All three of the logos that I've done, work fine in MA3. But I understand the points you make, Jim.

Yes, I understood that Prolific is doing the installer. But, in my opinion, testing an installer is quite substantially different from incrementally testing features being added (and unexpected problems being subtracted) to a simulation like MA3. Especially where personal perception is a vital part of the testing.

My point is that when I ask someone to test something complex (like an installer), I ask them to find out if it does all of the things that it's supposed to do (in all specified environments), and does not do anything it's specified to not do, and also to tell me if they notice it doing anything they think is "strange".

Some things, also, are only capable of being tested once (per environment) - like flash bulbs, and installers. Running the installer clearly changes the environment.

At the moment, the complex installer is being tested by lots of folks using personal criteria, and the testing is based on "random" environments and initial conditions. The results are valuable, of course - but there's limited value in "works OK here as far as I can see".

And, of course, everybody who has already tested the installer will not be able to (easily) test future iterations of the installer under the same conditions.

I'm quite willing to test the installer as thoroughly as I can, in whatever starting environments I can honestly duplicate on six computers.

But: (1) I'm not anxious to CHANGE those starting environments by running the installer before it's fully baked; (2) I would really like to know what the installer is supposed to do, before I tell them if it does.

As you said, Jim - somebody at Prolific will have to let us know how to test the installer - otherwise, we're just doing random testing that will find a few of the problems.

=============

Footnote: we could also "evaluate" whether the installer DESIGN does the "correct" things. To do that, we would need to know whether MA3 is going to be marketed as an update/upgrade to MA2.6 - or as a new MA that does not "replace" MA2.6. The installer would do different things (to a MA2.6 installation) in those two cases.

Jim, perhaps you know the answer to that one?

You have already been given the answer to that question, Dale.

MA3 has no knowledge of MA2.6. They are totally different programs with different capabilities and system requirements.

I might expand the Logo pack or allow individual downloads of logos or even write a Logo loader for people to download and install logos into their MA3 from my website.

My only concern about the 2 specific logos you posted is they do not have enough blank space on the sides, so they will bleed off the crystal.

Right now, MA3 is still a test, so it only supports having one logo file named AltLogo.png placed in the same folder as the Aquarium itself. You switch to this logo by typing "L". MA3 will eventually have a Logo picker. Then you'll be able to load several logos into the Aquarium and pick from them. MA3 will also apparently add some fine-tune controls to resize any logo you bring into the program so that it fits well on the crystal, in case it was not designed to be "crystal safe".

Sorry, I must have missed it. Could you point me to it, please? Or just say what it was?

(I tried a search but couldn't find the right place, I guess)

Thanks.

Dale - MA3 has no knowledge of MA2.6. It doesn't replace it. Honest.

Render Units and Fan / Gorgonia Movement
 

Jim,

I noticed the posts between Rick and yourself about fan movement.

I just recently helped a person at my workplace download the 8k beta with installer and run it on a desktop with 4 screens attached.

The screens are set up as two on top and two on the bottom. We were running the screen saver to not show the same image on all screens so it was split with the top half on the two top screens and the bottom half on the two bottom screens. Scrolling left and right was therefore active.

The fan and Gorgonia (am I spelling that right?) both had motion on the bottom two screens but the top halves were still.

I hope that information helps.

If you'd like more info - screen #'s graphic cards, etc. I can certainly get it. But the system in question is across the cube forest. But I'll certainly make a special trip if that info will help.

How do the beta testers get a key code?

OK, Got it. So, from your viewpoint, MA3 installation shouldn't depend on anything about MA2.6, and need not mess up MA2.6.

[Sorry, I thought I recalled some MA3 troubleshooting advice that involved deleting some MA2.6 registry stuff, which implied a relationship]

Therefore, testing the MA3 Installer could be independent of previous environment involving MA2.6 - and only depend on any previous MA3 environment (or previous runs of the MA3 installer).

But, Jim, you are answering the technical question about the simulator -- NOT the question about the installer. The installation program COULD take notice of (and do something to/with) a previous MA2.6 installation. As you have pointed out, you aren't doing the installer. So my questions about the installer are really questions for Prolific.

Why does that make a difference?

You state that MA3 doesn't replace MA2.6 (and you are technically correct, of course).

HOWEVER: The SereneScreen website is now offering a MA V3.0 Upgrade.

