[dvsone1440]

When I attempt to use an HDRI if I make any changes to the scene after hitting fire I consistently get the error "the scene has errors". Typically it will work the first time I hit fire, but if I make changes and or restart the fire window I always get "the scene has errors". Checking the error message it always points back to the HDRI file. Sometimes if I repath it the rendering will start but it is very inconsistent.

[JDHill]

A few questions:

1. Are you referring to the use of HDRI in the context of Image Based environment, or in a material?
2. Could you clarify "make any changes to the scene" a bit? Moving the camera is a change, for example.
3. Could you confirm whether the behavior changes based on the location of the HDRI, or on the HDRI?

[dvsone1440]

1. Image based environment.
2. Correct. Moving the camera, rotating the hdri adjusting the intensity etc... As soon as I make a change (assuming it worked initially which it maybe 50/50) it then says the scene has errors.
3. I am not sure I understand this question. If you mean the adjustment horizontally or vertically then yes that does cause the error.

I have had this issue with every hdri I have tried. Typically (not always) it will work the first time I hit fire, but if I make a change or re-export it almost always has that error.

[JDHill]

Sorry, by location, I meant the physical location, on disk, of the HDR image file -- local disk, network, mapped drive, etc, and whether using a different type of location makes any difference. Also, could you copy here the exact text of one of these messages, in case that holds any clues. Additionally, could you let me know a bit about your environment: OS type & version, the type of your machine, the plugin type (Standalone or Render Suite) version you are using (see the About box in the plugin's menu), and whether this behavior is something you have seen in previous plugin builds, if this version is not the first you have installed.

[dvsone1440]

Ah I see... No I thought that may have been an issue as initially I was using a network location, but I have since moved the hdri files to the local drive and the problem persists.

Note the problem does not seem to appear at all when using the Render suite or exporting from the Render suite version. It only happens in the Standalone version. The problem is that is where I am making most of my edits and sometimes running final renderings since I have a lot more copies of that available.

I am using two different computers and the problem appears on both.

Windows... see below from benchwell test.
110 Intel R Xeon R CPU W3690 3.47GHz 15m27s 301.12 6 12 GB 2.7.0.0 Win64 dvsone1440

Mac
OSX 2.93 Ghz Intel i7 12GB 1333 Mhz DDR3 maxwell version 2.7

I just recreated the problem but can not seem to get to the underlying error message like I used to. When I click on the message it no longer brings up the full error message. Might be a silverlight issue? 2.7? I will try to see if my windows machine does the same thing. I can hover over it and it says view error report but when I click nothing..??

[dvsone1440]

Oh and yes I had the same issue in the previous version 2.6. I am new to Maxwell as of 2.6.

[dvsone1440]

looks like the windows version is the same... I can no longer click on the view error message and get the full error message. Must be a bug in 2.7 or maybe I am using the wrong silverlight version now.

[JDHill]

I have been able to reproduce the issue you mention where nothing happens when you click the "View Error Report" button; it is caused by javascript choking on a particular character sequence in the error message. Attached to this post is a zip file containing modified Ruby scripts for the Fire and Scene Manager windows; please download and unzip it, and use the files it contains to replace these files in your plugin installation:

• [SketchUp plugins]/maxwell/lib/ui/firewindow.rbs
• [SketchUp plugins]/maxwell/lib/ui/scenemanager.rbs

The location of the SketchUp plugins folder is different based on OS; you can find the precise location of these files by opening the Ruby Console (Window > Ruby Console) and executing the following command:

Code: Select all

Sketchup.find_support_file("ui.rb", "plugins/maxwell/lib/ui")

"ui.rb" lives in the same directory as, and is responsible for loading, the two .rbs files we are replacing. And here is the zip:

maxwell-lib-ui.zip

This should not affect your original issue, but it will allow us to see what the error message from the render engine is saying.

[dvsone1440]

That worked... here it is. This is definitely the same one I get on my Windows machine and the same one I got in version 2.6

>>Error: Reading bitmap "/Users/Hal2011/Work/@maxwell/HDRI/Hyperfocal/Cloudy11/HDR_Cloudy11.hdr". Format not recognized. Render cannot continue.
2. Data preprocess failed. Render can not continue.

[JDHill]

This error is coming from the render engine, and would appear to indicate a corrupt HDRI file -- I do not write that code, though, and so cannot guarantee that this is the only possible cause for this error message.

What is odd is that initially, the scene renders using your HDRI, before subsequently producing the error message; your description of the issue so far does not state this explicitly, but I assume it to be the case. Which would seem to rule out corruption of the HDRI file. So it is confusing.

So, could you please try reproducing the behavior using an HDRI from the standard Maxwell Render install and let me know what you find with that? For example, carb_04.hdr, in the Maxwell 2 folder's hdri/dosch directory. Also, in doing so, please make sure to start with a completely clean file -- use Windows > Preferences > Template to ensure that you are not using a customized SketchUp template. The goal is to create a scenario in which no error occurs, so that we can compare that with your current situation, and so try to determine what is the cause.

[dvsone1440]

I did not get that hdri with the install. Did a search of the entire computer. Was it a separate download from the install file?

[dvsone1440]

Also yes I agree that is why it confused me. I would understand if it never worked but it does work.. sometimes. Additionally I have had the issue with other hdri files as well. I think every one I have tried. (maybe 5 or 6 of them)

[JDHill]

As far as I know, it is always installed with Maxwell Render; the actual locations would be similar to:

• OSX: /Applications/Maxwell 2/hdri/dosch
• Win: C:\Program Files\Next Limit\Maxwell 2\hdri\dosch

[dvsone1440]

Neither of those Maxwell 2 folders appear in either OSX or Windows with my install. I did a search on both for the specific file to no avail on both machines.

[dvsone1440]

This is my install (OSx)

Maxwell for SketchUp (Standalone)
License: Commercial
Version: 2.7.0, Mon 06/18/2012 7:21:46.60
Library: maxwell.rb
© 2012 - Next Limit S.L.