Error: [gpu] stack overflow exception in 3ds max 2023, Arnold 7.x

[jabouaf]

I'm trying to Arnold GPU render in 3ds max 2023 on an i7-six core 16 Gb RAM, with a GTX 1080 ti card, 11 Gb.  I get the following error:

Arnold]: 00:06:53 3957MB WARNING | [gpu] variance_filter ("max_variance_filter") not supported on the GPU

[Arnold]: 00:29:46 2884MB ERROR | [gpu] Arnold stack overflow exception encountered during render (1 thread threw an exception)

The scene is a glass garden, about 1M polys, with major specularity, transparency and reflection.  I'm not a programmer - the posts from a few years ago suggest enlarging the thread buffer and that the problem should be improved in future releases.  I'm using the latest 3ds version, nVidia drivers, and Arnold MaxToA version.  

I'd appreciate any advice, and if it's a line of code, how do I implement it -- Maxscript Listener, in Render Setup, etc.  Thanks.  

[thiago.ize]

Maybe reducing the various ray depths could help?

[thiago.ize]

Another thing to try is disabling nested dielectrics. Instructions for disabling it are in https://docs.arnoldrenderer.com/display/A5ARP/Nested+Dielectrics

[jabouaf]

Thank you for this quick response.  I had tried reducing number of rays without success.  I tried taking apart the scene into layers, again no go.  But I found a fix -- I deleted all lights and relit the scene with the minimum necessary.  This was the problem.  Apparently, 20+ lights in the scene proved too much.  I will look at your other suggestion.  This is something I did not find..  Thank you.