Beta 9c

Nicki · 02-21-2009, 08:02 PM

Sorry if I am overstepping starting a new thread .

Beta 9c works very well and the interface is good . I have only 2 things to note . The buttons for seconds to display the logo , the up button reduces the seconds and the down button increases . And if I remove all logos from the list and then try to add one , it crashes the program . Sorry to be a bugbear , I just have a lot of time on my hands tonight .

feldon34 · 02-21-2009, 08:27 PM

I wish more people would start new threads with each version or each new issue that comes up. It gets confusing with discussions spread over READ ME FIRST and various other threads.

The great thing about version-specific threads is when an issue is resolved, I can move that thread to a "Retired MA3 Beta Topics" folder.

Jim Sachs · 02-21-2009, 08:36 PM

Butters - You did everything right: a new thread and a good concise bug report.

Dale · 02-21-2009, 09:26 PM

Suggestion: when a new BetaBeta is made available, whoever "publishes" it could also start a new thread for discussion of it. That would "encourage" the desired behavior.

Comment on 9c - it appears to work correctly on Vista 32 and Window 7-32.

Also, repeating a comment I made elsewhere - on a "new" installation, I would expect the C key to do something - even before I did anything in settings.

Jav400 · 02-21-2009, 09:46 PM

Jim,

Here are a few for you.

1. On the Add logo interface, when I add the calendar, clock, whatever; it comes up added as 10 seconds. I think either the "whatever is added" should default to the 20 seconds that is shown "by default" where you can change the time, or that time should be 10 seconds like it shows up in the window automatically when its first added.

2. Like Butters says, the arrows are backwards. - Down increases time and up decreases it.

3. If you add the analog clock, digital clock, and calendar in the row, then click remove, the highlighted calendar is of course removed. Now nothing is highlighted. If you click remove again, while nothing is highlighted, of course nothing happens, but if you go back and then click one of the items after the fact, the program crashes.

PS... I found the last one because I accidentally double clicked when I was testing the remove button and then when I went to highlight one and click again, it crashed.

PPS. Nice job Butters.

Jim Sachs · 02-21-2009, 10:14 PM

Dale - I'm unable to duplicate that. Even after deleting the entire Registry folder, the music playlist and the Logo playlist, after restarting the program, pressing C still brings up the clock.

Michael - I'm open to whatever the consensus is for the default time.

Working on the arrows. Microsoft designed the button that way, and they make it really hard to reverse it.

I'll look into the "nothing is highlighted" problem. The fact that nothing is highlighted is what is causing your crash. There are many places in the program where I have to force the proper line to be highlighted. I must have missed one.

vdirjohn · 02-21-2009, 10:32 PM

The first time you run Beta9c, there is a file called "MA3Beta.scr.log" created in the unziped directory. It appears to be a debug tool. Are we supposed to see this?

Dale · 02-21-2009, 10:33 PM

Originally posted by Jim Sachs:

Dale - I'm unable to duplicate that. Even after deleting the entire Registry folder, the music playlist and the Logo playlist, after restarting the program, pressing C still brings up the clock.
.

I agree (now). I can't duplicate it on 3 other systems - but I swear I saw it on one. Not worth worrying about.

Jim Sachs · 02-21-2009, 10:44 PM

vdirjohn - These Beta versions sometimes produce a log file, which currently only contains the name of the default directory. However, the name of the log file is "MA3.log", not "MA3Beta.scr.log". That file might be something produced by your version of WinZip as it unzipped the file.

vdirjohn · 02-21-2009, 10:46 PM

When you open the new Music Playlist interface, whatever music is playing stops. When you leave the interface the music starts again but at the beginning - not at the point it stopped. Would it be possible to keep the music playing while in the interface and only start at the beginning when a new music file is selected? That way the current music will continue to play when nothing is changed within the interface.

Dale · 02-21-2009, 10:48 PM

Originally posted by Dale:

I agree (now). I can't duplicate it on 3 other systems - but I swear I saw it on one. Not worth worrying about.

