Q Light Controller+

@mcallegari - Thank you for Working so fast...and i dont want to annoy you again, but there is a "new" Fakebug...but i think its only a small problem!

Bug detected in Ver.: 4.12.0.36 on Windows 7

Workspace ist attached...

Description: All values goes to 0 when you click a sequence in Show Mode twice...

Steps:

1: Open attached Workspace
2: Go to "Shows"
3: Select the Sequence "My Roomlights"
4: Click on "My Roomlights" again (when its allready selected) and all values goes to 0

Info: The Values are not really deleted - When you deselect "My Roomlights" and select it again, all values are shown correctly! When you run into the bug, dont change any values, it wouldnt be saved!

Sorry mcallegari i hope i could help you more, then submitting bugs and i really dont want you make more work then you allready have

Please do not call a thread "Fakebug Part 2". It doesn't help at all who is searching the forums.
Please give it a meaningful title.

Title is changed!

Thanks. I reproduced the issue.

1000 Thanks

Fixed. New build will be available in 20 minutes or so.
I wonder if show manager bugs will ever end...

@mcallegari

Confirm fix in Ver.: 4.12.0.38

I wonder if show manager bugs will ever end...

I think the show manager is one of the complexest parts in QLC+ code - There are not only values saved, there are many things with timings, graphical ajustments and so on. The more complex a code is, the more bugs exist...

The only thing why we use QLC+ is the Show Manager. There are very expensive Light-Control Programs out there. We used "DasLight" for years and since a longer time the producer promises a "Show Mode" in DasLight. But it never comes. I think they have problems with it.

I found QLC+ in a Light-Control Forum, where somebody asked if there is a software, which has a Show Mode. Nobody know one, but many People want it. After months there was an answer with a Light-Control Software, that has a Show Mode - Cost $ 30.000 and the hint, that these software (even the Show Mode) is verry buggy and hard to use! Months later someone writes about QLC+ and was QLC+ can!

I thought QLC+ must be very expensive for all that features! I couldnt believe its free!

I know from very much discussions about Light-Control programs, that QLC+ ist loved for the Show Mode. Many People use it!

First time we uses QLC+ we had many bugs, but no way to reproduce it. We often stand before the give up, because we work an half hour to ajust some moving heads and then all values are deleted! Then you check some values before playing and QLC+ overwrites values just by checking some squences (we run in the value overwrite bug, but we dont know it). We was angry and with tears in the eyes, because time runs away...

Second Time we uses QLC+ a few bugs was fixed, but the "hard ones" (that ones that deletes or overwrite values). We lost about 1 day in 1 week work by running into Values-Saving bugs. After that my team says: ok find another software or reproduce the bugs and help them get fixed! But i LOVE QLC+! It makes fun to work with it, to be creative

The only help that i can offer, is make the bugs reproduceable, make some videos if its needed to document the issues i found!

There a more bugs with Value Savings! I have one i called the "broke sequence bug". Sometimes i made sequences this seems to be broken after made it. It saves FALSE values. Not that values that i type in. The values that be saved seems to be randomly...The only war to work around is to delete this sequence and recreate it. But until today i didnt found a way for you to reproduce it...

I hope i can reproduce more bugs and i hope you will fix it! I programming for myself and i know how exhausting bug fixing is. But the worst bug is a bug which nobody can reproduce. So i hope my work helps a little bit!

Thank you mcallegari for your work on QLC+. I know some theater groups they work for free, just as a hobby. These groups doesnt have the money to buy a software that costs $ 30.0000, just for a buggy Show Mode! So your work helps to saves artists around the world that doesnt earns millions of dollors to buy overpriced software!

Sorry for my bad english

Thanks for your post.
The reason why Show Manager exists is similar to what you experienced.
I had a band and we needed light shows synchronized to music. We purchased LumiDMX (around €200) because it has a timeline editor but it was freaking buggy.
So many crashes and so disappointing. Writing to technical support was a dead end. They just don't listen or they always say it's your fault. Even more, they said "if it crashes, then don't do that operation". WOW

So, as a developer, I started to look around for an open source software that I could modify to get what I wanted. At first I attempted to add DMX tracks to Qtractor, but then I realized QLC was the best place to do it. So I forked it, and the rest is history.
QLC was definitely not ready for my idea of Sequences and for years it has been kind of a hack. Now MAYBE, I have found some peace by dedicating a Function to it.
But as you noticed, it's a very complex area.

On the other hand, I changed the approach to the Show Manager in QLC+ 5. I believe we'll have much more freedom there than in QLC+ 4. As an example, check out how I organized my 3D demo project to understand what I'm talking about.
I haven't spent so much time on Sequences yet, but I feel comfortable that I will find a better solution than what QLC+ 4 offers.

It just takes a damn lot of time for one single person to manage such a huge software !

P.S. Donations are always welcome if you find QLC+ useful for your projects

We purchased LumiDMX (around €200) because it has a timeline editor but it was freaking buggy.

Yes LumiDMX was one of our alternatives too. I read about it in many Forums. But everyone said its extreme buggy and unable to use on life!

Writing to technical support was a dead end.

Yeah i read that they kick you out of their Forum, if you send a bug information. If reproduceable or not - youre out! So they have no interest to make the software better. No updates, no bug fixes and no answers on requests! Nothing...So LumiDMX was out of my alternatives

Donations are always welcome if you find QLC+ useful for your projects

We earn no money with our shows. Its just a hobby thing

But i will Donate! I everytime donate, when a Software is helpful.

I changed the approach to the Show Manager in QLC+ 5

For me it will be a big problem use QLC+ 5, because we need to code all shows new. Last time the location where i made my event allows me a week of coding. But they mean its do expensive. I have 2 Days in the future! Not enough time to code all new on QLC+ 5 base! So i hope QLC+ 4 will be future releases and bug fixes, until you let it die for QLC+ 5!

When QLC+ 5 is out and stable, i will try to code 1 show a time, until all shows run on QLC+ 5!

A technical question: Why do you use XML Format for Savings? XML has no good performance, specialy on big files. Why dont you use a simple SQL Datebase? Coding Software like Borland has this things useready on board!

It has other advantages: So you can simple transfer single shows or functions from one workspace to another!

Just a idea...

Thank you mcallegari! When i can help you anything, let me know!

P.S.: Donation is out - Hope it helps

A technical question: Why do you use XML Format for Savings? XML has no good performance, specialy on big files. Why dont you use a simple SQL Datebase? Coding Software like Borland has this things useready on board!

XML is a text file. It can be opened with a simple editor, it can be used for comparison with another XML file. It is scalable in terms of nesting and attributes, etc.
SQL is based on a schema. It's in binary form. Can't be compared. Difficult access through queries. So SQL is a no go.

It has other advantages: So you can simple transfer single shows or functions from one workspace to another!

This is already possible with QLC+ 5..and XML files

P.S. Thanks a lot for the donation !