using “run as Administrator”) and did it like this:

c:\program files\Thinkbox\Thinkbox\Deadline10 as the "directory where Deadline Client will be installed
chose “Client” and “Direct Connection”
\csenetid\cs\unix\projects\instr\deadline\DeadRepository10 as “the network path to the Deadline Repository”
left the TLS stuff blank
left “Launch Worker When Launcher Starts” checked
left “Block auto upgrade…” selected

This host is running Windows 11, by the way. (Ironic if this is what is causing the issues…)

Next, ran the Maya-submitter-windows-installer (again, “run as Administrator”):

it tells me the “Client Bin Dir” is c:\program files\Thinkbox\Deadline10\bin

At this point, I look at the environment variables, and see that:

DEADLINE_PATH is C:\Program Files\Thinkbox\Deadline10\bin
MAYA_MODULE_PATH is C:/ProgramData/Thinkbox/Deadline10/submitters/Maya

Let’s start up Maya 2023 now. Uh-oh, I have no shelves at all, now. Here’s the Script Editor output:

running deadline command: -getrepositoryfilepath submission/Maya/Main/SubmitMayaToDeadline.mel
Running submission script "//csenetid/cs/unix/projects/instr/deadline/DeadlineRepository10/submission/Maya/Main/SubmitMayaToDeadline.mel"
running deadline command: -GetRepositoryFilepath submission/Maya/Main/Submit.png
file -f -new;
// untitled
commandPort -securityWarning -name commandportDefault;
onSetCurrentLayout "General";
// Error: file: C:/Program Files/Autodesk/Maya2023/scripts/others/addNewShelfTab.mel line 78: Object's name 'Deadline' is not unique.
# Error: RuntimeError: file C:/ProgramData/Thinkbox/Deadline10/submitters/Maya/scripts/userSetup.py line 111: Error occurred during execution of MEL script
# file: C:/Program Files/Autodesk/Maya2023/scripts/others/addNewShelfTab.mel line 78: Object's name 'Deadline' is not unique.
// Warning: file: C:\Users\spencer\Documents\maya\2023\prefs\filePathEditorRegistryPrefs.mel line 4: filePathEditor: Attribute 'aiImage.filename' is invalid or is not designated 'usedAsFilename'.
// Warning: file: C:\Users\spencer\Documents\maya\2023\prefs\filePathEditorRegistryPrefs.mel line 5: filePathEditor: Attribute 'aiPhotometricLight.aiFilename' is invalid or is not designated 'usedAsFilename'.
// Warning: file: C:\Users\spencer\Documents\maya\2023\prefs\filePathEditorRegistryPrefs.mel line 6: filePathEditor: Attribute 'aiStandIn.dso' is invalid or is not designated 'usedAsFilename'.
// Warning: file: C:\Users\spencer\Documents\maya\2023\prefs\filePathEditorRegistryPrefs.mel line 7: filePathEditor: Attribute 'aiVolume.filename' is invalid or is not designated 'usedAsFilename'.
// AbcExport v1.0 using Alembic 1.8.3 (built Nov  2 2022 10:53:22)
evalDeferred "shaderBallRendererMenuUpdate";
// Warning: line 1: filePathEditor: Attribute 'aiStandIn.dso' and label 'Standin' have been saved already.
// Warning: line 1: filePathEditor: Attribute 'aiVolume.filename' and label 'VDB' have been saved already.
// Warning: line 1: filePathEditor: Attribute 'aiImage.filename' and label 'Image' have been saved already.
// Warning: line 1: filePathEditor: Attribute 'aiPhotometricLight.aiFilename' and label 'IES' have been saved already.
import arnold
import mtoa
import mtoa.cmds.registerArnoldRenderer;mtoa.cmds.registerArnoldRenderer.registerArnoldRenderer()
updateRenderOverride;
import mtoa.viewport;mtoa.viewport.add_controls()
# # C:\Program Files\Autodesk\MayaUSD\Maya2023\0.20.0\mayausd\USD\lib\python\pxr\UsdUtils\updateSchemaWithSdrNode.py:372: SyntaxWarning: "is not" with a literal. Did you mean "!="?
  if sdrIdentifier is not "":
// Bifrost: Pre-loaded mayaUsdPlugin to access proper Maya USD libraries.
// Loading Bifrost version 2.5.1.0-202208011913-c060626
// Bifrost: Loading library: Amino, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: AminoMayaTranslation, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: bif, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: bifrostObjectMayaTranslations, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: geometries, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: fluids, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: particles, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: file, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: mpm, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: modeling, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: nucleus, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: simulation, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: riv_types, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: riv, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: scatter_pack, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: graphs, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: usd_pack, from: Autodesk.
// Bifrost: Loading library: usdMayaTranslations, from: Autodesk.
// AbcImport v1.0 using Alembic 1.8.3 (built Nov  2 2022 10:53:22)
updateRendererUI;

It did run things… but it isn’t correct.

Help? Thank you.

stephennspencer · December 7, 2023, 11:32pm

The three lines after "onSetCurrentLayout “General”; appear to be the important ones, here.

zainali · December 8, 2023, 8:55pm

This environment variable is set for “all users” installation. The value must be a location accessible to all the users. Is this location accessible to every user?

There is a verification step in the installation steps, please verify you installation by following here: Maya — Deadline 10.3.0.15 documentation

These new errors seem to be coming from Maya itself. I am not that sure why though.

zainali · December 8, 2023, 9:23pm

stephennspencer:

# Warning: Failed to pull Deadline Integrated submitter: Error: The specified repository path (\\csenetid\cs\unix\projects\instr\deadline) does not contain the necessary database connection settings file.
# 
# There may be a network issue, or a valid repository has not been installed at this location. If one has not yet setup a repository, it is possible to do so using the repository installer included in the installation files. (Deadline.Configuration.DeadlineConfigException)

For this error it means that that it is looking at the root of repo. The actual path to Repo will /csenetid/cs/unix/projects/instr/deadline/DeadlineRepository10 but for some reason it is failing to find it. From cmd run below:

"%DEADLINE_PATH%\deadlinecommand" --getrepositoryfilepath submission/Maya/Main/SubmitMayaToDeadline.mel it should return the correct Repo path to SubmitMayaToDeadline.mel

stephennspencer · December 19, 2023, 10:03pm

Sorry for the delayed response - was away at a conference all of last week.

tl;dr: the Deadline shelf now appears, the bright green icon is there, and when I select it, the “Submit Job to Deadline” window appears.

Honestly, the only thing I changed was to add a line to /etc/services on the Linux host that runs the database and hosts the repository to open the numbered port (27100) and restart the “mongod” service.

Running that “sanity check” shows that the userSetup.mel file in my directory is the one that runs, and it has but one line in it, that starts the DeadlineMayaClient();

When I start up the Deadline Worker app on this Windows host, I do see connection errors:

Worker - An error occurred while updating the Worker’s info: An error occurred while trying to connect to the Database :27100. It is possible that the Mongo Database server is incorrectly configured, currently offline, blocked by a firewall, or experiencing network issues.
Full error: An exception occurred while receiving a message from the server. (FranticX.Database.DatabaseConnectionException)

Typing the "%DEADLINE_PATH%\deadlinecommand --getrepositoryfilepath... command yields the correct path.