3ds 2011 + VRay SP5 - sometime crash without warning!

[cecofuli]

Hi,

we are working with 3ds max 2011 + VRay SP4a (+vraydummy2010.xml patch) on XP64SP2 without problem in the last month. We also have install VRayScatter for VRaySP4 and Multiscatter.

Today we install VRay 1.5 SP5 and, without warning, 3ds max crash.... BOOM! while we modeling, texturing etc.. every, I don't know... 10-30 min or hours. There are not a precise time and situation. the scene is made with old VRay 1.5 SP4a
Also, If we run a series of still image with BB, server crash (during Light cache built or rendering with buckets).
The scene is very, very simple. Interior scene + one furniture and 3 VRayLight plane.

So, now, we reinstall VRay 1.5 SP4a (plus VRayscatter for VRa 1.5 SP4) and all work fine.
I don't find any possible answer because 3ds max crash instantly.

In our test we uninstall all VRay-RT version and no reinstall WIBU software.

Any possible solution?? I know that it's hard to understand how solve...
In this days we don't have time to testing in depth, so we pass to VRay 1.5 SP4 and all, I hope, will be ok.
But in the next days we try again to a different scene with, again, VRay 1.5 SP5

[vlado]

Ok then; do you get the 3ds Max CER dialog? If yes, can you send me several crash dumps - when you get the CER dialog, keep it open, then open Windows Explorer and type "%temp%" as the folder path without the quotes. Find the file 3dsmax_minidump.dmp and email it to vlado@chaosgroup.com

If you can get me several of these, it will be very helpful - otherwise we'll never get round to fixing it; everything seems to work fine over here, and none of the testers reported it.

Best regards,
Vlado

[cecofuli]

Hi Vlado,
no CER dialog. 3ds max crash and windows return my desktop
Anyway, right now I see my BB manager and one frame crash again wth SP4a ... Mmm...
I try to COPY-PASTE my scene in an empty file. Sometime this can help.

[vlado]

Does it go away if change the viewport driver to OpenGL?

Best regards,
Vlado

[cecofuli]

But this is not important with BB. Or I'm wrong?
Anyway I will try also that.
Damn... crash TWO TIME the same frame in BB (and obviously 3ds max restart and render the same frame automatically)... So I think it's not VRay SP4 or SP5 problem...
Overclock can to be the problem?

[vlado]

No, I don't think it will affect backburner of course. When it crashes through backburner is there any info in the V-Ray log file on that machine?

Best regards,
Vlado

[cecofuli]

In attachment the vraylog.txt

Righ now, with VRay 1.5 SP4a, I copy-paste the entire scene in an empty 3ds max file.

LINK

[vlado]

Hm, the render server log is from a DR rendering, not a backburner one; it does not contain any indication for an error though - seems like everything went normally there. Ideally if you can get the log file right after the crash, it would be best. Also, it would be a good idea to change the default V-Ray log file location from c:\vraylog.txt to something else, so that it does not get overwritten next time 3ds Max starts.

Best regards,
Vlado

[cecofuli]

Ok, I install SP5 in both WS and RN and change the WS log dir to c:\temp.
Now I copy-past the scene in a new file. The five textures are a bit big (6000x6000 px)
Run BB render and see what happen. No VRay-RT and no VRayScatter install in Workstation (WS) and Rendernode (RN)
I change to OpenGL also.
I run a BB with DR. I render with the WS in DR, but with BB. So I can program during the night to render different camera angle/light situation.
First frame crash . I send you the file.

[cecofuli]

In a new scene, with light 500 frame animation, after a few frame (100-120) 3ds max crash every 2-3 frame.

So I partially solved to switch from VRay renderer -> Scanline -> VRay Renderer again
All values are reset and I put the old setup manually.
But after same frames (150) 3ds max crash again.
The rendernode (with the same VRay 1.5SP5) work fine from 0 to (right now) 188 frames.
I also send to Chaos the dmp file + vraylog.txt

[Frieder]

The same issue is occuring here. Rendering 750 frames with DR. At frame 377 MAX crashed complete with no warning or something else. Sometimes MAX crashed when modelling on the scene. Conf.: MAX 2011 / Vray 1.5 SP5 / XP 32 bit.
With my scene the error is not reproduceable...

Greets

[cecofuli]

After the crash, try to see the vraylog file. Also, if you can, send to chaos the dmp file.

(*) Do you use VRayscatter?
(*) Have you try VRay->scanline->VRay reset tips?

[Frieder]

I wait for the next crash to have a look in the vray-log file. But I think there is no notice in it. The last time if I remember correctly there was only normal notice like "Licenec server shutdown...". A CER Dialog wasn´t appear.(like in your case).
I have no additional plugins installed this time.
The only solution for me is now to render with BB. Because this server is not crashing. And if MAX crashed down during a file sequence rendering the render manager restarted the unfinished render job.
But for big pictures this is not the optimal solution.

[cecofuli]

Mmm... I don't write in this days because I want to see if I solve the problem.
Anyway, the PC is on Overlcocking. So I over-volt a bit the CPU by bios and now 3ds max (and VRay) don't crash from 3 days...

[^Lele^]

Overclocking is known to buckle up when at the edge, if used with very cpu/memory intensive applications.
Ambient temperatures recently got up in and around Milan.
Just about when sp5 has been released.
I'd stock-test the pc first, and report a bug when that setup crashes.