DDS Error while network rendering

[Anonymous]

Hello !

We have a few thousand frames of animation to render. Different cameras are animated in a same model, and rendering jobs of each camera in the same model are sent from a single workstation (max2009 64-bit SP1 on Vista 64-bit business) to a backburner manager (2007.1). We use Mental Ray as a rendering engine.

Rendering nodes have Max 2009, with, or without SP1 installed. Many of the machines report error: "DDS (-path-to-the-file-that-is-correct-) Error creating Direct3D Device". It seems that all the failing machines do have Max 2009 SP1 installed. Error happens even with the workstation we did send the job from, even it does render locally just fine. On some of the network rendering jobs of the same file, the dds-texture won't fail, but on some it will - this doesn't make any sense because the source file is the same, just used camera and destination filename are different!

Rendering farm is working otherwise fine, textures are in shared network locations where all the nodes can find them.

I've read many comments like: "Just don't use dds-textures in network rendering." - No, that can not be an answer, because we are dealing with an expensive 3D software for professional use here!

Any help would be appreciated.

Jukka

[Anonymous]

...max2009 64-bit SP1 on Vista 64-bit business) to a backburner manager (2007.1) ...

Doesn't Max 2009 require backburner 2008?

[Anonymous]

...max2009 64-bit SP1 on Vista 64-bit business) to a backburner manager (2007.1) ...

Doesn't Max 2009 require backburner 2008?

Indeed we have Backburner 2008.1.0.270 on all of our render nodes and on the manager.

I did have 2007.1 earlier on my workstation, but that was in use with Max2008. Sorry for the misleading info.

All kind of hints appreciated. 🙂

Jukka

[Anonymous]

Here's the failing dds-file.

Strange thing is that it works just fine when rendering all kinds of animations with any rendering engine locally on one workstation.

Jukka

14397_X4NfDHgcJh3ZRzgC3PSy.zip

[Anonymous]

...I've read many comments like: "Just don't use dds-textures in network rendering." - No, that can not be an answer, because we are dealing with an expensive 3D software for professional use here!...

I'm afraid that is exactly the answer in many cases. I could write a book about the klunky workarounds I have to use, and the various features I have to remember NOT to use, just to get the job done. For instance never load an environment from a render preset because the map will revert to Screen mapping instead of Spherical, etc, etc....