Export ASS with relative paths?

[UConn_DMD1]

I'm in the process of setting up a workflow for C4D users to utilize a Deadline Linux farm through the use of ASS files. I'm currently testing on a virtualized setup with two local test render nodes, Mac and Windows. I'm generating the ASS files on Windows, and in looking at the ASS files it seems to be hard coding the path to the texture folder, which logically doesn't exist on macOS (or Linux). I can't account for every users machine in Deadline's path-mapping, nor can I force everyone wanting to use C4D to work from the C:\, /, or file share locations.

Does Arnold support completely relative paths when using textures and similar (procedurals, etc) that can be called upon when copying the work to a file share for rendering? All the C4D nodes/options are using relative paths.

My browser isn't letting me attach extra pieces, so here's a GDrive link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tPy3Ng6VtQRVQ3x8nhIqfQXBzEpDxoZJ/view?usp=sharing

It includes the C4D file, texture, ASS sequence, and Deadline's log for the Mac node. As a side note, the Windows node renders the file fine (due to the path existing).

[Stephen.Blair]

Yes, Arnold supports relative paths. That's what texture_searchpath is for.

The image node in the ass file has just the file name. So the texture search path is used to find the file.

image
{
 name c4d|standard_surface_01|image
 filename "villa_nova_street.tx"

You just have to add the macOS path to the texture search path, so that you get something like this in the exported ass file

options
{
 ...
 texture_searchpath "/Volumes/projects/testing/tex;C:\Users\mroche\Documents\testing\tex"

[UConn_DMD1]

@Stephen Blair

Thanks for the reply! I had a path mapping issue going on, and I've come up with a quick solution. Work on the project locally, but generate the ASS files on the farm. Things might get funky if using procedurals however... Still need to test this.

Is there a simple way to add that path during export of the scene source?

Cheers,

Mike

[peter.horvath6V6K3]

You can define the search paths on the System tab of the Render settings.

You can also set your current working directory to the project folder when rendering the ASS file and define a relative texture search path, like:

options
{
 ...
 texture_searchpath "tex"

[Shawn_Kearney1]

So if I add texture_searchpath "my_search_path" to options{} I wouldn't need to define the search path in the system tab? Can I add more than one? Can I specify both Mac and PC formatted paths? What about parent directories, i.e. "../my_sibling_path"?

[peter.horvath6V6K3]

The search path on the System tab is exported to the options.texture_searchpath parameter in the ASS file. So you don't have to define the path on the system tab, if you want to edit the ASS file instead.

Yes, you can add multiple folders to the search path separated by semicolons (;), you can specify both Mac and PC format, or parent folders with the "../" syntax.

[UConn_DMD1]

@Peter Horvath

Thanks for letting me know about this! This actually makes things a bit easier (possibly, assuming everyone remembers to set this). Is this on a per-project basis or can it be defined globally?

Cheers,

Mike

[peter.horvath6V6K3]

It is in the Render Settings, so project based.