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While simulating or rendering, you could get incorrect results or unexpected behavior, artifacts, or even a crash. This could indicate a “bug” in the code. If you think you've come across a bug, it’s best to contact our Chaos Group Support team and get assistance.

We will try to find a workaround so you can continue working. If the problem is indeed a bug, we have to fix it so it won't trouble you or anybody else anymore. First, we need to make the problem occur here (reproduce the problem) and find out what is causing it. For this, we will need you to help us with as much information as possible.

• Describe the problem in details.

• Provide information about the environment: OS, Phoenix

  FD

  version, V-Ray version, Hardware, GPU drivers.

• Provide a step-by-step guide to recreate the problem.

• Attach files: renders, scenes, assets, logs, screen captures, screenshots.

Summary of the problem

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Summary Summary

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Very often this is the answer to the question “What is the observable result?”. Some examples may be: rendering artifacts; over bright pixels; particles floating in the air; liquid emitting from the wrong places.

Environment

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Environment Environment

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The exact software version helps identify the state of the code that could have the bug.

Phoenix FD version and Build ID  - for example - 45.1020.00, Build ID: 20200305Image Removed20230706.

V-Ray version - for example - 3.60.05 or 4.02.01. 

Third-Party plugins - Is the scene using any third-party plugins such as thinkingParticles or tyFlow? Providing information about the additional plugins used (and their version) is really helpful. 

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Hardware information - Although rarely, code can perform slightly differently between different CPU and GPU makes and models. This information may be crucial to replicating the bug. Example - Intel Xeon E5236 or NVIDIA RTX 2080Ti. When the bug concerns GPUs, please also share the version of the GPU drivers, for example NVIDIA GTX 1080, driver versions 381.64.

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Steps Steps

Steps to reproduce

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This is basically a step-by step guide for the Chaos team to replicate the same result. Here’s an example:

1. Make a sphere.
2. Apply a Phoenix FD Fire simulation preset.
3. Simulate up to frame 15.
4. Enable V-Ray GPU rendering.
5. Render a sequence.
   
   

File Attachments

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Files Files

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Any files that can help identify and replicate the problem can be extremely useful. This ensures that your report is understood and that the Chaos team knows what to look for when reproducing the issue. If the problem is animation flickering - attach a few rendered frames where the flickering is visible; if it is something that happens with the user interface - attach a screen-captured video that shows what was clicked and what happened. There are a few key files that you can always attach:.

Scene files

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Providing a scene is a great way for us to recreate the issue and fix it.

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In case the scene file is too big - the Chaos Group support team will let you know how to send it.

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If you get a crash and an Autodesk error report window pops up afterwards, please click the “View Report Details” button on the error report window, find where ''3dsmax_minidump.dmp" is saved on your machine and include that file in your email.

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Please grab the Phoenix log immediately after the crash. If you start Maya 3ds Max again, it would be overwritten.

Phoenix

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Log files 

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You can also browse to it from the Phoenix FD Global preferences window.

V-Ray Log files

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Recap

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• Describe the problem in details.
• Provide information about the environment: OS, Phoenix FD version, V-Ray version, Hardware, GPU drivers.
• Provide a step-by-step guide to recreate the problem.
• Attach files: renders, scenes, assets, logs, screen captures, screenshots.