Effects on sequence grid but not displaying

[Gilrock]

Yeah the PC hardware doesn't sound like a problem.  I only ask because I had a lot more issues when using my older dual core laptop.  I was thinking maybe we have an issue when its only a couple cores.

[beatlerat]

It is not the memory or the antivirus.   I have tried several power options and all of them are not any better than another.   I went to the task manager to see what is going on with the CPU and it is maxing out for a couple of seconds during render or save.   Wow! 

[danj]

FYI---I am going through all my sequences, most of which have info imported in spring 2015 timeframe. I found another one with missing/goofy effects.   So I have been copying the arch effects (for example), deleting the arch effects that have a line thru them (I have a hard time seeing this actually....), then pasting the copied effects.  It seems to be limited mostly to the front end of the sequences for some reason, so not too time consuming..  Just wanted others to know...

[Gilrock]

Actually the effects that need deleting are the Off effects that are drawing the line across the others.  Sounds like you are deleting the good stuff.

[Steamyrotter]

I have found an issue, but don't know how to fix it.   If I reboot the computer, then open and render the file, it will render the file just fine.  Everything will work.  Then when I go to save the file, It hangs up.   If I restart xLights, and reload the sequence and try to render or save, it hangs up.   Only when I reboot the computer and then open the file and render, will it do so.  Really odd.  I have 16 GB of memory and 14 is free, so that isn't the issue....

How long have you left it when it hangs??
Is it still trying to save your file, or has it got to the render stage??
Only asking as I have read elsewhere that it may be one of your effects taking a long time to 'sort itself out'

[beatlerat]

It says its saving the file and then hangs during rendering.   I would say 20 minutes is the longest I waited.   Once the program says "not responding", I think its done.  What concerns me is the initial peak in the CPU usage.  That doesn't seem to me to be normal.  I flipped the BIOS to manual yesterday and made sure that all 8 cores were on, but it didn't make any difference.
There is a Glediator effect in this file, the only song I use it.    I wonder if it is the root of the problem?

[Gilrock]

It says its saving the file and then hangs during rendering.   I would say 20 minutes is the longest I waited.   Once the program says "not responding", I think its done.  What concerns me is the initial peak in the CPU usage.  That doesn't seem to me to be normal.  I flipped the BIOS to manual yesterday and made sure that all 8 cores were on, but it didn't make any difference.
There is a Glediator effect in this file, the only song I use it.    I wonder if it is the root of the problem?

If only there was a way to delete that effect to find out.

[beatlerat]

Well it seems that 36 seconds of a GLED effect was doing the trick.  Now I get about 2 seconds of 99% and another 4 or 5 seconds of 26% and it drops off.  Save time is in the 17 to18 second range.  So I will continue to sequence, save the file as another name, and try to add it (GLED) in last after a reboot.  Hopefully the FPP can handle the GLED, otherwise I may have to figure out something else.   I was doing something like a color organ.  Thanks again for the help.   

[Gilrock]

I've never used GLED effects and don't know anything about how that is coded so I can't help much there.

[Steamyrotter]

I believe, and someone will correct me if I am wrong, that once it has saved then it is in the right format (fseq) for the FPP.
The render after the save is for display in XLights purposes only.  so if it crashes on the render after the save you are ok.
So if you can manage one save (after your reboot) then you are pretty much sorted..

You could try switching off render after save and do it manually instead??

[Gilrock]

No if you turn off render at save you don't get an fseq file.  If you have one there it's old.  We save the XML first so when we say if it crashes during the render to fseq file phase you haven't lost work because you can always re-render it to file from the XML.  But at some point the render to fseq needs to be done to have a file for the FPP.  You gotta turn off the flag to make that happen.  The render all button does not write to the fseq file so there is no manual option.

[danj]

Gil--not sure how to "see" the line thru the effects...  It's probably right in front of me and I am just missing it.  That's why I was going thru my sequences and fixing the areas that no longer functioned properly by copying/pasting.

Once more--THANKS VERY MUCH for all your help

[Gilrock]

Well you could have done a file compare between your original and the one I modified and you would see how to edit it manually.  If you click on an effect that looks like a spiral and the Effect Settings window says "Off" then guess what.  You have an "Off" effect selected and you can just hit the delete key...I hope.