Random variable and settings changes
Has anyone but me experienced random variable or settings changes over the past 8-10 months? I run Windows 7 Pro 64 bit. I have two BricsCAD installations on my machine, V17.2.08 and V19.2.07. Both are experiencing the problems. (I only run one at the same time.) First it was problems losing all the tools in the quad. The support group tried, but could not figure out how to restore the quad. This caused me to switch back to V17. Then I started having problems with snap settings changing at random. Tool bars turning off, or missing tools. Ribbon turning on. (I hate it and never use it.) Sheet metal parameters becoming frozen. (Had to go back to V17 because I could not alter K-Factor, bend radius, etc.) View or rendering settings have changed. Did you know there is a variable that will remove the threads from fasteners? That got set all by itself. This week, an old bug returned. Double clicking on a file in the windows file manager, causes TWO instances of BricsCAD to start up, rather than open a second window. We have up to date anti-virus software. The IT manager insists there is nothing wrong with the server. (I store the customization file and on our server so they will be protected. We never have had a problem with that before.
Comments
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NO ONE having problems like this?
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I sometimes have that problem of multiple instances of Bricscad opening even though Singleton is on. It doesn't happen very often, maybe 2 or 3 times in a year. This is on v17.2.12 on Windows 7 Pro 64.
I don't know what causes that singleton issue. When it happens, I close both instances, then open Windows Task Manager and terminate any Bricscad application or process, and then start Bricscad again. If that didn't work, I'd reboot Windows. I can't remember whether I've ever had to go that far. As I said, it doesn't happen very often.
The only other quirk I have is that whenever I shut down Bricscad it puts a crash report in the drawing folder. No idea why, but aside from that everything works fine. I don't use toolbars or ribbons, so I wouldn't know if I were having problems with those.
I do have a conflict between Bricscad and MacroExpress, but I think of that as a MacroExpress problem. Keyboard input suddenly stops. After that, there's no keyboard input in any app. But it always starts when I'm using Bricscad. It happens much more often than the singleton problem, almost daily in fact. But it's solved quickly by closing MacroExpress, using Task Manager to terminate the ME process, and then restarting ME.
I used to have a problem with Windows 7 crashing annoyingly often, definitely more than once a month, and requiring a system reboot. But I have no reason to think that was related to Bricscad. In fact, I think it always happened while in a browser. But since they stopped Windows 7 support I haven't had a single crash.
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@Anthony Apostolaros said:
I sometimes have that problem of multiple instances of Bricscad openingWell thank you for answering Anthony. My BricsCAD installations have been very unstable since V18. Variables I never even heard of change on their own. Toolbars turn on and off. Snaps quit working. Tools disappear from the Quad, and never appear again. Today I am having changes with my profile and toolbars. Strange colors, features I never use (ribbon,etc.) turned on. I saved backup copies of my customization file and profile file but loading them does no good. It's very frustrating. No one in the management believes me. I have to pump out at least two drawings every day.
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I've never seen anything like that. If a little of that happened, I'd ask whether you have any custom commands or other add-on software that could be making the unintended changes. But this sounds too extreme for that. I can't imagine what would cause it. Have you filed a support request?
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Has anyone but me experienced random variable or settings changes over the past 8-10 months?
Hmmh, yes,
on macOS with BC v20.
Parts of Settings and or UI Palettes deactivated.But no problems on Windows so far.
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@Anthony Apostolaros said:
I've never seen anything like that. If a little of that happened, I'd ask whether you have any custom commands or other add-on software that could be making the unintended changes. But this sounds too extreme for that. I can't imagine what would cause it. Have you filed a support request?I have a couple old LSP files loaded that I have used for years, but no add on software. The problems make it almost unusable. I've filed several support requests. I have to churn out at least 10 drawings a week. This impacts my work. They don't seem to believe me...
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@Michael Mayer said:
Has anyone but me experienced random variable or settings changes over the past 8-10 months?
Hmmh, yes,
on macOS with BC v20.
Parts of Settings and or UI Palettes deactivated.But no problems on Windows so far.
Knock on wood! Other than that, how does it run under the Mac OS?" Just as fast? Does Communicator work?
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how does it run under the Mac OS?
Basically very well.
Just as fast?
