#.loc and network errors
15 messages in this thread
I have a 54CEP Motherboard which has just started playing up with 3DS. With
some IPAS I get a message "can't create .loc file". When trying to network
render the machine will create a .eqp signature file but will not create any
other control or project files "can't create project file". Nor will it access
any existing network 3DS jobs. Everything else but these 3DS functions is
working OK, and my other network machines are fine.
I have reinstalled 3DS v3, pulled out all the boards and booted to a bare DOS,
tried setting the network control to the local drive and even to the floppy.
Anyone any suggestions on a cure?
Martin Bowring
This problem has happened to a couple other folks in the past year or so…
always due to some sort of system environment problem. I wish I could remember
how they resolved it, but at the moment I can't. Perhaps Jonas has a FAQ on it
that he can dig up.
– G
I remembered some references but since everything was working fine I didn't
bother reading the messages!! Would R4 help? Working without the network
rendering features requires a lot more planning and effort.
Martin
Jonas has been busy for the past couple of days at the Sega developers conf in
the valley, but hopefully he'll be able to dig up those references for you
soon.
– G
Martin,
You mentioned that this problem occurs with IPAS routines. Does it _only_ occur
when you use IPAS routines? If you are not using an IPAS routine, it renders
fine?
If so…which IPAS routines?
If not..load a simple mesh, and outline the steps you do to recreate the
problem.
-Brian
Brian,
The problem with .loc only occurs with IPAS. The network access problems
occurs even with a blank project rendering to a local destination. Amongst
other things I changed to WfW311 but since the problem occurs with the barest
machine (only onboard Fast/Wide Adaptec AIC7870, PCI Diamond Stealth 64
installed) and a clean DOS boot to a newly installed copy of 3DS3, I don't
think I can blame WfW, yet.
I posted a quick message in case it was a recognisable problem. I have
everything tied up until tomorrow but will prepare a more detailed analysis
shortly.
Martin
I don't know about the .LOC problems, hopefully one of the IPAS experts will
jump in.
As for the networking issue, lets check/do a few things:
1. Do you have all machines using R3? Or are some on R3 and some on R4?
2. Are you syncing the clocks of all machines to the one acting as the 3DS
Server before you go into 3DS every time?
3. Try adding the -SAVEREGS switch to the line loading the Adaptec driver.
-Brian
>>I don't know about the .LOC problems
I'm not an IPAS expert, but when I was having problems w/.loc files and
rendering (after I upgraded from r2 to r4), it appeared to be caused by the
fact I was using DOS 5.0 (I say apparently, because the problem went away when
I upgraded to DOS 6.0). Don't know if this would apply to his situation, but
that's my experience; sorry if it sheds no new light on the situation.
John Stetzer
JWS
>>Do you have all machines using R3.
Yes. Sorry I haven't upgraded but I've been spending too much on hardware
recently?
>>Are you syncing the clocks of all machines
Yes. I don't know the function for this in WfW so I checked them manually.
>>Try adding the -SAVEREGS switch
What does this do? I've tried it but no change.
Equipment is
54CEP Motherboard P90 32MB
Onboard Adaptec AIC-7870 PCI
Seagate 12550W
Diamond Stealth PCI 64 2MB
Targa 2000
Targa +
NE 2000 compatible
I've removed the last three to no effect.
I boot up using F5 to bypass DOS, network, etc. Run mouse. Load 3DS with
default cfig386 settings. Set network, server and local path to C:\. File/New
All. Render View\Net Queue\Any\Local\OK.
Error message is "Can't create that file"\Continue
Then "Error writing network project file, render cancelled"\Continue
Then "Error writing network project file, render cancelled"\Continue
The file net0001.eqp is created but no other control files appear in the
control directory.
On the IPAS problem. I load a simple model and render it. Then in the
materials editor assign VARY_I.SXP as an opacity map. When I use Render Last I
get an error message. "Can't create .LOC file". If I cancel and retry Render
Last I get a message "Process VARY_I.SPX not found". If I then remove the
opacity map and re-render I get "Can't create .LOC file" again.
Hope these notes are of help.
Martin
<< >>Are you syncing the clocks of all machines<< Yes. I don't know the
function for this in WfW so I checked them manually.>>
Actually, this is not good. Network timing sometimes has to be accurate to the
second. There is no way to get that precision manually. I am sure there is a
command to sync the clocks to a single machine, we just have to find it.
<< Error message is "Can't create that file"\Continue
Then "Error writing network project file, render cancelled"\Continue
Then "Error writing network project file, render cancelled"\Continue>>
This message at least clears up where the problem is happening. When you render
to the network, before the rendering takes place a copy of the .PRJ file is
copied to the directory where all the .MCS, .EQP, etc files are stored. This
directory must be read/write for all machines. The error message is telling us
that the master machine can not write to that hard disk for some reason. Check
the permissions for the master machine on the 3DS Servers hard disk. you need
to be able to read and write with full aceess to the drive.
<<On the IPAS problem>>
I see you got one other response for the IPAS problem. I am sorry, but I don't
have a clue what is going on in this case. However I will try to recreate what
you are doing in my network lab.
-Brian
>>This message at least clears up where the problem is happening. When you
render to the network, before the rendering takes place a copy of the .PRJ file
is copied to the directory where all the .MCS, .EQP, etc files are stored.
Pretty certain that I do have all the read write accesses set up. In any event
when I do a clean boot without network then use a local drive I still have the
the same problem.
Martin
<< Pretty certain that I do have all the read write accesses set up. In any
event when I do a clean boot without network then use a local drive I still
have the the same problem.>>
Clean boot: here is my definition.
Load FILES, BUFFERS, and HIMEM.SYS in your config.sys, and MOUSE in the
Autoexec.bat. Start WFW with the command "win /n /d:cfsvx" (not loading
network, excluding memory, etc.). Set your 3DSNET.SET file to point to
directories on the local hard drive. Try again.
Now, in this configuration, does the problem persist? If not, we can start
putting things back in one at a time till we identify the problem.If yes, then
exit WFW and try the exact same thing in a pure DOS environment. This will tell
us whether it is WFW or your hardware that is having the problems.
-Brian
>> >>Clean boot: here is my definition.<<
No config.sys and no autoexec.bat then running MOUSE.
I'll try your settings for HIMEM etc. tomorrow. But with the above I don't
think anything other than a hardware problem or hardware/3DS conflict can be at
fault.
The only other problems I am getting are with Premiere 4.0 and the Targa 2000
locking up on some functions. Truevision, as far as they will, seem to have
admitted that they are aware of these problems. The 3DS problems still occur
after pulling out the Targa 2000.
Yours baffled,
Martin
<<The 3DS problems still occur after pulling out the Targa 2000.>>
You beat me to the punch, that was going to be my next suggestion. I hope the
new settings work for you, and if not, try the new settings AND pull out the
TARGA2000. Other than that, other hardware that cause a problem would be a bad
RAM chip, a misconfigured I/O controller, or a bad or missing sector onthe hard
drive.
-Brian
>> I hope the new settings work for you, and if not, try the new settings AND
pull out the TARGA2000
Tried your suggestions but no change. BTW I am running WfW on the server not
the workstation so your win options won't help the local network render drive.
I agree with you that it is probably a hardware problem. Unfortunately except
for 3DS everything else including the network, windows, Targa 2000 and Targa+
are working fine so I have no clues on how to narrow down the search. Do you
know of any diagnostics which might help identify the problem.
Martin