ElfPreview Output PlugIn (new)

I will start this post off with: AWESOME!!! This has made creating a preview so much easier!!! Thank you.

Now the bug.... when using Elf Preview in the profile for my sequences, it works fine when running a single sequence. When I have Elf Preview enabled in my profile when trying to run a program of sequences, it crashes Vixen 2.1.1.0. I have created a program of my sequences, chose to use 'Use each sequence's plugin setup" and when I try to run the program from the dialog, it starts off with a pop-up "Object reference not set to an instance of an object". Click Ok, then the stop button and get an unhandled exception error "Object reference not set to an instance of an object." and the following trace:
************** Exception Text **************
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at ElfPreview.PreviewDialog.cmdStop_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in c:\Users\roba\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Editable Adjustable Preview\ElfPreview Vixen 2.1x\PreviewDialog.cs:line 101
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

Then close the window, choose to save changes and then I get another unhandled exception "Collection was modified; enumeration operation may not execute with the following trace:
************** Exception Text **************
System.InvalidOperationException: Collection was modified; enumeration operation may not execute.
at System.Collections.ArrayList.ArrayListEnumeratorSimple.MoveNext()
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ExitInternal()
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.OnThreadException(Exception t)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProcException(Exception e)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
at System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessageW(MSG& msg)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(Int32 dwComponentID, Int32 reason, Int32 pvLoopData)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows.Forms.Form.ShowDialog(IWin32Window owner)
at Vixen.Form1.manageProgramsToolStripMenuItem_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.RaiseEvent(Object key, EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripMenuItem.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripItem.HandleMouseUp(MouseEventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDown.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mea)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripDropDown.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

These errors happen no matter what selection I make for the program.

I have also noticed the slow load when going into the plugin setup in the profile manager. I have 230 channels with this profile.
 
mwestling,

Interesting. The point where the Stop button is throwing the error, the program is calling back to Vixen to notify it of a "key click" (namely the F8 key, to indicate a stop). The only way this would happen is if the internal Vixen object I'm referencing wasn't there anymore (ie is null). The same with the 2nd error you listed, that one is entirely within Vixen. Not sure what's going on, but you might want to get a new copy of Vixen 2.1 and replace your current one, something within it could be corrupted.

The slow load going into the setup is a known issue I am looking at right now.
 
ErnieHorning said:
I had the same issue with 0.1.1.2. It doesn't work if it's just added at the end. I moved it and this worked:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<configuration>
<runtime><loadFromRemoteSources enabled="true"/></runtime>
<startup><supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.0"/></startup></configuration>

Rob, is there any way that this could be figured out the first time the program is run? The program should at least run right out the box. I'm thinking of newbies that are frustrated enough just figuring how everything works already, hardware and software.
Click to expand...

I will make sure this modification is present at the next release so people won't have to do this in the future.
 
Beta 0.1.5, Build 5
--Re-enabling channels, fixed the font on the Channel Explorer to remove the italicizing
--Move Channel tool - fixed the Execute button
--New option, Disable Undo, this should speed up the loading of large profiles, and the cost of not having that feature (for now). To use, open up the Elf Editor standalone app, click File|Settings, check Disable Undo. Restart the application for this to have an effect.
--Added 'loadFromRemoteSources' to the configuration to allow for the Tools and Profiles to be found. A big "Thank you!" to everyone who helped fix this for me!
--Background image now loads correctly during playback if only saved as a filename.
--Import from Profile, Override colors handled correctly. Before it was only overriding the displayed colors on the Elf window, whereas within Vixen your channels would have been unaffected, color-wise.
--Sequencer and Render Colors now being saved correctly. Related to the last one.
--Changed version on files to correctly match build number, now should display 0.1.5... I was confusing myself with my earlier, chaotic system(?). Since this is the 5th build of this beta, the version is 0.1.5.0 When the final version is out, it will simply be 1.0.0.0
 
Rob, I’m seeing a drastic difference between the new Elf 0.1.5.0 plugin with Vixen+ compared to the previous 0.1.1.2 version.

