Preserved Topic: Slightly worrying error message

Although this is coming up in one of my 3D Programs (when I try to render an image) I thought I'd put it here becuase I'm going to get a wider response. When trying to perfrom a render in 3D Studio MAX, get this error message:

quote:

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The instruction at "0x67ba170f" referenced memory at "0x64b53bcc". The memory could not be "read"

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Now...it may seem fairly obvious what this means, but I want a bit of clarification with it...is this referencing physical or virtual memory (can you even tell) and if it is a broken memory stick, can I tell which stick it's on so I can replace or at least removie ti for the time being?

Actually, it's usually not cause for alarm with all the memory leaks in Windows. A reboot usually clears up errors of that type.

Had it have been one of your memory sticks, the comp should pick it up on POST.

true...yet it comes up EVERY time I try to do a render with the particular raytrace renderer I'm trying to use. Even after reboots.

It worries me mainly becuase I need to use this renderer, and for some reason winblows won't allow it to work.

Ignore me
I'm an idiot....


A wise man once said;
"I don't know!?!?"

[This message has been edited by MalFunkShun (edited 01-11-2003).]

Hey Skaarj which render function are you using, have ya tried using open gl and d3d as ya drivers, if so still getting same error message?

this is akin to a general protection fault, but it seems the render 'catches' it and displays that nice dialog (monolog) to you.
Have to tried reinstalling the renderer?
I'd suspect it's some kind of dll conflict, so a reinstall might (might!) help.

I switched from OpenGL to D3D, and it worked! For about 3 renders, and then it came up with the same error.

I wonder if it could have something to do with the fact that i was connected to the net each time it happened?

maybe it uses some kind of networking connection to talk to the external renderer, like sentinel maybe, could be conflict there

Nope...net connection wasn't an issue. It only happens if a render goes into the advanced lighting functions...really does make me think it's a memory issue...they take more memory than a standard object render does.

ok send me the exact scene, i will render on my setup, that way we can elliminate memory issues

if it happens each time you use a specific feature,
it's most likely to be a bug in the code of the renderer.
You see, when you restart your computer, do different things with it, the renderer get's a different location in memory each time.

This ia a long shot but have you check your hard disks for bad sectors?

Using the advanced features could be using more virtual memory, writing a bigger paging file onto a bad sector on your hard disk that it can't read from hence the error...

Just a thought.

Is it always the same memory block: 0x64b53bcc ? Has the render worked in the past?

I ran into a similar error when I tried to install FreeBSD on one of my machines. It turned out I had a bad stick of ram. Windows installed and ran fine but FreeBSD hosed every time. To isolate the stick, take one out and try the render. If it breaks, put that stick back and take another out. Repeat until all stick have been removed or you find the bad stick. Hope that helps!

Regards,
Charlie

It looks like we have narrowed it down to a max problem, Specifically this scene, as we both get the same error with it. Its a caustic lighting scene using mental rays as the render engine, we know that it isnt specifically mental rays or a max issue as we have rendered other complex scenes today, its just this one file that is the issue, when the set up look exactly the same...


*mutters to himself about caustics* heads off back down to the 3d basement