"Missing Dlls" error for Mental Ray components when sending a job via network render from 3ds Max 2017

Autodesk Support

Oct 8, 2023

Products and versions covered

Issue:

When sending a job via network render (Backburner, Deadline, etc.), several Mental Ray plugins can't be loaded and 3ds Max gives a missing dll error and the render job fails.

The error shows the following dlls:

Missing dll: mrmaterialattribs.gup - mental ray: material custom attribute
Missing dll: mrmaterialattribs.gup - mental ray: Displacement Custom Attributes
Missing dll: mrmaterialattribs.gup - mental ray: Indirect Illumination custom attribute
Missing dll: mrmaterialattribs.gup - mental ray: light shader custom attribute

User-added image

Causes:

Missing Plugin.UserSettings.ini file or missing directory paths within the *.ini (INI) file from initial installation. Mental Ray plugins cannot be loaded with Backburner or Deadline when the Plugin.UserSettings.ini is missing or incomplete in 3ds Max 2017; this will cause the net render job to fail.

The Plugin.UserSettings.ini file in located in C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\2017 - 64bit\ENU​. (Note: if these folders aren't visible, turn on "Show Hidden Files/Folders" as outlined in this Microsoft Help link.)

The Plugin.UserSettings.ini file contains the following paths:

[Directories]
Additional MAX plug-ins=C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2017\PlugIns
Additional MAX plug-ins NVIDIA=C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2017\PlugIns\NVIDIA\Plugins\
[Help]

 

Solution:

To resolve the error, please do the following:
  1. Make sure you have downloaded and installed the latest version of mental ray for 3ds Max 2017, as per the instructions in this article.
  2. If the Plugin.UserSettings.ini does exist, open the file with Notepad and add the following lines under [Directories]:
    • Additional MAX plug-ins=C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2017\PlugIns
    • Additional MAX plug-ins NVIDIA=C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 2017\PlugIns\NVIDIA\Plugins\
  3. If the Plugin.UserSettings.ini does not exist, download the attached INI file and add it to the following folder:
    • C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\2017 - 64bit\ENU 
The previously failing job should now render.

Note: some browsers may download the attached Plugin.UserSettings.ini file and rename it so it appears as a compressed .zip file. Double-clicking on this to open it as a .zip will cause an error saying that the file appears to be corrupted, or not a .zip file.

If this happens, rename the file extension from .zip to .ini, then follow Step 2 above.

Attachments:

Plugin.txt;

Products:

3ds Max;

Versions:

2017;

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