Distributed Render - Missing Maps - Using UNC

[Eric]

I'm using 3ds Max Design 2011 x64 on a Windows 7 64 bit system with V-Ray 1.50.SP5. I have an identical computer that I'm using for a render slave.

 

All of my maps WERE placed in my C:\Maps folder. Each time I would make material changes, I would manually copy all of my C:\Maps images (at least the new ones) out to the server, then copy them from the server onto my slave into the same C:\Maps location on that computer. This seemed to work great, though I got tired of copying the files back and forth - especially if I'm working remotely from home - I don't have remote access to my render slave so I can't copy files to that drive if I'm away from the office. The fix seemed to be to move all of the maps out to a common server location.

 

SO.... Monday I copied the maps to a network drive that both computers have access to. I removed the C:\Maps folder since it is no longer necessary. With the Max Asset Manager, I manually changed all of the maps to UNC file naming, and pointed them all to the corresponding server-based folder paths.

 

When using Distributed Rendering (DR) with Net Render turned off - I get the following render output.

 

 

If I turn off DR and enable Net Render, then select ONLY the slave computer to process the image, the render works perfectly fine and the image renders correctly - it finds all of the texture maps.

 

I'm in a very locked-down network environment with very little user rights (I can't even install my own fonts on my computer). The IT has setup V-Ray Spawner to run as a service on the slave.

 

I wanted to see if you folks had any suggestions so I can point my IT guy in the right direction when he sits down to troubleshoot the problem with me.

 

For reference, this is what it's supposed to look like - and how it renders when each computer renders the file on its own without DR enabled.

 

[Eric]

For what it's worth, I have moved all maps back to my C:\Maps folder. I had the IT guy install a drive synchronization program to sync my C:\Maps folder to a Maps folder on the network automatically. We then setup the slave computer to sync that network-based Maps folder to the C:\Maps drive on the slave computer. This fixed the problem, and DR is working as it should.

 

If anyone knows a solution to my original problem, I'd love to hear it as keeping everything network-based would be much more seamless...

[notamondayfan]

it does sounds like a network issue rather than a vray / DR issue. Are both computers using mapped drives for your drive that has the textures on? Are you using UNC or file paths? I had this issue when experimenting with UNC, and when I changed back to standard file paths it worked fine.

[Eric]

I agree - some kind of network issue. It renders fine with Net Render when I force the job to only render on the slave, so I know the slave is finding the maps and rendering as it should when its not communicating with my primary workstation. It almost seems like the two computers aren't seeing the UNC file paths the same - or something along that line - they can read it individually, but cooperatively is a no-go. But no, the computers are not using a mapped path - they are locating the files via the UNC path (\\Server\Folder Name\File.jpg).

 

When I look at the Full Path in the Asset Tracking utility, my paths look inconsistent like this:

 

\\SERVER\Folder Name\

\\Server\folder name\

 

Note the difference in the upper & lower case letters. Could this be part of the problem? I have no idea why some are upper and some are lower. Even two different textures that are being called from the exact same location show these differences in the letter-case.

[Oleksandr Kramer]

The letters case not must in any way affect this.

It is important for Linux systems but not for Windows.

For most easy work with asset you can use FPF

[notamondayfan]

Try mapping a drive, then aliging your files without UNC, for example in asset tracking the paths could read "z:\maps". You just have to make sure each PC can see the Z drive in windows explorer, Im sure your IT guys sort this out.