topic Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017 in 3ds Max Forum

Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

whitebirchstudios — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 18:12:33 GMT

First, thank you for the updates in MAX 2017, especially the 4K UI.

My problem is when I go to Standard/Default my geometry turns into a checkerboard and MAX crashes. I have the latest NVIDIA driver for my GTX 980ti and the latest SP for MAX. IF I chose to save and if I open the saved MAX file, it'll crash immediately when MX opens.

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

BenBisares — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 02:32:57 GMT

If I understand you correctly when you’re in V-Ray and then switch to the Default Scanline renderer Max crashes? Or is it when you apply a Standard material?

When Max does crash do you get a CER (Customer Error Reporting) window? If yes, fill in the email field and click on the “Send” button. Let me know what email address you used.

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

whitebirchstudios — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 02:47:53 GMT

No, if I go to shaded view, everything gets plastered with the
checkerboard, and MAX crashes. If I open a model that was saved with shaded
mode (2016), it'll crash right away, and I have merge into a new scene.

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Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

BenBisares — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 03:12:56 GMT

Just to narrow down some variables:

Does this happen with V-Ray or any renderer (i.e mental ray, Default Scanline)?
Has this always been happening since using 2017 or did it start happening only recently?
For testing purposes what happens if you change the Viewport driver to Nitrous D3D 9 or Legacy Direct3D? ( https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/3DSMax/files/GUID-3D6B4C8E-8C0D-4A9C-BFB0-2463803268CE-htm.html )

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

whitebirchstudios — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 03:14:40 GMT

I'll have to do some testing tomorrow; I'll report back.

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Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

whitebirchstudios — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 01:14:49 GMT

Changing the video driver didn't help

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

whitebirchstudios — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 01:25:23 GMT

The real issue, other than the inconvenience, is it crashes with the checkerboard. When you try to open the recovery scene it'll crash 100% of the time. Unless you want to loose work, you have to merge the scene and on large scenes, that can take awhile.

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

whitebirchstudios — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 17:47:55 GMT

Here is a screen recording showing what is happening. This is opening, however, the same thing happens when merge a MAX file.

http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cD1UbEitxt

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

spacefrog_ — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 06:36:27 GMT

The checkerboard you see is a stand-in texture 3ds Max displays while it's calculating GPU shaders and loading textures in the background. That 3ds Max crashes during that process might even not have to do with the shader calculation but be another problem. In general, if this is persistent with any scene it hints some problem with your GPU or graphics driver configuration. Another thing is that it might be caused by Vray Materials which are set to "realistic with maps" mode. I seem to remember that there were some earlier Vray versions which caused troubles with Nitrous .

Things you can try:

* purge your users Temp folder. 3ds Max generates a lot of temporary shader files there, and just to be sure that those get rebuild , empty your system's and user's TEMP folders

* check your texture resolution settings in Viewport Configuration->Display Performance : check the limitation checkbox ( Textures ) and set the Maximum resolution limits to 256 each and restart 3dcs Max. This would put the least stress on the GPU while calculation viewport textures. Try to load the scene afterwards

* If the scene file is from a previous Max version, use that Max version to load the file, set all viewports in the scene to wireframe or bounding box mode. Pick "Views->Show Materials in Viewports->Shaded without Maps" one time and save the scene. This would load the scene in wireframe/BB mode in Max 2017, preventing it from crash

* if the above does NOT work: with 3ds Max being closed, locate the file "maxFxoCache.dat" in your user data's plugcfg folder and rename the file to something like "maxFxoCache_BAK.dat". ( You can locate the path easily using the Viewport configuration->Display Performance->Hardware Shaders Cache Folder setting ). Start 3ds Max after that, and try to reload the scene

* try to merge the file while having all viewports set to wireframe display. As the shader generation should be postboned this way, it should'nt crash

I think this is enough for now to try, please report back how things turned out performing this steps...

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

whitebirchstudios — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:53:59 GMT

I tried each one, one by one, but non of them worked for me. On my current project, I have already merged it into a new scene, worked on it and saved. Now it is a 2017 model that I can't open, unless I merge it. The only work around is making sure I save as clay or wire frame.

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

Diffus3d — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 02:29:08 GMT

Does this happen on every machine in your workplace, or just yours? Is there any chance your graphics card is overheating?

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

whitebirchstudios — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 02:54:27 GMT

I have one machine running a GTX 980ti. No problems on MAX 2016.

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Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

spacefrog_ — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 04:45:37 GMT

@WhitebirchStudios wrote:

I tried each one, one by one, but non of them worked for me. ....... The only work around is making sure I save as clay or wire frame.

That means that the third step i listed does indeed work

Your statement sounds a bit contradictionary in that terms

So it has to do with shader generation during scene load. And this is true for each and every scene you try to load in Max 2017 ?

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

whitebirchstudios — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 14:09:38 GMT

Yes, all scenes. Both new and converted.

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Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

whitebirchstudios — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 19:12:19 GMT

I had to reinstall MAX 2017 because my subscription expired before my vendor got the paperwork to Autodesk. Apparently, you can't just change the serial number. Having said that, my checkboard issue seems to be gone. I only tested a few projects, but so far, so good.

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

matthew.d — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 21:22:31 GMT

Hi @whitebirchstudios,

Good to hear your issue is resolved. Just for future reference, you only need to remove your old licensing information, rather than reinstall.

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

Alfred.DeFlaminis — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 22:45:41 GMT

Hello @whitebirchstudios,

I know we're sort of spread out over multiple threads, but I wanted to check in about this. Did you do anything in the other thread after you set your monitor Hz from 64 to 60? Any actions taken after that? Thanks for the information and congratulations...

Best Regards,

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

whitebirchstudios — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 04:30:06 GMT

No, changing it didn't make a difference. Something seriously went haywire with the original MAX install. Not only am I not experiencing lag, or the checkboard nightmare, I can open other things while MAX is renderings. I have 72 cores and 128GB of RAM, and when MAX was rendering, I couldn't even open a web browser. I found that extremely odd since I have plenty of resources, but it was, what it was. Now, things are behaving as I would expect. I am writing this while rendering a 4K exterior scene without any issues. I can do work in Photoshop, or really anything else I want. I reinstalled plugins, one-by-one, and nothing has been an issue. Anyway. things are good now and I hope it lasts.

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

Alfred.DeFlaminis — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 16:05:00 GMT

Hello @whitebirchstudios,

Thank you for the update. I do appreciate the information, it does help to know when suggesting a reinstall is the best path forward. I'm glad things are working great for you now, and best of luck on your projects.

Best Regards,

Re: Checkerboard 3DS MAX 2017

whitebirchstudios — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 01:00:36 GMT

So, I have been living in the checkerboard hell with MAX 2017. I could only work in Clay mode. If I tried to display in anything else, MAX would crash. I reinstalled MAX 2017 and installed plugins as I needed them. The reinstall worked and over the past couple weeks or so, I installed almost all my plugins successfully, except Viz Park's Wall & Tiles. I needed to make some brick today, so I installed it, and BAM! crashed instantly. I removed Walls & Tiles and no more crashing.