Model Builder Error "Value cannot be null. Parameter name: source"

[ladipro]

System Information (please complete the following information):

• Model Builder Version: 16.100.20.27905
• Visual Studio Version: Version 16.10.0 Preview 2.0 [31110.410.main]

Describe the bug
Step 4 fails for me when trying to train Image classification.

   at System.Linq.Enumerable.Select[TSource,TResult](IEnumerable`1 source, Func`2 selector)
   at Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.AutoMLService.Experiments.AutoMLExperiment`3.<ExecuteAsync>d__21.MoveNext() in /_/src/Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.AutoMLService/Experiments/AutoMLExperiment.cs:line 118
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.AutoMLEngine.<StartTrainingAsync>d__30.MoveNext() in /_/src/Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.AutoMLService/AutoMLEngineService/AutoMLEngine.cs:line 147

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

• Scenario: Image classification
• Environment: Local
• Data: A folder on Desktop with three subfolders. The subfolders contain 9, 11, and 9 JPG images respectively.

Willing to share the training data. Please ping me.

Expected behavior
Training succeeds.

Screenshots

Additional context
My first time using Model Builder. It's possible that I'm doing something wrong.

[beccamc]

@ladipro Hi Ladi! How's it going? Sorry you ran into this problem. Can you update to version 16.3 from here? Also, you can ping me a zip of your images and I can give it a try on the newer version. Thanks!

[ladipro]

@beccamc Thank you Becca! Updating to 16.3 indeed fixed my issue. It's odd that the latest version is not included in the latest VS build but hey I'm unblocked now and can continue playing with ML.NET. Thanks again.

[pomeara]

I have also found the same issue in one of my ML attempts, I should have the latest version installed (just updated a few days back) am curious if this is still a problem for others also

[beccamc]

@pomeara Can you confirm you're still on 16.7.6.2150501? Can you upload a screenshot of your problem? I think your stack trace is going to be different.

[pomeara]

@beccamc sure thing here are my nugets...

<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.ML" Version="1.6.0" />
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.ML.FastTree" Version="1.6.0" />
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.ML.LightGbm" Version="1.6.0" />

And here is my stack trace

Copying generated code to project... (Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.Utils.Logger.Info)
2021-10-30 03:39:43.1003 INFO Copying MLCheck.consumption.cs to folder: D:\xxx\ML.Project\ML (Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.Utils.Logger.Info)
2021-10-30 03:39:43.1003 INFO Copying MLCheck.training.cs to folder: D:\xxx\ML.Project\ML (Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.Utils.Logger.Info)
2021-10-30 03:39:43.1003 INFO COMPLETED (Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.Utils.Logger.Info)
2021-10-30 03:39:43.1003 INFO 

Updating nuget dependencies... (Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.Utils.Logger.Info)
2021-10-30 03:39:43.1003 INFO Installing nuget package, package ID: Microsoft.ML, package Version: 1.6.0 (Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.Utils.Logger.Info)
2021-10-30 03:39:43.1003 DEBUG Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: project
   at NuGet.VisualStudio.VsPackageInstallerServices.GetInstalledPackages(Project project)
   at Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.Utils.Utilities.<InstallNugetPackageAsync>d__17.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.ViewModels.TrainViewModel.<UpdateNugetDependenciesAsync>d__119.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.GetResult()
   at Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.ViewModels.TrainViewModel.<GenerateCodeBehindFilesAsync>d__118.MoveNext() (Microsoft.ML.ModelBuilder.Utils.Logger.Debug)

[beccamc]

@pomeara Somehow the project we've selected is null. Do you have an unloaded project in your solution? Or a project in a bad state?

[beccamc]

I've opened a new issue to track this, as it's different than Ladi's original issue. #1903