[Fixed:3.0] MA3 closes down after 5 minutes.

[Jim Sachs]

You can delete it. It should not (by default) enter a path. The name in the list should just be CanonGuitar.sgt. When the program starts up, it looks for an MA3Playlist.lst file. If it doesn't find one, it will be created, and "CanonGuitar.sgt" will be written as the only entry. When it comes time to play music and the program encounters that exact text string, it will play the MIDI file from its own Resource.

Since Cliff mentioned converting the MIDI file to MP3, here's an interesting aside: Though MP3 is far more economical in terms of bytes than previous formats, it pales in comparison to MIDI. An MP3 file is about 1 meg per minute of music, so a 5-minute piece would be about 5 megs. My default MIDI file is over 5 minutes of music, but even including the high-quality string guitar waveforem, only adds 114k to the MA3 zip filesize. That's 1/40 the size of an MP3 file.

[Ralph]

Then the program works exactly as it was designed on my machine as well.

[Dale]

Jim, I know you don't usually read my long posts, but perhaps you will read this one - I believe it describes a bug.

Originally posted by Jim Sachs:

You can delete it. It should not (by default) enter a path. The name in the list should just be CanonGuitar.sgt. When the program starts up, it looks for an MA3Playlist.lst file. If it doesn't find one, it will be created, and "CanonGuitar.sgt" will be written as the only entry. When it comes time to play music and the program encounters that exact text string, it will play the MIDI file from its own Resource.  

Interestingly, if the file C:\Documents and Settings\Dale\Application Data\Marine Aquarium 3\CanonGuitar.sgt exists;

and if the entry is deleted (using settings), or if the MA3Playlist.lst file is deleted, then when the program runs, it adds (as the only entry in the playlist)

C:\Documents and Settings\Dale\Application Data\Marine Aquarium 3\CanonGuitar.sgt

The following set of test procedures shows how to create the file:

===================
Procedure 1:
If I delete that CanonGuitar.sgt file, and delete the MA3Playlist.lst file, and then perform the following steps:

Right-click on desktop
Select Properties
Select ScreenSaver tab
Click on Music Playlist

The playlist contains:
C:\Documents and Settings\Dale\Application Data\Marine Aquarium 3\CanonGuitar.sgt

And the CanonGuitar.sgt file has been re-created in the directory

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

Procedure 2:
If I delete that CanonGuitar.sgt file, and delete the MA3Playlist.lst file, and then perform the following steps:

Right-click on desktop
Select Properties
Select ScreenSaver tab
Click on Preview

The playlist contains:CanonGuitar.sgt

And the CanonGuitar.sgt file has NOT been re-created in the directory.

===== But: doing Procedure 1, at any time after that, creates the file C:\Documents and Settings\Dale\Application Data\Marine Aquarium3\CanonGuitar.sgt

So: deleting the file doesn't permanently get rid of it (or of the "problem").

Of course, that doesn't explain the original (crash) problem, but it does seem to be different behavior than was expected.

[Jim Sachs]

Ah, screensaver stuff. I'll look into it.

[cjmaddy]

Yes Jim, - as I stated back in post #29, the MP3 file I created WAS much larger! (4,950 KB). - But my test was solely to see if ANY different file type would stop the close-down... And it did! - So I consider it more than just an interesting aside!

Can you suggest any other file type I can convert to in order to help solve this close-down problem?

However small a file is, if it closes the program down, it can't be a good thing to have, in my book!

[Jim Sachs]

Cliff - I don't want to cover up the problem by having you use a different file type, I want to duplicate the problem here so I can actaully fix it.

[cjmaddy]

I realise that this is likely to be connected with some setting or other on my computer, as no one else has yet been able to duplicate it. But I don't think it is related necessarily to Win2K. - Our other two Win2K machines do not show this problem..... So far!

If there is anything else I can do or change or try, - just say what it is!

(However, - I shall be out now for about 5 hours)

[Dale]

Originally posted by Jim Sachs:

Ah, screensaver stuff. I'll look into it.  

Not entirely. I just also saw that deleting the two files, and then clicking on the desktop icon, sometimes creates CanonGuitar.sgt and a ZERO-byte playlist (no text).

I don't have time right now to test exactly what conditions/settings are required.

[henemly]

Originally posted by Dale:

Right-click on desktop
Select Properties
Select ScreenSaver tab
Click on Music Playlist

The playlist contains:
C:\Documents and Settings\Dale\Application Data\Marine Aquarium 3\CanonGuitar.sgt

And the CanonGuitar.sgt file has been re-created in the directory  

I got the installed .scr moved to a dir on D drive cause I only run it on
demand. Deleted the playlist, re-run it, and CanonGuitar.sgt is in the dir.
Tried the 'Switch Sound File Converter' program to convert to mp3,
but it said invalid file format and didn't work.

[Jim Sachs]

Why are you wasting time trying to convert the file to MP3? Cliff only did it to cure a specific problem. If you don't have that problem, then it's an exercise in futility.

[Dale]

The original problem report (from one computer) has resulted in discovery of an apparent bug (CanonGuitar.sgt file sometimes being created).

Perhaps there needs to be a new forum thread for one or the other topic.

[cjmaddy]

henemly, - As Jim says, if you don't have this MA3 close-down problem, then there doesn't seem much point in making an extremely large (4,950 KB) MP3 file to replace a 58 KB .sgt file. - However, if for some other reason you want an MP3, then try the procedure I describe in post #29, (ie. rename the file type first) - It worked for me, and I was using the same program... 'Switch Sound File Converter'.

[henemly]

Thanks, forgot the ren part, that helps. But as Jim says, I did it
almost for nothing.

[Dale]

ONE way to demonstrate file creation without using ScreenSaver mode:

Starting conditions: MA3 program setting music UNchecked. Delete MA3PlayList.lst and CanonGuitar.sgt if present.

Click on Desktop MA3 icon
Press space bar
Click on Music Playlist (notice full file path).

You will now see MA3Playlist (1 KB) and CanonGuitar.sgt in the folder.

There are probably other combinations, but that's enough to demonstrate that the bug is not exclusively related to ScreenSaver mode.

[Jim Sachs]

OK, now I KNOW something is screwy. You're saying that just the normal way bringing up the Aquarium (through the icon) will result in the full path being put into the list. Which version of the program are you using?

[Dale]

Originally posted by Jim Sachs:

OK, now I KNOW something is screwy. You're saying that just the normal way bringing up the Aquarium (through the icon) will result in the full path being put into the list. Which version of the program are you using?  

Installed version, Beta 9M.

Yes, that's what I'm saying - but with the exact set of conditions and operations that I gave. The CanonGuitar.sgt file is created, and its full-path location is put in the list.

Establish stated starting conditions. (Music NOT selected, both files absent from the folder)
Click on Desktop MA3 icon
Press space bar
Click on Music Playlist (notice full file path).


It's absolutely repeatable.

[There are probably other sequences, too - but one should be enough?]

[Dale]

The above is on a Windows XP system.

On another computer, Windows Vista 32, it's also repeatable. (Of course the actual path is a bit different).

[Ralph]

The full path to my MA3Playlist.lst.... Not to the actual CanonGuitar.sgt
This is different though from deleting and starting MA3 with the music box checked... then the file is rebuilt and only the name CanonGuitar.sgt is in the file

[Jim Sachs]

I need to finish the clams before I look into this. If I think about it now, all the spinning plates will tumble down.

[Overlord]

Yes, the clams MUST be finished. From my calculations if they are not, it will cause a rip in the time continuum.