VS ultimate2018 eventually crashes when customizing pan/zoom

[guy_mike]

Trevor, I thought the Options Panel is as you describe. Just did not know what it was called.
Pressing the Enter key vs clicking OK has stopped the VS 2018 black screen crashes. This seems odd to me and I am not convinced there is a connection.
I am more inclined to think that you have hit on something regarding having VS 2018 do auto pan/zoom and then me manually customizing each photo. Maybe VS 2018 cannot handle that approach - maybe memory limit conflicts (an earlier responder mentioned limits) or data conflicts within memory. Too much for VS 2018 to handle ?? I am going to try your approach whereby I pan/zoom a photo then copy attributes to other photos. Not a big group but maybe 10 or so and see what happens. I did hear from Corel tech support and have uninstalled VS x7 and VS 2018 and reinstalled VS 2018. Also found 2 drivers that needed updating. Maybe one of these items will do the trick. I have decided to keep a detailed journal for any failures. Since I finally got the big project completed (saving the project about every 3rd minute so as not to lose my work), I also plan to now create a test group of photos and see if I can get a black screen.

[lata]

Hi Mike

Good to hear you have completed the project.
As for error messages, I am not convinced that they fully describe the problem.
It could of course be a memory issue, as you can tell I am not fully convinced, its the black screen that was more of a worry.

Strange messages.....If we try to render and the destination folder no longer exists the program gives a strange message of being Right Protected.

Anyway after re-installing the program you could try your old methods to see if you see the same messages? Mind you maybe not worth the trouble.

[Kiwi Bob]

For what it is worth, I also had the same problem last week - as described in the first post.

In my case, I created some slideshows using FastFlick but found that that program does not auto size to the varying photo sizes used - apparently regardless of the template selected. This resulted in ugly black bars around them in the final presentation.

I found that FastFlick is neither fast nor fun, as my workaround was to then move the projects into VideoStudio and go into the options for each photo and manually resize the Pan & Zoom start and end borders. This was a tedious job and made worst by the random memory error, black screen and having to reboot the PC. Window's Resource Manager was not showing any memory problems. I also found that saving after each photo was better than relying on the recovered file as I was losing too much work/time going back to the last auto-save (mine is set for 7 minutes).

For now, I am taking a break from this, but I would encourage other users who encounter the fault to report it to Corel Support as I have just done.

[guy_mike]

As I continue to work with Corel VS Tech Support, and try various and sundry combinations of ideas from them and this Forum to fix this problem, it keeps returning, seemingly sporadically. Not only do I have the occasional black screen freeze up no matter what I am trying as to a fix, I have had several other VS crashes doing other things like creating titles and just previewing my project. Corel VS Tech Support has attempted to help, but been of little use. A person has provided me the standard items like uninstall all prior versions of VS, uninstall VS 2018, update drivers, delete temporary files, etc. I have done everything requested of me and the problem persists. Each time I have tried something from either a Forum suggestion or VS Tech Support, I have been hopeful. Yet to no avail. The greatest puzzling thing to me is that it seems to be happening for just a few users. Or, maybe just a few people use VS 2018 the way I do - with mostly photos in which I customize pan/zoom for each photo. I did not have this problem with VS x7 and the black screen never happens with any other software I use, including the internet. As a layman user, seems to me there is a problem between VS 2018 and Windows 10 that Corel has not resolved or decided it was too low a priority in which to focus resources. The problem seems to involve the graphical interface in Windows 10 because when I get the intermittent black screen I can find an "error" in Windows Event Viewer that references DWM.exe. The other occasional crashes seem to be VS related because the Event Viewer lists VS specifically as the culprit under "error." I volunteered to send the Event Viewer reports to VS Tech Support but they did not want them and just continued to tell me to do the standard steps - that have not worked. If this black screen problem was happening with apps other than VS 2018, I would suspect a graphics driver problem, but it only happens with VS 2018.

[tletter]

maybe just a few people use VS 2018 the way I do - with mostly photos in which I customize pan/zoom for each photo

I use P&Z on stills and customize it in all cases. My projects run up to 90 minutes yet I've not experienced the issue that you report.

tletter
https://www.youtube.com/user/tletter

[guy_mike]

To tletter - I watched your video on youtube. It looks like the end result of your project is just like mine except my transitions between photos are longer. Do you customize the pan/zoom for each photo? There are several ways to do this - how do you do it? Do you allow VS2018 to auto pan/zoom and then manually change what VS did thru manual customization? Or do you always accept the auto pan/zoom (if you even use this feature). The reason I ask this is to see if you are doing something different than me because you are not having the problem. I did not have this problem with VSx7 and I did pan/zoom the same way I am doing it in VS2018. But now the problem.

[tletter]

Do you customize the pan/zoom for each photo?

As mentioned, I use P&Z on stills and customize it in all cases.

Do you allow VS2018 to auto pan/zoom and then manually change what VS did thru manual customization?

Yes that's generally the way that I do it.

Or do you always accept the auto pan/zoom

No as it rarely gives the result that I look for.

