atf_converter.exe not doing its job.

[Anonymous]

Hi, the following is a copy/paste from a thread I opened over at the VRay forums:

https://forums.chaosgroup.com/forum/v-ray-for-3ds-max-forums/v-ray-for-3ds-max-take-5-off-topic/9650...

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Hi,

We got a rather serious problem here. Recently the ATF for importing STEP/IGES data kind of messed itself up?
When I tried on my personal computer at home, the (at 26MB relatively lightweight data) imported in about 30 seconds. Here at Work on two seperate PCs running the same Max version I left it running for the whole night and the ATF importer was just stuck at 8% CPU, same amount of RAM, etc. doing nothing.

It seems to have degraded over a period of weeks from firstly taking a longer time then usual, then only working after a max or PC restart, to now not working at all.

Do any of you have similar experiences and/or a fix? I'd like to avoid reinstalling max for pipeline reasons.

--------------------

I already tried resetting the user settings (as in rename the ENU folder) and tried importing with AntiVirus and Firewall software turned off. Attached a DxDiag file if it helps.

Software:

3ds Max 2016 (18.0 SP4)

Windows 7 Ultimate (6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601)

I have no idea what would cause this, the importer .exe is the right one, sha256-signed by AD, so I can rule out a tampered importer application.

[brentscannell]

Hi @Anonymous, sorry to hear about the issues you're having. Is the atf_converter executable the same version in both installations? Does the problem manifest itself only with specific files or are you seeing this hang on all ATF based imports? Anything else you can share about the work-pc 3ds max setups, could there be something specific on these machines or installations that's not on your home machine?

-Brent

[Anonymous]

Hi Brent,

18.8.739.0 is the version of the atf_converter.exe on both machines here, so yes, it is identical. I have no access to the other machine (on which it works) at home at this time but I will check the version there. Also I do not know at this time if I got the most recent SP on my home machine, will also check.

The problem was really really strange as it manifested itself. It started by the occasional file only properly processing/importing at all when I just restarted max. Over the next couple of weeks / few months it  started to only work after a complete machine restart, then taking extraordinarily long (30 minutes and more for a rather simple STEP file which should've imported in a minute or so maximum time).

Right now I tried several old STEP files we have here from which I know there were zero problems and while the process started (according to the task manager) it just sat there at 8% CPU load and same memory footprint forever. The "cancel" button and the progress bar on the bottom side of the 3ds max window weren't even visible (At the time it worked but took extremely long, the progress bar and button were visible). When I killed the process (atf_converter.exe) in max there was a window popping up something like "improper file format" and I could work with max and use it as usual, so max itself didn't crash, only the importer module. And this one didn't crash, it just didn't do anything. (I left it running for one whole night...)

Is there maybe some kind of analyzing tool where I can analyze what a process does exactly and maybe send you a log file of some sort?

Apart from the fact that the max version which worked on importing was a student version (I write here on behalf of my company, so I am not the holder of the license) and the ones where it doesn't work are commercial licenses, and the stuff I mentioned above, which I will check later on, there is no difference that I know of. I am the ones who set up the machines, so I have access to everything, and I may have forgotten something anyways. What could be some differences which could influence this behavior?

Do you have any solution for us in the mean time to import STEP/IGES data into max, maybe with a standalone tool of some sort?

[brentscannell]

I just recreated the setup on a test machine, Max 2016 version 18.0 SP4, same atf_converter.exe version as you mentioned, and I'm not noticing anything funny going on with .stp imports using ATF mesh conversion - I took a quick look at the bug history around this and haven't seen this kind of gradual degradation reported before.

Are your machines low of disk space by chance? Would you be willing to share a representative file with us to help benchmark the performance on this exact version of max and atf converter?

[Anonymous]

Hi Brent,

I may be able to share a STP file if you can give me a secure FTP link so I can send it to you. I'll have to check with my boss first though.
Of course I tried downloading some random STP file from the internet, but I cannot be 100% sure that it works/worked before, so an actual file I know that worked here would be best I guess.

The disk space shouldn't be an issue, on one machine there's 22GB of free space, the other one 100GB. Although there was a point where I actually was low on diskspace on one machine but I am not anymore, and the other one never had an issue with diskspace.

