QLC dont save values (4.12.2)

CoS2000 · Mon Sep 23, 2019 3:19 pm

Hi there,

i found a new bug, that drives me crazy.

Sometimes QLC+ creates sequences for that i can set all values and all works fine. But when i later load the save file and want to change things in this sequence, than QLC+ doesnt save the changes! The fascinating thing is: this seems only affect pan/tilt values for moving heads - that cant be saved. If i want change color, dimmer or focus - this will be saved. When i try to change the channels for tilt/pan, then qlc dont save this!

OK here the steps to reproduce:

1. Load the workspace file, that i attached (broken_seq)
2. In this you will find 1 show with 1 track and 1 sequence that have 2 steps. In this sequence i control a few moving heads
3. Go to step 2 of the only sequence (Blendung) and try to change the first channel (pan) of the first device (named "MH Tür links"). The value is at the moment on 122 - try to change it to any value you like
4. Go back to step 1 and back to step 2 and you'll see, the value isnt saved (its 122 again)

This affects not all sequences that you create with QLC+! Its just sometimes that a sequence is "broken" (so i call it "broken Sequence Bug"). It ONLY affects the pan/tilt values.

I hope the workspace that i attached can help to reproduce the bug!

I used QLC+ 4.12.2 (full) on Windows 7

For better understanding i made a video that shows the bug. You'll fint it here:
https://youtu.be/BmzB49m35OI

Thanks for help!

I add this post to the "Show Manager Bugs" here, because this "broken sequence" was created in Show Manager!

Best regards
CoS

CoS2000 · Mon Sep 23, 2019 7:07 pm

Hi there,

i've tested all Channels that affected from this bug on all devices. Some are affected, some not:

MH Tür links and MH Tür rechts:
Channel 1 (Pan) = affected
Channel 2 (Pan fine) = affected
Channel 3 (Tilt) = affected
Channel 4 (Tilt fine) = affected
Channel 5 (Color) = not affected
Channel 6 (Gobo 1) = not affected
Channel 7 (Gobo 1 roation) = not affected
Channel 8 (Gobo 2) = not affected
Channel 9 (Shutter) = affected
Channel 10 (Dimmer) = affected
Channel 11 (Focus) = affected
Channel 12 (Prism) = not affected
Channel 13 (Special) = affected
Channel 14 (Movement) = not affected
Channel 15 (Movement Speed) = not affected
Channel 16 (Laser) = not affected

All others:
Channel 1 (Pan) = affected
Channel 2 (Tilt) = affected
Channel 3 (Shutter) = affected
Channel 4 (Gobo) = not affected
Channel 5 (Color) = not affected
Channel 6 (Gobo Rotation) = not affected
Channel 7 (Dimmer) = not affected
Channel 8 (Focus) = affected

This bug explains many problems i had in the past... I hope my workspace is enough for making the bug reproduceable! I've tried to find a workaround, but there is nothing i can do! The only way is to delete the sequence and create it again. When i create the sequence new in Show Mode on the same track - The new sequence work. This shows me, that the "hidden scene" is not the problem. The problem seems the sequence itself!

Best regards
CoS

GGGss · Tue Sep 24, 2019 8:31 am

While debugging Cos, please have a look to the show file in notepad++ (the best editor IMHO since it detects changes in a file and you can easily see the version differences.
I'm quit sure it has to do with the hidden cue's necessary for the show part to work.

CoS2000 · Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:34 pm

GGGss wrote: ↑Tue Sep 24, 2019 8:31 am While debugging Cos, please have a look to the show file in notepad++ (the best editor IMHO since it detects changes in a file and you can easily see the version differences.
I'm quit sure it has to do with the hidden cue's necessary for the show part to work.

The first QLC+ i ever used was 4.11.0

I'm quit sure it has to do with the hidden cue's

You mean the hidden Scene?

Best regards
CoS

GGGss · Tue Sep 24, 2019 5:26 pm

typo of mine: cue's, scenes ...

In the show editor hidden cue's (=stage scenes - there goes my jargon...) are created without you knowing ... look for yourselves and investigate the project-file with a text-editor...
So far I've investigated (and stopped quite fast = not working = I didn't want to debug at that time = time pressure = leave this feature and find other solutions...)
* the hidden cue's -necessary to get the show working- weren't reflecting the real cue's... You added a programmed cue to a show, (QLC+ made a hidden one)
* you didn't like the outcome and changed the real 'copied-one-from' scene
* frustration and mayhem ... timing issues and so forth...
* the adopted real-cue wasn't updating your 'show'-copied cue
* ... not working ...
* NEXT! (=other solution)

Weren't project in the .11 version supposed to be translated to .12 version?
I didn't check this statement ... somewhere in the line of versions there was 'conversion' needed...