The old Mac Pro 2013 Trashcan is of course noticeably slower than the Ryzen 3950 PC.
There is just a Bug (*) that crashes Bricscad Mac only when (accidentally) dragging the Mouse
Cursor while clicking on UI Elements.
Like when clicking while shaking cursor on a Profile Type Icon in BIM Profile Panel.
Maybe more UI Elements or even Quad effected so I experience many sudden unexpected
crashes.Does Communicator work on Mac ?
Not sure.
I see it in settings and switched from "use as trial" to "use communicator"But I don't know how it works and where to find it.
I see no changes in Import or Export Dialogs.
Or would I need to activate it manually in UI Customization ?So I wouldn't be surprised Communicator it is not really available on Mac (?)
(Like missing RFA import and such things)(*) BTW
Crash Log extract :Crashed Thread: 0 Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Exception Codes: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000000
Exception Note: EXC_CORPSE_NOTIFYTermination Signal: Segmentation fault: 11
Termination Reason: Namespace SIGNAL, Code 0xb
Terminating Process: exc handler [13309]VM Regions Near 0:
-->
__TEXT 000000010e1b1000-000000010e22c000 [ 492K] r-x/r-x SM=COW /Library/Bricsys/*Thread 0 Crashed:: Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
0 bim_ui.tx 0x000000013e88b926 bim_ui::BimProfilesPanel::onListBeginDrag(wxListEvent&) + 278
1 libwx_baseu-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011124bcde wxEvtHandler::SearchDynamicEventTable(wxEvent&) + 222
2 libwx_baseu-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011124ba4b wxEvtHandler::ProcessEventLocally(wxEvent&) + 59
3 libwx_baseu-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011124b960 wxEvtHandler::ProcessEvent(wxEvent&) + 96
4 libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011153ce11 wxScrollHelperEvtHandler::ProcessEvent(wxEvent&) + 33
5 libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.1.2.dylib 0x00000001113c4fb8 wxListMainWindow::SendNotify(unsigned long, int, wxPoint const&) + 552
6 libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.1.2.dylib 0x00000001113c1847 wxListMainWindow::OnMouse(wxMouseEvent&) + 2487
7 libwx_baseu-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011124acff wxEventHashTable::HandleEvent(wxEvent&, wxEvtHandler) + 367
8 libwx_baseu-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011124ba6a wxEvtHandler::ProcessEventLocally(wxEvent&) + 90
9 libwx_baseu-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011124b960 wxEvtHandler::ProcessEvent(wxEvent&) + 96
10 libwx_baseu-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011124be7c wxEvtHandler::SafelyProcessEvent(wxEvent&) + 12
11 libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011140e468 wxWidgetCocoaImpl::DoHandleMouseEvent(NSEvent) + 104
12 libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.1.2.dylib 0x0000000111408b12 wxWidgetCocoaImpl::mouseEvent(NSEvent*, NSView*, void*) + 498
13 com.apple.AppKit 0x00007fff328a6367 -[NSWindow(NSEventRouting) _reallySendEvent:isDelayedEvent:] + 6840
14 com.apple.AppKit 0x00007fff328a4667 -[NSWindow(NSEventRouting) sendEvent:] + 478
15 libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.1.2.dylib 0x00000001113ef1cb -[wxNSWindow sendEvent:] + 123
16 com.apple.AppKit 0x00007fff32743e4b -[NSApplication(NSEvent) sendEvent:] + 331
17 libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011133c022 -[wxNSApplication sendEvent:] + 98
18 com.apple.AppKit 0x00007fff327325c0 -[NSApplication run] + 755
19 libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.1.2.dylib 0x00000001113e4e5e wxGUIEventLoop::OSXDoRun() + 174
20 libwx_baseu-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011122cf9c wxCFEventLoop::DoRun() + 44
21 libwx_baseu-3.1.2.dylib 0x0000000111191745 wxEventLoopBase::Run() + 85
22 libwx_baseu-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011116a504 wxAppConsoleBase::MainLoop() + 116
23 libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.1.2.dylib 0x000000011137ff2a wxApp::OnRun() + 26
24 libwx_baseu-3.1.2.dylib 0x00000001111bf758 wxEntry(int&, wchar_t**) + 56
25 bricscad 0x000000010e1bb296 main + 790
26 libdyld.dylib 0x00007fff611793d5 start + 10 -
Given Windows history of self corruption, you might want to consider nuking the box and reinstalling your software.
