Author Topic: Max freezes after rendering  (Read 6509 times)

2021-03-25, 12:37:05

sailor

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Hi,

I had this issue on my old computer with Max2015 a couple of weeks ago and got a new computer last Saturday, installed Max2021, Corona(I downloaded last Sat, think Corona 6 hotfix1) right away and thought no more same issue. But it still freezes after rendering, WTF! I thought first it was due to the old computer but the same thing is happening on a brand new machine.

I check Task Manager and there's no error under Max's status. When there's an error it usually says something like "not responding". Please help and it affects deadline seriously.

2021-03-25, 12:46:27
Reply #1

TomG

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Sorry to hear you're having issues - however, we'd need to know which version of Corona, and a description of just when it freezes (you say "after rendering"... not sure if that means after rendering is complete, or after rendering is started, whether it completes denoising before freezing or not, etc.) Also, is this every scene, just a particular scene or particular scenes?

Also you can generate a minidump from a freeze which is very useful - see the How To Report Issues page for the kinds of info we need to be able to investigate an issue, plus how to generate minidumps from freezes: https://coronarenderer.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/5000524006-how-to-report-issues-3ds-max
Tom Grimes | chaos-corona.com
Product Manager | contact us

2021-03-25, 13:27:35
Reply #2

sailor

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Thanks for help, Tom.

Corona is version 6 hotfix 1 which I just downloaded from the Corona site last Saturday. This is my first time of still rendering on my brand new computer and it happened twice with the same project today. I closed frozen Max through Task manager, the End task button at first time and still have it open now but frozen.

Here's how it happened,
I started rendering, waited to finish it and was able to save the image, The rendering process was completed with denoising. Then, with the Max left open, I  moved to Photoshop, did some work and after for a while tried to go back to Max to render some minor changes but it was already frozen at that time. I think this is every scene since I had the same issue on my different old computer a couple of week ago.

I just don't have time now to go through the Report Issue now, will do it later.

2021-03-25, 14:05:25
Reply #3

TomG

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TY for the extra info! Haven't heard of that scenario before, now you describe the workflow that leads to it. In this instance, I think the minidump would be very useful (if not essential), so when you have time and this happens again, follow the steps to force the frozen Max to "crash" and generate a minidump (which can be sent via the private uploader).

Meantime if support or devs have heard of this before, they will jump in with any known issues / solutions that match this.
Tom Grimes | chaos-corona.com
Product Manager | contact us

2021-03-25, 15:01:27
Reply #4

sailor

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How do you force the frozen Max to crash and get the minidump window open?

2021-03-25, 15:40:19
Reply #5

TomG

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"Also you can generate a minidump from a freeze which is very useful - see the How To Report Issues page for the kinds of info we need to be able to investigate an issue, plus how to generate minidumps from freezes: https://coronarenderer.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/5000524006-how-to-report-issues-3ds-max" as mentioned earlier :)
Tom Grimes | chaos-corona.com
Product Manager | contact us

2021-03-28, 18:47:08
Reply #6

sailor

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Hitting the end task button in the Task manager didn't open the Windows crash repot window, so I have to re render and make it happen again which is totally waste of my time.

I use Wacom Intuo tablet pen instead of a mouse. If I use a mouse I get serious pain around my wrist and arm. Do you think Wacom tablet has something to do with the freezing? I never had this issue before, think it started last month or so, could be after Windows monthly update but I'm not really sure what was the trigger.

I have a urgent project with deadline next week and really have to finish rendering. Please really help.

2021-03-29, 15:13:33
Reply #7

TomG

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Hi! Sorry, without a minidump we can't really tell what has frozen or when, we have no idea what your computer is up to at that time and which process has frozen - it could be anything. This is particularly true as it sounds like it was outside of any Corona process - rendering was finished, denoising was finished, which should mean Corona was not doing anything any more.

You could send in the scene via private uploader, but the problem with that is it may not freeze here (especially if it is not Corona that is freezing and some other process, as maybe we won't have that other process on our machines). Overall for an urgent deadline the fastest thing is to get the freeze to repeat and capture the minidump.

The other thing is it sounds very specific - the render is complete, the denoising is complete, you were able to save (meaning you have the render you need to deliver), and only after swapping to another app and back had Max frozen. So, if that workflow is the only cause, you could avoid switching to other apps until you have all the renders you need etc.

