Missing Layers in XREF Net Render..

[CrazyDamo]

Heya All,

 

Having some issues with a series of Max renders at the moment. We have a master file that uses a bunch of Max XREF Scene files. This master file is then used to set off a series of renders where each render has a unique set of separate layers hidden and unhidden.

 

Overall the master file has close to 250 Layers (all from their various XREF scenes).

 

For some reason the render images always have one or two layers (randomly) appearing where they shouldn't - ie.. they were hidden in the master file for that render but show up in the render anyway.

 

All renders are submitted to a net render/back-burner job - so essentially the master file at the time of render is saved with the set of layers correctly hidden or unhidden before being distributed and re-opened on whatever render node that is assigned.

 

We have checked the saved scene from the job and on random occasions when opening that file, we get some random hidden or un-hidden layers.

 

We have made sure all XREF files have unique layer names - as there is a small paragraph in the MaxScript doco that details an issue with naming layers testing for uniqueness (which is in contrast to Max's crazy 'you can name me non-unique names whenever you like').

 

We have made sure there are no hidden layers in each XREF File and that there are no empty layers.

 

We have worked with a fresh scene and Imported the relevant XREF's from scratch and still the problem persists.

 

We are about to try and merge all XREF's into one file then make a new scene and XREF that merged master scene into it. The reason we need to use an XREF for the render is that the master scene file is over 500Mb in size (merged) and setting the renders off is extremely slow with large scene files... not to mention the pipeline issues of iteration on the work.

 

Has anyone had similar issues of Layers from XREF scenes appearing or not appearing in a network render in Max?

 

All suggestions welcome

 

Thanks,

D.

[Fernando Lino]

wierd, but something in consideration is when you use xref turn ON the option " update scene automatic" this is very important to keep the status of the layers in your master file.

 

Fernando

[CrazyDamo]

wierd, but something in consideration is when you use xref turn ON the option " update scene automatic" this is very important to keep the status of the layers in your master file.

 

Fernando

 

Thanks Fernando,

 

We will give this a go - we have been leaving this setting off - mainly due to iteration of the individual files from multiple users.. can cause some slowdown.

 

Will get back to you if this works.

 

Cheers

D.