'Missing dll: Built-in - AnchorHelperObject'

Deadline
1

Hi guys,

We’re getting a lot of this error - looks like it’s because of a State Sets problem - at least it goes away when we reset the State Sets and then resubmit. Here’s how the log is looking:

2014/12/02 16:04:59 INF: [02664] [02984] Starting to load file: C:\Users\svc_deadline\AppData\Local\Thinkbox\Deadline6\slave\BOTTLE04\plugins\547dc642fee1494d240d7496\deadlineStartupMax2014.max
2014/12/02 16:05:00 INF: [02664] [02984] Done loading file: C:\Users\svc_deadline\AppData\Local\Thinkbox\Deadline6\slave\BOTTLE04\plugins\547dc642fee1494d240d7496\deadlineStartupMax2014.max
2014/12/02 16:05:00 DBG: [02664] [02984] Interface8::LoadFromFile(C:/Users/svc_deadline/AppData/Local/Thinkbox/Deadline6/slave/BOTTLE04/jobsData/547dc642fee1494d240d7496/ghl_000_020_fx_environment_hv_v001.max)
2014/12/02 16:05:00 INF: [02664] [02984] Starting to load file: C:/Users/svc_deadline/AppData/Local/Thinkbox/Deadline6/slave/BOTTLE04/jobsData/547dc642fee1494d240d7496/ghl_000_020_fx_environment_hv_v001.max
2014/12/02 16:05:00 WRN: [02664] [02984] Missing dll: Built-in - AnchorHelperObject
2014/12/02 16:05:00 DBG: [02664] [02984] Error loading file C:/Users/svc_deadline/AppData/Local/Thinkbox/Deadline6/slave/BOTTLE04/jobsData/547dc642fee1494d240d7496/ghl_000_020_fx_environment_hv_v001.max

We’re running Max 2014 SP3 and Deadline 6.2.0.32 R

Thanks!

2

Hi Hristo,
You are correct, that deleting (by reset) the State Sets data stored in the Max file (as a consequence of any user ‘just’ opening the SS UI and then subsequently saving the max file), will indeed fix the issue for the most part. There are a few things which you can do to help eliminate the issue further, although I feel that the function I have put into SMTD in Deadline v7.0 will probably provide the most robust & easiest solution for customers going forward.

Here’s a list of things you can do, to improve the situation for yourself if your not using or don’t have access to the Deadline v7.0 beta program:

(1) Update all machines to Max2014 SP5. I know this will help a bit with various ADSK ‘fixes’.
(2) If possible, don’t run your slaves in NT service mode, this can cause even more trouble, with regard State Sets or “Scene Explorer” when you get to Max2015!
(3) Remove ALL State Set information from the scene (you are already doing this). I have prepared an infographic to guide users on what to do. See below.
(4) Deadline v7.0 has an extra SMTD function which will automatically remove State Set information from a max scene file IF there are 0 State Sets actually being used/present, but the UI has been opened at some point in the past and the max file saved, which has caused the ‘injection’ of this information, which is causing all the trouble…

[attachment=0]How_To_Fix_State_Sets_Issue_3dsMax.png[/attachment]

3

Well, since we’re kinda inbetween projects - why not trying Deadline 7!

Thanks :slight_smile:

4

Cool. However, Deadline 7 won’t fix everything for you. You really need to also update to the latest SP5 from Autodesk as well for Max2014. :slight_smile:

5

Affirmative, we’ll do that :slight_smile:

6

3ds Max 2015 is the first version that I no longer get this error (although I don’t know if we ever got to SP5 on 2014). Its been a long, long road of headaches and hopefully all has been rectified.

7

Max 2014 SP5 didn’t fully solve the SS bug, especially running as a service, but with SP5, it does seem to at least let jobs render through ok, although it still displays the missing dll error message. The previously provided infographic in this thread shows you how to fully remove that error if you need to.

Now, for fun, Max2015 introduced the “Scene Explorer” bug (having the SE UI docked, undocked or just visible whilst submitting a job, would result in the job instantly crashing at max startup), but we have an automated fix for that as long as your running the latest version of Deadline 7.0 :slight_smile:

8

We’re with the latest Deadline 7, Max 2014, SP5, and the error is still there.

9

Hi,
Can you post a full 3dsmax job log report of a machine displaying this issue? Are you running Deadline as a service? After you follow the instructions in the previously posted infographic, does this issue go away?

10

Log is the same as before, I think, but I’ll paste it when it happens again (job is rage deleted :smiley: )

Yes, deadline runs as a service on the rendernodes

Yes, it goes away when resetting state sets.

11

Hi,
So, I think I know what is going on here. If you are submitting via the SMTD, can you look under the “Options” tab --> “User Options” rollout and see if the checkbox option: “Delete Empty State Sets in the Submitted File” is enabled? If not, please enable it and then the State Set issue should be ‘automatically’ fixed for you during submission via SMTD.

Let us know if this fixes the issue for you?

EDIT: the docs are missing the checkbox in it’s screen-grab. My bad. This will be fixed in an upcoming patch release later this week :slight_smile:
docs.thinkboxsoftware.com/produc … ptions-tab

12

Nice! I’ll try that.

13

This works! Great. Now we just gotta implement it into things like the stoke partitioning tool.

14

The Stoke Partitioning tool uses SMTD.
I could of course force that option to on even if it is off in the SMTD Settings, but if it is sticky and you have set it once in the SMTD Options, it would apply to Stoke, Krakatoa Partitioning, XMesh on Deadline and anything else that uses SMTD functions to submit jobs without waiting for updates to those tools.

I will log it for the next Stoke update, but I feel that there is a fairly solid workaround already - just check that option once.
In fact, you could probably enforce its state to True for the whole company by setting it to non-sticky and setting its default to True via the Repository INI files…

Thanks for the feedback!

EDIT: Logged on the Stoke ToDo list.

15

Actually, forcing it to sticky is a great option. Thanks!

16

I’m trying to find that option in the sticky/default ini files.

I only find these:

[StateSets]
StateSetsSubmit=true
StateSetRenameOutput=true

None of these look like delete empty state sets. What am I missing? We need to make that a default, our stoke partitioning jobs are failing otherways.

Thanks!

17

Hi,
It’s “DeleteEmptyStateSets=True”

18

A key like this doesn’t exist there, do i just add it to the StateSets section?

19

Yup.

20

Thanks!