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Troubleshooting Guide

This guide addresses common issues encountered while preparing or rendering projects with RANCHecker. Follow the steps below to resolve problems quickly.

🚀 Speed Up Project Preparation

If the RANCHecking process is slow, it may be due to the complexity of your scene. When you click “Prepare Project”, RANCHecker performs the following steps:

  1. Saves the original scene.
  2. Checks your scene, assets, and settings.
  3. Saves the ranchecked scene.
  4. Opens the project log window.
  5. Packs the project (creates a ZIP containing your scene, assets, and files required by the farm).
  6. Reloads the original scene.

How to Speed It Up

  • Use XRef Files:
    • XRefs reduce the size of your main scene, making it save and load faster.
    • Tip: Externalize heavy assets (e.g., textures, models) as XRefs.
  • Disable “Reload Original Scene”:
    • In RANCHecker, enable the option “Do Not Reload” to skip reloading the original scene.
    • Note: If the log contains errors, you will need to manually reload the scene to debug.

⚠️ My C:\ Drive is Full

By default, RANCHecker uses the C drive to prepare projects. If it’s full:

Solution:

  1. Open RANCHecker’s Advanced Settings.
  2. Change the archive directory and export directory to a different drive (e.g., D:\ or E:\).

🖼️ I Have Black Rendered Frames

Possible Cause:

Your camera might be clipping through an object (e.g., a wall, pole, or geometry).

How to Fix:

  1. Check your camera position in 3ds Max.
  2. Adjust the near clipping plane or move the camera to avoid intersections.
  3. Render a test frame locally to confirm the issue is resolved.

📦 The VU3 Archive is Not Generated

Possible Cause:

A missing or misconfigured .NET Framework 3.5 component.

Steps to Fix:

  1. Open the Registry Editor:
    • Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
    • Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
  2. Modify the Registry:
    • In the right pane, if UseWUServer exists, set its value to 0.
    • Close the Registry Editor.
  3. Restart Windows.
  4. Enable .NET Framework 3.5:
    • Press Win + R, type cmd, and hit Enter.
    • In the Command Prompt, type optionalfeatures and press Enter.
    • In the Windows Features window, check “.NET Framework 3.5” (or similar).
    • Click OK and wait for the installation to complete.
  5. Restart your computer and try preparing the project again.

💥 RANCHecker Has Crashed

What to Do:

  1. If a popup error appears during preparation, note the details.
  2. Open the MAXScript Listener in 3ds Max (press F11).
  3. Copy the full error log from the Listener window.
  4. Send the error log to our support team at contact@ranchcomputing.com.
    • Note: We can resolve most issues within 1–3 hours during business hours.

❓Invalid project error “Missing DLL / plugins”

When an invalid project states “Missing DLL / plugins” it means that an element embedded in the scene contains unsupported plugin’s leftover or from an old 3DS Max version.
The rendering log is available on your dashboard to tell you which one. The most common one is Mental Ray, which often comes from imported scenes or loaded xRefs.

If you have no use of this plugin, you can cleanup your scene using 3DS Max “Scene Converter”. The cleanup should also be performed directly in xRefs MAX scene as 3DS Max cannot operate from the main one.

The Autodesk documentation about this matter: https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/3ds-Max-Mental-Ray-Missing-Dlls-warning-appears-when-opening-the-program-or-scene-files.html

👤 I Have Missing Actors with Anima

Cause:

Anima may encounter errors when rendering on the farm due to network resource sharing issues. The AXYZ team acknowledges this and provides a warning in their documentation.

Solution:

  1. Follow AXYZ’s official guidelines for network rendering: Sharing Anima Resources on a Network.
  2. Ensure all Anima assets (e.g., characters, textures) are locally embedded or correctly referenced in your scene.
  3. Test the scene locally before submitting to the farm.