Populate network rendering 2019

[markus]

How do I render with populate on the network (with bacburner)? I installed populate data on the network machines, but it is only rendering on one of them, and that one has no textures on the characters? 

[ethanAZBRK]

first obvious thing to ask is if you collected all the textures on the machine where you were working on, to somewhere on the server (i suppose you're using one?) where all machines can reach the same textures, on the same path?

Those textures are stored localy on your C somewhere no? 

If those other nodes try to do the same thing, and reach for that path, to their personal local map with those textures supposedly, it's possible they don't if you are for example using high rez and they wouldn't be installed on the node ones?

Population has a seperate download. Always simply best to collect to a project-asset folder... no?

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-i...

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/downloads/caas/downloads/content/3ds-max-2018-populat...

Check the max version you're using, download accordingly and try those forums. I had same problem, my case was that I simply had to collect, even if those node machines can find the same textures in their own local maps.

[markus_s]

@ethanAZBRK No the textures are store on the network drive so all the nodes should be able to access them. In fact, whenever I save the 3dsmax file on the network populate automatically creates a subfolder with all the textures for the populate data. I might need to doublecheck that i installed the right version of the populate plugin/data though. Maybe I accidentally installed it for 2018 instead of 2019... 😮

[markus]

@ethanAZBRK It's actually a checbox in the ribbon for saving textures (it's hidden in the display panel). This saved the textures on the network in the same place as the max file (in a subfolder). I might try running the job again with the checkbox off and see if it helps. The asset tracking windows shows that all the paths are correctly pointing to the network at least.

(btw, sorry if you are confused by me using two different Autodesk accounts. One is work and the other my personal account).

[markus]

I got it to render on two out of three network machines now. I don't understand why the third machine doesn't work. I've installed the populate data on it (twice), and got no error reports.

[markus]

I actually found that turning this checkbox off helps the network rendering.

The texture paths are pointing to the network now anyway.

[markus]

On the third machine that is not working populate data 5.0 seems to be missing under windows programs and features. 

This is strange because I ran the same installer as the other machines, it said it was finished without any complaints, but it didn't work somehow. I might try to see if there is a firewall or antivirus affecting this machine.

Btw, the installer is broken, but I was already aware of this issue so I've been unzipping and running the msi file.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Can-t-...

[markus · Accepted solution]

Finally success! After rebooting the render node in question, turning off real-time protection in Microsoft Security Essentials and running the Populate data 5.0 installation for the third time it seems that I have finally succeeded in installing it properly on this machine. Also the populate data 5.0 installation seems to be a shared installation for all versions of max after 2018 now, because it is no longer a separate installation for 2019.

Also beware that save textures should be turned off in the populate panel before sending it off to backburner. At least that's what I did to get the textures to render.

I ended up solving the problem on my own, but I hope by posting here it can be helpful for anyone coming across the same issue!