PFlow cache disk not working with Backburner Rendering

[mpowers]

I am using a cache disk operator in the PF_Source. The particles are visible in the viewport and in renders from MAX. However, the particles are not visible during backburner renders, even when rendering on the same workstation.

Any ideas?

PFlow setup

[Diffus3d]

Try using a UNC path rather than the typical local pathing.   More info here.  

Best Regards,

[mpowers]

Hi Alfred, that didn't solve it. I also have an un-cached, other, simple pflow in the which is also not showing up in backburner renders. Tried repair the cache. Sometimes turn all the pflows off, then on helps.

Thnx

[Diffus3d]

Hmm...  is the cache in a network location or just local?

Best Regards,

[mpowers]

Thnx for helping on this, it is appreciated.

Is is on an EMC NAS. Tried it on several computers, all can read and render them fine, but on backburner particles are missing or only certain  events show up. When I open the file, I sometimes need to turn off all the flows, then turn them back on before cache is read. This seems odd to me.

I am just now using the resource collector to gather everything in one folder and moving a copy of the caches there to remove variables. 

[Diffus3d]

That's strange.  I would think that the problem must be related to seeing that cache file, but you said you tried it uncached and same problem.  I'm not sure how complicated your particle system is, but maybe you could mesh it as a workaround using the mesher.  It's not ideal...

I'm looking over your image... unique names for everything, all viewports included, increased memory limit, looks thorough.  I don't see a material node in there, maybe the particles are losing the material?  (Shot in the dark.)  What if you added one or excluded mat id's from the exclude area?  

What version of Max is it?  Does it happen with every renderer?  Those shape instances, is the geo being linked dynamic somehow?  

Best Regards,

[mpowers]

I have tried merging everything into a fresh files.

Yes, material is coming from the shapes instance object It is in the files. No refs. I'll put a material operator in.

What version of Max is it? MAX 2020.3

Does it happen with every renderer? Yes

Thnx

[Diffus3d]

Maybe you can attach a scene with substituted objects or some removed nodes to cover your IP.  I'd be happy to test the network rendering on my home setup to see if it works, so that we can at least identify if the problem is Max or somehow windows preventing access to the cache file.  

Best Regards,

[Diffus3d]

Hello @mpowers ,

I've been trying to replicate the problem for a couple days but everything works fine in the stripped down scene you sent me.  Can you verify that scene exhibits the problem on your end?

I made sure to save the cache into a network location (R: drive for me) and send it as arnold and as scanline and it was ok.  Any luck with the mesher?

Maybe the Backburner logs show an error?  

Best Regards,

[mpowers]

Thank you and giant props for testing the scene Alfred! This helps me narrow it down to something happening on our farm. May be some problem with the backburner install on my end. I'm using backburner 2019 and max 2020.3.

thnx!

[Diffus3d]

Oh, maybe I'm incorrect here but I was under the impression that BB and Max versions needed to be at least equal.  BB can render old versions on newer version, but not vice versa.  (I think.)  Could be as simple as upgrading your BB to 2020.  

Best Regards,

[mpowers]

I didn't realize there is a BB 2020 yet.

[Diffus3d]

No worries, I think it ships a new BB version with each version of max, though the changes from one to another are minor.  You should be able to grab it from the max 2020 installers, or maybe from manage.autodesk.com.   If that fails we can keep digging.

Best Regards,

[mpowers]

this is from 07-2019 on support: A separate version of Backburner 2020 is not yet available on the Autodesk App Store. However, Backburner 2019 will enable render jobs to be sent from both 3ds Max 2019 and 3ds Max 2020.

[Diffus3d]

I went back and double checked...  you're right.  My BB is actually 2016 but it worked with the 2020 file.  I'm sorry about my mistake there.  My fault.  I saw the registration on the manager for 2020 and thought it was 2020.  (ugh.)  

So, back to square 1.  Is it possible that your firewall is blocking the connection?  

Best Regards,

[russell_ikin]

I've been having the same issue and have noticed that if I start rendering the sequence a few frames after the flow has started, all the Backburner nodes render the particles correctly! I'm using Max 2022.3 with Vray 5.22. 

I had the cached files on my PC initially and moved them to a NAS to see if that helped, but it made no difference.