The rest of the max environment aint that special, too. some startup scripts, many MCGs, etc. But it all worked flawlessly for a long time.

[Anonymous]

I've managed to find a way which doesn't involve transfering confidental files.

We've downloaded the following file a while ago for testing purposes and I know it worked back then:

1) Go to https://www.alfatec.biz/en/guide-bearings-profiles/download-step-files/fixed/

2) Download the STEP file called "TR050.0200", should be the first one in the list.

This file worked a while ago but now doesn't anymore. None of the STEP files I tried from older projects work at all at this moment.

[brentscannell]

Yup, that file imports in about a second or two on my machine running Max 2016 SP4. Is this happening with only step files or all CAD imports using "convert to mesh: on"? Have there been any other Max updates or trials installed recently?

[Anonymous]

So far it's happening with STEP and IGES. FBX works fine. Didn't test other formats yet. I have updated the AD application management software, but also only AFTER the issues were already present.

Furthermore we still have 3ds max Design 2014 installed for legacy reasons and I didn't get a chance yet to remove it.

When importing with 3ds max 2014 it works fine (which is my solution at the moment, although far from ideal since I can't make use of the new importer which does quite a few comfortable things like mesh converting and grouping)

When importing with 3ds max 2016 it doesn't matter which options I use, it doesn't do anything.

No 3ds max updates or new trials were installed in the span of the problem manifesting.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous and welcome to the community,

Would you please try to log in as a different user in Windows for me?  I wonder if your user profile is somehow corrupted.  If that fails, we'll keep digging and worst case I'll log any issues into the tracker.

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Hey Alfred,

The importer still shows the same behaviour on the new account 😞

I just created a new windows account and after mapping network drives I started 3ds max 2016, and was greeted with the "first start" stuff, you know what I mean. After I was inside the scripts loaded as I put them inside the main 3ds max folder but there's nothing which has to do with importing/exporting as far as I can see, just "the usual" scripts and little tools.

The importer still shows the same behaviour on the new account 😞

I attached the screenshot of what got loaded, it's in german but you can see the name of the scripts on the right side there in case this helps you in any way.

[Anonymous]

I just noticed I got a script in there for removing the CommCenter stuff, I while I don't believe it has anything to do with the problem at hand, I deleted said script so stuff gets loaded normally and indeed had no effect on the current problem.

[brentscannell]

Hmm I'm running out of ideas short of trying a fresh install. Maybe try using a tool like Beyond Compare to see if the atf_converter directories in both your working and non working max installs are the same? That might give us a hint without impacting your max install.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Thank you for trying that @Anonymous, I appreciate it.  

Do the computers that are working for import all have these same scripts in the scripts folder?  What about your home machine?  I'm trying to find  differences between the ones that are working and the ones that aren't.  Is there any other differences you can think of?  Thanks so much for that info.

Best Regards,

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

I have a couple more questions, please.  I grabbed the stp file from your earlier link and I wanted to ask about your import process.  

1. Are you dragging and dropping the file into the viewport or using the File->Import menu?  
2. Do you import as body object or convert to mesh?  
3. Since it's working at home but not at work, is it possible that your group policy security settings are somehow interfering?  Do you see anything interesting in Windows Defender?  I think we should explore permissions if nothing else works, it's the best explanation I have for these problems.  
4. Would your IT department be willing to test disabling the group policy to see if that helps?  

EDIT:  I do see a note here in the tracker about the nPower importer (body objects, step, etc.) not being compatible with Ryzen processors.  Is your work machine a Ryzen? 

Thanks and best regards,

[Anonymous]

@brentscannell
I will try this tool and report back with results.

@Alfred.DeFlaminis
On my home PC there is a student version installed. And of course not the scripts like here in our production environment, it is a relatively clean install, just some small plugins apart from VRay.

I mean when I think about it my home PC is of course my home PC and there are differences, especially in the network environment, installed other programs, hardware etc. So it really is too much to nail it down I think.

