crashes on starting render

[MarkAldred]

Sorry to be posting one thing after another here.

I'd really really like to switch from Combustion to Composite but I'm getting regular crashes when I click the render button. This is in multiple projects with differing settings. I get the send error message then Composite disappears.

I've looked through the forum, but I can't find anything relevant. I just don't have the time to troubleshoot. Can anyone suggest what could be causing it?

Thanks
Mark

[rudolf_germann]

Do you use Foreground or background Rendering? Do you render directly (File>Render..) or do you work with versions?

You see there are many ways to get something rendered in composite but i would really recommend to work with versions.

start reading about versioning and linking on Kens blog: http://area.autodesk.com/blogs/kenl/composite_versioning_and_linking

often composite crashes when theres something wrong with the cache. fix or clear the cache with txutils.exe found in the installation folder. i hope this helps a bit..

best,

Rudolf

[MarkAldred]

Thanks Rudolf.

I'm using File-Render. Foreground render gives me the crashes. Background render gives me an error message but Composite doesn't crash.

I wasn't aware of txutil.exe. I'll read up on it. I can see txrender.exe and one or two more executables in the install folder.

Thanks for the link. I'll give that look too.

It's been a little deflating spending a day setting up a composite, hitting render and getting a crash every time. I appreciate the help.

[morazz]

There could be a number of reasons why it could crash. Many of them are caused by a bad cache which can be deleted. Working with a project from the C: drive or your system drive, not recommended at all. A graphics card that had improper drivers, or card that is not compatible.

On a side note, I have use TOXIK for many years and have now moved on. Overall, you are looking to move away from Combustion to a node based floating point system? Well, if it is just to preview renders, there are other options, not free, but better and faster. If you are looking for a serious comp app, then, as much as it always pains me, just look at something else. If a budget issue, you will have to deal with these little issues. I did a complete film project on version 2010, it worked out more or less fine, but since then the upgrades have made things worse.

Just wanted to share a little bit of advice.

I am working on Flame now, and almost all the toxik tools are now in flame. That is where the development is going 😉

Cheers

[MarkAldred]

As suggested I tried txutil.exe but it doesn't help. How can I manually delete the cache?

The main reason I want to switch from Combustion to Composite is Backburner compatibility. That and Composite looking and feeling like a better application. I haven't been able to use it enough to evaluate it properly yet.

Thanks
Mark

[rudolf_germann]

simply select both folders inside your cache directory and delete them. composite creates new folders the next time it starts. if you are not sure where they are, look in your temp folder. composite works a lot better if you are using not the system drive for your mediachache. best to use a fast raid.

the simplest way to use txutil.exe is to run it from >Start>Autodesk>Composite 2012 64bit>Composite Command Prompt

(this is on my win7 installation, the actual path depends on your system) into the command line you type

txutil.exe clearcache

if your problem is not cache related, then please post your application log from the windows event viewer. composite writes all information and warning in there. some specs from your machine would help too.

i hope this helps a bit

[MarkAldred]

Hi Rudolf
Thanks. I appreciate the help.

So the cache equals the MediaCache? I've been deleting that without effect. I moved it away from its default location after a different problem last week. Would deleting Preferences.txuser be worth a try?

I checked the event log. I'm getting an error from 'Autodesk Toxik Render Utility 2013'. It says ' Missing project path command line argument.' I'm also getting a warning from 'Autodesk Composite 2013' saying ' No Wiretap servers are currently running'. Wiretap is not checked in my preferences.

These errors are from yesterday. For some reason the crashes from today aren't logging.

Here are my specs ....
Asus P8Z77-V
Core i7 3770K
C\ on SSD
16G memory
Quadro FX3700 driver
Windows 7 Ultimate Japanese Service Pack 1 / driver 270.51

Thanks
Mark

[lendoublet]

I've just been having render crash issues which turned out to be something to do with the output path. I'm not sure what the problem was but I reselected to folder to output to and the renders suceeded.

[hilaire.gagne]

Experienced the same issue with Composite 2014; crash on foreground render and random render success on background.

In the interest of time, I uninstalled Composite 2014, restarted the system, ensure that no references to Composite appeared in the file system (Win 7 64-bit) and registry.  Cleared out the user and system TEMP folder and reinstalled the latest version from the Autodesk Apps Exchange portal (http://apps.exchange.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/en/List/Search?facet=__category%3a%3aRendering).

According to the Help > About (Version 9.0-909216) and Add/Remove Programs (Version 16.0.0.0).  Was able to pull off renders on every single composition that was crashing before. 

... while I was at it, I did the same procedure for MatchMover since that's now a free component as well.

Cheers,

[joshchappell2372]

Ok so his is an old thread but here is a solution to many reasons composite will crash 

So if your composite crashes as soon as you click render, like instantly after that click, its most likely a pathway error,

something is not being sent to the right place.

I would suggest this method to ensure that this doesnt happen:

First check that your system preferences are correct:

EDIT>SYSTEM PREFERENCES

check that PATH is pointing to a toxik.ini file, if not, you have to create a toxik.ini to your local drive somewhere.

Then set the preferences (highlighted in red botom right, the reel)

It will open this window, make sure you set the RENDER FOLDER and FILE NAME through the path links highlighted in red on the right.

As you can see in the image, the file name only has the filename, this will definitely crash like this

This Is correct

Once this is done go through and set your composition (highlighted in red), also ive never really needed to change any of the other settings,

Now go FILE>NEW and make sure you set the pathway to the same place as everything else

Ok so now you have done that, so far all the pathways are correct, but it will probably still crash because the node it creates doesnt remember the render path.

Click on the output node you just created and click on the RENDER tab

You will notice the file name just has the file name, this need the path as well as the filename 

As before click on the small box highlighted in red, set the pathway for the same place as you did in the preferences at the start and make sure the name is exactly the same, this is very important that the render node matches the preferences settings,

like this:

Now this should prevent you composite scene from crashing on render

But If you are still having problems, its possible it could be your cache or your computer just might not have the power, RAM is essential but you also need a fairly decent computer.

Hope that helps

Josh