@massimo - if I'm wrong - pinch my fingers ... "show != working => I didn't want to debug at that time => time pressure => leave this feature for now and find other solutions..."-excuse

CoS2000 · Tue Sep 24, 2019 7:57 pm

You added a programmed cue to a show, (QLC+ made a hidden one)

Like i said: When i create a track in a show - The WHOLE TRACK becomes a hidden scene and ALL Sequences used on this track will share it. But when i delete this "broken sequence" from my example and add a new sequence on this track - its working. The Problem ISNT the hidden scene, because otherwise all sequences created on this track would be broken!

Weren't project in the .11 version supposed to be translated to .12 version?

Sometimes i made sequences in the newest version and this sequences have the same problem! This is not absolute a backward-compatibility problem, not to mention that there should be no "backward-compatiliy problems" between 4.11. and 4.12. - The only backward-compatibility problem what massimo announced was long before 4.11.

Its so easy to say "ok its a backward-compatibility problem".

leave this feature for now and find other solutions...

There is no other solution - The only one is to make the whole sequence again and this can be a "time pressure", when the sequence is complex!

Otherwise: Squences that worked yesterday can have today this problem. So you wonder why your sequence make not the things you programmed, cause the values was not saved. This simply sucks (sorry for hard words)!

Best regards
CoS

P.S.: to all the complainers to the bugs: Massimo works alone. QLC+ ist a extreme complex software! Its unbeliefable that QLC+ is a "one man show"! We all have to kiss his feets and help him where we can, to make things better and fix some bugs! I dont code in his programming language - otherwise i would help him when i can!

The only thing that i can do is to try make bugs reproduceable! This is ALWAYS the first important step for debugging (i'am coding by myself, but more webprogramming - the problem is the same: when i cant reproduce a bug, i cant fix it)...

mcallegari · Wed Sep 25, 2019 8:55 am

Confirmed. The real issue is that when you change pan/tilt value, the output DMX value doesn't change. Check it with the DMX monitor.
I'm investigating.

[EDIT] I got tricked by german names... DMX output is OK

[EDIT2] Alright, I found what it is. Basically the attached project is corrupted. For some reason, the DMX values of step 2 of the Sequence are repeated twice. This should never happen. So now I'd like to understand how it is possible to make it happen using the QLC+ editors.
@Cos2000 what is your Show editing workflow that leads to this?
Fixed project attached. Can you see the difference with the original one?

CoS2000 · Wed Sep 25, 2019 12:58 pm

Alright, I found what it is. Basically the attached project is corrupted. For some reason, the DMX values of step 2 of the Sequence are repeated twice. This should never happen. So now I'd like to understand how it is possible to make it happen using the QLC+ editors.

Ahhh ok - I swear i used only the QLC Editor ever! I never change things in the workspace file directly! I swear sometimes QLC creates such "broken sequences". One Time (its only occured once) QLC creates a sequence in a show that sends no DMX Values out. I had to delete the whole track to fix

I know in my original workspace are thousend unused hidden scenes and other fragments that QLC never deleted correctly!

what is your Show editing workflow that leads to this?

We have a workspace that we use every time. There are shows we use on each event - Everytime the same. So i have a static setup. At every event we add 1, 2 shows we only use 1 time - After the event i delete this! I only work in Show mode. The show mode is the reason for using QLC+ - We before used "DasLight", but it hasnt a show mode.

mcallegari · Wed Sep 25, 2019 2:55 pm

OK but if we want to solve this, we need to replicate the case where QLC+ writes Sequence values twice.
If you can replicate it probably won't take long to get fixed.

CoS2000 · Wed Sep 25, 2019 5:13 pm

mcallegari wrote: ↑Wed Sep 25, 2019 2:55 pm OK but if we want to solve this, we need to replicate the case where QLC+ writes Sequence values twice.
If you can replicate it probably won't take long to get fixed.

There r so many things i try to replicate

- When i find something i post immediately!

But i look at the save - yeah you're right. All values are dublicated in step 2 - Is it possible to write a function that checks if a sequence hold to many values and deletes the unneeded values?

Best regards
CoS

markzvo · Tue Nov 19, 2019 6:28 am

Sometimes when my sequences misbehave, I restart the app and they are fine again.

Sometimes when sequences misbehave I create a new track, create the sequence there, and they are fine again.

Sometimes when sequences misbehave, I delete something from another track and then they are fine again.

Sometimes when sequences misbehave, I play them again, and they play different each time.

Sometimes when sequences misbehave, I delete them and use a RGB matrix if possible.

Moral of the story: your sequences will misbehave, be prepared.