DiyLightAnimation
Software => Vixen => Topic started by: zwiller on November 30, 2009,
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I've had a rough time getting Vixen to be stable. Installed 2.5.0.5 1st time and crashed often. Installed 2nd time and was stable. I was working on them for weeks flawlessly and bam, can't openT next day.
I have a total of around 8 sequnces and only 2 give the error. Of course, these are the CRITICAL ones. I have invested alot of time in both of these. Enough time that I will be try anything to save them. My machine is XP Pro and specs out for Vixen. I have tried ALL different versions of Vixen but am using 2.5.0.8 now, all with same results.
Error info: unhandled exception. "." hexadecimal value 0.00 is an invalid character. Line 34, Position 176.
The other file has same error but different location.
Tried running updater, reinstalling net2, different Vixens, searching everywhere and joined bugzilla. No luck.
Can anyone point me in the right direction??? THANKS
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Sounds like the error I got. I fixed mine by installing it to another location on the PC then copying my Profiles, Sequences, and Programs folders from the bad location to the new location and running Vixen from there. Once I got it running, I copied the entire Vixen folder (with subfolders) to a USB thumb drive. If it happens again, I will just delete the Vixen folder off my PC and copy it back down from the thumb drive.
Hope this helps,
Jay
I've had a rough time getting Vixen to be stable. Installed 2.5.0.5 1st time and crashed often. Installed 2nd time and was stable. I was working on them for weeks flawlessly and bam, can't openT next day.
I have a total of around 8 sequnces and only 2 give the error. Of course, these are the CRITICAL ones. I have invested alot of time in both of these. Enough time that I will be try anything to save them. My machine is XP Pro and specs out for Vixen. I have tried ALL different versions of Vixen but am using 2.5.0.8 now, all with same results.
Error info: unhandled exception. "." hexadecimal value 0.00 is an invalid character. Line 34, Position 176.
The other file has same error but different location.
Tried running updater, reinstalling net2, different Vixens, searching everywhere and joined bugzilla. No luck.
Can anyone point me in the right direction??? THANKS
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Jay,
Thanks. I tried something like this already and it didn't work, but it's making me think. I just installed Vixen on my desktop originally. Trying to fix I copied renamed deleted and reinstalled but same place. I'll try another place probably my documents. (fingers crossed)
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Tried moving it around to several locations: no luck and same error. My hunch is the sequence is somehow corrupted. I am baffled because I worked on them for weeks and had no problems. All of a sudden, I can't open them.
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Tried moving it around to several locations: no luck and same error. My hunch is the sequence is somehow corrupted. I am baffled because I worked on them for weeks and had no problems. All of a sudden, I can't open them.
Sorry to hear that. I have run into this problem before and learned to backup my sequences to another folder or drive.
Maybe KC can help you, try to send him an email or go to his bugzilla page http://bugzilla.vixenlights.com/
and ask for help.
Rick R.
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Don't give up yet. If you posted at DIYC I'm sure someone will be able to help you. Meanwhile, a lesson to be learned here. Make backup early and often and keep them off your computer. Can you remember the last thing you were doing prior to the error ? (Reading through 1st post again, sorry... surfing on the phone. Tiny screen)
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I will try over at DIYC. I am starting a new sequence for another tune while I try and fix. Yeah, it's backup time.
Worked on the sequence the night before and saved often. (lost a few that way already) Last thing was am after and I was not in Vixen and was just general cleanup of desktop icons kinda of getting ready to finish the sequence. I DO think that I could have moved the Vixen folder before this problem.
Thanks guys
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Good luck Sam... I feel for you!
John
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Sam,
I sent you an email in case you come to the site first. I think I was able to get some if not all of your data from the file you sent me. Try it out based on the 2 options in the email. Let me know how it works.
Rob
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Rob,
You saved it! It looks like ALL the sequence is there too. THANKS!!! I will try and fix the other one based on your instructions.
I think from now on I will not modify a profile that was used for a sequence. 90% sure that's what caused this.
I might be able to go live soon. Dongle is complete and LE was already (thanks ThaiWay). I have my cat 5 and newly purchased extension cords and more than half of my lights are already up, but static. Just waiting for the postal dude to show up with my transmitter and LE cases.
I keep laughing to myself from the "look" I got from the girl working the register of Menards when I bought 40 extension cords. My daughter was with me and picked em out herself. PRICELESS
BTW 88 cents for 6 footers 1.39 for 9ers
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Sam,
I sent you an email in case you come to the site first. I think I was able to get some if not all of your data from the file you sent me. Try it out based on the 2 options in the email. Let me know how it works.
Rob
Hi Sam,
Congrats on getting the sequence fixed.
Ron,
Can you post how to fix the vix files to help any body out in the future?
Thanks
Rick R.
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I keep laughing to myself from the "look" I got from the girl working the register of Menards when I bought 40 extension cords.
Trust me - you will get a LOT of those looks as you expand in the future - the checker at Lowes is used to it now when she sees me... :D
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zwiller situation was a little unique I think. We know the vixen files are xml based. The idea I had was to ensure the xml was well-formed, meaning opening tags had closing tags, etc. You can do this via apps like XML Spy or even IE/Firefox.
Sams file was missing a few tags. The end of EventValues (the actual on/off/intensity values). I added that in there and an additional tag. It looked like that maybe either during the file save/copy that part of the file got lost (assumption).
