MakeTX failing to generate TX files

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

Maya 2025.1

MtoA 5.4.3 - 32e0abe4 (fix-5.4.3) - Jul 24 2024 13:26:56

Arnold Core : Arnold 7.3.3.0 [087035cc] windows x86_64 clang-15.0.7 oiio-2.4.1 osl-1.13.0 vdb-11.0.0 adlsdk-8.0.7.50 clmhub-3.1.1.43 rlm-14.2.5 optix-8.0.0 2024/07/24 16:03:02

This is a fresh install of: Windows 11, Maya, and Arnold on a new PC.

MtoA is failing to generate *.tx files.

When I use TX Manager the following are examples of errors reported, regardless of the project loaded:

[mtoa.tx] 0: C:\CAD\Maya\filing_cabinet\sourceimages\housing0_facade0_stickers_color.png could not be updated
[mtoa.tx] 1: C:\CAD\Maya\filing_cabinet\sourceimages\housing0_facade1_graffiti_color.png could not be updated
[mtoa.tx] 2: C:\CAD\Maya\filing_cabinet\sourceimages\housing0_facade1_stickers_color.png could not be updated
[mtoa.tx] 3: C:\CAD\Maya\filing_cabinet\sourceimages\housing0_facade2_graffiti_color.png could not be updated
[mtoa.tx] 4: C:\CAD\Maya\filing_cabinet\sourceimages\housing0_facade3_poster_color.png could not be updated
[mtoa.tx] 5: C:\CAD\Maya\filing_cabinet\sourceimages\housing0_graffiti_color.png could not be updated
[mtoa.tx] 6: C:\CAD\Maya\filing_cabinet\sourceimages\housing0_scratch_mask.png could not be updated
[mtoa.tx] 7: C:\CAD\Maya\filing_cabinet\sourceimages\housing0_scratch_mask.png was aborted
[mtoa.tx] 8: C:\CAD\Maya\filing_cabinet\sourceimages\housing0_scratch_mask.png was aborted
[mtoa.tx] 9: C:\CAD\Maya\filing_cabinet\sourceimages\housing0_scratch_mask.png was aborted
[mtoa.tx] 10: C:\CAD\Maya\filing_cabinet\sourceimages\housing0_scratch_mask.png was aborted
[mtoa.tx] 11: C:\CAD\Maya\filing_cabinet\sourceimages\housing0_stickers_color.png could not be updated

I haven't touched Maya in a few years now, so these projects were created in various builds of Maya between 2019 and 2022 - don't know if that's got anything to do with it.

Updating to 2025.2 & Arnold 5.4.3 hasn't helped. Neither has checking things like NTFS permissions (my account has Full Control over the applicable folders).

Anyone got any ideas?

[Christoph_Schaedl]

Does this also happen if you use .jpg instead of .png
Sometimes .png make troubles on win systems.

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

Converted from PNG to JPG to test... same thing, MakeTX fails to generate anything.

Problem is i'm using the alpha channel.

This hasn't been an issue previously; only difference is new PC, so fresh install of everything using the latest versions.

Just exported some textures from Substance (which defaults to PNG) and they worked fine, but they exported to my desktop, which lead to me thinking it's NTFS permissions, but the permissions on my users desktop folder are the same as the assets folder, both within my users profile directory...?

Is there anyway to get a more verbose output from the log?

[thiago.ize]

How about simply not using the tx manager? Newer Arnold will build the tx files for you on-demand during rendering. If that works, then great you now have your tx files on disk. If it doesn't, maybe that one will print out more details on why it failed?

Another thing to try, if you create a new super simple scene (could be an empty scene) and tell arnold to write out the rendered image to the same directory containing these textures, does that work? If it doesn't, how about writing to other parts of your hard drive (like your desktop)?

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

I once saw a referrence in the Arnold log to a tmp folder in (i believe) C:\Users\username\AppData\Local, which made me wonder if there's a scrypt trying to write to that directory.

I'm guessing that's where TX files get dumped when generated at render?  Thing is that folder doesn't appear to exist.

As I said, haven't used Maya in a few years, so back then it was probably 2022, so I'm expecting that behavior (TX files in the sourcesimages folder).

Is that simple not the case anymore?

[thiago.ize]

The autotx workflow will write to the tmp folder as a fallback in case there's an error writing the tx file next to the source texture. Give it a try and see what happens. Set your arnold log verbosity to debug level if you want more info on what's going on.

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

I'm guessing you're referring to the diagnostics options?

Even when i set it to debug it still only prints the the bare minimum...

Tried setting TX Manager to Folder textures and got the following:

# Traceback (most recent call last):
# File "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Arnold\maya2025\scripts\mtoa\txManager\ui.py", line 656, in on_finish_tx
# self.on_refresh()
# File "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Arnold\maya2025\scripts\mtoa\txManager\ui.py", line 394, in on_refresh
# textures = lib.get_folder_textures(
# ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# File "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Arnold\maya2025\scripts\mtoa\txManager\lib.py", line 313, in get_folder_textures
# files = [x for x in os.listdir(folder) if is_image(x)]
# ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# FileNotFoundError: [WinError 3] The system cannot find the path specified: ''

I checked, it is there.

[thiago.ize]

I meant use the debug diagnostics for when you try the autotx approach. Details in https://help.autodesk.com/view/ARNOL/ENU/?guid=arnold_user_guide_ac_render_settings_ac_textures_sett....

