Author Topic: Team Render - cannot read UHD  (Read 4406 times)

2020-09-11, 01:31:51

Designerman77

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Hi Guys @ Corona-team,

when firing up the C4D Team Render, the saved UHD cache gets an error message on the client computer. ( Error: cannot read/write UHD cache )
 
Already tried the "TR over web server"-method.
When "double-checking" the render process by looking at the team render client on the "host-computer" (where the scene is open ), I see the same error message in the log file.

Tried to copy the UHD-file into the folder where the TR-assets are located - in all kind of folders. No luck...


The thing is: rendering this scene without saved UHD cache creates very ugly flickering splotches in areas like corners, etc.
Otherwise I would dump that whole UHD thing.


Any suggestions how to make the TR client find & read that frickin UHD cache????

What for do we have TR and multiple computers for render farms, if such basic issues occur?

And... as other users already complained: we get fancy new features in the new release, while important basics still cause major bugs.
Pretty disappointed right now, guys... and thankful for any suggestion that might work.

2020-09-11, 11:17:17
Reply #1

mmarcotic

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Hello Designerman77,

sorry for the inconvenience! I have managed to reproduce your issue while running Team Render and I can see how this is frustrating.
The issue in this seems to be in the way the UHD load file is stored, as the client computer is scanning itself for a path, which is relevant for the main computer.
Example: I saved my UHD cache file as C:\Users\me\Desktop\UHD and the client server is looking for the same path in that computer. There is no user called me and therefore it fails.

I will talk to the dev team if there is something that can be done with this issue. In the meantime, a temporary workaround that worked for me was to copy the UHD file to the client computer and have identical paths on both.
Example: I saved my UHD cache file as D:\UHD on both main and client computers (as both have a drive D:\). No error received afterwards.

Try the workaround if it works for you and let me know, please.

Thanks,
Jan

EDIT: This is relevant for Windows users, but I believe that the logic stands also for Mac
« Last Edit: 2020-09-11, 11:24:17 by mmarcotic »
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2020-09-11, 11:43:27
Reply #2

mmarcotic

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Additionally, if you have a shared network drive, it becomes easier. I've just mapped a drive on both computers and created a folder (which therefore has common file path for both computers) - UHD cache file properly loaded and render was without an error.
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2020-09-11, 11:54:03
Reply #3

Designerman77

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Hello Designerman77,

sorry for the inconvenience! I have managed to reproduce your issue while running Team Render and I can see how this is frustrating.
The issue in this seems to be in the way the UHD load file is stored, as the client computer is scanning itself for a path, which is relevant for the main computer.
Example: I saved my UHD cache file as C:\Users\me\Desktop\UHD and the client server is looking for the same path in that computer. There is no user called me and therefore it fails.

I will talk to the dev team if there is something that can be done with this issue. In the meantime, a temporary workaround that worked for me was to copy the UHD file to the client computer and have identical paths on both.
Example: I saved my UHD cache file as D:\UHD on both main and client computers (as both have a drive D:\). No error received afterwards.

Try the workaround if it works for you and let me know, please.

Thanks,
Jan

EDIT: This is relevant for Windows users, but I believe that the logic stands also for Mac


Good morning Jan,

thank you so so much for you quick reply, the time you took for testing and your suggestion which sounds indeed like it might work here, too.

So, to understand you correctly: you simply placed the UHD-cache on the client computer (can be anywhere, like on the desktop, etc.).
It's only important that on the host-pc, it is located in the same place (let's say on the desktop / with an identical path name).
Correct?

Gonna try this workaround, as soon as the current render will be ready...  in 20 hours. :)))


What do you think of placing only one single UHD file on the client and telling the host to also read it from there?
Maybe this works, too?


Gonna report you how your solution worked.

Cheers!




2020-09-11, 11:56:35
Reply #4

Designerman77

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Additionally, if you have a shared network drive, it becomes easier. I've just mapped a drive on both computers and created a folder (which therefore has common file path for both computers) - UHD cache file properly loaded and render was without an error.


Hey mmarcotic,

thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I have an external drive that can be accessed from both Macs. Gonna try this method out!
Sounds logical.


