Came across this a few times if anyone else could check

Assign Mental Ray as the defualt renderer and submit a job via Backburner with Include Maps enabled

result: missing maps report

From what I can determine it’s due to the INACTIVE output shader not being present (possibly renamed from beta to release?)

This problem also occurs when using Pro Materials in the scene - missing map report

I’m presuming that backburner doesn’t check the target manager / server macines to ensure that the pro materials libaries have been installed in them? This error pops up right as it’s archiving up the scene, not when attempting to render on any server machine (it doesn’t get that far)

From what I’ve seen so far, max2009 seems to be ok for the mostpart but I’m noticing a lot of instabilites with regards to dialogue panels not drawing correctly, nor right-click menus appearing right. I’ve had to completely re-merge entire scenes so far to get around this as the problem seems to be embedded within the max scene file. Not overly happy with this as I’m finishing off developing content for the next book and it’s really hampering my workflow (especially the backburner issue)

Pete

I can confirm the error.  With Relative or Absolute User Paths to the Maps folder.  Truthfully, i haven’t completely set up Max2009, I usually setup a Global Maps folder on a network share but I haven’t done that yet.

Nevertheless, the test was to render a simple scene with a Map in a Diffuse Slot, all running on a single local Netrender test, Manager and Server running as applications on the same machine.

Just setup Manager and Server as Services, still get the Missing Maps error on Net Render with A&D or ProMaterials.  Unchecking Include Maps let the render submit and complete if it can find the Maps.

Maneswar Cheemalapati [FA]

I’ve not had the problem with the A&D materials, so that’s a new one on me… might be because of the inactive Output shader needing to be removed, in which case it will fail with any MR render.

I dont think it’s a case of the maps being missing, simply that backburner doesn’t collate shaders to be sent across to the manager; either it used to and doesn’t now, or it does but the (new) shaders haven’t been included in the auto collation list.

or something

I’m second guessing this obviously, but it would be nice to find out what’s going on with it as I can’t network render anything I’ve set up with the Pro Materials without having to manually assign jobs & frames to my home farm which obviously defeats the purpose (plus I’ve only got the one license so this option is gonna run out in the next 25 days..!)

pete

... additional: if you don’t include maps, the render dies on the server machine. Well, did for me several times anyway.

Might have to spend ages uploading maps to a central network location to get around this problem.

Pete

I’m amazed no one else is talking about this… but given the number of Backburner trouble threads, maybe most people still haven’t gotten Backburner sorted first.  Well, they should know this is waiting for them.

I’ll see what I can dig up with my own investigations… but you likely have more influence than I, Pete… perhaps you should try to contact someone who managed the Beta program or perhaps Ken Pimentel, Pierre Quirion or Shane Griffith to see if someone can reproduce it or explain where we are going wrong.

http://area.autodesk.com/forum/index.php/forums/member/257/

http://area.autodesk.com/forum/index.php/forums/member/2637/

http://area.autodesk.com/forum/index.php/forums/member/4356/

Maneswar Cheemalapati [FA]

I wonder if it is just a paths issue with the Images path being used needlessly for every map path.  My test netrender was local so it worked.  I have still to setup Max2009 on another machine to test sending a job to it only.

Maneswar Cheemalapati [FA]

Has anyone logged this yet?  Pete?  Maneswar?  should be brought to the attention of QA for sure.

Pixels, Polygons, get’m while their hot

I notice that it does not rely on A&D or ProMat, my Max fails as soon as I say Include Maps.  If I disable that option, things render fine.

Mark, I have not reported the bug yet… I need to.

Maneswar Cheemalapati [FA]

I suspected this and believe I have a solution.

The way Max works now, it looks for Maps in the Images folder by default.  When you go to NetRender using Include Maps with MentalRay, for some unknown reason, it tries to find Maps in the Images folder so it reports Missing Maps.  If you change teh User Path from Images to a Network accessible Maps folder or even a local Maps folder, it renders fine without error.  Make sure to use Relative paths if you are using local paths relative to each machine, otherwise, the network folders can be absolute.

Let me know if that fixes the error on your end.

Maneswar Cheemalapati [FA]

Looks like I was premature.  Images folder does not appear to be the problem… I now believe the default settings for FG may be the problem. Oh well.  More testing.

Maneswar Cheemalapati [FA]

let me know if you have any more luck.. cheers for testing. I’m currently up against it at the moment so haven’t had chance to check it out any further.. apart from the fact that it doesn’t work. I really don’t know how this slipped past beta testing.

Pete