CompuServe Thread

#Settings go off?

23 messages in this thread
#96052From: Christopher MartinApr 7, 1994 11:59 PM
What causes the settings of IPAS routines to go off all by themselves? For instance, I may have several IPAS functions on and setup, run some tests in the keyframer, go back to the editor and make some changes or additions, go back to the keyframer to find that all objects with IPAS functions setup are now all set to OFF. I haven't lost the actual settings, just the button has changed to OFF.
#96100From: Yost GroupApr 8, 1994 9:56 AM
There's nothing in the code that could theoretically turn those off by themselves in a normally-running system environment. If you can come up with a reproducible case on your system, write down the EXACT steps for reproducing it and email them off to Jonas for verification. After he does that, he'll get it through channels to us to fix for the eventual maintenance release. Note that at the Autodesk animation lab, we regularly use a high number of IPAS routines in scenes and we've never seen this phenomenon. – G
#96154From: sherwood egbertApr 8, 1994 1:43 PM
Gary, i had the same thing happen with the fireworks ipas yesterday they had all turned off after redoing some keyframing positions. i'm still trying to nail it down, will post e-mail when i find i can replicate it over and over. sherwood
#96159From: Jonas Ruikis [ADESK]Apr 8, 1994 2:26 PM
Sherwood, << looking for a pattern… >> that what I need.. keep huntin. jonas[adesk]
#96167From: Yost GroupApr 8, 1994 3:02 PM
_Please_ try and find a reproducible case. – G
#96396From: sherwood egbertApr 10, 1994 1:30 PM
a hunting i will go<g>……
#96187From: John TissavaryApr 8, 1994 4:46 PM
>>IPAS off after keyframing<< I have had this happen on two occasions, also. I'll try and track it down. John Tissavary
#96200From: Yost GroupApr 8, 1994 5:26 PM
All I need is a simple set of steps that will guarantee that I can reproduce it. With that, it's as good as fixed. – G
#96260From: John TissavaryApr 9, 1994 2:18 AM
I'll do my best to get a reproducible event. John Tissavary
#96376From: Christopher MartinApr 10, 1994 11:05 AM
I am relieved to see that I am not the only one this is happening to. It has been happening for a very long time, to me, and in a wide variety of projects, but here is what I did last week when it occurred most recently: I had a boxed object disintegrate function set up, with two copies (done with Shft-move of the original). All IPAS settings were similar, except for the Random Seed #. Everything was working fine and tested in the keyframer. I decided that I need a mask to block some stray particles, so I went to the editor, selected the front viewport, then to the shaper with 3D display on. I made my mask, a quad with a hole in it. Then to the editor and brought the mask in with no lofting. Placed the mask, adjusted the atributes (matte object, no shadows). Then on the the keyframer to try another test and that is when all 3 disintegrates went off. Hope this helps.
#96384From: Yost GroupApr 10, 1994 12:19 PM
I just tried your example here and couldn't reproduce the problem. Please come up with a very specific set of steps for ALL interaction from a clean just-booted (or reset) state. It might simplifiy things if you used an example .3ds or .prj file along with your list, and you can zip those up together and email them to Jonas. He'll verify it, and if he can reproduce it, he'll make sure it gets on our list of issues to deal with for the eventual maintenance release. Please be extremely specific. Thanks, – G
#96463From: Christopher MartinApr 10, 1994 11:39 PM
My instances of this problem are rather random, but between my partner and me we should be able to come up with something soon. I have never tried to actually create the problem, but we will keep you and Jonas updated. Thanks for your attention to this. Chris
#96468From: Yost GroupApr 11, 1994 12:47 AM
If you _could_ come up with a reproducible case for this, I'd be very grateful. Thanks, – G
#96609From: Christopher MartinApr 11, 1994 7:20 PM
I got about an hour to play around with this today and here is what I found: Make a cube Assign Tornado – default settings okay set up a light, camera, and materials go to keyframer, configure rendering options, render single frame — to this point all is well — go to the shaper and make anything loft it (or not – in the case of a mask) bring it into the editor and assign tornado to it as well – make some changes to the default settings though. assign material go to the keyframer and render the single frame again –> the first object has had its settings turned off! The same thing also occured if I made the "shaped" object a "matte" object rather than another tornado. I did this three times with three different sessions in 3DS. My partner also did it and we duplicated the problem each and every time. This was not tested to further to see what else we could do to create the problem. Ran out of time. Let me know if this helps! Chris
#96615From: Yost GroupApr 11, 1994 7:46 PM
Sorry, but I ran through your steps as accurately as I could (a few of them were a bit vague) and couldn't get it to reproduce. If someone else here on the forum can, perhaps they could give me a more-precise set of steps to reproduce it. I'd really like to get a handle on this… I'm pretty amazed it can even happen, and even more amazed that nobody in Jamie's lab has ever seen it. If anyone can help narrow it down to a clear set of reproducible steps, I'd be extremely grateful. – G
#96632From: Christopher MartinApr 11, 1994 10:02 PM
I didn't elaborate because it doesn't take much to set off the problem on our systems. There is nothing magic in the way I have constructed anything or the order in which I have done them. I am on my way back to work for a while this evening and I can detail every step taken if you like. Once I have set up one function (like tornado), go into the shaper, create some geometry to which I assign any attribute to, I lose my first object's setting. If you need them, I will upload the specific steps and a project file later tonight. If there is another way in which I can assist please ask. I will need some brief instructions on how to upload the project file, however.