Greetings!






2020-09-11, 12:14:09
Reply #5

mmarcotic

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Hello,

no worries, that's what I'm here for :).
As for having only one file on the client's side.. I don't know whether that will work and how the file path structure works with networked computers. You can try it and tell me how it went.

As you say it, I just copied it there. I tried desktops but on windows the path differs from usernames to usernames as the name of the user is in the file path, I'm not sure about Mac right now.

Once you are ready to try this solution, please, let me know. I hope it does work.
Jan
« Last Edit: 2020-09-11, 14:25:17 by mmarcotic »
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2020-09-12, 14:06:24
Reply #6

Designerman77

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Hello,

no worries, that's what I'm here for :).
As for having only one file on the client's side.. I don't know whether that will work and how the file path structure works with networked computers. You can try it and tell me how it went.

As you say it, I just copied it there. I tried desktops but on windows the path differs from usernames to usernames as the name of the user is in the file path, I'm not sure about Mac right now.

Once you are ready to try this solution, please, let me know. I hope it does work.
Jan



Hey Jan,

thanks to your suggestion, the UHD problem is solved. :)

I placed the UHD on the desktop on both Macs - now the client finds it without problems.
I‘m sure placing it on an external network HD works equally well.

Thanks again for your pro-help!
What a great customer support, even for angry, panicked users. :))))

Have a great weekend!

Cheers

2020-09-12, 16:21:53
Reply #7

jojorender

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I placed the UHD on the desktop on both Macs - now the client finds it without problems.
I‘m sure placing it on an external network HD works equally well.
Yo Designerman77
glad you got the “desktop method” to work but I think you should point out one more time this only works because both of your Macs have the same “User” name.
That’s probably not the case for most users that have multiple machines and would just confuse and frustrate them, when they come here for help, because it wouldn’t work for them.
Or did you somehow get a relative path to work?

Correct me if I’m wrong but I think the networked drive is the only real solution till we get a “cache folder” in the project directory that can be seen by all nodes.

2020-09-14, 10:06:05
Reply #8

mmarcotic

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Hey Jojorender,

I don't have much experience with Mac and I can't access the one we have in the office at the moment, but aren't there directories such as /Library or /Applications that, when placing the UHD cache there, would work?
Feel free to correct me :)

Thanks,
Jan
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2020-09-14, 18:49:53
Reply #9

jojorender

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Hi mmarcotic,
just copying to /Library would not work in TR - path on mac: /Users/me/Library/uhd_cache.hdc
It’s exactly the same on mac as you described it in your first reply for PC.
“C:\Users\me\Desktop\UHD” would fail in TR because of the user name being different on every machine.
Copying to a partition/drive (D:\UHD - your example) with the exact same drive name (/Volume/ UHD/ - on mac) does work.
Copying the file to two machines might be doable but if you have 10+ render nodes this becomes a nightmare quickly.
Also this approach does not work at all in a mixed OS setup.

Can you check with the devs if finding the cache file in the project directory, like all other assets,
can be implemented? Thank you!

2020-09-15, 09:28:20
Reply #10

mmarcotic

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Thanks for enlightening me!
We're already talking, but for now, unfortunately, a shared drive is probably the way to go.

Thanks,
Jan
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2020-09-15, 22:06:29
Reply #11

Designerman77

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I placed the UHD on the desktop on both Macs - now the client finds it without problems.
I‘m sure placing it on an external network HD works equally well.
Yo Designerman77
glad you got the “desktop method” to work but I think you should point out one more time this only works because both of your Macs have the same “User” name.
That’s probably not the case for most users that have multiple machines and would just confuse and frustrate them, when they come here for help, because it wouldn’t work for them.
Or did you somehow get a relative path to work?

Correct me if I’m wrong but I think the networked drive is the only real solution till we get a “cache folder” in the project directory that can be seen by all nodes.


Hey Jojorender,

yes, you are surely right. My Macs have the same user name.
I guess otherwise I would have used the external HD-method.

However, as you already said, this major feature should be detected instantly, just like all other assets.

I am sure the Corona dev team will implement this into a next fix.