X4 Layer Palette Bug

[Simone Corel UK]

I might be a million miles off base - but are the problems related to the Security software that people are running? Previous un-installs and re-installs of X4 during testing were very very slow - but I turned my Security software off and voila! no problems. My software checks all files all of the time. I get this intermittent layer palette bug (I reported too when I found it in v332 - it had not appeared in earlier versions for me).
I close the offending file and any superfluous ones and it magics itself away often not to appear again in the same file - BUT sometimes BIG layer files are not re-read by PSPX4
Just a thought from my rambling mind!
Terry

This is an excellent point you made, Terry.

When you work in PSP and create a document, there will be a file in your %temp% folder and when you save the document, it will be on your HD. If you change your document, the file in %temp% and the file on your HD are updated. Saving a bigger file of maybe 50 MB (who knows) takes a while. Let me also mention that a file saved on your HD is a compressed file. Extracted in PSP, it's about 10x bigger as a work file. Try to imagine what happens, if security software is scanning in that moment. PSP (as any other program) can't use its own file.
It's the same with backup programs. If a system is permanently checked if there is a file on a system that needs to be backuped (to backup as verb doesn't exist, I know), then no program can work properly.

Regarding the big layer files and X4, I'm going to send you a private message. I would like to ask you to provide me with sample files and screen-shots. I need your help in this case.

[el48tel]

Simone
I have responded to the private mail
You are forgiven for the use of "backuped" - you may have created a new verb and who knows be cited in the OED and/or Websters
Terry

[Ken Berry]

I think they might prefer to correct 'backed up' or at most 'backedup'...

[el48tel]

I think they might prefer to correct 'backed up' or at most 'backedup'...

Ken
lighten up - I like the idea of yet another flagrant misuse of our mother tongue to generate a new word within the new technology
Terry

[flagpole]

I've also had this bug.

i just selected another image and came back and it was fine though.

it happened at a time i was thinking of restarting it anyway as it was getting very sluggish

[mesmith322]

I'm sorry, I didn't think my thread was getting much read.

I have .332 and I use Windows 7.

I have encountered this same problem a number of times since I first created this thread but I have been unable to find any kind of a reason for what is happening at the time. Most of my files are under 10mb in size so I kind of doubt that size has a lot to do with it. Even with the files that I have that are larger than 10mb, they are still less than 20.

[el48tel]

I'm sorry, I didn't think my thread was getting much read.

I have .332 and I use Windows 7.

I have encountered this same problem a number of times since I first created this thread but I have been unable to find any kind of a reason for what is happening at the time. Most of my files are under 10mb in size so I kind of doubt that size has a lot to do with it. Even with the files that I have that are larger than 10mb, they are still less than 20.

The bug is back - my 256M file killed v332 tonight

Terry

[mesmith322]

Something that I was just working on to post in another thread. This image had 4 layers and the file was just a little over 500kb in size. As you can see, there is nothing showing in the layers palette.

[Simone Corel UK]

Could you, who experience this problem, please contact the Corel support in your country and keep data, screenshots, description and sample files ready. Thanks!

[el48tel]

Something that I was just working on to post in another thread. This image had 4 layers and the file was just a little over 500kb in size. As you can see, there is nothing showing in the layers palette.

Mine just freezes with the progress bar at about 80%, nothing in the layers palette and nothing on the workspace; and then the only way forward is <ctrl-alt-del> ----- cannot do anything so even print screen is impossible -- cannot access anything until the memory is released from PSPX4

Terry

[el48tel]

OK so I spend most of the afternoon working on a 4600x3068 16 bit 5 layer image. I save it 250M; I open it; no problem. I add a picture frame from the Corel collection; I save it 251M ; no problem. I try to open it and X4 crashes.

So fortunately I've saved the two versions above as PSD files. These of course will be 8bit and smaller. About 130M and they both open no problem

WHY???????????

[Simone Corel UK]

@el48tel

WHY???????????

When you work on files like yours, please open the image information from time to time to see how much RAM your file is using. I wouldn't be surprised if it goes up to more than 1.5 GB. PSP should stop working at about 1.7 or 2 GB.

[df]

If it is a memory issue I've found a little program that helps reclaim memory from programs and background processes. In simplified terms it asks Microsoft to ask the programs for the memory back using the protocols that Microsoft already has built into your system. It just puts that on a schedule (I have mine set to "clean the memory" every 5 minutes). It can be found at http://www.majorgeeks.com/CleanMem_d5993.html
I started using it with X3 because X3 had a problem with letting memory go after you've opened and closed an image, eventually you'd get a crash. This has minimized that to virtually never on my Windows7 computer with 2gb of RAM (the max for my motherboard). It also addresses any other programs or processes that may be hogging RAM in the same manner on your system.

[el48tel]

@el48tel

WHY???????????

When you work on files like yours, please open the image information from time to time to see how much RAM your file is using. I wouldn't be surprised if it goes up to more than 1.5 GB. PSP should stop working at about 1.7 or 2 GB.

Dan - thanks - I'll try that

Simone - Are you saying that we should work in 8bit or downsize the image - or should there be a caveat emptor notice?

Terry

[df]

PSP can only address up to 2gb of RAM. You could have a super computer with 1.2tb of RAM and still PSP would only access 2gb. Not usually a problem unless you're working on very very large files and have multiple layers, but for most normal uses it wouldn't be a problem until PSP doesn't give back the memory it used on an image. Eventually it runs out of RAM to use. The third party program link I gave earlier does correct this behavior, but if the program needs the RAM it won't give it back (which is good since if it took RAM that the program needed it would crash the program).

Other things you can do is go into your preferences and turn off Fast Redo on the Undo tab and possibly other things as well. In X4 there's also a scratch disk, make sure that's turned on and has ample space on that hard drive. Another thing that can help is looking up ReadyBoost for your Vista or Windows 7 (not XP or NT) computer and seeing if you have a memory card or USB drive that's capable of using that.