New release, 3.4.24. New feature, Views

[sean]

i will remove the smaller one. if people could try the debug version (39 mbytes) and let me know it it installs and runs.

Everything will work the same debug or not.

[jnealand]

I have now tried 4.23. 4.24 and 4.24 debug on 4 machines 
- 4.23 runs fine on all machines
- 4.24 installs on all machines, but when started goes into the hourglass / spinning circle and then apparently terminates since there is no evidence of it being loaded in the process window of windows taskmgr with all processes being shown.
-4.24 debug will install on all machines.  It exhibits the behavior as 4.24 on both Wind 7 x6 4 machines.  On Win 7 32 bit and on XP it loads up but immediately crashes when I go to the setup tab and change the directory.  The crash occurs after I set the directory.  It gives me the infamous xlights has stopped working message.  In all cases the data in the directory is the same as I have copied from my master usb backup.  4.23 reads that same data fine.

Desktop Win 7 x64 
Laptop Win 7 x64
Netbook Win 7 x86 (32 bit)
Desktop XP SP3 32 bit

I also have a Win 8.1 desktop, but it is a play toy for now, I'll let JonB work on that one.  Having been in the computer business before I retired I still have a working Win 98 machine and a Vista machine.

[jnealand]

Sean, I have to be up early tomorrow and it is after 10p for me or you could connect up to one of my machines with teamviewer.  maybe tomorrow afternoon or evening if that would help you.  I'm off to bed now.

[mikejk67]

release 23 works, 24 debug or not doesn't for me either. Windows 8.1 on two machines. It started on the 2nd machine that was brand new install of windows. As soon as I installed files from the other computer (xml files) it wouldn't start either. I open the program files and xfiles folder to double click on the exe, no shortcuts. The border of the window flashes and nothing. resinstall .23 and all i fine again.

[ahb2ukeith]

I installed 3.4.24. Debug  Never actually opens.
Went back to 3.4.23 works fine.

[JonB256]

I checked my Win8 system logs and found lots of errors but none that were helpful. Downloading Debug version and will see how that goes.

Debug version popped up no errors during startup. It never did open.

I'll go back to 3.4.23 for now.

JonB

[JerryPlak]

3.4.24. Debug works on my 8.1 laptop.. I thing I do wend there a new version at the install I tell the installer the 3.4.XX version number this make a new folder for that version!

[sean]

Ok, we think we know why it works for some and not others. It looks like the Star model code that was introduced in 3.4.24 (allows concentric rings) may have an issue with people who have stars created in older versions. We are working on a solution.

If you want to try 3.4.24 before we fix this issue.

1) Make a copy of yoru xml files
2) Edit xlights_rgbeffects.xml
fine the model line for your star, change MyDisplay="1" to be MyDisplay="0"
3) Launch xlights

we will try and get a fix today
At least this explains why my code worked and some of yours did not, my sequences had no stars in them. I am changing the test sequence I use for the future.

[JonB256]

I do have a Star model (that I don't use). And it is on both computers that had trouble. Will verify when I get home. Thanks.

The error was leaving no obvious error messages for me to chase.

[jnealand]

I have several star models. On my primary desktop I used 4.23 to go into each star model and turn off the part of my display checkbox.

I then installed 4.24 - The program still will not execute so it would appear that just turning off the part of my display checkbox is not a fix.

I edited the xlights_rgbeffects.xml file using notepad++ and deleted every line with model type of star.  I could also have deleted those models in 4.23 but that would have meant reinstalling 4.23, doing the delete, and then reinstalling 4.24 so I took the easy way.  I will try using 4.23 to delete the models (instead of just copying my updated rgbeffects file) on one of my other computers later tonight, but I suspect that will work also.

4.24 on my desktop now executes as it should.  I have recreated one of the star models and all still seems to be well.  Later tonight I will update my new rgbeffects file to all the other computers and be sure those work as well after I recreate and test my concentric star on this machine.

[JonB256]

Jim, I went the other way. I had already reinstalled 3.4.23, so I opened it, deleted my single Star model (that I don't use), exited 3.4.23 to rewrite the XML file.

Installed the 3.4.24 (not the debug version).  It runs just fine now.

Will now install even newer versions.

p.s., to those who "never install new versions close to production time"   Don't ever ask to be Beta Testers. A Beta Tester will install new versions even if there is a HIGH PROBABILITY that something won't work.