The "accepted" definition (and Microsoft's, if it matters) of Upgrade is:

"Definition: An upgrade is a software package that replaces an installed version of a product with a newer version of the same product. The upgrade process typically leaves existing customer data and preferences intact while replacing the existing software with the newer version."

So, by that definition, installation of MA3 should replace MA2.6 (if it's there). And the installation program could be written to do that.

Obviously, Prolific can use any definition that they choose.

Dale - Our definition is strictly a monetary one. V2.6 owners are given a price break on MA3.

dwax - Just email Customer Service and tell them who you are. Not everyone at once, please. There's only one guy there, and it's going to be a long day.

Jim, - Morgan, ..... You have my blessing to take a week off..... ;)

Having read all todays posts.... This is not a good day. is it?

Nope, not a good day. Plus, my wife left for South Africa yesterday to visit our daughter, so there's no one around to tell me when to eat or sleep. (She's still on an airplane after 30 hours.)

That's yours to decide. (I was just pointing out that it might set "expectations" for some users).

I'm not intending to sound argumentative, Jim. You have pointed out that you are not writing the installer (and implied that you don't know much about what it does, except where it directly affects the simulator).

So, if it's important for this group to test the installer, this group needs to have authoritative information from Prolific, about how the installer works (in areas that don't directly affect your work).

Or, if it's not important for this group to test the installer, then that's OK, too. Somebody should just tell us that.

Or, somebody tell us that the installer is "finished" (nothing is intended to be changed or added), and we can test it, observe what it does, (and perhaps suggest bug fixes and changes).

Those all seem to be Prolific's responsibility to answer.

I try to use there online customer support contact and always get this. :(

Please correct errors and resubmit Tech Support Request form.

You must provide the correct passphrase, your name, email address, AND Description of your problem for Customer Service to help you.

Use your browser's 'BACK' button to correct errors.

They are still working the bugs out. They didn't really want anyone to know that the system had gone live until testing was done.

Then why are they making changes to the Live server instead of a Test server?

I don't make substantial changes to a website without doing a Test first. I didn't migrate to vBulletin 3.7 without testing it for 2 days first. I didn't launch the current Fan Site page until I'd tested it.

I guess I hoped after 9 years they'd realize that fooling around with the Public Sales site of SereneScreen.com creates stress and headaches and makes the author look bad.

They did a lot of testing with the test server, but with things as complicated as e-commerce, there are some parts which can only be tested "for real". So Jim R picked a quiet night, waited about an hour for an order to come in (from France, in this case), saw that it worked OK, then tried to get a little sleep.

There is a problem, I think best to leave them fix it and try again in the next few days. Boy am I glad I test my sites before I make them live, or I would not have any clients, although to be fair, I don't do ecommerce sites just yet, just customer Info sites. PHEWWWW. :erm:

It can be a nightmare with CGI scripts and secure links when banks, credit card companies, PayPal, etc. get involved.

Ah I remember the days when WWW was just a myth, it was all text and newsgroups. You went to a store to make purchases. Now it's insane, making purchases from the Iphone, Web sites secure not secured. Sometime I miss the simpler days...... :loco:

You and I both - Sometimes in SO many ways... including when a man's worth was judged by his actions and what was in his heart, verses now - when the only judgment seems to come from what he has in his pocketbook - regardless of how he has obtained it... :flush:
POSITIVE MORALS EVERYONE!! :TU:
~ God Bless ALL ~ Rob

Works fine for me...

OS Name Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium
Version 6.0.6001 Service Pack 1 Build 6001
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Manufacturer TOSHIBA
System Model EQUIUM P200
System Type X86-based PC
Processor Genuine Intel(R) CPU T2080 @ 1.73GHz, 1733 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date TOSHIBA V1.40, 26/04/2007
SMBIOS Version 2.4
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume2
Locale United Kingdom
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.0.6001.18000"
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 1.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 0.99 GB
Available Physical Memory 280 MB
Total Virtual Memory 2.23 GB
Available Virtual Memory 890 MB
Page File Space 1.28 GB

Hi Jim,

The installer worked fine on my laptop with Vista. I hadn't put 2.6 or any of the beta versions on this machine, so it was a brand new install.

It worked like a bought one!

Many thanks,
Lorraine

No problem in Japanese Window XP, too.