But adding the tags wasn't the only problem here. Since the EventValues are in a Base64 encoded format, there are sometimes special characters at the end of the string to represent the "boundries". Typically that is either 1 or 2 equal signs "=".
So the process I followed...
1. Open the file up in an app that recognizes xml to verify well-formness (every start tag has an end tag).
2. Compared the file to an existing file to ensure all tags were present. In this case, in addition to the missing EventValues tag, there was another tag immediately following that was also missing. So at the point where the data may have been corrupted, verify no additional tags were removed.
3. Once, it is a proper xml file again, open in vixen. In this case Vixen complained about an "Invalid length for a Base64 char array". There is where I guessed and added an "=" to the end of the base64 event values data. This was only a guess because there could have been a lot of data missing. I just assumed the data wasn't affect. Sometimes you might have to put "==", it really depends on the size of the data you are writing out to disk. If that doesn't work, then you have to take it into a program that will convert the base64 into binary and find out where the data stops. This can be a little tricky.
I really think this was a unique situation. But in case someone else experiences the same type of problem... maybe these tips will help.
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Greetings,,,
Good work!
Keith
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Sam... I'm sooooo happy for you!
Rob... you're amazing. You've helped me so much too, and it's really appreciated!
John
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Awesome work guys. Nice save Rob!
RJ
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Hey, no worries... that's what we are here for. Glad I could offer help.
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I have this kind of effect on computers. Man, I feel like I've swallowed to red pill and when I look at a computer all is see is the matrix... xml code, cool stuff. And I thought java was scary...
Tinned my cords last night and I am almost out of what I thought at one time was a lifetime supply of solder. Time to go pro and pick up a pounder.
While we're at it: Can you pros offer some advice on profile usage. I still can't wrap my mind around the theory. (red pill not fully dissolved, ate something first)
When changing things up, I generally create a new profile from an old one 1st and later attach it to the sequence I want. Nothing else. I am doing this wrong? I still don't understand "flattening" the sequence, etc.
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Profiles gave me heartburn too for a little while.. But .. I finally figured it out (still having some problems but usually it is because I created my own black hole).. The way I finally made sense out of it is to picture a sequence as the scene that you see through a very large hole in the wall. It has all the pretties and flow but minimal boundries... add the window frame that provides the boundries for that view. The pretties are still there but now the view of them are contained within the frame. That frame can be saved and used over and over and over. and If you make a change to that frame..... it will affect every picture (sequence) that you look at.
Now flattening the profile..... just means that the frame for that particular picture is no longer independent of the scene.... is now an immediate part of the scene.... changes to the "independent profile" will no longer affect this "flattened" sequence.
I know..... I've made the situation as clear as mudpie... and not as sweet.
Larry
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I have this kind of effect on computers. Man, I feel like I've swallowed to red pill and when I look at a computer all is see is the matrix... xml code, cool stuff. And I thought java was scary...
Tinned my cords last night and I am almost out of what I thought at one time was a lifetime supply of solder. Time to go pro and pick up a pounder.
While we're at it: Can you pros offer some advice on profile usage. I still can't wrap my mind around the theory. (red pill not fully dissolved, ate something first)
When changing things up, I generally create a new profile from an old one 1st and later attach it to the sequence I want. Nothing else. I am doing this wrong? I still don't understand "flattening" the sequence, etc.
I think (first bad sign - rrowan thinking {I can hear Keith laughing now}), you are talking about changing channel order. Go to the menu profile, manage, select your profile that you want to change and click on the equal looking sign button. Go down the channel order drop down (see first picture) and then click on define new order. Another screen opens up listing your channels. Select one and either move it up or down, continue doing that until you are happy and click on OK, now you are back to the edit profile screen. Make sure you click on the first icon to the right of the channel order drop down to save your new order.
Flattening -
When editing your sequence normally you have a adjustable preview select and possible enttec pro on the output plugins (or more of them).
For the SHOW you don't want all of that extra info in there slowing things down or even causing some errors and stopping the show.
So once your sequence is ready, you need to flatten it out to remove the extra info. In the program manager where the show runs you create a program (ie: Show-2009) and then attach your sequences in the order you like (some like to have one big sequence and just use that) at the bottom section of the program screen you will see options to use a profile, a program plugin setup, or the sequence plugin.
You should use the program plugin setup. Click the plugin setup button below and select the enttec pro usb and set the com port and 115200 for the baud rate.
I normally have a edit sequence computer and a show computer so the setup is simple for me.
Hope that is clear and not as clear as mud :( :)
Cheers
Rick R.
Oh well, Moose beat me to the mud pie :D
Guess 4 legs are faster than two :D
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My name is mud (as les claypool says)
I think I am getting this, but that change channel button still scares me. But I'll backup and go fer it.
Now that I think I have this I am kind of laughing because when I changed channels before I went to the adjustable preview and moved the channels manually by redrawing the stuff. Heck, several times I tried to cut and paste an entire channel from the sequence to another. It's making sense now.
Thanks all for helping me out!
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Greetings,,,
Since Rick is helping someone, I'll keep my laughter for the louder sequences, where it'll be covered up...
Insert Wizards <smirk> Winter <giggle>...
(Don't even try Silent Night...)
;D
Keith