Testing your RAM and drives would also make sense. Check to make sure all your fans are spinning at a visually realistic speed and that your fan intakes and outlets aren't clogged with dust.
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@Jim Canale said:
I have a couple old LSP files loaded that I have used for years, but no add on software. The problems make it almost unusable. I've filed several support requests. I have to churn out at least 10 drawings a week. This impacts my work. They don't seem to believe me...Use of LISP could very well be the cause of your issues. I would try running BricsCAD with no LISP loaded for a period and see how it behaves.
Regards,
Jason Bourhill
BricsCAD V20 Ultimate
CAD Concepts0 -
Thanks Michael. If I am still alive and working a year from now, (not assured, as my eyesight and health are failing rapidly), I may consider buying a Mac. I've owned at least six in my lifetime, but not since 2000. It was a monstrosity the size of a server with a raid array. I gave up on the Mac because I was tired of proprietary hardware and the way Apple would ditch support for entire groups of users.
I'm afraid I don't know how to interpret your crash log. I'm not that technically inclined.
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@Jason Bourhill said:
Use of LISP could very well be the cause of your issues. I would try running BricsCAD with no LISP loaded for a period and see how it behaves.
I will take your suggestion and try Jason....
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@RoatanBill said:
Given Windows history of self corruption, you might want to consider nuking the box and reinstalling your software.Testing your RAM and drives would also make sense. Check to make sure all your fans are spinning at a visually realistic speed and that your fan intakes and outlets aren't clogged with dust.
Thanks. I'm kind of limited in what I can do here at work. IT manager has everyone LOCKED DOWN permanently.
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@Michael Mayer said:
Has anyone but me experienced random variable or settings changes over the past 8-10 months?
Testing your RAM and drives would also make sense. Check to make sure all your fans are spinning at a visually realistic speed and that your fan intakes and outlets aren't clogged with dust.
They give me a barebones PC to work with. One fan, and I can hear it running. The IT manager locks everyone down, so we can't experiment or do any tests. I had him test the RAM, and drive and he said there were no problems. Not seeing any problem with other applications. Right after I installed V20.2.09 I noticed that command line options were showing in a pale yellow color on a white field. Almost unreadable with my poor vision. I filed an SR, and was told where to change the setting. But the question is, as always, how did the thing change in the first place?
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Do you have a display readily available that shows how hot your CPU chip is and other components? Heat can cause all manner of issues difficult to nail down. Testing when the box isn't heavily loaded might not show a condition that emerges under load (heat).
I recently installed an SSD in my CAD box which meant removing the Bricscad license, nuking the Linux O/S and installing a version tailored for the best use of an SSD. I restored all my files from backup and every application worked as before except BricsCAD. All my settings were trashed. It was a good thing I had created a master word processing document where I diligently noted every change I ever made and the reason for it.
A few weeks later, I installed V20 along side the V19 and again, it didn't move over my settings. I had to bring up both on separate monitors to manually get V20 looking like V19.
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In situations like that http://www.b-k-g.nl/bkg_settings.html may come in handy.
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@Michael Mayer said:
Does Communicator work on Mac ?
Not sure.
I see it in settings and switched from "use as trial" to "use communicator"But I don't know how it works and where to find it.
I see no changes in Import or Export Dialogs.Michael,
I didn't mean to ignore your post. My health problems are getting worse, including my vision. So I don't often come to the forum anymore. Anyway, my experience with communicator, is that when it is installed and licensed (separately from BricsCAD), the import export menu of BricsCAD offers many more options than normal. I need Communicator for my work, so my employer bought it for me.
I don't know what to make of your crash log. I can't read the things. They make no sense to me.
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@RoatanBill said:
Do you have a display readily available that shows how hot your CPU chip is and other components? Heat can cause all manner of issues difficult to nail down. Testing when the box isn't heavily loaded might not show a condition that emerges under load (heat).Thanks. No, no monitoring software on the machine. Doubt I can get the IT manager to install it. He thinks the problem is BricsCAD or my usage. I had BricsCAD on my home computer during the early months of the pandemic.) (Was told to remove it.) My home system has an SSD, and I have monitored temperatures on it. It too, experienced random changes of variables and settings.
