I'm trying to use TOPs to run a series of bakes using Arnold. I've successfully done the same process using Redshift, but have hit a problem with the way the texture baker seems to work with filenames when trying to use TOPs.

With Arnold, you set an output filename (in Output/Output Picture), such as: $HIP/bake/LM_Light_B.exr

And then in the 'Baking' tab you set your list of objects to bake, for example: /obj/TestSphere

It doesn't seem to give you any control over the final filename (unlike Redshift), so the final output file from this example would be called:

'Light_A_obj_TestSphere.exr'

The baking process works fine when running off the ROP iself, but when using a ROP Fetch and trying to run it, it gives this error:

Work item 'ropfetch1_23' lists file 'F:/XXX/bake/LM_Light_B.exr' as an expected output file, but it wasn't found when cooked

So for some reason it is looking for a file named after what's set in Output/Output Picture, rather than the actual concatenated filename the output will actually have. This stops it from even rendering the bake.

Anyone know if there's a way to fix this, or a way around it?

OK, so I've figured out what's causing the problem, and it's nothing to do with Arnold or the filename as speculated above, because the same error occurs with Redshift.

It actually has to do with an HDA I am using to light the scene. I have a 'stage light' (attached) which consists of a mesh and either an Arnold or Redshift spotlight. Simply having one of these in the scene, even with both lights switched off, causes the error I outlined above and makes the baking process fail.

Does anyone know why this would be? Could it be to do with having the lights not on obj level?