hi

backburner is a good tool, but it doesnt always work as expected…
everything that is not an image is simply ignored while sent over the network.
hence problems of “missing map”. (and the server does not render anything if anything is missing)
be it an audio file, or anything else.
like the point cache file. max has no problem to send the XML file, but will not even look at the MC that is linked.
those particular ones are giving me a very bad time dealing with them.

is there a way to trick max into baking point cache into a vertex animation or something ?
(i know maya does it, but i never found a way for that in max)

or maybe tricking backburner into sending EVERY files related to the max file.
also, the “save as archive” doesnt take it eighter. i suspect someone forgot to implement it in the function…

thanks

You need to put your materials in a network folder and map them there in your scene. (Use the network path not a drive letter.) All render boxes need to have access to that folder.

3ds Max 9 thru 2013
Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit OS SP1
Dual Intel® Xeon® 6 core X5650 @ 2.67GHz CPU 36GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro 4000
450GB HDD (x3) and 2TB HDD

3ds Max 2012 Certified Professional Models to Motion

A lot of peaple use the “quick fix” of checking the Include Maps option, but that system if flawed because it does not include all file types that a scene may reference. A good example is Xrefs, Include Maps may zip up and send the Xref scene to BB, but it doesn’t send the maps and other files the Xref scene references it’s self, and the render fails.
The trick is to reference all files via a UNC path, that way all BB nodes can find all the files it needs for the scene.

ok.
redid the scene. relinked everything using the network. (//machine/folder/file)

and still send beck missing maps.
i have NOTHING else. asset tracker shows everything on the network.

and still come the missing maps.

im going crazy.

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This is strange. I was going to say that you should disable the Include Maps option if using UNC paths, because it can interfere. But looking at you asset tracker, I can’t see the Status column in the shot, but each and every file, including the scene it’s self on a local path, shows a ! sign, signifying some problem.
Does it render OK locally?
Are the paths correct?
Are the folders shared, with permissions for the accounts on the nodes?

status column says : unkown status - network path

localy it renders perfectly.
all path are good, every pc can see in win explorer my shared folders and my maps/cache files/audio files
if windows can see them, backburner server should too.
and folders in read and write permission. it outputs to the same folder, and works just fine.

each files comes with a ! in the asset manager even when i work localy. i dont know why.

well, i tried to network map my folder. it is now Z:
the asset manager still shows them with the total network path, even if i go and relink them to my z folder.
each file also continues to show the !
each computer is linked to my shared folder with the letter z

the maps passed through the backburner, but not the point cache…

the asset manager still shows them with the total network path, even if i go and relink them to my z folder.

To change the path you may need to “Strip Path”, then “Set Path”. Though it should not make much difference if they are mapped to UNC or a net-drive, I would consider UNC the better option because it is universal to any machine on the network.
What puzzles me is that the status in “Unknown” and the ! signs. I’m not sure what it means by unknown, you would think it can either find the maps or it can’t, as opposed to “not knowing” if it can find them.
Strange that the earlier shot shows it failed on finding texture maps, not the point cache. But now you say the textures work but the point cache does not. Did you uncheck “Include Maps”? You should.