Show shaded mat in viewport button makes objects invisible

[Kennet3design]

This happens a lot for me to. Very annoying. I first noticed this in max 2018 but it happens in 2017 also when I checked. To be able to see the textures when this happens i have to change the shading mode to facets instead of default shading.

To fix this I try starting up more max instances until one of them suddenly works. Or close max, delete the enu folder, start max again, open a scene to check if everything is fine which it usually is. Close max again. Then delete the enu folder and use my copied enu folder with all my settings instead and start max again. This works sometimes but not always. 

I encounter this several times a week or even per day sometimes.

I never had this kind of problems before. But now om on new hardware and win 10 instead of win 7. Maybe win 10 and max does not work so great?

I have the same problem on both of my computers. They have identical hardware and operating systems though. Soon I will get a new laptop, it will be interesting to see if the same problem occurs on that.

Windows 10 - 64  Gig RAM - Nvidia quadro P5000 with driver 376.33 - Dual Intel Xeon E5 2687W v4 - 512 Gig SSD 

EDIT: Posts moved and title updated.  -Alfred

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous and @Kennet3design,

I had a case recently that seemed related to this issue.  For that other user this article here had the key information.  Is it possible you have some objects way off in the distance?  I wasn't able to solve the other persons problem until I had a scene file to look at.  Would it be possible to share a file with this problem with me? If privacy is necessary due to NDA reasons, I can create a private folder for you. I am happy to do so if you would like. 

Best Regards,

[Kennet3design]

@Alfred.DeFlaminis

This is not the case for my problems at least. Because it happens even with an empty scene with only a teapot placed at origin also.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Ok, that's disappointing but thank you for the update @Kennet3design.  Ok, back to the basics.  

@Anonymous and @Kennet3design, can you please answer the following questions as best you can?  Thanks!

1) Does this problem happen when using DX9 in Max?

2) If you reset your user settings do you see an improvement?

3) Did you load in settings files from previous versions of 3ds Max?

4) Does the problem persist if you log into Windows as a different/new user?  

Best Regards,

[Kennet3design]

@Alfred.DeFlaminis

1: Yes but instead of objects turning invisible the turn pitch black?

2: This usually helps but after closing and starting max a few times the problem comes back.

3:I never load setting from older max versions

4:I have not tried this.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Thanks @Kennet3design, I appreciate it.  

In DX9 try DX or Performance mode.  Would you mind trying to reset you user settings please?  Worth a try.  Also, are you on Update1 for 2018? 

Best Regards,

[Kennet3design]

@Alfred.DeFlaminis

in DX9 performance mode works as normal. But this works with dx11 also.

I have reset my user settings several times but it keeps coming back.

I'm on max2018 update 1 but the problem was there before update 1 also.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Thank you for the update @Kennet3design.  You are very thorough and provided a lot of great details in this thread.  I'll have to wait for the results from QA and development, I'm out of ideas here.  This issue is strange, months of no reports and then suddenly I have 5-10 of them all within a couple weeks.  I will update this thread when I know more.

Best Regards,

[Kennet3design]

No problem @Alfred.DeFlaminis 

I was kinda hoping that buying really expensive certified hardware would keep me out of problems like this compared to cheaper gaming computers.

But I'm glad that you are listening and trying to help. Looking forward to more info on this matter.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

It really should have @Kennet3design.  I am beating myself up over this one because I really wanted to solve it.  I have a huge tracker case made with tons of details and I will bring this up in the next team meeting.  Thank you for all you have done. 

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I'm having the same issue! I can't pinpoint anything that would of caused this. ( I didn't update any drivers or anything until this problem began- since the materials are not showing up on my objects I assumed I needed to update my drivers so I did...)

My computer:

Windows 10 pro

Dual Intel Xeon CPU E5-2687W v4 @ 3.00GHz

64 GB RAM

3DSmax 2017

Vray 3.50.04

NVIDIA GEForce GTX 1080

NVIDIA Quadro M4000

I use copy/paste script to bring objects into a brand new scene and it usually brings all my materials back, but then after I open and close a few more times the problem comes back. This is happening to all of my scenes so this is not isolated to one file. Its completely random which materials are not showing up in my viewport- sometimes they come back.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

Would it be possible to share this file with me? If privacy is necessary due to NDA reasons, I can create a private folder for you. I am happy to do so if you would like.

Best Regards,

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

I'm not seeing the problem when I view the scene file.  Do the objects only disappear in certain viewports (persp for example) or when performing a certain action?  (Like rotating?)  I have an article here which mentions some of the issues that can cause this, but your scene seems well setup and organized and I am not seeing this issue.  Does it happen in DX9 mode as well as DX11 mode?  If you turn on viewport clipping, does the problem seem to get better?

You are not the first person to report this and I do have a tracker case open about it.  If nothing in those links above works it might be worth trying different versions of drivers.  

Would you mind listing your driver versions for me for each of your cards so I can enter that info into the tracker, please?  Thanks!

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your help this far. I just checked a few things and this is what I've discovered:

1.) Switching to DX9 mode made all objects come back with textures (Had to switch the shading mode to flat color otherwise it is black and not lit properly)

2.) Clipping planes is not the issue here.

3.) Its not isolated to perspective view, this also happens in orthographic, but not in front, side, left, right.

4.)  Driver is NVIDIA 385.41 release date of 08/23/2017...But the issue began on the previous driver version. I only updated as soon as this problem began.

5.) Last thing I notice is that other objects disappear in the scene if I select them. It seems random because not all objects I click on will disappear.

Really strange. Hope to find a fix asap.

[Anonymous]

Scratch that- I just opened an old file using DX9 mode and several objects are missing/invisible when in standard shading mode. I have to change to flat color to see objects.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

Thank you for the information, I have added it to the tracker.  I am using driver version 353.82 but I am on Win7, would you mind trying 384.94 for me, please?

Do you see any change if your turn off adaptive degradation?  (Hotkey O as in Orange.)  

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Adaptive degradation didn't change anything when turn on/off. Will let you know if changing drivers helps. 

[Anonymous]

I am having the same issue with Max2018. All scenes that I am working on have this issue may it be Standard scanline or Vray. My current config has three GTX 1070's i7-6900K @3.20 GHz, Windows 10 Pro 64. I always have to exit Max and start. So pretty annoying. My 2016 version does not have this. Appreciate your help.

Ronnie B.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis · Accepted solution]

Hello @Anonymous,

I've been investigating this issue for a while and I believe it comes down to a corrupted shader cache.  Will you please shut down Max and go to:   C:\Users%username%\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\2018 - 64bit\ENU\en-US\plugcfg  and delete the file maxFxoCache.dat?   Then restart Max and it should resolve the issue.  Will you please try that for me?

Best Regards,

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

I just wanted to follow up here, any thoughts on my previous post? Thanks for the update!

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Hello, I don't have the file MaxFXOcache in my folder. Could it be named something different in 2017?,

thanks