2016.20 Crashes when attempting to edit channels

[JCook]

I'm trying to configure the channels for my models but xLights locks up every time.

I set up a Null controller at first, now I'm trying to assign the models to a E1.31 device.  When I click OK after adjusting the start channel ,it locks up and I have to force it closed.

Where are the error logs located?

[Gilrock]

Just type up a repeatable set of steps that will cause it to lock up.  It never locks up for me but I tend to know how the program should be used.  How many channels did you create?  Was your sequence created before you created the channels in setup?  I'm pretty sure if you define all your channels on the setup page and hit save and then you create your models and stay within those channel boundaries you won't have a problem.  We might not have found all the weird things people will try to know what to block.  I'm not sure what you mean by trying to assign models to a E1.31 device.  You assign models to a start channel and the program could care less whether it's an E1.31 output or something else.  That doesn't matter until the program attempts to send data to the hardware.

[JCook]

If figured out by dumb luck what the issue was, maybe you can find this useful.  I was getting an error when starting xlights that 4 of my arches xlights could not calculate the starting channels.  I deleted those arches and the locking up issue stopped.  I'll explain how I did my setup.  I'm a Vixen 3 user so I may use different terms than you use in xlights. like you say "models" Vixen its "elements" so please bare with me.

We might not have found all the weird things people will try to know what to block. 

I just wanted to get to a point as quickly as possible to try some sequencing so I watched a few how to videos on xlights and it said I could create a null controller then come back later and configure my controllers so that is what I did.  I created a 15,000 channel Null controller at first, created my Models, I don't have a complete sequence was only testing how some of the effects worked on the Model groups.

I'm not sure what you mean by trying to assign models to a E1.31 device.

I mean reassign the models to different channels.

When I created my models I used copy / paste, it appears the arches I mentioned above had the same start/end channel numbers.  When xLights opened I got the "cannot calculate starting channels" error.  I clicked on OK and was able to proceed. I went to the Layout tab to assign a model to a different channel range.  I would click on the button for the "Start Channel" property, make my changes in popup window ( i call it the channel config window) then press OK this is where xlights would hang up.

[Gilrock]

You know I think I'm seeing a pattern to everyone complaining about lock ups.  Seems like everyone having the issue mentions using copy/paste.  I'll see if I can play around and cause a problem.  I haven't had to create any models in awhile and when I have I didn't use the copy feature so maybe it's causing a bug.

[Feldzpar]

In case someone else happens upon this old post (I found it with the Google search "xlights locks up").
The source of the problem is when model B's channels are set to follow model A (vs. an actual channel, which happens automatically when you copy and paste a model), AND then model A gets deleted.
Xlights tells you that "model B" can no longer find it's channels on startup because model A is gone. This is what was causing lockups for me at least.

My Solution: (which doesn't require deleting your models)
Open your xlights_rgbeffects.xml file, preferably with an HTML or code editor if you have one. Find your "model B" line under <models> and change it's starting channel to something else, like "1." Next time Xlights starts there will be no more errors if you did it right, and no more lock ups too. Hope this helps some other rookie like me when they stumble upon this.