#96655From: Christopher MartinApr 12, 1994 1:57 AM
Gary, Here are the exact steps that I took tonight to duplicate the problem. I saw no need to provide you with a file since I was able to reproduce the exact same result several times. 1. Start 3D Studio as you normally would 2. In the editor, select the top viewport and activate snap 3. Create/Box (hold down CTRL ket to create a cube) @-100,100 create a cube of size 200 units 4. Accept the default name of Object01 5. Place an omni lightin front and above Object01 6. Assign Beige Plstc to Object01 7. Modify/Object/Attributes – click on Object01 8. Under External Processes – select Tornado, OK, OK 9. F4 – to enter the keyframer 10. Activate the User viewport 11. Render/Render View – Click in the User Viewport – select Single Frame, Render, OK – to render to screen only — no problems so far — 12. F3 – to enter editor 13. Activate thhe Top Viewport 14. F1 – to enter Shaper 15. Display/3D Display/On 16. Display/3D Display/Choose – select All, OK 17. Zoom out once 18. Create/Box – (hold down CTRL ket to create a square) place @ -40, -130 and make a square 100 units 19. Shape/All – to select the square 20. F2- to enter Lofter 21. Shapes/Get/Shaper 22. Objects/Make/+ – to create Object02 23. F3- to enter Editor 24. Assign Blue Plstc to Object02 25. Modify/Object/Attributes – click on Object02 26. Under External Processes – select Tornado, OK, OK 27. F4 – to enter the keyframer 28. Activate the User viewport 29. Zoom extents 30. Render/Render View – Click in the User Viewport – select Single Frame, Render, OK – to render to screen only Wham! -> Object01's external processes settings have been turned off – it renders as a solid cube while Object02 is the only tornado object. This is merely a way that I was able to recreate the problem I mentioned in my first message. I have not taken the time to check the range of steps that create a similar problem, but if I recall, it always happens upon returning from the shaper or lofter with some new geometry and assigning the new geometry some other external process. Good luck (or I guess bad luck in this case). Please let me know if you need more. I really want to help with this. If it would help, feel free to call me at work: (406) 442-5588 <MST> Chris
#96701From: Yost GroupApr 12, 1994 10:41 AM
GOT IT! Perfect! Thank you _so much_ for taking the time to isolate this problem. Your explicit set of steps does it for me every time… now I just have to figure out which specific step is the one in which the axp gets turned off. I guarantee you that this'll be fixed in the eventual maintenance release. Thanks again for isolating it. Take care, – G
#96719From: Christopher MartinApr 12, 1994 1:30 PM
Whew! Finally. I thought maybe I was just going bonkers. <g> Chris
#96820From: Yost GroupApr 12, 1994 10:01 PM
With some patience and precision, it's almost always possible to get to the bottom of these things. – G
#97525From: david W. mennenohApr 17, 1994 3:00 PM
Gary, If you haven't isolated the step that turns off the AXP's I think I have it for you. They get turned off when you use the Display/3D Display/Choose command in the Shaper. Doesn't matter how many objects you have and you can just use all boxes if you want. All the processes will get turned off when you choose any of the objects in the Display objects dialog. Even if you display only one of your objects in the shaper and turn on its 3D view (any viewport in the editor can be active) all the objects processes will get turned off. Choosing cancel in the Display Objects dialog box will not turn off the processes it only happens if you choose one of them and then press OK. Hope this eliminates some of your searching. Dave Mennenoh
#96835From: James BieblApr 13, 1994 12:11 AM
Gary >>#Settings go off? If (when) you find which step causes the prob, could you post it or let me know? I couldn't duplicate it, but it's happened a couple more times. Interested JB and thanks to C.M.
#97099From: Chris ThomasApr 14, 1994 11:08 AM
Hi Jim, If you hear anything about the IPAS shut off feature, would you pass the info on to me. I have had this happen a number of times too, but couldn't find the repeatable pattern. From the description of the problem as outlined by CM, it appears common steps between his method and mine appear to be using 3D Display of geometery in the 2D Shaper/3D Lofter modules. The IPAS routines that I am using are completely different than the ones CM is using, so there seems to be no link to which IPAS routine will be affected. Let me know if you find out anything new. TIA…. CT.