[URGANT] Fixing a Maya MA file!?

martynball · Oct 2012

Hey, could someone please try and open this scene file. It is saved with Maya 2013 64bit.

My maya will only load 99% then it just freezes, it's only a small mesh, but I don't have time to remake most of it

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/63494571/University/VFX/Semester%201/Digital%20Presentation/mesh.ma

NoisyMonk · Oct 2012

I can't help you out, don't have Maya. But maybe a few quick reminders if you haven't tried these already..

Have any auto backups around? Do you save your files in increments? Have you tried importing/merging this file into a new scene?

Good luck, losing work always sucks. But learn from your mistakes if you can (ie, turn on auto-save and save your files in increments).

martynball · Oct 2012

Yeah, I have tried importing into a new scene, and I could not find the settings to turn on auto-save so never bothered (im new to Maya)

Got afew OLD backups

Jason Young · Oct 2012

I can open it fine with 2013 64bit. The main structural mesh is completely screwed, though, a total mess of geo. You need to start deleting history more often as it has a tooooooon of nodes. That will often times mess things up when trying to re-open a file.

martynball · Oct 2012

Would you export it as a FBX and email it to me? And where do I delete the history, ive been looking for that button.

I will PM you my email.

kodde · Oct 2012

+1 on JMYoung's suggestion. Delete history is essential when working with Maya. Especially before saving your scene upon closing Maya/New Scene/Opening another scene.

Delete history is under Edit > Delete by type / Delete all by type > History

martynball · Oct 2012

Thanks kodde - is there any way to get my mesh back? i'm sure all the vertex data is still there? Can't I just remove the history from the MA file?

kodde · Oct 2012

Let's say your mesh at start looked like a cube. You apply a gazillion history states and afterward it looks like a sphere.

When you save that scene and open it again Maya starts from a cube and goes through each history state one by one to try to recreate that sphere looking model. But... it fails somewhere along all those history states which usually leads to quite fubar results.

So even if you were to remove those history states you wouldn't have the sphere if you see what I mean.

martynball · Oct 2012

Ah, i get what you mean. Damn, wish I could use my trusty 3ds max!

So much better, not really liking Maya. Especially not anymore...

Thanks

martynball · Oct 2012

Okay, I read somewhere that I could try and find the problem in the MA file, so I opened it in the script editor and ran the code. It flags up this error:

// Error: line 3772: setAttr: Error reading data element number 17: 4

Here is the code, it's funny that the setAttr is actually on like 3773:

3770: mu 0 4 482 483 484 485
3771: f 4 -1009 1070 1071 1072
3772: mu 0 4 492 486 488 493;
3773: setAttr ".fc[500:999]"
3774: f 4 -1005 1073 1074 -1071
3775: mu 0 4 486 487 489 488
3776: f 4 -1072 1075 1076 1077

Could I just allow it to run up until it hits the problem? That MIGHT save me some time.

martynball · Oct 2012

Okay, first of, i'm an idiot for not doing regular backups.

Secondly, Maya is retarded - why not just save WHAT IS MADE rather than saving the STEPS IT TOOK TO GET THERE...

This file is not opening in Maya 2013 that it was made in, I have loaded it into the script editor and I get this error, and that line of code is RIGHT at the top of the file, so i'm hoping the rest of the instructions will still work if this can be ignored/removed?

// Error: line 3772: setAttr: Error reading data element number 17: 4

Here is the code, it's funny that the setAttr is actually on like 3773 not 3772:

3770: mu 0 4 482 483 484 485
3771: f 4 -1009 1070 1071 1072
3772: mu 0 4 492 486 488 493;
3773: setAttr ".fc[500:999]"
3774: f 4 -1005 1073 1074 -1071
3775: mu 0 4 486 487 489 488
3776: f 4 -1072 1075 1076 1077

Could I just allow it to run up until it hits the problem?

Mesh:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/63494571/University/VFX/Semester%201/Digital%20Presentation/mesh.ma

kodde · Oct 2012

You could give it a try. I never tried chopping ma-files. Should be fully possible if you know what you're doing(or get lucky?)

martynball · Oct 2012

Kon Artist · Oct 2012

Were you working on a PC then trying to open the file on a MAC or vice versa?

RE: why not just save WHAT IS MADE rather than saving the STEPS IT TOOK TO GET THERE

As far as I know this is one of the main differences b/t saving as a .ma vs .mb. .ma saves all your steps in a text file and .mb saves only your current state.

Also, as you said, you should do regular up saves in case a file becomes corrupt.

Scruples · Oct 2012

You have like 3000 history nodes, its a good idea to clear history when modeling if you aren't going to be tweaking any nodes/deformers, or before unwrapping, rigging/skinning.

I can't be of any help but Alias used to fix scene files on their forum when submitted, maybe Autodesk will do the same.

Justin Meisse · Oct 2012

I merged the two threads into one

gray · Oct 2012

" why not just save WHAT IS MADE rather than saving the STEPS IT TOOK TO GET THERE"

the point of an ascii scene file is it can be parsed an written by third party apps and scripts. a ma file is essentially a mel script. so for instance you can have a compositing app write out a maya scene which has 3d lighting data that can be read directly by maya. there is no point in saving scene state in an uncompressed ascii file. if you want to save your geometry in a maya file use mb. which uses compression. complex scenes that are save in ma usually reference geometry cameras, animation etc. trying to load a bunch of geo and everything else into maya and saving it as an ma is a really bad idea.

from what i see you have some generic mud box bodies some cubes and you were using some cryengine tools. unless you have something more interesting in this file i would just start over. trying to get shading networks or nodes created by plug-ins is going to be far more work then just setting it up again, if not impossible.

martynball · Oct 2012

Kon Artist: I tried to open it in Maya 2012 64bit if that makes a difference?

Scruples: Didn't know it was a big deal to clear history at the time

So should I visit the Autodesk forums o you think?

Grey: There are only models in the scene, there isn't any fancy setup. I don't really have time to restart.

gray · Oct 2012

since you posted your file i will post in-thread also. i dont have time to look at it in depth. the obj has the characters. what ever else is in your file you will have to get to yourself.

http://depositfiles.com/files/8w92st70m

martynball · Oct 2012

How did you do that? The characters are just references for the scale, it's all the other objects that I need. But thank-you.

Illusions · Oct 2012

martynball wrote: »

Secondly, Maya is retarded - why not just save WHAT IS MADE rather than saving the STEPS IT TOOK TO GET THERE...

Maya is a node based program and will assume that if you haven't deleted a node, that you may want to use it in the future.

gray · Oct 2012

i just had a thought...

if the cry engine has a plugin check your plugin editor and make sure its loaded before you try to open the file. sometimes maya will not load certain plugins. that could easily cause maya to crash on the file. as its reading nodes in the file it has no knowledge of.

martynball · Oct 2012

the Cry engine plugins don't work for Maya 2013, I thought I would try them but the plugin does not load. So that can't be the issue.

If you can get me all of the other mesh apart from the characters you would be a life saver!

Jason Young · Oct 2012

I emailed you an fbx this morning, did you not receive it?

martynball · Oct 2012

Yeah I emailed you back saying thanks. Although the mesh that I need is a mess like you said.

martynball · Oct 2012

@gray: can you recover the rest of the objects?

martynball · Oct 2012

[URGANT] Fixing a Maya MA file!?

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