There are three ways to invoke Pan & Zoom and surprisingly each one has a different default option:

1. on the Edit tab select Pan & Zoom then click on Customize - default Edit Mode is Static
2. on the Timeline Toolbar select Pan and Zoom - default Edit Mode is 'On the Fly'
3. right click on the image(s) on the Timeline then click on Auto Pan & Zoom - default Edit Mode is Animated

I've used all three without crashes but currently use method #3 as it's default Edit Mode is Animated which is what I generally want.

tletter
https://www.youtube.com/user/tletter

[guy_mike]

tletter - I have used each of the pan/zoom methods you describe. Based on another's post in this topic, I even have used a "hybrid" type where I customize pan/zoom for a still photo and then copy attributes to 1 or more other still photos. Even with that method I still will re-customize the photo because even that requires adjustment. I worked today for hours on a large project and experienced several crashes of VS2018. I never did have my computer completely freeze and revert to a black screen in which I had to manually power it off, but in each of the instances, VS2018 crashed and unloaded itself. Two times before it crashed, I got a message on my screen about "insufficient memory" and when I clicked it, VS2018 unloaded. Another time VS2018 just crashed and Windows 10 Desktop screen appeared. In another crash I just got a blue screen with a Windows note saying that Windows is collecting info and will automatically restart (the computer provided me an increasing % count as it did its thing). In each crash, I had customized the pan/zoom on about 33-37 pictures - consistently. It did not matter which method I used to pan/zoom, after customizing about 30 photos I started to just wait for the crash and without fail it would happen. I had been saving the project quite often so as to not lose much work - so I would then fire VS2018 back up, and go on until the next crash. When I hear back from Corel Tech Support I need to find out if there is some setting I need to adjust on my computer because the crashing around the 33 - 37 photo limit seems more than coincidental. You are not having this problem and you work with large projects so I dont think there is any sort of limit built into VS2018.

[tletter]

I even have used a "hybrid" type where I customize pan/zoom for a still photo and then copy attributes to 1 or more other still photos.

I also occasionally use that method as well for P&Z an addition to the other three methods previously mentioned. So I don't think your P&Z problem is related to how you invoke P&Z.

You are not having this problem and you work with large projects so I dont think there is any sort of limit built into VS2018.

I had VS2018 on Windows 10 produce a few black screens that required a reboot when creating VSPs before any rendering was done. Subsequently I set the Virtual Memory to "System managed size" and have not experienced anymore black screens to date. Perhaps you should check how your Virtual Memory is configured.

tletter
https://www.youtube.com/user/tletter

[guy_mike]

Took user's advice and checked the config of my virtual memory. Based on info from Corel tech support, I changed it from "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives" to suggested initial and max settings. Did testing of customization of pan/zoom. As usual, at photo 36 VS2018 froze. Have not been getting a black screen, Corel just either freezes and I have to figure out how to unload it or it unloads itself automatically. The freezing happens after just over 30 photos have been customized pan/zoom. Usually right around the 35-37 photos. So, no help changing virtual memory. Have notified Corel tech support of continued problem. Have done everything they suggested. Have sent them numerous reports from Windows Event Viewer. The last message from Corel indicated when VS2018 crashes and Event Viewer shows an error related to ntdll.dll, they can provide little help. It seemed to me that 1) an error with an ntdll.dll message is not new to them, and 2) there was no help from Corel. The tech support person was giving up and so have I. It seems to me that there is a conflict between VS2018 and Windows 10 that Corel has not or cannot identify. Because I dont want to have to learn yet another video editing software, going forward I will do my "work arounds" where I save the project often, and then when VS2018 crashes, will just reload and do more pan zoom customization until it crashes again. I haven't had to do this kind of thing since the old days when Lotus 1-2-3 from "floppies" would crash and hard disks were 10MB. OR in the early days of Pinnacle Video software editing when it would crash a lot. I thought these days were over but NOT. I dont know why others are not having this problem. Onward.

[lata]

Hi Mike

Very frustrating
I have tried in vain to replicate the crashes, unfortunately its a problem only you are experiancing.
If it is a corrupt project then providing a copy may be worth a try.

Are you able to create a smart package, zip and upload to a sharing site.
That will provide the vsp and all images.

[guy_mike]

To Trevor - for my latest testing, I added about 50 miscellaneous photos to a new test project and started fresh. I had changed my virtual memory settings, unclicking the "auto" approach and manually set my initial and max amounts per advice from Corel Support. I had hopes for success but then on the 37th photo, VS crashed. I did not get the black screen because I know when it is going to happen because Pandora abruptly stops and I get a spinning circle above the OK button in the customize pan/zoom option when I go to save a pan/zoom. I have learned from experience that the spinning circle will stop and I get one chance to unload VS2018 and a black screen wont happen. So that I do. The test project is only about 50 photos with no titles, no music - just photos to customize pan/zoom - so should not be too huge if I zip it. I have shared large files in the past using a site named WeTransfer. Does this forum have a general email site I could use to just send the zipped file? What I plan to do for further testing is to take the test project that failed and go back into it and start with the first photo and recustomize each photo with a different pan/zoom and see what happens. I expect the same freeze/crash at about the same photo number. I would be happy to share the file as is with you and see if you could do the same as me and see if it freezes on your computer. I am leaving on a trip tomorrow so I may not get to this today but if you are game, I can pick this back up if I dont get to the zipping today. I will have to refresh myself on how to zip etc because it has been years since I have done that.

[guy_mike]

To Tevor - quick update - It took me just a few minutes to create a zip file using Smart Package. I did not know that feature was built into the process. I have always just created a Smart Package as back up because I have plenty of disk space. The zipped test project is about 160 MB or so. Is this too big a zipped file to upload to the forum? If there is a general email address for the forum I could use WeTransfer.

[guy_mike]

Trevor I did attempt an upload thru the forum - was quite slow but did finish. Maybe you can see the zipped file. What I plan to do here today as a last effort is to go to Settings, Preferences, Performance, and click Enable Hardware Acceleration Optimization to ON. I dont think this will do anything to stop the freezing but at this point, I dont know.

[lata]

Hi Mike

I am away from my pc at the moment so cannot run video studio till late Friday

You would have to upload your zipped file to We transfer, provide a share /download link on your post
The files are to big to attach to the forum.
Using the link we can download to test your project.