Footnote: That was the system where I had already installed the "first" 9c - the one that had a black hole. The problem was probably an artifact of the previous installation, in some way (probably whatever MA3Logolist.lst file was previously put there).

vdirjohn · 02-21-2009, 10:48 PM

This is an example of the contents of MA3Beta.scr.log:

7:47:56 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: Trying to connect Pins :.
7:47:56 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: .
7:47:56 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: .
7:47:56 PM > TBCEnumMediaTypes.Create
7:47:56 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: Trying media type:.
7:47:56 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: major type: {73647561-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}.
7:47:56 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: sub type : {00000001-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}.
7:47:56 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: Major Type: Audio - Sub Type: PCM Format: WaveFormatEx: PCM, 44100 Hertz, 16 Bits, 2 Channels.

Jim Sachs · 02-21-2009, 10:55 PM

Hmmm, very interesting. It looks like it was trying unsuccessfully to load a music file, and DirectShow spit out a log file. Do all your selected songs play? (You can just click on them in the Music Playlist, and press Play to check them.)

Regarding your other question - probably not. The music system is incredibly complex, and uses a whole different system depending on whether it's playing a MIDI file, WMA, MP3, or a WAV. It's extremely easy for it to get confused with bytes coming from different inputs. MIDI notes can hang forever, two streams can get garbled together - all kinds of unpleasantness. The safest way is to just shut down the stream and reset the system whenever a change is coming.

If you notice, I did find a way to allow the music to keep playing when any of the other interfaces is being used.

vdirjohn · 02-21-2009, 11:22 PM

Yes, both songs play with no problem. The default CanonGuitar.sgt and
...\My Music\Tchaikovsky - Marche Slave, Op.31.mp3

The log file continues to grow each time I run beta9c. It shows 5 failures then a success:

11:10:53 PM > TBCEnumMediaTypes.Create
11:10:53 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: Trying media type:.
11:10:53 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: major type: {73647561-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}.
11:10:53 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: sub type : {00000001-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71}.
11:10:53 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: Major Type: Audio - Sub Type: PCM Format: WaveFormatEx: PCM, 44100 Hertz, 16 Bits, 2 Channels.
11:10:53 PM > TBCEnumMediaTypes.Destroy
11:10:53 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: Connection succeeded.
11:10:53 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: Worker thread initializing.
11:10:56 PM > Deliver() returned 80040227; stopping
11:10:56 PM > Object: Bass Source Stream, msg: worker thread exiting.
11:10:56 PM > [TBassSourceStream: Bass Source Stream] FREE
11:10:56 PM > [TBassSource: DC-Bass Source] FREE
FactoryCount: 0, ObjectCount: 0.

Jim Sachs · 02-22-2009, 12:30 AM

What format is that March Slave?

vdirjohn · 02-22-2009, 12:58 AM

It's an MP3 format. I tried other MP3s from the same directory (My Music) and they all work but still create the log file. The multiple errors and the final success all occur within the same second of time.

hololo · 02-22-2009, 03:16 AM

I guess Beta9c is support 128~320 Kbps MP3...

cjmaddy · 02-22-2009, 06:49 AM

Sorry to report all this, - but...

I removed all files from the Logo Playlist, to check out how best I could have only one chosen logo show continuously until the L key is pressed.

.... What a mistake to make!!!

The program now shows the 'black-hole' and refuses to run, (ie crashes), as soon as 'Clock & Logo' is next pressed.
Even deleting 9c and re-downloading MA3Beta.zip has no effect! - The black-hole is still there, and crashes a soon as 'Clock & Logo' is pressed.
.... The crystal can be removed, but not used. (Other than as a black area). - I haven't yet attempted to change anything in the registry.

