Photoimpact 10 crashes on laptop while text input

[PIUSER]

Hello to all!

I hope somebody of experts can help me!?

I just bought photoimpact 10 and installed it on my laptop.
I never used photoimpact before, except iPhotoPlus 4 which is
very old, but very reliable, simple and it works ever! Without
bugs. (Maybe someone can remember on it?)

As I search with google, PI10 is really full of bugs? Why?

But this is not my question! I have the feeling, that maybe
my problem has something to do with my graphics card, which
is shared memory one (VIA/S3G UniChrome Pro IGP), like
on many laptops. I installed newest drivers but it does not
help.


And the most frustrating thing is: It crashes without any warning/error!
It closes itself simply! And this is frustrating: I buy software and have
no chance to test it!?

And my problem is: I start PI10. Everything is working, all functions,
open, save, really almost all I have tested is working. The only thing
is not working is: input of text with text tool!! And this was the first
tool I tried after installing PI10: Trying to type in "Hello world!".
And it doesn't matter, wheather you work a while with PI10 and then
uses the text tool or you use the texttool just after starting PI10. It is the same.
And it doesnot crash when you select the texttool, it crashes when you
click with the texttool somewhere on your picture!!
Without any warning/message/error!!!

Because I think, that text input is a little bit important, I hope that
somebody of experts can help me!!??


I installed also the available update for PI10 but I get the same strange behavior!

GIF Animator is working without problems. I can also input text with the texttool. I can save this in a ufo file. I can open this in PI10. I see the typed text. But if I try to use the PI10 texttool to change this text it crashes!! Without any error/message/warning!?

Maybe someone of PI10 programmers out there, can compare the
texttool code from GIF Animator 5 and PI10 and see what is the Problem!


I would be ashamed of my software, if my software crashes without any
messages/warnings/errors.

Windows for example if crashes, then you get at least a blue screen and maybe some memory adresses.....

But anyway, I can't input text. And I need this if I want to use PI10.


I tried PI10 on my other computer (no laptop). And all works very fine!!!!
Texttool in PI10 also!


Some other informations about my laptop:
Acer Aspire 1360
Windows XP SP2 / Updated every week.
AMD Sempron 2600+
2GB RAM
60GB HDD
A lot of software which works together very fine
Shared memory card, mentioned above


If somebody needs other informations, please reply on this topic.


One other thing: If I start my laptop in compatibility mode, so pressing
F8,....and so on, So where almost no drivers are loaded, also not
my VIA graphics driver. I have only 800x600, no network, almost nothing.
In this case PI10 texttool works. I can input text and save it in a ufo file.
If start windows in normal mode, I can open the file, but if I try to change
the text it crashes like before. Same like above described with GIF Animator 5.


Hope on help......

Best regards:
A PIUSER beginner......and if nobody helps, then it will stay with "beginner"......

[Caroluk]

There was a note in a forum, may even be this one or the PI FAQ, a while back that crashes during text work were a known issue. The advice was to reload the workspace before you go to the text tool. I had the problem and had been switching to another version to do text, but the advice worked and cleared the problem every time. You don't have to refresh the workspace every time you select the text tool, just do it once after you launch the problem and it will be fine for the rest of that session. I just made it the first thing I do every time I start that version up.

Carol

[PIUSER]

Dear Carol,

first, many thanks for replying on my topic!!

I have already read almost the whole threads concerning
the PI. Of course, I have found the hints concerning the
problems with the text tool. But, all of them are describing
problems which occurs while already typing in text, e.g.
if using some characters like e, s, n, and so on....

I have the problem, that (and it does not matter when, after long
work with other tools or just at beginning of the working session)
if I click with the text tool somewhere in the picture/canvas to start
the input, the whole program ends without any messages!


*** If you have no time, then don't read the rest! ***


And of course, I have already tried reloading the workspace before
using the text tool. But it does not help. And I hope, that I have understood the hint in right way.
"Reloading the workspace" means "reset the workspace", i think!?
I have a german version of it, and the only menu entry where I can
reset/reload something is under "Arbeitsfläche/zurücksetzen", and I think
the translation of it is "Workspace/reset". Maybe you can see in your
english version (if you have one) what is there the menu entry
for reloading the workspace.


If I have understood the workspace reloading process in a wrong way,
then please correct me, and explain me how to do this.


I think, that there must be another solution for such problems. I mean
there is a problem in the source code. If this program would be
open source, then I think it would be less buggy!!....
It can stay commercial but it can be open source, so a lot of
people all over the world could help developing it, and freeing it
up from bugs....