Hope this helps!
Tom Grimes | chaos-corona.com
Product Manager | contact us

2021-04-09, 09:26:15
Reply #8

Aram Avetisyan

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Hi Tom and Sailor.
Thing like this happened to me, not often but I can recall few times when this happened. I don't think it's something connected with Corona nor Wacom tablet. If Max or any other program freezes, it's mostly a heavy workload of a hardware which just causes to not get any info from the software anymore. Keyword is freezes, it does not crash but freezes.
If you go to Photoshop and then come back to Max and see it frozen, that kinda hints to GPU (I remember sometimes stress tests or games freezing, not crashing).
I cannot recall nor cue to some specific troubleshooting for this, as it may vary from scratch disk parameters to windows update but here are some general steps I would suggest to further understand what causes the freeze and how to get rid of it.

1. In any case, please try to fully update Windows, and then update the graphics card driver. If Nvidia, try using the Studio Driver.
2. Try rendering a very small and simple scene in Max (15sec to 2 minutes). Save the rendered image, see if Max frozen. If not, try opening other software, like Photoshop, play around and then get back to Max, see if it is frozen.
3. Try getting info from Task Manager about Max's process, attach it so we can get better info. The CPU, Memory, Even disk drive and GPU load preferably.
4. Do you use any kind of overclocking, XMP, core boost etc.? If so, turn off the XMP, it is known to cause freezes, which then lead to a crash.
5. Fun thing. When frozen, try opening Task Manager and double clicking on the frozen process. Few times that got the app back for me, try it, why not :)
6. Do the freezes happen only with Max or other applications as well? Try stress testing your PC and see if it leads to freezes.
7. Try using another version of Max. If freezes still happen, then its probably something hardware connected.

Give us also the full specifications of your PC, as detailed as possible.
This seems a general freeze, not something Corona related. And so you better make sure you troubleshoot it in whole, from PC configurations to updates and hardware.

Cheers and happy troubleshooting!
Aram Avetisyan | chaos-corona.com
Chaos Corona Support Representative | contact us

2021-04-09, 12:14:07
Reply #9

Frood

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I'd do the following:
  • go to "Details" tab of task manager
  • right click 3dsmax.exe -> "Analyse wait chain"
  • you should see a thread tree, if you are lucky it's a distinct thread blocking
  • run process explorer
  • double click 3dsmax.exe, properties open
  • switch to the "Threads" tab and search for the blocking thread id

You at least would see which thread is responsible. I get repeatedly a thread 'FileWatchCallback' (apparently a thread looking for external file changes) which blocks Max. In this case it is save to kill the thread and you get your scene back for working.

If that does not gives any clue, yes: minidump.


Good Luck


Never underestimate the power of a well placed level one spell.

2021-04-17, 11:09:50
Reply #10

sailor

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Thank you guys for your help.
I had urgent deadline, didn't even get a chance to reply here and no time to try your solutions.

I did render a 3D Google Earth photomontage scene a couple of days ago which is pretty light scene and took only less than 2 mins to complete with denoising, immediately saved all render elements and moved to Photoshop. It was again frozen after for a while. This time, I used the tablet pen until start rendering but before that I stopped the tablet service in Windows Service window, unplugged the USB cable and used a mouse from then on to click the render button. I had two camera angles to render in that scene and got that freeze twice. I noticed if I use tablet pen and a mouse after the freeze Max doesn't respond anything but if I go with my finger gesture it reacts some like panning in the viewport but nothing else like button, menu, keyboard shortcut. I can minimize and restore it from the Max icon in the taskbar. There is nothing else I could do work, it is uncontrollable with finger gesture.

Weird co-incidence though, while no one else had this issue this same freeze happened on my two different computers, one with 3 years usage and Max2015 installed, the other one is a brand new computer with Max2021 which I purchased last month. I purchased both of them at a same computer store in Japann.

I will check specs of my PCs and definitely try your guys solutions.

2021-04-18, 12:06:56
Reply #11

sailor

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I tried the thread kill process. The thread I killed was 14504 and Max was closed, didn't work. What do you think about 3dsmax.exe status is Running in Task Manage?

2021-04-19, 09:47:20
Reply #12

Frood

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Usually you cannot just kill a thread and continue, only in very rare cases. Since you have process explorer installed now, I'd just create a minidump as repeatedly suggested and send it to support, together will all additional information already requested. But to me it doesn't look corona related. I agree with Aram, it looks more like some GPU issue (all those nvidia openadapter threads look somehow strange as well).


Good Luck



Never underestimate the power of a well placed level one spell.

2021-04-21, 09:05:42
Reply #13

sailor

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I already sent a minidump to the support and Aram replied to me above. I'm hoping the recent Windows update did something good, will look into GPU issue. Anyway, thanks for your help.