BTW, - On checking the readme.txt in the Program Files\Marine Aquarium 3 folder, I find the Logo settings info is still for MA2.6

Edit:
Even after deleting all references to MarineAquarium3 in the registry, and re-downloading 9c again, I still have the black-hole lock-up!
.... How can that be!

Dale · 02-22-2009, 09:19 AM

Try deleting the .lst files and then running it.

cjmaddy · 02-22-2009, 10:20 AM

I can report that this black-hole lock-up fault is repeatable. - By restoring an image backup, I was able to reproduce the same problem again and again. - But deleting MA3Logolist.lst from, Application Data\Dream Aquarium 3, and forcing it to regenerate on re-starting,... is much quicker!

Me'thinks a tweak is required somewhere?

02-21-2009, 08:02 PM	#1
Nicki Sugar Plum Fairy Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 1,267	Beta 9c Sorry if I am overstepping starting a new thread . Beta 9c works very well and the interface is good . I have only 2 things to note . The buttons for seconds to display the logo , the up button reduces the seconds and the down button increases . And if I remove all logos from the list and then try to add one , it crashes the program . Sorry to be a bugbear , I just have a lot of time on my hands tonight . Run you clever boy. And remember...

02-21-2009, 08:27 PM	#2
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	I wish more people would start new threads with each version or each new issue that comes up. It gets confusing with discussions spread over READ ME FIRST and various other threads. The great thing about version-specific threads is when an issue is resolved, I can move that thread to a "Retired MA3 Beta Topics" folder. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

02-21-2009, 08:36 PM	#3
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	Butters - You did everything right: a new thread and a good concise bug report. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

02-21-2009, 09:46 PM	#5
Jav400 Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Tennessee Posts: 9,725	Jim, Here are a few for you. 1. On the Add logo interface, when I add the calendar, clock, whatever; it comes up added as 10 seconds. I think either the "whatever is added" should default to the 20 seconds that is shown "by default" where you can change the time, or that time should be 10 seconds like it shows up in the window automatically when its first added. 2. Like Butters says, the arrows are backwards. - Down increases time and up decreases it. 3. If you add the analog clock, digital clock, and calendar in the row, then click remove, the highlighted calendar is of course removed. Now nothing is highlighted. If you click remove again, while nothing is highlighted, of course nothing happens, but if you go back and then click one of the items after the fact, the program crashes. PS... I found the last one because I accidentally double clicked when I was testing the remove button and then when I went to highlight one and click again, it crashed. PPS. Nice job Butters. Michael Administrator of Inside:SereneScreen Aquarium Forum, Chatroom, Fan Site & *Gallery* DVD Collection

02-21-2009, 10:14 PM	#6
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	Dale - I'm unable to duplicate that. Even after deleting the entire Registry folder, the music playlist and the Logo playlist, after restarting the program, pressing C still brings up the clock. Michael - I'm open to whatever the consensus is for the default time. Working on the arrows. Microsoft designed the button that way, and they make it really hard to reverse it. I'll look into the "nothing is highlighted" problem. The fact that nothing is highlighted is what is causing your crash. There are many places in the program where I have to force the proper line to be highlighted. I must have missed one. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

02-21-2009, 09:26 PM	#4
Dale Banned Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Western Missouri Posts: 960	Suggestion: when a new BetaBeta is made available, whoever "publishes" it could also start a new thread for discussion of it. That would "encourage" the desired behavior. Comment on 9c - it appears to work correctly on Vista 32 and Window 7-32. Also, repeating a comment I made elsewhere - on a "new" installation, I would expect the C key to do something - even before I did anything in settings.

02-21-2009, 10:32 PM	#7
vdirjohn Registered Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 9	The first time you run Beta9c, there is a file called "MA3Beta.scr.log" created in the unziped directory. It appears to be a debug tool. Are we supposed to see this?

02-21-2009, 10:33 PM	#8
Dale Banned Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Western Missouri Posts: 960	Originally posted by Jim Sachs: Dale - I'm unable to duplicate that. Even after deleting the entire Registry folder, the music playlist and the Logo playlist, after restarting the program, pressing C still brings up the clock. . I agree (now). I can't duplicate it on 3 other systems - but I swear I saw it on one. Not worth worrying about.