I just bought 3.0 for my sister inlaw no problems works great

windows xp pro s/p 3
radeon 9600 pro

I would like to test the latest version of the installer. I'm willing to purchase the MA3 upgrade to do that, if it has a different (later) installer than Beta8K-with-installer.

Does the version supplied with the upgrade that I can buy from SereneScreen have a "later" installer than the one available for download at http://www.fish-byte.com/images/MarineAquarium3.exe -- or is it exactly the same thing?

[I'm assuming that the $ simulator is identical to Beta8K]

Yes, the official version at SereneScreen.com is Beta8k, identical to the version at my site (which I'm removing - thanks for reminding me).

Hi gang

First of all thank you all for being so diligent in testing as well as helping me work out any issues with the installer. Yes I am the one responsible for it be it good or bad.

Sorry for taking so long to get back to answering issues here...my Mother has been in CCU/ICU for the last week and was just removed from life support yesterday. Not because it's all over but because she is actually recovering, although slowly.

I will go to the beginning of this thread and answer anything I can. Sorry if I repeat an answer that Jim or others may have already provided.

I know for a fact (as I have done it myself many times building the installer)
1) Vista 64 has issues. Most are due to the way it was designed by MS. Vista will battle any "over-rides" we try unless we toggle security and elevate the user. I do not like that idea so there is an additional step required by the user. It is simple.
2) If you see any unexpected results it is usually because of a previous installation that is hiding or stuck in the registry. I will help everyone that has this problem seeing I have done it myself. In most cases the installer will clean all previous installations when uninstalled.
3) For anyone playing with Windows 7 Beta...it works great! Microsoft is listening to customer complaints about Vista in general and I for one will upgrade to Win 7 once released.
Mark

One more thing gang...a biggie
Depending on which beta version you have used ever, search your drive!

1) *.scr
2) *.lst

The search mechanism in Windows is not what it once was so it may not be completely accurate.
If you have unexpected results one of the old versions is lingering. The play list has been moved and all registry settings are based on the CURRENT scr name.

Any questions just ask!
Mark

Thanks for the info, Mark. Glad yer Mother is doing better.

Dale,
Please let me know if I miss any of your previous questions as I will cut to the chase..

The term "upgrade" may not have been the best and I agree is misleading. MA3 is NOT an "upgrade" to 2.6 it is a complete revision. A true upgrade would have a revision number such as 2.6.1 or 2.7 etc.

MA3 is a standalone product with no ties to any previous version. MA3 will run along side of eariler versions and not disrupt them in any way.

The term "upgrade" was used so that anyone falling into the category of free or lower-priced would lock on to the concept and do so. (Please remember, not everyone in the world is a intelligent as the group here. We had to appeal to the masses and help them understand)
The only common factor is that it should install into the same program folder as anything else SereneScreen.

It should be MarineAquarium3.
If you see anything else either another version may exist

Mark, - I have uninstalled then reinstalled Beta8k-with-installer, - I still have no Marine Aquarium 3 in the Display Properties Screen Saver list. Only older MA versions, together with a SereneScreen Marine Aquarium.

C-

I had that problem, too. If you have Vista 64, it can be solved by right-clicking the MA3 desktop icon and selecting 'Install.' Did it for me, hopefully for you, too.

edit: sorry. I may have misunderstood you. My screensaver list says Serenscreen Marine Aquarium, too. Not Marine Aquarium 3.

Thanks for the verification. I've purchased the "upgrade" and will install it on a few varied systems over the next week or so. I anticipate it will work just fine, but I'll report any glitches, etc.

Xylem,
This is strange. MarineAquarium3.scr is in my System32 folder, but not present in the Display Properties Screen Saver list. - Right-clicking/installing from the desktop icon, makes no difference. - In the Display Properties Screen Saver list MA3 is called SereneScreen Marine Aquarium
I am using Win2kPro SP4, BTW.

It sounds like Win2K is cutting off the name.

Check back to Xylem's edit! .... Vista 64 is doing the same.

MA3 is a standalone product with no ties to any previous version. MA3 will run along side of eariler versions and not disrupt them in any way.

He's right, I took ma2.5 and ma3 started them both and put them in the window and they ran well sitting next to each other.:D

Yes. but it's taken an awfully long time, and endless repetition, to convince some that it was so! :)