I’m seeing a large lag time on the visualizer anytime that there’s a lot of movement. With a sequence that has only 32 channels of nearly constant movement at 25 milliseconds, it’s nearly a constant 50% CPU load for Vixen+, whereas 0.1.1.2 shows between 7 and 15% with the exact same Vixen+ and sequence. With the old version, the load value changes with the number of channels that are changing. With the new version, the load jumps up to 50% and changes 1 to 2%. Visually, it looks like I have half the processing power than what’s needed for the movement. The visualizer is skipping changes to keep up. Both versions show a load of 1% if no channels are changing.

I’m using the latest 0.1.265.1 version of Vixen+.
 
Rob, this is with a fresh install of Vixen, even on a fresh install of Windows 7. I will try updating to the new version of Elf Preview and see if something 'automagically' got fixed. The first error though occurs when I try and play the program from the play button on the program dialog box and as soon as it tries to load Elf Preview is when it is having the error.
 
mwestling said:
Rob, this is with a fresh install of Vixen, even on a fresh install of Windows 7. I will try updating to the new version of Elf Preview and see if something 'automagically' got fixed. The first error though occurs when I try and play the program from the play button on the program dialog box and as soon as it tries to load Elf Preview is when it is having the error.
Click to expand...

Ok, let me know if it is still broke.
 
I will try to see if I can reproduce this. Running with Vixen 2.1.1 I'm not seeing too heavy a load, at least not one that varies during a playback too much. What is your FPS number showing during this?
 
ErnieHorning said:
Rob, I’m seeing a drastic difference between the new Elf 0.1.5.0 plugin with Vixen+ compared to the previous 0.1.1.2 version.

I’m seeing a large lag time on the visualizer anytime that there’s a lot of movement. With a sequence that has only 32 channels of nearly constant movement at 25 milliseconds, it’s nearly a constant 50% CPU load for Vixen+, whereas 0.1.1.2 shows between 7 and 15% with the exact same Vixen+ and sequence. With the old version, the load value changes with the number of channels that are changing. With the new version, the load jumps up to 50% and changes 1 to 2%. Visually, it looks like I have half the processing power than what’s needed for the movement. The visualizer is skipping changes to keep up. Both versions show a load of 1% if no channels are changing.

I’m using the latest 0.1.265.1 version of Vixen+.
Click to expand...

Wow, yah, that is a massive increase of CPU power being taken up between the two versions. Def. need to research what is going on there. Thanks for letting me know...
 
Rob, also something that I noticed in the first error is the second line "System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at ElfPreview.PreviewDialog.cmdStop_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in c:\Users\roba\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Editable Adjustable Preview\ElfPreview Vixen 2.1x\PreviewDialog.cs:line 101" This happens when I press the play button on the program dialog box. It is almost as if it is trying to render the action for the stop button in ElfPreview and there is a null reference. I will download the update and try it tomorrow. (Too late tonight to even think of it)
 
Ok, tried it with the latest update and still same error. Press the play button and get a dialog box "Plugin Error" and "Object reference not set to an instance of an object".

Sorry
 
Beta 0.1.6, Build 6
-- Fixes a crash that happens when trying to run the sequences in a program. Mikol, here is your fix. Good catch!
 
Wow, I see what you all mean about some of the performance issues with the plugin. I was working on a sequence at home and downloaded it. It is a dog! The earliest version wasn't too bad, but it really is bad now. My work computer (where I have done all my development and testing) has so much memory and processing that it blows past all this and in very useable... Time to get out the chopping knife and pare back!
 
Well, I think I might have the CPU utilization issue fixed on Playback. Looks like it was related to how the background image was being handled in memory... Weird. I am going to test at home and let you all know tomorrow if it's better.
 
Found the issue. Something with how the background image was being handled. I compared the cpu utilization with the earliest release of Elf Preview to my fix and it looks like that's done it. I will be putting out the new version later today.

I've also noticed the CPU utilization when you bring up the editor is bad too, probably the same bug. I'm going to see if I can get that fixed as well with this release.
 
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