02-21-2009, 10:44 PM	#9
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	vdirjohn - These Beta versions sometimes produce a log file, which currently only contains the name of the default directory. However, the name of the log file is "MA3.log", not "MA3Beta.scr.log". That file might be something produced by your version of WinZip as it unzipped the file. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

02-21-2009, 10:46 PM	#10
vdirjohn Registered Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 9	When you open the new Music Playlist interface, whatever music is playing stops. When you leave the interface the music starts again but at the beginning - not at the point it stopped. Would it be possible to keep the music playing while in the interface and only start at the beginning when a new music file is selected? That way the current music will continue to play when nothing is changed within the interface.

02-21-2009, 10:48 PM	#11
Dale Banned Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Western Missouri Posts: 960	Originally posted by Dale: I agree (now). I can't duplicate it on 3 other systems - but I swear I saw it on one. Not worth worrying about. Footnote: That was the system where I had already installed the "first" 9c - the one that had a black hole. The problem was probably an artifact of the previous installation, in some way (probably whatever MA3Logolist.lst file was previously put there).

02-21-2009, 10:55 PM	#13
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	Hmmm, very interesting. It looks like it was trying unsuccessfully to load a music file, and DirectShow spit out a log file. Do all your selected songs play? (You can just click on them in the Music Playlist, and press Play to check them.) Regarding your other question - probably not. The music system is incredibly complex, and uses a whole different system depending on whether it's playing a MIDI file, WMA, MP3, or a WAV. It's extremely easy for it to get confused with bytes coming from different inputs. MIDI notes can hang forever, two streams can get garbled together - all kinds of unpleasantness. The safest way is to just shut down the stream and reset the system whenever a change is coming. If you notice, I did find a way to allow the music to keep playing when any of the other interfaces is being used. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

02-22-2009, 12:30 AM	#15
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	What format is that March Slave? Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

02-22-2009, 12:58 AM	#16
vdirjohn Registered Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 9	It's an MP3 format. I tried other MP3s from the same directory (My Music) and they all work but still create the log file. The multiple errors and the final success all occur within the same second of time.

02-22-2009, 03:16 AM	#17
hololo Registered Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Taipei Taiwan Posts: 43	I guess Beta9c is support 128~320 Kbps MP3...

02-22-2009, 06:49 AM	#18
cjmaddy Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lancashire, UK Posts: 7,854	Sorry to report all this, - but... I removed all files from the Logo Playlist, to check out how best I could have only one chosen logo show continuously until the L key is pressed. .... What a mistake to make!!! The program now shows the 'black-hole' and refuses to run, (ie crashes), as soon as 'Clock & Logo' is next pressed. Even deleting 9c and re-downloading MA3Beta.zip has no effect! - The black-hole is still there, and crashes a soon as 'Clock & Logo' is pressed. .... The crystal can be removed, but not used. (Other than as a black area). - I haven't yet attempted to change anything in the registry. BTW, - On checking the readme.txt in the Program Files\Marine Aquarium 3 folder, I find the Logo settings info is still for MA2.6 Edit: Even after deleting all references to MarineAquarium3 in the registry, and re-downloading 9c again, I still have the black-hole lock-up! .... How can that be!

02-22-2009, 09:19 AM	#19
Dale Banned Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Western Missouri Posts: 960	Try deleting the .lst files and then running it.

02-22-2009, 10:20 AM	#20
cjmaddy Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lancashire, UK Posts: 7,854	I can report that this black-hole lock-up fault is repeatable. - By restoring an image backup, I was able to reproduce the same problem again and again. - But deleting MA3Logolist.lst from, Application Data\Dream Aquarium 3, and forcing it to regenerate on re-starting,... is much quicker! Me'thinks a tweak is required somewhere?