Vray is crashing/Revit import tips

[Terry Reeves]

I did a post here about a year ago regarding vray crashing fairly badly. I guess I don't really know its vray, but it ONLY happens when trying to render but Max just suddenly closes/crashes. I am working with tech support from Chaos group, but so far they have not helped what so ever. They are claiming the files I sent them don't crash on their end. Most of my scenes include a Revit model initially being linked in (sometimes they are bound and converted to edit poly, sometimes left as a link). Almost every render crashes...every time. I have one scene in particular which is unique in that it was FULLY poly modeled inside of Max. It has Vray cameras and some trees from Evermotion and grass from Forestpack Pro. The scene was modeled for exterior only and has no interior. Scene has vray sun with a dome light with an HDR. This scene is the only scene that I have that will NOT crash. This is also the only scene that I currently have that has never had any Revit content brought in. I have even rendered animations out of this file...no problems. So, I am starting to wonder if my crashing has something to do with the revit geometry or how I bring them into Max. Now, we all know that Revit geometry certainly isn't the greatest, but I never had this problem when I was using MR. The file that I sent Chaos (that does crash here) is a revit model that was bound and converted to edit poly. It supposedly doesn't crash on their end but does on my end. I am at wits end trying to figure this out. Just wondering if anyone here has had a similar situation and more importantly what they did to resolve it. I cant poly model every building that comes to me, so that isn't an option. This building I did for my website. I usually either get an FBX file that was exported out of Revit that I link into Max or I bring in the actual RVT file. Is there another way that is better? Should I ensure that certain things be done to the Revit model prior to bringing them in? Just brainstorming here trying to figure this out. This gets extremely frustrating. Luckily, these renders at this point in time are going to be for my website that I am trying to get built. Fortunately, they are not for a client...yet. Below are my computer specs. Other than the rendering thing this computer runs like a dream. Any ideas/response would be greatly appreciated...thank you in advance. Using 3ds Max 2021.3.2 Security Fix and Vray 5 update 2.2...Running on Windows 11 (but was crashing on windows 10 as well). This is with the cpu rendering engine. I forgot to mention that I used "Vray Benchmark" and am scoring 18,931 vsamples for cpu and 925 vrays for RTX

My Computer Specs:

Mainboard: Gigabyte Aorus Ultra X570

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3950x 16 core

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 64 GB

Video Card: MSI Geforce 2080 SUPER 8GB

Power: Tough Power 850W

1 TB SSD drive (Boot/Windows 11)

1 TB SSD Drive (storage)

8TB External Drive (backup)

2 TB USB drive (Personal Storage)

Corsair H115i Pro Liquid Cooler

 

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by Terry Reeves
Forgot some info

[Francisco Penaloza]

Honestly many things can make your Max crash. Putting a side any bootleg copy of these software. I work almost daily with REVIT files send to me by architects to be rendered.

My Typical workflow is opening the file in REVIT and hide anything that I don't need, such, Hidden Structural, Fire Sprinklers, Foundations, extra crappy furniture, toilets handrails and anything that won't show up.

Then I export that view as FBX, you can also do a live link in to 3D Max, but our company work with different versions of REVIT and I only work with 2021 now.

Once in 3D Max I link the FBX file by Family, sometimes by materials, may main object is to get the minimum objects possible. 3D Max works better with few objects with many polygons than many objects with few polygons.

I move the building closer to the center of 3D Max Scene and then separate site and building. Usually I do the site as an XREF for the building 3D Max file. Then fix models, materials lights and site work.

Typically 3D Max or V Ray can crash when is memory issue, or missing/broken network path issues. Sometimes REVIT model have objects very far from the main model this also can cause issues, not crashes but issues.

I do transform all Materials to V-Ray materials. It is being said that you can use Physical materials with V-Ray, but to my workflow V-Ray materials are more flexible.

Other than that I manage very large scenes, large Hospitals with large sites and landscaping, everything Forest and Raiclone, XREF scenes and lots of Proxy.

Other than that I would have to take a look at your scene to see what else is causing the crash.