Embedded OctanePreset Issue Tweet

[DartFrog]

We're having an issue where the OctanePreset object in a scene is changing the core preferences of every machine that renders it through backburner and not reverting those machines back to their original octane preferences. The OctanePreset is set to include Full and the storage type is set to embedded. In turn, now all other scenes are being affected and rendering differently due to their core octane preferences being changed.

The current animation I am working on needs the specific preferences to render properly across our server network, so we need to be able to have the OctanePreset carry the preferences to the network through backburner, but all of the machines need to revert back to their previous preferences after completing the backburner job.

Is this behavior current correct or is this a bug? I've looked through the documentation and there is no information on the OctanePreset object at all. There is only the information found on this thread which doesn't make any warnings about this behavior, or mention that the preferences will remain changed on any machine that opens a scene with an OctanePreset in it even after it's been closed. It also doesn't mention how to create or save an Octane preferences file to be used with the External file setting of the OctanePreset.

Any help with this is greatly appreciated as it causing significant issues across our studio at the moment.

*Our studio is currently using Octane 2021.1.5 - 12.23

[neonZorglub]

Hi DartFrog,

I can see some potential issues. I guess you may be doing something like that:
-Start 3dsmax. This loads your 'original' preferences.
-Load a scene containing a enabled Preset . That now uses this preset settings, that can be seen and edited in the Preference dialog.
-Disable the Preset / or load another scene without preset
-The Preference dialogs still shows the settings of the previous Preset.

Those settings are still active, in memory, but at this point, the original preference file is still correct.

If you don't change any settings, close 3dsmax and restart it, your original settings are still unchanged.

But if you change 1 setting, this will overwrite the preference files using the current active settings.
That's a way to copy the settings from a Preset to the original preferences.
But I realize that's not a clear behavior!.. sorry about that.

If you want to restore your original preferences, as it was when you started 3dsmax, use the 'Preset / Restore from startup settings'
(this loads a backup file octane3dsMaxCfg.BAK)
if you did a change, and then closed 3dsmax, your original preferences have been replaced by the preset one.
You could still recover your original preferences Before re-starting 3dsmax, by manually copying octane3dsMaxCfg.BAK to octane3dsMaxConfig.cfg.
But if you restart 3dsmax, unfortunately, the backup will be replaced by the current preferences.


You can see and locate those files from the Preference dialog: Tools menu / Explore octane preference folder.
This should open a folder like "C:\Users\xxxxx\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\2020 - 64bit\ENU\plugcfg_ln"
and point to "octane3dsMaxConfig.cfg" (This is a text file that you could edit if needed)

You should also see 'octane3dsMaxCfg.BAK' and maybe 'octane3dsMaxCfg_NoPreset.BAK'
The first is created every time 3dsMax is started, and should allow to restore any preference changes with the option "Preset / Restore from startup settings'
The second may be present, and would have been created some time ago when the Preset object has been implemented.
It can be used to restore the preferences with the option "Preset / Restore backup, last no preset version'

You could use this 'octane3dsMaxCfg_NoPreset.BAK' as a safe configuration, as it never gets overwritten.
Once you have a Preference settings that you want to keep (and using a scene without any Preset, to be sure your settings are in octane3dsMaxConfig.cfg):
Delete 'octane3dsMaxCfg_NoPreset.BAK' if it exist
Make a copy of octane3dsMaxConfig.cfg, and rename the copy as 'octane3dsMaxCfg_NoPreset.BAK'.


I hope that helps.
I'll add some more clear options for using Presets in the next releases.


Also, to use an external file for the preset settings, instead of 'embedded', right click on the 'Browse Config file...' button, and select 'Create new file from the current Octane Preferences...'

Thanks

[DartFrog]

Hi Neon,

Thank you for all of the info! I appreciate it and it definitely helps.

If I have an OctanePreset use an external file when sending the scene through backburner, will it still temporarily keep those preferences active in memory on each machine that renders it? Or would using an external file circumvent that behavior?

[neonZorglub]

Hi Neon,

Thank you for all of the info! I appreciate it and it definitely helps.

If I have an OctanePreset use an external file when sending the scene through backburner, will it still temporarily keep those preferences active in memory on each machine that renders it? Or would using an external file circumvent that behavior?

Yes, unfortunately, even having the OctanePreset use an external file will keep settings in memory when you disable it.. same behavior..
The use of a manually copied 'octane3dsMaxCfg_NoPreset.BAK' seems to be the best way to restore a safe settings in this version..

Thanks

[DartFrog]

Hi Neon,

Thank you for all of the info! I appreciate it and it definitely helps.

If I have an OctanePreset use an external file when sending the scene through backburner, will it still temporarily keep those preferences active in memory on each machine that renders it? Or would using an external file circumvent that behavior?

Yes, unfortunately, even having the OctanePreset use an external file will keep settings in memory when you disable it.. same behavior..
The use of a manually copied 'octane3dsMaxCfg_NoPreset.BAK' seems to be the best way to restore a safe settings in this version..

Thanks

Ahh I see. Well thank you for the info and help!