Job was exported but waiting for BB - BB is on!

[jamesgrean]

Latest problem

New install after wiping an older iMac and upgrading to Yosemite. Previously have had Smoke Perpetual 2015 SP2 running fine under 10.7, 10.8, 10.8.5, 10.9 and 10.10.1. OS is not an issue.

Followed Mike's BB guide. Followed all whitepapers.

For some reason, even though this version of Smoke was previously working on this iMac under 10.7 and 10.8.5, I can't get BB to export under 10.10.1.

Console says "Job was submitted but is waiting for Backburner server to start".
Thing is...

BB is on. Green light. XML is fine. Ethernet is EN0. Hosts is fine. BB config is all localhost. I've done this 10 times now on various machines. But this time, I cannot get exports working.

Cache works. Not exports.

This is the maddening thing about Smoke and Autodesk. You install FCP, it works. You install After Effects, it works. You install Nuke, it works. You install Smoke, wrestle with configs for two days, and it still won't work.

Any tips appreciated. Don't know what else to do - as I said, followed Mike's BB guide 3 times now, triple checked all settings, fresh install, have previously done this on various OS's... at the end of my tether now.

Thanks.

[jfbouchard]

Hi Jamesgrean,

Please PM me your contact information and I will be giving you a call.

thanks,
JF

[jamesgrean]

Thanks Jean-Francois, but I have solved the problem by completely uninstalling Smoke, removing all networking (again) as per Mike's BB guide, reinstalling, etc. Still have no idea what the problem was though.

There are a lot of things wrong with the Smoke install that should be fixed by now. Eg, having to uncomment a specific line in the config, needing to paste in your MAC address to ServerMac and ManagerMac, needing to make sure certain things are set to localhost. Why isn't this just done as part of the install? Why isn't there a script?

It's absolutely stupid that this manual process has to to be done each time, when an Installer should work, same way the installer for AE or Nuke works. Or just bite the bullet and re-code backburner, or find another way of making it more robust. It's retrofitted garbage and is the cause of most people's Autodesk gripes.

That said, I love Flame and Smoke. I hate that Autodesk won't improve them though. Instead of new features for 2016, how about AD just makes everything they have in Flame and Smoke work, and work fast + well?

[jamesgrean]

Cancel that - BB is not working again.

After several days of using WiFi, I now can't export from Smoke 2015SP3 again. Here's the thing - nothing has changed. I added in Wifi, as per Mike's BB guide. This previously worked with 2015 and 2015SP2. I was using both those versions on both an iMac and Mac pro, both connected to a network via ethernet, connected to no network (no ethernet cable) and using WiFi.

But now, trying to use SP3, I can't export. Waiting for backburner to start.

All lights are green, all configs are configged.

This is absolutely maddening.

I NEED TO DELIVER A JOB RIGHT NOW. Not in 2 hrs, not in half an hour. NOW. And I can't get it out of Smoke.

Thanks Autodesk.

I repeat my earlier statement - I shouldn't need a support subscription at additional cost for basic I/O functionality. I paid for a working program and I do not currently have one, and lose days every time I try to do a new install.

How about that PM and call now?

[jaseo]

PM me teamviewer details and I will look at it. Do you need wifi? If you have ethernet, best just setting it up that way.

[andrew_plarkou]

I have the EXACT same issue - it worked for me until I added my wifi back on - someone PLEASE help! 

Thanks, Andy. 

[jamesgrean]

If I turn WiFi OFF from the Mac menu bar (top left), restart Smoke, I can cache and export. As soon as I turn WiFi on, it stops doing anything.

I need WiFi for connectivity between computers (air drop), to receive client emails, to send files to clients, to download supers from the client FTP, and many other reasons.

In network Prefs, Ethernet is set always be priority 1, and is of course En) as per Mike's BB guide.

It's completely unreasonable to say "don't use Wifi". Most Smoke users are single license and sole artists. A lot of them are mobile. We need a solution that works with a variety of network interfaces - just as Nuke or AE don't care if you're on Ethernet or Wireless. Not every client's office that I take my Smoke into is set up the same way. Most do not use a static IP. A lot are wireless only. At home I am wireless only.

What I can't figure out is why it doesn't always break. I was using Wifi at one client's address just before Christmas, it was fine. Finish the job, put the Mac in a box, take it home, plug it in, connect it to MY WiFi, and BOOM no backburner, no exporting. Not sure what the difference is - WiFi is WiFi AFAIK. And the iMac at home was working fine with Smoke and Wifi on 10.8.5, but won't work with WiFi on 10.10.1, while the MacPro worked with WiFi on 10.10.1 at the client's but not at home. See why I am going mental? There is no consistancy to this issue.

No difference in install procedure for either MacPro or iMac, no difference in procedure for 10.8.5 or 10.10 or 10.10.1. But varying behaviour of BB.

As a lot of people are having this trouble, is there a documented solution that can be posted rather than having to Teamviewer in to each person's box? And since I get different behaviour according to where I am, how does solving my BB issue at this location prevent me from having the same issue next week when I am in a different location?

Thanks

James