Blender to Octane Animation Export BIG problem...

[madcoo]

Hi guys,

This is making me crazy

I'm on an animation project using Blender and I can't make it work with Octane properly...
I did already have a look on the internet but I'm not finding any answer...
I also changed the engine.py file according to this topic.

I'm using Blender's latest Release Candidate version - thanks to Mib2Berlin, since I had a problem with UVs and Textures with Blender 2.63 (see post here)

=> I can render still images perfectly now, BUT when I export an animation it renders the 1st 2nd and 3rd images, but just after rendering the 3rd one, Blender simply freezes. Even if I move to frame 125 for example, it will only render the first 3 images, and then freeze.
I let it run like that for hours but it just won't launch the next images' renders and here's the screenshot below...
I get no error message, no pop-up window or anything. Just frozen... I have to force Blender to close by clicking twice on the top-right red-cross...

Anyone could help me ?
Do you think this is linked to that version of Blender?
Anyone had the same problem ?

Many thanks in advace, your help is precious as I'm currently on a project that needs animation.


Cheers

Frozen screen

Settings in Blender

[ROUBAL]

I see that you use the exporter v1.19.3

Make sure you use the original 1.19 exporter from this URL :

http://render.otoy.com/forum/download/file.php?id=15040

This one solved the same problem you encounter if I remember well.

I rendered correctly animations with exporter v1.19 and Blender 2.63a official 64bits.

[madcoo]

Hi Roubal,

I think that's the one I'm using...
[edit: no, I'm using 1.19.3]

I think I just solved my problem (5 mins ago), and that's got nothing to do with Blender or Octane : I don't know what I did but somehow I probably messed up my blender file - it must have gone "corrupt" or something.
=> I started a new project in Blender usign the default settings, then "appended" my objects into this new project.
And everything seems to be working fine now !!!

But I'm only partly happy with that, since I hate NOT knowing why something goes wrong - 'cause if it happens again I don't know the solution to it, as it's just a way "around" the problem that I found...

Thanks for your help Roubal, I'll definitely call again if anything goes wrong again !!!

[madcoo]

Okay, so... it's me again
(crazy froggies huh)

Using exporter v1.19 or 1.19.3 doesn't make any difference.


=> For now the only way I can make it work again is by :
- creating a NEW project in Blender
- deleting all objects and materials in this new project
- then "append" all my objects from the previous Blender project
- save the new project in a new folder

>> I get the feeling that hitting the "abort render" button in Blender causes some kind of mess in the file, as sometimes Blender freezes and crashes after this action <<

What a pain... the deadline is so close and I wasted so much time on this...
Well at least I hope this thread will help anyone who's unlucky enough to experience the same problem

[DayVids]

Your image destination folder is not a full path, could that be causing your issue, it's the relative path rather than full path.

[lucidlook]

Okay, so... it's me again
(crazy froggies huh)

Using exporter v1.19 or 1.19.3 doesn't make any difference.


=> For now the only way I can make it work again is by :
- creating a NEW project in Blender
- deleting all objects and materials in this new project
- then "append" all my objects from the previous Blender project
- save the new project in a new folder

>> I get the feeling that hitting the "abort render" button in Blender causes some kind of mess in the file, as sometimes Blender freezes and crashes after this action <<

What a pain... the deadline is so close and I wasted so much time on this...
Well at least I hope this thread will help anyone who's unlucky enough to experience the same problem

Yep, sounds familiar. Just spotted this as well few days ago. It depends on what exactly (light, mats etc) you are animating. Try this one: 1.19.5

Thanks

[thiagobulhoes]

It, happens with me once ( some times it is a stupid thing), but it was the energy mode in windows... my windows update and reset the energy mode to sleep after 15 minutes, and when it sleep, the blender crushes.

[madcoo]

Hi guys, many thanks for your helpful replies.

@ DayVids => Thanks. I entered the absolute path in the "output" field but it doesn't seem to be at the origin of the problem. Still crashes...

@ Lucidlook => Thanks for your post, I'll have a go at version 1.19.5 : did that solve the similar problems you had? Many thanks for posting the direct download link

@ Thiagobulhoes => Thanks for your help, but I configured Windows so that my computer never gets into standby mode or "sleep", it never turns off my hard disks nor my screens, and I don't even have a screensaver.


BUT what seems to be making Blender go completely unstable is hitting the "stop render" button during animation.
I noticed that Blender doesn't go mad if during a render you do the following if you want to interrupt your render :
- wait until the Octane window appears and renders your image
- pause your render in Octane but don't close Octane
- hit the "stop render" button in Blender


Many thanks again for your help, and don't hesitate to post if you have other ideas or experience the same kind of trouble.

[lucidlook]

Hey madcoo!

Hi guys, many thanks for your helpful replies.
@ Lucidlook => Thanks for your post, I'll have a go at version 1.19.5 : did that solve the similar problems you had? Many thanks for posting the direct download link

I've just tested 1.19.5 with Blender 2.64.1 and Octane 1.0 beta 2.59 and it rendered 5 frames of animation without actuall change in any materials on the sceene -- no problem. Previously I've done the same with 2.63.18 and much more than 5 frames, but with in-blender per-frame animated materials -- namely lighting (some glowing blackbodies to get the candle effect) and still -- no issues.

Regarding aborting. I've tried the abort during export phase or even during render phase -- no crash or freeze of 2.64.1. The only minor issue is the message "Render aborted by user", which you will see next time you start the render. Which I believe is ok and can be ignored for now.

Hope it helps.

Cheers.

[madcoo]

Hi Lucidlook, thanks for these tests.
Maybe there's a problem with my setup or something...
I really don't know what to think about all this...


[edit : I'm not using the same Blender and Octane Plugin versions, so I'll try with those - thanks !]