I have spent the past couple of days trying to figure out how to get Backburner running on OS X in conjunction with Maya. But in spite of all the difficulties I already managed to solve it still won't do as I command. So I don't know if it's just me or the software and it would be very interesting to hear if other people encountered the same or similar problems as I do.
So here is a wrap-up of what happened so far:
- after installing I tried to find the backburner application which appears nowhere on the system
- the manual didn't help and is imho one of the worst written manuals I have ever seen; full with information but missing the most important ones, like how to start backburner and get it running
- the manual talks about:
Once completed, verify that the needed components have been properly installed and started. Go to Applications / Autodesk in Finder, and open the Autodesk Systems Monitor application.
There is not such a directory or file!!!
- after digging through the entire manual I find the important information how to start the web monitor from the browser and how to log in! Ok, - that works at least
I also went through the entire process that is described to make sure the manager is running and how to setup a user before figuring out that it is not completely necessary, - so well!
open Maya to get a scene send to Backburner but
(from Maya Docs) When you select Render > Create Backburner Job, (…)
doesn't exist!!!
- ok, after digging some more I figure out the script this command should pull up (performExportToBackburner.mel); having some experience in MEL scripting it is not complicated to get that one running! Fine!
- my server is running and appears in the web monitor, manager is up too; all is well
- but when hitting "Submit Job" in the Backburner for Maya window nothing happens, even though the script editor tells me that the command was submitted to Backburner! But there appears nothing in the Backburner Monitor!
- After even more digging and ripping apart the script I figure out the command that gets sent to Backburner and which is created by the MEL script
system ("\"/usr/discreet/backburner/cmdjob\" -jobName \"rendertest1_191714-100118\" -jobNameAdjust -description \"\" -manager ingoMBP.local -priority 50 -taskList \"/var/folders/.../rendertest1_191714-100118.txt\" -taskName 1 -delete \"/Applications/Autodesk/maya2010/Maya.app/Contents/bin/Render\" -r file -s %tp2 -e %tp3 -proj \"/Volumes/DataHD/_projects/dom\" -rd \"/Volumes/DataHD/_projects/dom/images\" \"/Users/ingo/Documents/maya/projects/default/scenes/rendertest1.mb\"")
- ok, it's a system command, that puts the contained string to the shell and execute it! Well, I can do it by hand - but no matter how I format it with or without the starting and end quotes it gives me an error
- the command only works if I eliminate ALL quotes in the string, like
/usr/discreet/backburner/cmdjob -jobName rendertest1_185307-100117 -jobNameAdjust -description "" -manager ingoMBP.local -priority 50 -taskList /var/folders/8M/8MLUdjUQGMasNlpTYfdF5E+++TI/-Tmp-/rendertest1_185307-100117.txt -taskName 1 -delete /Applications/Autodesk/maya2010/Maya.app/Contents/bin/Render -r file -s %tp2 -e %tp3 -proj /Users/ingo/Documents/maya/projects/default -rd /Users/ingo/Documents/maya/projects/default/images /Users/ingo/Documents/maya/projects/default/scenes/rendertest1.mb
- but now the cmdjob complains about "-jobNameAdjust" and "-delete" which is not recognized and gives an error - well that is strange, isn't it?
- after deleting the wrong statements, cmdjob tells me that the job is sent and created some tasks - it now FINALLY the job also appears in the web monitor. Wonderful!!! - BUT
- the job gives me an error in the web monitor:
Cmdjob adapter: Strip brace failed.
I have no clue what that is supposed to tell me! And this is where I am stuck now.
So if you read this and have only the slightest idea what to do, what this error means and how it could be solved - please tell me. I am desperate.
As a last note: I find it very strange that a tool that is around autodesk for years now (I have used it in the past for 3ds max) is so difficult to handle, so akward in its use and (at least for me) so poorly ported to OS X. As I mentioned before, I don't know if it's just me - I only want to understand.
Thanks for listening! Cheers, Ingo