I mean PI seems to be a nice program with a lot of functions, but
one of the main tools is not working: text input! And it can not be,
that a end user must reload the workspace everytime or reinstall
windows everytime before using a simple text tool....
That would be the same like, I have a beautiful car like a lamborghini,
but I have no gear lever in it

I am also devoloping software, and I know, it is a hard job. But you
must be very consistent during the development. No fast patches,
without a good thinking about it.
And every piece of code should proove before their execution the
conditions for it. I mean, may I execute this code!? Can this
code produce any crashes! Before using code-external access, for example graphic card functions, the program should check wheather
all is ok with this. All input of end user should be proven before
using it in my code. So 75% of all code is only catching all possible
errors, which can occur! That is the task of good software, and no
excuse: "It is a problem of OS, or other installed software!" If your
software is well programmed it checks all possible problems,
or almost all. And it does not end without any messages!!

I also develop hardware: and I say it here, because maybe sombody will read it from the developers!? Do you know why hardware is working
much better then software!? The answer is that, if you build hardware,
then your Hardware must accept all external disturbances and may not
produce external disturbances! Because of this model is Hardware
working better then the Software. And if a IC project costs 500.000 EUR
you are taking a lot of care to don't made errors. Only one wrong transistor can destroy the whole functionality of your IC. And there is no possibility to apply a fast/hot patch! So testing, testing, testing the whole
design before fabricate it and deliver it to the end user! Or what happens
if one chip in air plane say you have enough full, but in reality you haven't.....
The problem is: Software-developer should understand: the try-and-error
method is wrong! And their chiefs should also understand it!


Enough of this hopeless/endless discussion. Sorry for it....

Maybe some guy can help to solve the problem anyway...

Best regards,

Still a PIUSER....

[Caroluk]

I am sorry, it was PI 11 I was thinking of - that is the one in which reloading the workspace cures the text ills. I have not had problems with text in PI 10, so I am afraid my advice was misleading. I am using PI 12 now, and haven't experienced any problems other than being unable to get rid of the splash menu screen that appears when you launch PI. It has a 'show this screen on launch' checkbox. I uncheck it and next time I launch PI 12, there is the screen with the box checked again. Other than that minor irritant, PI 12 seems to be the most bug-free version for a long time.

I don't work for Ulead - like you I am a PI user - so I can't say anything helpful about open source, other than with so many programs in the market it would seem imprudent to make PI's code available to rivals and risk their eroding PI's lead in the field by copying PI's code.

I hope someone else can throw light on your problem.

Carol

[Ron P.]

I didn't start using PI until version 11, and now have 12 too. I know that others like Heinz-oz (mod of this forum) cursed version 11 and praised 10. However I don't recall reading any posts where other users were experiencing the same problems.

Since you are a program developer you should appreciate the fact that alot of software leaves behind files upon un-installing. Ulead's are no exception. There is a tutorial on doing a complete un-install of various Ulead programs, it can be found here: http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 5638#55638. Try following it and see if clears up your problem.

Ulead has been broached with the need to develop an uninstaller for their programs to clean up after an un-sintall. I don't know if they are working on it though.

I would also think that there may be a problem with your video card drivers, except that other apps like GIF A5 doesn't pose problems for you.

Did you purchase PI-10 as an ESD or from another retailer, as a full box? Also this is one of Ulead's and not Nova's? I have read where certain versions of Nova's PhotoImpact causes similiar problems. If it is Nova's then please contact them.

[robperez]

In PI 11, I had a similar problem, it was fixed by changing the data execution protection settings in Win XP.

[heinz-oz]

Well, better late than never.

I have indeed used PI 10 and versions before that. I have not had any of the problems you describe. The hint given in the previous post about XP's data execution settings could hit the nail on the head, try it out.

Other than that, I have used PI since version 7 although not very much. I also had PI XL which worked without problems for me (other reported a lot of problems with that version) but only started to use PI extensively from version 10 onwards. I did the beginners workshop after I got PI 10 and never looked back. I also did not have any problems with that one.

I went to PI 11 because it was supposed to have an improved ability to work with RAW image files from digital still cameras. I had a lot of initial problems after the installation of PI 11, also affecting PI 10. After a lengthy trouble shooting period I traced my problems down to a conflict with the also installed MovieFactory3. After upgrading to MF4 Disc Creator, these problems disappeared and PI 10 and 11 worked well for me. PI 11 still gave me problems with memory leakage. Can't really point to any particular area but, after working with a large image for a short while, the program would crash with a "not enough memory" error even though my machine had 2 GB DDR400 RAM fitted. I overcame these problems by only working in short sessions, max 2 or 3 modifications between closing and reopening the program.

Now I'm on PI 12 and have none of the previous issues at all. It is super stable, quick and does all I want to do to images and more. You have to make sure though that your video card/monitor can work to it's minimum screen resolution. The minimum requirements state: True Color or Hi-Color display adapter with 1024x768 resolutions or higher.

Other than that, I can only recommend to upgrade to PI 12 if you are having problems with earlier versions.

[heinz-oz]

One more thing. Did you patch your version of PI 10? You will find the patch here http://www.ulead.com/tech/pi/pi_ftp_pi10.htm