Getting crashes xl4.0.30

[danj]

I have gotten multiple crashes tonight when using 4.0.30; probably on the order of 20 or so==crashing pretty much every time I am in the sequencer.  xl4 gives me the debug report screen and shuts itself down.  Here are a few of the debug report files.  If it makes any difference what I am "doing", I am in the sequencer each time and sequencing AC models.   I am not seeing any cause/effect...  Sometimes it crashes when I copy/paste, sometimes when I am setting effects, other times when I am saving.  Always when I am in the sequencer, though...

[kevinp]

I've been getting way more crashes with the last two releases too.  I will get them when I'm working in the sequence grid as well, and when clicking from cell to cell or trying to copy and paste at times.  The one thing I cannot locate though is the debug report that says is being generated.  I've searched my entire system for anything related to xLights in the file name and it comes up with nothing, so I have no clue where the reports are going.  If it's worth anything, I'm running the Mac version.

[danj]

Kevin:
I am running windows PC with windows 7.   xlights is putting the debug reports in the "target folder" show directory I have setup in xlights.  Here is a typical debug folder title:  xLights_dbgrpt-6052-20150513T224436

[dkulp]

danj's sequences have a bunch of Text effects.  kevin: when it's crashing, do you have  a bunch of text effects?

I just committed a change that I HOPE will help.  Text effects have to be rendered on the main thread due to using the OS rendering calls to get the text information and render the text and such.  Thus, we pop a message on the main thread to have it do it's thing.  We had a timeout in there of 1/2 a second (that's per frame BTW) at which point it would continue on.  However, I kind of realized that if it continues on, it's pretty much guaranteed to crash.   Thus, I just removed the timeout.   On slower machines, maybe it does take longer to render than I expected.   Don't really know.

[dkulp]

Kevin:

When the dialog pops up, make sure you hit the OK button and not the cancel button.  If you hit the cancel button, no report is generated.   When you hit OK, it SHOULD be in your show directory.

In anycase, when the dialog is open, if you click on the View button or the Open button for the backtrace.txt, you should be able to see the backtrace and copy/paste it elsewhere. 

[danj]

Dan---I just opened another sequence file that does not have any text effects in it and I got a crash there too.
Here are those debug files.

[kevinp]

Thanks for the info guys.  I will make sure to click OK and see if that helps with my issue of not seeing the reports.  As for text effects in the sequence, I only have one, and that's at the very end.  I wasn't even close in the grid to that effect when it crashed.  I will try to replicate it tomorrow and post the report.

[nzlongfellow]

Still getting Crashes when converting lms files.
I have attached the zip file I bought and a couple of the bug reports.
I am running Windows 7.
Please do NOT download this file for use in a sequence, please buy your own from www.holidaysequences.com and support the ppl who develop these.

[buzzdude]

Like Kevinp  when coping and pasting several times xl4 crashes. I can recreate it by creating a new sequence, having one model, 4 timing marks, put an effect in the first timing mark, copy and paste three times, on the third paste xl4 crashes. On on one crash, the debug box showed 3 times and I couldn't do anything but end task.

[JonB256]

Like Kevinp  when coping and pasting several times xl4 crashes. I can recreate it by creating a new sequence, having one model, 4 timing marks, put an effect in the first timing mark, copy and paste three times, on the third paste xl4 crashes. On on one crash, the debug box showed 3 times and I couldn't do anything but end task.

buzzdude, that is very specific set of steps - Did you not get that crash in 4.0.29 ??

Something that has helped others in the past (don't know why, but ..) is to just Reinstall 4.0.30. Then reboot the computer. 

[Gilrock]

There was hardly any changes in this release that would have improved any of the existing crashing problems that I can see.  I think the release notes included a lot of closed issues that had already been closed by previous releases and not this specific release when I compare the list to the checkins.

I'm just not able to spend a lot of time to help Dan find these issues for the next week because I've been scrambling to get hardware and sequences ready for a high school graduation party where I'm displaying a 50x12 horizontal ribbon matrix and a 32x42 matrix using my pixel straps.  This is a big event they do every year to try to keep the kids from going out driving unsafe and killing themselves.  It's pretty amazing the setup they create.  This year its a Vegas theme.  They have prizes that provide a big incentive for the kids to show up like they give away a car and I think a $2000 prize in a raffle.  The kids are not allowed to leave until sometime early morning once they enter.

[dkulp]

Kevin,

I just stuck a new 4.0.30a build up for the Mac.   Can you give that a try and see if that makes it more stable.  I found some un-initialized variables that could cause it to render outside the proper range (like negative frame numbers) the would easily cause crashes.

[kevinp]

Thanks Dan.  I'll download it when I get home from work this afternoon and give it a try.  I'll keep you posted.

[JonB256]

Ok, now I'm getting crashes in 4.0.30.  It seems cumulative. Works well until you save for the 3rd or 4th time.

the sequence has no Text effects at all

[buzzdude]

Like Kevinp  when coping and pasting several times xl4 crashes. I can recreate it by creating a new sequence, having one model, 4 timing marks, put an effect in the first timing mark, copy and paste three times, on the third paste xl4 crashes. On on one crash, the debug box showed 3 times and I couldn't do anything but end task.

buzzdude, that is very specific set of steps - Did you not get that crash in 4.0.29 ??

Something that has helped others in the past (don't know why, but ..) is to just Reinstall 4.0.30. Then reboot the computer.

Hi, I had skipped 4.0.29, so the issue only commenced for me in 4.0.30.  I reinstalled and rebooted as you have suggested, but issue still remains.  I also get the two debug reports, one on top of the other, the second one (all the text is bolded).  I have also attempted to render after two consecutive pastes, but as soon I press the render icon, a crash report creates.
I have noticed that the timing marks I'm pasting into are slightly smaller that the original copied item, if that helps.

Thanks
Shane