1. Are you dragging and dropping the file into the viewport or using the File->Import menu?
   --> I did File --> Import
   
   
2. Do you import as body object or convert to mesh?
   --> I tried both, no difference in behaviour
   
   
3. Since it's working at home but not at work, is it possible that your group policy security settings are somehow interfering?  Do you see anything interesting in Windows Defender?  I think we should explore permissions if nothing else works, it's the best explanation I have for these problems.
   --> I got Avira AntiVir running here along with COMODO Firewall and the windows stuff disabled. I am not familiar with group policies but if you can give me a step-by-step guide on what to do I will be able to do it.
   
   
4. Would your IT department be willing to test disabling the group policy to see if that helps?
   --> We are relatively small, so we don't really have an IT department. One of my tasks along with being the 3D Artist is that IT stuff, too but I am not really an IT professional although I know my way around 🙂 Tell me what exactly you want me to do and I will be able to do it.
   
   
5. Is your work machine a Ryzen?
   --> Neither my home PC nor the workstations are running a Ryzen CPU, all three run on Intel i7 CPUs

In case it all boils down to having to resort to reinstalling max, is there a way to like save all my custom settings with a button press and restore it later on?

cheers,

Patrick

[Anonymous]

@brentscannell
I just installed this comparison program but I'm not sure if I understand it correctly. What I did is the following:

Node1 = WorkPC1
Node2 = WorkPC2
Node3 = HomePC

1. Installed Program on Node1
2. Opened 3ds max 2016 Folder on Node1 (C:/...)
3. Copied over 3ds Max 2016 Folder from Node2 to a Network Drive
4. Loaded 3ds max Folder on Network Drive into the other comparison window in the App running on Node1
5. Here it already shows some red folders etc but when I checked the files are the same and the red labels disappeared. I am not sure if I understand correctly how this program works. I will copy over my home PC 3ds max folder for comparison soon when I get time.

[brentscannell]

Hi @Anonymous

Essentially you load one folder inside one side of the UI and other folder into the other side of UI, and then at the top you can select some quick filters like "show all" or "show differences" or "show same", 

items in the UI will be colored according to this scheme:

Grey = unknown or older

Black = same in both folders

Purple = orphan (same item name does not exist on other side)

Red = newer item

Reds and Greys should be paired to each other, and the older/newer criteria seems to go by last modified timestamp but I usually turn on the "Version" column to get a better idea.

Hope that helps!

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

Thanks for the information.  In a general sense there are so many configuration options for group security policies that I couldn't possibly guess as to what the settings could be.  I do have this article which scratches the surface about problems running Max on Windows 10, and some of them deal with permissions and security settings.  Can you please check it out for me?

This is the first report of this issue I have on record, so we should investigate security programs on your OS and things of that nature.  Can you please try to unplug your network cable and then suspend any real time monitoring software such as Avira?  Would Comodo need to be shut off too?  I'm just trying to test to see if they are blocking the data transfer from the .exe to Max.  (Windows Defender might be worth looking at too, mentioned in the article linked in the previous paragraph.) 

Can you please try to run Max as admin for me?  Any changes in behavior?  Lastly, does it work without all the extra scripts that you have on those machines that you don't have at home?

Thanks for trying thing things. 

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Hey Alfred,

Thanks for these pointers, I tried them all, also running max as administrator, no change. I am currently upgrading the graphics driver. If that doesn't help I will make a whole disk image as backup, then reinstall 3ds max just for testing so I can be sure that in the worst case I have a solution ready 😉

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

I can officially say that I have found the issue. Or I rather have found a solution although I really don't know what the issue actually was :P.

I discovered it accidentally. After reinstalling max (clean installation according to the guide you posted) I started it and tried to import stuff (no Service packs or Extentions installed yet, just pure max) and had the same issue as before. Then I saw in the corner of my eye in the scripts listener that stuff got loaded and I discovered that I forgot to delete the MCG folder (C:/Users/XXXXX/Autodesk/Max Creation Graph/). I backed up the folder and let max it re-create at startup. The import worked flawlessly! To nail it down I incrementally moved the MCG files back in from the backupped folder and funnily enough the import problems didn't show up again, even after I restored the WHOLE folder by deleting it and replacing it by the earlier backed up folder. Still works perfectly. Very strange. I attached the original folder as RAR5 archive, the one that after deleting it the importing worked again.

So all in all I have literally no clue what got f'd up there but it is working again. Maybe you discover something inside that folder 🙂

Thanks for your support though!