Help with Sci Viz Installation Problems?

[mcquarrie1]

Looking for some help installing Sci Viz.

Have done 2-3 installs/re-installs, can't get it to work.

I believe I'm following instructions to the letter. I can get ePMV dialogue box up and update it, but when I hit 'Fetch' for default test, the protein objects don't appear in the window. If I hit 'Fetch' twice, I get this a warning dialogue: "Unhandled exception has occurred in a compenent in your application." Also, AutoPack/Cellpack freezes 3ds max when I try to update.

When I go to the Python Download page, it now has this message: "Python 2.6.6 has been replaced by a newer security-fix only source release of Python. Please download Python 2.6.8 instead." However, I installed 2.6.6 -- NOT 2.6.8 -- because the Autodesk instructions seem so explicit about 2.6.6. Is this my problem?

Here are details that may help:

PATH Environment Variable: C:\Python26;C:\Python26\dlls;C:\Python26\libs;
PYTHONPATH Environment Variable: C:\Python26;C:\Python26\DLLs;C:\Python26\libs;C:\Python26\Lib;
ADSK_3DSMAX-2013_PYTHON Environment Variable: C:\Python26
Python Version: 2.6.6 (r266:84297, Aug 24 2010, 18:13:38) {MSC v.1500 64 bit <AMD64>} on win 32
3ds max version: Autodesk 3ds Max 2013 64-bit
3ds max install location: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2013
OS: XP Pro x64 Edition - 5.2.3790 Service Pack 2 Build 3790

Machine info
BOXX Workstation 8500
CPU: WS DUAL XEON X5550 2.66GHz, 8MB cache, 1333 MHz
Memory: 12GB DDR3-1333 REG ECC (6 - 2GB DIMMS) (R)
Video Card: NVIDIA Quadro FX 3800 1GB PCI-E (R)
Hard Drives: 250GB 7,200rpm SATA (SUB), 500GB 7,200rpm SATA (SUB)
RAID: RAID 5 Configuration (Add In Card Used)
Storage Contr.: Adaptec 5805 SATA/SAS 8 Port Controller (R)


I am in a bit of a crunch to get a protein molecule into max for a deadline. If there is no quick fix, can anyone suggest how I might get a .pdb model into 3ds max without the Sci-Viz plug-in?

Thanks in advance.

Mcquarrie

[miketruly]

This probably won't be helpful but I thought I'd reply anyway so you know you're not alone!  (I am very ignorant about molecular stuff but know 3D animation).

I also have been looking into this tool for creating molecular models in MAX (I have some clients that want molecular 3D animations and it would be great to be able to use MAX to do this!).  First some background.  My main workstation is XPx64 and I run MAX2010 through MAX2014.  MAX2014 is my main pipeline 3D app.  These apps are installed at the root level of the system... not down inside Programs, etc.

I carefully installed Python 2.66 and all the other stuff (somewhat convoluted instructions/process). And got it to the point of ePMV and Autopack are installed in the MAX2013_64 interface and I can bring up the dialogs for each.  I also updated each to the latest software version.

When I used ePMV to fetch the default molecule... it worked just fine and a 3D model of the molecule appeared in the MAX viewports and I could orbit and use MAX as normal to interacte with the 3D object.

Later, I used ePMV to fetch a different molecule and it worked just fine as well.

These basic tests are all I did.

Then today, I wanted to try it again and see if I could collapse the fetched molecule to a standard mesh or epoly object (to verify use of the created model within standard MAX usage) but when I tried to fetch the default molecule again... I get the same error messages as you did.

I briefly tried using the AutoPack dialog to create the default HIV model and it took a bit but worked fine and there was a huge HIV model in MAX2013_64.  This AutoPack app seems less crashy but I don't have a clue what I'm doing or how to use it.  (I would also like to understand it's use better for packing volumes... not just for molecular applications but for example packing objects in a cardboard box, etc.).

So my guess is it seems that perhaps this tool is not ready for primetime yet.  With deadlines looming, I don't have a lot of time to experiment with this... I need it to work reliably if it is to be of any use to me.

Good luck!!

[gj210]

Hi Mcquarrie,

   We were just alerted to your message here on the Area.  The error message you are receiving is typically a python path issue.  We have not yet encountered the Python 2.8 message, but would like to work with you to fix this. It will probably be easiest to setup a teamviewer session.  Can you please contact me directly at info@autopack.org, or move this conversation onto the autopack forum where we get email notificaitons of all postings related to autopack issues. http://www.autopack.org/support/forum

Thanks and sorry for the trouble,

Graham