Here's the mtoa version of these docs: https://help.autodesk.com/view/ARNOL/ENU/?guid=arnold_for_maya_textures_html

[GodToldMeToDoIt]

I'm now seeing the following in both the Script Editor and Arnold Render logs:

// Warning: WARNING | [maketx] unknown maketx error
// Warning: WARNING | [maketx] unknown maketx error
// Warning: WARNING | [maketx] unknown maketx error
// Warning: WARNING | [maketx] unknown maketx error
// Warning: WARNING | [maketx] unknown maketx error

Not very verbose 😆

If i set the following :

I get this in the logs:

00:15:31  3431MB         |   [texturesys] could not create C:/Users/skull/CAD/test/Users/skull/CAD/Maya/filing_cabinet/scenes/../sourceimages/housing0_stickers_color_sRGB_ACEScg.png.tx.

00:15:31  3431MB         |   [texturesys] could not create C:/Users/skull/AppData/Local/Temp/TX/Users/skull/CAD/Maya/filing_cabinet/scenes/../sourceimages/housing0_stickers_color_sRGB_ACEScg.png.tx.

00:15:31  3431MB ERROR   |   [texturesys] error creating C:/Users/skull/AppData/Local/Temp/TX/Users/skull/CAD/Maya/filing_cabinet/scenes/../sourceimages/housing0_stickers_color_sRGB_ACEScg.png.tx. Using C:/Users/skull/CAD/Maya/filing_cabinet/scenes/../sourceimages/housing0_stickers_color.png

00:15:31  3432MB         |   [texturesys] could not create C:/Users/skull/CAD/test/Users/skull/CAD/Maya/filing_cabinet/sourceimages/housing0_facade0_stickers_color_sRGB_ACEScg.png.tx.

00:15:31  3432MB         |   [texturesys] could not create C:/Users/skull/AppData/Local/Temp/TX/Users/skull/CAD/Maya/filing_cabinet/sourceimages/housing0_facade0_stickers_color_sRGB_ACEScg.png.tx.

00:15:31  3432MB ERROR   |   [texturesys] error creating C:/Users/skull/AppData/Local/Temp/TX/Users/skull/CAD/Maya/filing_cabinet/sourceimages/housing0_facade0_stickers_color_sRGB_ACEScg.png.tx. Using C:/Users/skull/CAD/Maya/filing_cabinet/sourceimages/housing0_facade0_stickers_color.png

00:15:31  3432MB         |   [texturesys] could not create C:/Users/skull/CAD/test/Users/skull/CAD/Maya/filing_cabinet/scenes/../sourceimages/housing0_facade1_stickers_color_sRGB_ACEScg.png.tx.

00:15:31  3432MB         |   [texturesys] could not create C:/Users/skull/AppData/Local/Temp/TX/Users/skull/CAD/Maya/filing_cabinet/scenes/../sourceimages/housing0_facade1_stickers_color_sRGB_ACEScg.png.tx.

00:15:31  3432MB ERROR   |   [texturesys] error creating C:/Users/skull/AppData/Local/Temp/TX/Users/skull/CAD/Maya/filing_cabinet/scenes/../sourceimages/housing0_facade1_stickers_color_sRGB_ACEScg.png.tx. Using C:/Users/skull/CAD/Maya/filing_cabinet/scenes/../sourceimages/housing0_facade1_stickers_color.png

00:15:31  3434MB WARNING |   render terminating early:  received abort signal

Oddly, if i set the auto option to \Desktop, it still fails to generate TXf files; however, if i have nodes pointed at image files located on \Desktop, TX files are genertad from those images?!

[kitaguchi-kazuya · Accepted solution]

I met the same issue.

As far as I checked,

TX Manager with Default Options(auto tx) enabled cannot generate any tx files for all versions since MtoA5.3.5 on any Maya.
It reported the message:
// Warning: WARNING | [maketx] unknown maketx error
[mtoa.tx] 0:  ###### could not be updated

If you disabled Default Options(auto tx) ,TX Manager would generate.

[kitaguchi-kazuya]

If OCIO Config Path was set to 
default "<MAYA_RESOURCES>/OCIO-configs/Maya2022-default/config.ocio" in Color Management preference,
TX Manager could not generate any tx files.
If it was set to my custom.ocio,TX Manager could generate.
I found the follwoing statement inside <MtoA installation>/scripts/mtoa/txManager/lib.py.

```# force the colorconfig otherwise we can get errors see MTOA-1541
txArguments += " --colorconfig " + colorspace_config```
TX Manager with default OCIO Config Path seems to get some errors by passing "--colorconfig" to tx command.

In my environment,setting OCIO Config Path to non-default could cause TX Manager to generate TX files.
However,the rendering speed slowed down dramatically after setting that unless I generate TX files in advance.
In MtoA5.3.3, I didn't have any rendering time issues even though I didn't generate TX files.
As of MtoA5.3.4, Arnold seems to take too much time to convert texture files internally for a secene withtout tx files in advance.

[Stephen.Blair]

I logged this as MTOA-2105 Cannot generate tx files with TX Manager 

What I see (using Process Monitor) is that MtoA tries to access an invalid file, like this:

C:\Users\blairs\Support\maya_project\Support\sourceimages\C:\Users\blairs\Support\assets\asphalt_dirty\4k\asphalt_dirty_roughness_4k_raw.exr