Hi, I've checked the forum and tried a number of things mentioned but come up against the same problem time and time again. The first time I use a mantra node it seems to work OK, maybe the second. After that, no luck. Mantra process is still open but only using about 26 megs. The scheduler piles up with mantra requests but they never get processed, even for simple scenes (sphere for chrisakes). Mplay sometimes opens, sometimes not but regardless no rendering takes place. The cpu usage for mantra never exceeds 1-2%. At that point Houdini can only be closed using the task manager.
I have tried clearing the scheduler, deleting and recreating the mantra node, deleting .mplay_lock files, making sure mplay is set to ‘listen for renders’, etc. etc.
Any thoughts? As a paying (albeit Apprentice HD) customer I'd like to think I shouldn't be spending half my day getting this to work. No response from SideFX, don't exactly expect one.
My system is a Dell M4400, quadro Fx 770M, 4 gigs, 3.06 extreme core duo, win XP, sp3. using latest build of Houdini 10, although problem persists with every version I've tried.
Thanks for any help.

I'd be inclined to suspect a software firewall or perhaps an anti-virus application is interfering with inter-process communication. You might try disabling any such applications to check if that may indeed be the cause.

Anyone have any other suggestions. This sucks. Mantra starts, doesn't start, hangs, etc. NO AntiVirus running! Now I get system idle process using 99% of my CPU and mantra using 0% during renders. Remarkably useful…

Have you installed the licensing manager (hkey), or did you opt for “Apprentice Licensing” ?

If it's the former, then I'd try installing with Apprentice licensing.

Also, you mention “no antivirus” running, but do you have the windows XP firewall running? It should prompt you to add exceptions for Mantra, but I'd turn it off just incase.

Used Apprentice licensing, now thinking of trying regular licensing. NO AV software, no firewall, no adaware, nothing running or loading at startup. It would be wonderful if the errors were consistent but they are random. Mantra works….., then it doesn't. Houdini works, then it freezes and crashes. How the hell does anyone get any ACTUAL WORK done with this software?

I understand that you are frustrated, but please bear in mind that this software is used daily by hundreds (if not thousands) of people all over the planet – and has been for well over 10 years now.

Which windows build are you using (32bit VC8? 32bit VC7? 64 bit?), what version of the nVidia driver do you have installed?

G

True. I love using this software which is why I'm so frustrated. I also acknowledge that as an Apprentice HD user I'm low on the totem pole. Never remember having these problems on my old laptop.
I'm using 32 bit VC8 with nvidia driver 179.50 on a dell m4400, m770 quadro card, 4 gigs, 3.06 core duo.
Houdini works on my old laptop. Everything else works on my new laptop. Tracking down the configuration problem is exhausting. Anyways, any ideas, as always, are greatly appreciated.

True. I love using this software which is why I'm so frustrated. I also acknowledge that as an Apprentice HD user I'm low on the totem pole.

Sure everyone gets frustrated. There's a host of friendly nice people with vast Houdini experience willing to help each other right here.
My attack plan would be :-

Remove all anti virus stuff / firewalls and any other windows related rubbish you may of decided to install , including keyboard / language settings.
Check permissions / users accounts , where is Houdini installed how did I install , is my licensing local and not across a network.

My personnel view is why on earth are you using win xp ? The reality is you should be using a 64bit system and if this is a“new ” laptop it should of come with vista 64 surely.

I need win xp for music software. Houdini runs perfectly until Mantra is called in, then I have no problem with certain things but as soon as I change one to many settings mantra locks up, Houdini locks up and has to be closed with task manager. I have removed AV, p2p, firewall, you name it. Also using local licensing, running houdini as admin.

I need win xp for music software

Vista 64 runs 32 bit applications aswell

Have you got any strange keyboard config / language settings ? , are you using using the recommend drivers for the graphics card.
Can you render a scene from the command line , can you render a mantra ROP straight to disk , does it only hang when mantra attempts to render in the view port. What works what doesn't !

No odd keyboard/language stuff. Using latest drivers.
Haven't tried command line yet.
I can render to disk sometimes, render in viewport…sometimes.
I just tried turning on ‘block until render complete’ in mantra. Seems to have helped. My scheduler no longer piles up with renders while mantra works on none of them.
We'll see.

Well that didn't last, although the problem seems to center around the scheduler and mantra and how they interact. When things are good, the scheduler will only have 1 entry and it will clear itself when a render is interrupted. When things are bad, render commands pile up and none get processed. Any suggestions on what to try? Thanks.

Ah, just noticed nothing shows up in mplays sequence list either. These guys aren't talking to each other properly…. Crap.