Rendering problems with RenderMan lessons

[Wuthoqquan]

Hi everyone!

I’m posting this request for help, after some time spent trying to fix a problem I’m having with the training course “Introduction to RenderMan for Maya”.

The issue is quite peculiar and it's related to the sample scenes provided with the course. The rendering of any lesson's scene, in fact, is constantly genereting error messages in both the Output Window and the Script Editor.
I’ve noticed that all the tutorial scenes are using file paths for textures that refer to a Z:\ drive (and also V:\), which of course does not exist on my workstation. As a result, despite the fact that I’ve correctly set all the file locations in the project property window, prior to loading the lessons' scenes, I still need to browse my hard drive to replace the "missing maps" with the right texture files so that Maya can render the scene properly.

Anyway, despite all the efforts, it appears like RenderMan is still searching for some files with no success, since I’m still getting error messages in the command feedback area (Cannot find Z:\… etc…). For example, I've noticed that some files (i.e. spaceBG.tga.ip.tex) still appear as "missing", in the sense that the path to the directory of my HD where they are saved is not correct. However, I just copy the project_files directory from the RenderMan course disc into my Maya Projects directory and, as said before, I also set the current project to the directory with the RenderMan lessons.


I was wondering if there is a quick and effective method to check the file references in a Maya scene.
Anyway, i'm attaching excerpts of my Output Window and Script Editor for you reference.

Hope to receive some feedbck on the above from this forum.

Thanks a lot in advance,
Mark

[papa]

That is really strange because the paths are relative but have become absolute some how.

You can open the file in notepad and do a find replace from v:/ or z:/ to your current drive and path. Save the file and reopen it.

All of the files should be in the disc. If they are not on the disc like a compiled texture then renderman should make that texture at rendertime.

Papa

[Wuthoqquan]

Thanks Papa for your help.

However, I tried to open a scene in Notepad but I was immediately dazed and confused, since the file is really long and hard to check. Moreover, as suggested I tried to find the V:\ or Z:\ in the scene file (lesson_06_motion_blur.ma, even if I'm having the same problem with basically all the scene files in the RenderMan course that use texture maps) but the "find and replace" command couldn't locate any...

I agree with you... it's quite a strange problem! And now it's starting also to drive me crazy :help:

Did you already take a look at the files I've attached to my previous post? Are there any easy ways to check the files references and integrity within Maya?
At the current stage, for example, Maya/RenderMan is not able to render the space background and the crater field of lesson 6 sample because the relevant texture files are not correctly loaded by the scene file...

Any additional help will only be beneficial...
THX

[Wuthoqquan]

Sorry for posting again the same request for help... but I'm really stuck and I'm having problems with following the lessons of the RenderMan course.
I believe that the error message reported in the Output Window (Z:/kits/Maya Training/Renderman for Maya/Research/assets/crater_displace.tif: Cannot open file) would suggest that there's been an actual mistake by you guys while putting together the scene files to go along with the Renderman course.

In another Digital Tutorial training, in fact, I clearly remember the instructor setting up the project properties by going into a directory with the very same structure of the one indicated above (Z:/kits/Maya Training/CourseName/etc...).

Now I would only like to know how can this issue be sorted out? Even by opening all the scenes in Maya, modifying them and saving them back on the HD with the links to the map files amended...

Sorry to insist, but your help would be really appreciated!

I do apoligize for the new request and thank you in advance for your kind support.

P.S. Am I the only one having problems with the lesson files of this Tut?

[papa]

That is really strange that the files are linked absolute. I know when you hit render the file is converted into a renderman texture so it can be rendered by their system. Try to open the hypershade and click on the texture tab. This should list all of the textures in your scene and you can update the links on your system to the correct path. This maybe something unique to renderman since we have never had this problem in the past. We normally keep all of our textures relative so we can open them on different systems in our office.

[Wuthoqquan]

Thanks a lot for your advice! I will give it a try when I'm back to my workstation in the evening... if necessary, I will adjust the links to the textures in the hypershade, as you suggested, and overwrite the scene files one by one. However, it looks like it's not a problem with just renderman, since I'm having the same problem even if I select Mental ray as rendering engine...

Anyway, thanks a lot for you kind assistance.

[papa]

keep me posted.

Papa