Summary

Problem: Monkey and Raccoon character are groomed and working perfectly, I can pose the characters with no problem, but if I keyframe the character to new poses and save the file, when I open it it crashes maya. Both characters are the same referenced rigged mesh file, with repositioned and scaled ears but the rig and mesh are exactly the same. 

I am using referenced rigged characters. Rigg is based on Advanced Skeleton. Both uses ornatrix but are different grooming from the start, not modified, one was made by a groomer I hired and the other I made myself, both crashes the same way and same conditions.

Reinforcing, during the session nothing crashes, I can animate, load animations, everything works, crash only happens after you save the file and try to open a file with keyframes set do the character.

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Failed solutions I already tried below (tested with both characters, same results):

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Attempt 1: getting rid of ornatrix to debug:

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Deleting Ornatrix from the file and setting keyframes works, that way I tracked down the problem to be ornatrix related, at first I thought it was related to Studio library script since it was the last implemented piece of the pipeline, I thought the problem was related with save and load animations from the script, going with my test I realized that making just one keyframe with the hips for example was enough to reproduce the crash, I still have to see if other parts of the body will crash as well, but any major adjustment to the pose was able to crash it... 

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Attempt 2: I have tested different reference workflows with same crash:

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2.1 - Referenced rigg, then worked on the groom, poses work, animation crash.

2.2 - importing references, same thing, poses work, animation crash

2.3 - creating new scene and referencing the groomed character, same thing, poses work, animation crashes

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Attempt 3: testing different ways to set keyframes

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3.1 - Saving and loading animation from Studio Library produces the crash
3.2 - setting key frames by hand to the character crashes

3.3 - setting keyframes using poses from Studio Library crashes

Attempt 4: Testing different versions of software same crashes

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4.1 - Happens with maya 2018.5 and 2019.2
4.2 - Ornatrix versions 2.4.8.21573 and 2.4.9.21924

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Attempt 5: render system debug

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5.1  - the whole pipeline is made with maya and redshift, so I tried to update everything. Redshift Version 2.6.49 and 2.6.51

5.2 -  just to rule out renderers I setup the scene with Arnold and the problem persists MtoA 3.2.2

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Useful leads:

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1 - Setting key frames to IK like hands and feet does not crash, any major posing like full body poses or just rotating the hips controller or the head controller crashes. Facial controls works too, but any spine up controler couses a crash…