Very slow material editor load...why?

[daniohayon]

As the scene gets somewhat heavy with materials (especially multi/sub mats) it take a very long time to load the mat editor to the screen.

 

It is ok when I work on one material in the sub hierarchy, but as I go up in the tree to the top level Max gets stuck for over a minute loading the materials just to the display...you can imagine the multiplication of this minute in the work flow.

 

My question is this: is it common or should I wake up the network people?

[BrianKitts]

it might be the network but more than likely you are just using a lot of high-resolution (large filesize) maps that will take it a long time to load. If you are using large maps, just reset your material editor and only keep the materials you are editing visible.

 

utilities -> reset material editor

 

if you are still having problems, then I would investigate the network speed.

[daniohayon]

Thanks BKittsARC.

 

I'm using map with the average of 512x512 pixels. Is this considered large?

[Brian Smith]

it might be the network but more than likely you are just using a lot of high-resolution (large filesize) maps that will take it a long time to load. If you are using large maps, just reset your material editor and only keep the materials you are editing visible.

 

utilities -> reset material editor

 

if you are still having problems, then I would investigate the network speed.

 

Brian, i would bet that your first assumption is right. i've worked on dozens of projects with other companies that have material paths looking for an address over a network, and in almost every one, it slows the file loading and material editor loading...yet never have i seen large bitmaps cause more than a couple extra seconds to load the sample slots. if this is what's happening to you, try disconnecting from the internet (both landline and wireless) and it should make loading return to normal...at least it always does for me. it's a pain to have to disconnect but once you have the material editor opened, just purge the sample slots of those materials and you wont have the problem once you reconnect

[daniohayon]

try disconnecting from the internet (both landline and wireless) and it should make loading return to normal...at least it always does for me.

 

Exactly. Few weeks ago I've erased any network paths that are not necessary for my work (all of them) and it made very little difference. Today it was too much, so I reached to the plug and voila! The material editor basically jumped up to life.

 

I can put all the maps on my workstation but you can't work like that in a company where all is shared and files are being opened in different machines.

 

I hope there is better way to control Max and the alleys it wonders through...

[BrianKitts]

Thanks BKittsARC.

 

I'm using map with the average of 512x512 pixels. Is this considered large?

 

...nope definitely not big there....

 

 

I can put all the maps on my workstation but you can't work like that in a company where all is shared and files are being opened in different machines.

 

It's always a good practice to have one collective source (such as a server or single computer) that hosts all resources that would be shared by multiple computers. That way all computers can be mapped identically and you won't have any problems in max where the material editor hangs cause it's trying to load a map that has an unknown location to the local computer.

[daniohayon]

It's always a good practice to have one collective source (such as a server or single computer) that hosts all resources that would be shared by multiple computers. That way all computers can be mapped identically and you won't have any problems in max where the material editor hangs cause it's trying to load a map that has an unknown location to the local computer.

 

Sure, but this takes us back to the first problem. How to control Max's aimless wondering in the network?

[ericbarlow21]

Hi I am not sure if this helps or not but we just switched to 64 bit and if you are using VRay, then your material editor will become ultra-slowww.

 

This is a known issue and VRay is working to find a solution and form what I understand will be fixed in the next RC4 version.

[daniohayon]

I'm working with 64 bit and both VRay and MR. VRay has some problems with display of material in the scene that cause Max to crash, but this time it is with MR...and I've checked my Network spead, it runs at 1gb/sec, shouldn't be a problem.

[only3d]

hi dani

 

its just a matter of habbits- at the office where i worked i used the method of 'materials in the working pc only', meaning i allways had a 'resources' folder next to my max file. -u can later delete them or whatever but its worth it. besides that i like bkitts offer to delete all maps from the editor and just reloading whatever u need at that moment.

wish i only thought of that when i worked with a 90 mb aerial photo..

bummer. but next time

[daniohayon]

Hi Only,

 

This has been the only way to work for me for some time: one material on the screen, I thought it's the load of materials but I think that it's not the problem.

 

If you switch to Scanline renderer, you'll see that everything is very fast. Sure that Scanline is not rendering the materials, but you can go up and down the tree (multi/sub) and see that it's all there.

 

Apperantly this is a common problem with Max9/MR:

 

http://discussion.autodesk.com/adskcsp/thread.jspa?messageID=5456121

 

Many more :

 

http://discussion.autodesk.com/adskcsp/search.jspa?numResults=25&inputEntered=true&source=forumlist%7C1&q=material+editor&objID=&submit=go

 

I even made some changes to the MR Raysat...nothing! If anyone can help with this problem it would be very much appreciated!

[daniohayon]

...and more than that: it happens especially with mental ray materials. The multi/sub is fine with standard materials, but it's a whole new story as you change even one material to A&D.