Submitting scene-related reports to Chaos Support

Updated July 10, 2023 09:59

This article provides guidelines on how to properly prepare error reports.

Overview

As with any piece of software, it is possible that users occasionally face bugs like artifacts, crashes, errors, or others. In such cases, we highly recommend contacting the Chaos Support team.

The Chaos Support team will investigate the report, determine the cause and where possible - provide a suitable workaround, so that you may continue working on your project, while our teams resolve the issue.

To make the process as smooth and efficient as possible, it is greatly appreciated when sufficient information is provided. This guide provides tips and instructions on how to report a bug to our team so that we can best assist you.

Submitting a Report

Make research prior to reporting: the issue might’ve already been discussed and fixed. A
simple research in the Chaos Forums or a quick Google search can help you find a solution or
a workaround.

1. Describe the issue in detail

Keep it brief, but clear. A shortlist of steps to reproduce the issue is always helpful, and feel free to provide any additional information. Be precise - make sure to report the exact names of features, functionalities, UI element states, and options.

2. Provide information about the environment

V-Ray version and Build number

To find a detailed guide on where to find the exact V-Ray version information for each host platform, please visit: How to Find Chaos Product Version

Example - V-Ray 5 (5.00.05 build 00001)

The exact software build version helps identify the state of the code in which a potential bug is located.

Host platform

Be specific about the host platform version you are using, e.g. 3ds Max 2021.3, SketchUp Pro 2018, Rhino 6, etc.

Mention third-party plugins used in the scene, such as Forest Pack, MultiScatter, RailClone, etc. Make sure

to include details about their version.

Hardware information

Note: This information may be crucial when trying to replicate a bug.

Provide information about both the CPU and GPU used. When the bug involves GPUs, share the GPU driver version as well.

How to gather the hardware specifications for each OS:

Windows - Click Start and type “System information” > Click “System Information” in the search results. Most of the details (CPU, OS Versions, RAM) are displayed on the first page in the System Summary category. To check details about the GPU, click “Components” and then click “Display”;
Alternatively, open “System Information” and click on File > Export > Save to save a text document with the information and send it to Chaos Support.
macOs - From the Apple menu in the corner of the screen, choose “About This Mac”. An overview of your Mac should be visible, including its model name.
Linux - In the terminal, type the following command lines: sudo lshw -C display ; sudo lshw

GPU driver version

Share information about the GPU driver version.

Windows: Open the Windows Start menu, type "Device Manager," and press Enter. Click the drop-down arrow of Display Adapters, and you should see a list with the names of your GPUs. Click on the GPU name with the right mouse button and choose Properties. Go to the Driver tab and let us know the Driver Version number.
macOS: Click on the Apple logo, then choose About This Mac. Click on System Report and Scroll down the left hand list until you get to Extensions under Software. There you will see the Driver version.
Linux: Open Console and type :
glxinfo | grep "version string"
look for OpenGL version string:

OS version

Operating system

The Software may perform differently depending on the operating system. Share information about the operating system and its version.

Example - Windows 10 or Linux CentOS 7

3. Provide reproduction steps

Provide an extensive list of steps to reproduce the issue. Let us know if the issue is only reproducible with a specific existing scene, or on any scene, for example in a fresh new scene. Make sure to try the steps yourself after describing them to make sure Chaos Support is going to get the same result. Explain what the expected outcome should be after following the steps if there was no issue. For example, the rendered result should be less bright, or there should not be an error at step 5, or similar.

Example: reproduction steps:

Existing project

Open the project file “project-01.max”
Select camera 1
Select frame 428
Render

New scene

Make a sphere
Add a dome light
Make a 75 frame animation
Enable V-Ray GPU rendering
Render the whole sequence

4. Provide a screenshot or record a video/gif

A picture is worth a thousand words. Attaching a screenshot that clearly illustrates how the issue looks like when it is reproduced will help ensure that Chaos Support is on the right track.

Recording a video of the screen showing each step is just as easy and is quite helpful. There are a number of free and easy-to-use screen-capturing tools on the internet.

5. Provide log files and/or Crash Dump files

These steps should supply the Chaos Support team with sufficient information to work with. If a bug is reproduced, it is added to the internal bug tracking system, from where the developers pick up the case. Otherwise, the Support team will request additional information.

V-Ray Log files

The V-Ray log files are usually located in the workstation’s Temp folder.

Windows: C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Temp (or type %temp% in the file explorer’s address bar) and look for the latest .log files by checking the time of their creation. For example:

Linux: /tmp/
macOS Example - Users/***/.ChaosGroup/V-Ray\ for\ SketchUp/VRayForSketchUp.log

Crash Dump files

When a crash occurs, a dump file is generated, containing information about how the code was executed. It is helpful for developers to use in the debugging process. The dump file is automatically stored in the following locations depending on the operating system:

Windows: C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Temp (or type %temp% in the file explorer’s address bar) and look for the latest .dmp files by checking the time of their creation
Linux: /tmp/
macOS: /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports (system-wide) or ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticsReports (user-wide) directories

Use this guide as a reference on how to generate crash dump files in cases where an error report window was not shown (crash to desktop): Creating Dump Files

Providing files

Any file that can help identify and replicate the problem is useful. It ensures that the report is well understood by the Support team and sets a focus point when working on the issue’s reproduction. For example, when having trouble with animation flickering, provide a few rendered frames where the flickering is visible.

There are a few key files that you should always attach:

Render output
Project files
Providing the project files is essential for reproducing the problem. They act as a foundation when working on an issue’s fix. Make sure to include all external assets that are crucial to replicating the issue - such as proxy files, textures, or simulation caches.

Include any assets used by Third-party plugins such as ForestPack, MultiScatter, Yeti, etc. in the scene if they are relevant for the reproducing of the issue.

Submitting the data

A few tips on how to forward the data to Chaos Support:

Package the data - use any convenient archive type such as .zip, .7z, etc.
Provide the means of accessing it (e.g. sharing permissions, login and password, when required);