Deadline Tile Rendering - Error When Using UHD Cache

[squeakybadger]

Hi,

I'm testing out Corona at the moment with Deadline, but it seems to error out when loading a precalculated UHD cache and using Tile Rendering in Deadline.

I've posted this on the Thinkbox forums, but they aren't sure what the problem is either. (https://forums.thinkboxsoftware.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=15850

As soon as you set the Precomputation to load a UHD cache and do tile rendering, it will throw up loads of key-value pair errors and strip all the render element paths.

It looks like it is trying to set the UHD cache as an output path, which is then messing up the Deadline Submission:

Code: [Select]

Result=Success
JobID=5a5e1073f5105a76c4a84685

The job was submitted successfully, but there were some warnings:
- Key-value pair not supported: "OutputFilename1=meh.uhd"
- Key-value pair not supported: "OutputFilename2Tile0=meh_CESSENTIAL_Direct_tile_1x1_4x4_0000.exr"
- Key-value pair not supported: "OutputFilename2Tile1=meh_CESSENTIAL_Direct_tile_2x1_4x4_0000.exr"
- Key-value pair not supported: "OutputFilename2Tile2=meh_CESSENTIAL_Direct_tile_3x1_4x4_0000.exr"
- Key-value pair not supported: "OutputFilename2Tile3=meh_CESSENTIAL_Direct_tile_4x1_4x4_0000.exr"
- Key-value pair not supported: "OutputFilename2Tile4=meh_CESSENTIAL_Direct_tile_1x2_4x4_0000.exr"
- Key-value pair not supported: "OutputFilename2Tile5=meh_CESSENTIAL_Direct_tile_2x2_4x4_0000.exr"
- Key-value pair not supported: "OutputFilename2Tile6=meh_CESSENTIAL_Direct_tile_3x2_4x4_0000.exr"
- Key-value pair not supported: "OutputFilename2Tile7=meh_CESSENTIAL_Direct_tile_4x2_4x4_0000.exr"
- Key-value pair not supported: "OutputFilename2Tile8=meh_CESSENTIAL_Direct_tile_1x3_4x4_0000.exr"
- Key-value pair not supported: "OutputFilename2Tile9=meh_CESSENTIAL_Direct_tile_2x3_4x4_0000.exr"
If I delete all render elements, but just leave the Render Elements Active checked when the UHD is set to load it will give the above error.

Using the latest Corona 1.7.2 version, and have tested it with Max 2016/Max 2018 with Deadline 9 and 10.

Any ideas?


Thanks

[maru]

-What exactly are your UHD Cache settings in Corona? Can you post a screenshot?
-What is the input/output path to the uhd cache file? Does it contain some non-latin characters? (for example Russian letters, etc)
-Same about paths to render elements - what are they, and do they contain some special characters?

[squeakybadger]

Hi Maru,

I've attached a basic scene that produces the same error for me. As soon as the UHD cache is set to load it just throws up those errors and strips the render element path.

For Deadline, I'm just using the Single Frame Tile Rendering option in the SMTD, so nothing fancy is going on.

UHD Cache is simple (attached)

Edit: It looks like setting the output path to use the .cxr extension generates the render elements around Deadline when loading the UHD cache (the output path on the tile is just the filename.cxr, but that file has all elements included, and it seems to be generating the elements as separate .cxr files too.

It still throws up loads of key-value errors in the submission log, but at least it is a workaround.

[maru]

Two ideas:
1) Download the newest version of Deadline and try again - it is known to fix some issues with Corona
2) Open the uhd cache settings in Corona, switch precomputation to "calculate from scratch", switch after render to "discard". Then switch precomputation back to "load from file" and leave it like that. The idea is to have "discard" left in the greyed-out box. Then render as before.

Any improvement?

[squeakybadger]

Hi Maru,

Tried updating Deadline to the latest but it still had the errors.

However, changing the UHD to discard before switching to loading (so discard is greyed out) seems to have done the trick. No errors and all render elements have been sent with the job.

I'll test a bit more to make sure it's not just a fluke, but thanks for your help.

[maru]

changing the UHD to discard before switching to loading (so discard is greyed out) seems to have done the trick. No errors and all render elements have been sent with the job.

I hope this will work, but at the same time, that was a pretty wild guess!
Please confirm if it works, and I will be sure to forward it to the devs.

[squeakybadger]

Hi Maru,

I can confirm that setting the UHD to discard before switching to load UHD fixes the Deadline submission issue. So definitely a bug.

Tested on Max2016/2018 with the latest Corona daily and Deadline 9 and Deadline 10 latest.

[maru]

Thanks, I will report this asap!

[maru]

@squeakybadger , it seems that the issue was on Deadline's side and they fixed it in the newest version. Could you please download the newest Deadline and retry?

[maru]

Sorry for the confusion, but the fix isn't out yet. It will be there in Deadline SP13, which should be released in about a week.

[squeakybadger]

Ok, thanks for the update Maru.

[maru]

From the latest changelog (Deadline 10.0.13.6):
"In SMTD, improved the logic of whether a Corona uhdCache file is going to be generated in the job and should be included as an extra monitor output path."
We would be very grateful for testing if it works fine now.

[squeakybadger]

Hi Maru,

I've just installed Deadline 10.0.14.1 and it looks like all the errors I had have been fixed.