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@Roy Klein Gebbinck said:
In situations like that http://www.b-k-g.nl/bkg_settings.html may come in handy.Thanks Roy. Not clear from your page what the tool compares? A previously saved settings.csv file to the current settings.CSV file?
Incidentally want to thank you again. The LSP code you sent me earlier this year for selecting items with a specific face color was very handy.
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I always put a temperature monitor on all my boxes because it can show a gradual increase in temperature over time as fans or the aluminum fins on a heat sink get clogged with dust. It provides an early warning to use compressed air to blow out the gunk that always accumulates; never a vacuum.
I owned an Entre Computer Center for several years and I personally built thousands of machines from the best parts I could source specifically for engineering clients, CAD users and other power user applications as well as huge servers that took 2 people to lift. The stock stuff from IBM, Compaq, etc just wasn't up to the job. I also repaired thousands of machines for my clients.
I've noticed the lookfrom disappear randomly and I have to command to bring it back. I've also noticed that settings and the indicator for a particular setting sometimes get completely out of sync; the indicator says its on when its actually off, for example. Other than that, the settings are stable under routine use.
If you had ram corruption due to heat or motherboard component aging and going off spec, that would likely show up as complete failures or erratic software operations not just settings issues. However, I have seen rare cases where taking a pencil eraser to the contacts on a ram module to gently remove surface corrosion has fixed random issues.
Remove your license before trying what follows.
Have you tried copying the entire BricsCAD software directory structure to a temporary area, then reinstalling BricsCAD over itself and then running a file by file comparison of the real BricsCAD files with the backup you made which represents your prior operating environment. If you find any differences in files, that might provide a hint as to what's going on.
The copy operation itself might show up issues with bad disk sectors on the read attempt. Making a copy of the entire BricsCAD area and then using that copy as the source to overlay the real BricsCAD area might also show up bad sectors that only appear on a write attempt.
BTW When I install an operating system, I always nuke the drives involved by destructively testing the drives. On a large drive that can take a whole day to complete. That marks out bad sectors before the O/S or your use has a chance to find them.
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@RoatanBill said:
I always put a temperature monitor on all my boxes because it can show a gradual increase in temperature over time as fans or the aluminum fins on a heat sink get clogged with dust. It provides an early warning to use compressed air to blow out the gunk that always accumulates; never a vacuum.I've noticed the lookfrom disappear randomly and I have to command to bring it back. ...
I've also had issues with the disappearing lookfrom.
Unfortunately, I have no control here over the hardware or installation. Our IT manager has us all locked down, unable to do installations. I don't think this is a temperature problem however. If it were, wouldn't you expect it to get worse as the day wore on?
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I would expect it to get worse as you use functions that tax the CPU.
I haven't seen a Windows box since 1999, so I don't know what it now contains, but on Linux I have a MONITOR tool that shows CPU threads and how heavily they are loaded. Maybe there's a correlation?
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@Jim Canale said:
Anyway, my experience with communicator, is that when it is installed and licensed (separately from BricsCAD),With latest installation I realized that there is a separate install for communicator,
which I didn't so far
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@Jim Canale said:
Thanks Roy. Not clear from your page what the tool compares? A previously saved settings.csv file to the current settings.CSV file?It compares the current settings with those stored in a CSV file. You can use it to check and restore settings.
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@RoatanBill said:
I would expect it to get worse as you use functions that tax the CPU.I haven't seen a Windows box since 1999, so I don't know what it now contains, but on Linux I have a MONITOR tool that shows CPU threads and how heavily they are loaded. Maybe there's a correlation?
The task manager shows how heavily the processor is being hit up by the applications. I suppose I could open the box and hook a temperature probe to the processor and monitor it during high processor activity. But the IT manager would have a fit. I think I'd have better luck trying to convince him to install temperature monitoring software. That will be a tough sell.
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That is what I suspected. I will download your tool and try it. Thanks.
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@Michael Mayer said:
With latest installation I realized that there is a separate install for communicator,
which I didn't so farWe don't use Communicator very often, but when we need it, it has been pretty reliable. Pretty expensive though. Previously we used an add on called Automesher. It was HORRIBLE. Non existent support.
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