From: Greg Ercolano <erco@(email surpressed)>
Subject: Re: Maya and MR Images Directory
   Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:04:07 -0400
Msg# 2064
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Daniel Browne wrote:
> 	We're experiencing an odd phenomenon when rendering .mi files exported fro=
> m Maya2011 with MentalRay Standalone 3.8. Even though we have it explicitly=
>  set to export absolute paths, often at least half the batches in the rende=
> r job will end up with their output path at the base of the project instead=
>  of in the images sub directory as specified in the scene.

	If using rush or the Maya command line (Render -r mi) to export mi files,
	be sure you have this command line flag included:

		-exportPathNames aaaaaaaaaa

	This is needed to ensure Maya generates absolute pathnames in the .mi files.
	So for instance, if using the Maya "Render" command from a terminal, you'd want:

Render -r mi ... -exportPathNames aaaaaaaaaa ..

	And that's (10) letter 'a's in a row -- no more, no less ;)

	So if you're using "submit-maya" to generate the MI files,
	make sure you have the following set in your "Maya Flags" (under the Maya tab):

		-exportPathNames aaaaaaaaaa

	..when using the standalone mray option, or generating mi files.
	This flag shows up in the command line help as:

$ Render -r mi -help 2>&1 | grep exportPathNames
  -exportPathNames string    Specify file path option. See Mayatomr mel documentation for more info.

	Indeed, refer to the Mayatomr help docs; they get more specific about
	this flag. (eg. while in the Maya main menu, click on Help -> Maya Help -> Search
	and then type 'Mayatomr' and read the first link on that plugin, which documents
	all the plugin's flags, most of which have Render command line equivalents)

	Also, IIRC Maya *changed* the export flag; it used to be that both "-xp" and
	"-exportPathNames" worked. But in a recent release, they dropped the -xp flag
	in favor of the latter. So -xp is no longer valid -- you have to use -exportPathNames now.

	Note that the Mayatomr documentation still advertises both -xp and -exportPathNames,
	but 'Render -r mi -help' only shows the longer name.

	Not sure why they did this, other than to drive us insane.
	It's been a long standing problem that you /have/ to specify this flag,
	even though within the scene file you've specified absolute paths.
	I reported the bug ages ago (before Maya was purchased by Autodesk),
	and the problem is /still/ in there. I think I even re-reported it
	after the transition :/

> Could this be a =
> result of having the Maya -proj parameter set during export?

	I'd be guessing not; I think it's mainly the -exportPathNames flag,
	or settings related to exporting during the .mi generation.

	The plugin responsible for converting Maya scenes to MI files
	is called "Mayatomr", and there are docs that cover the plugin,
	including the plugin's command line args. Check Maya's own help
	docs for that plugin, specifically flags related to exporting,
	as the docs in there get into the nitty gritty.

	Or, it might be a new feature flag is needed (or a bug)
	if old versions of maya worked ok, and it's only a problem
	in 2011.

	If you think this is a Maya problem, you might want to ask
	on the maya group for rendering.

	Let me know if you find anything you think is needed for general use
	or is new and specific to maya2011, so I can add it to the submit-maya
	script's defaults.


-- 
Greg Ercolano, erco@(email surpressed)
Seriss Corporation
Rush Render Queue, http://seriss.com/rush/
Tel: (Tel# suppressed)ext.23
Fax: (Tel# suppressed)
Cel: (Tel# suppressed)

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