FYI - Loading all plugins and addons is a bad idea.

[FLHippy]

FYI,

In case anyone else is having slow speed or stuttering playback...

If you download the plugins and dll package from the vixen downloads page, if you add them all it will cause the application to suck down most of your CPU. This, in turn, caused the vixen program to be somewhat stuttery when playing a sequence.

It was especially frustrating for us because we're working on performing live music syncronized to the lighting and lights weren't keeping time to our computer metronome.

I slimmed my install down and removed any AddIns and PlugIns which I wasn't using and the cpu usage dropped from 80% to 10%. The vixen application now stays in time.

[WWNF911]

Glad you fixed it but why would you do that?

Leon

[Brad H]

FYI,


I slimmed my install down and removed any AddIns and PlugIns which I wasn't using and the cpu usage dropped from 80% to 10%. The vixen application now stays in time.

How did you remove them? I assume that you removed them from the dropdown lists?? I was under the assumption that if they were not "selected" they would not be loaded or used and thus take no resources - but from what you wrote it seems that may not be the case.

My concern is that I have seen other posts in other threads that seemed to indicate crash on launch if there was anything (plugins or addins) missing from the install.

Brad H

[daviddth]

Normally I'd not expect to see more than 3 or 4 types of plugins used. Ren, 595/grinch, launcher (For ledtriks), maybe 1 or 2 other controller types, but not many people would mix & match much more than that.

Add to that the adjustable preview (Which uses a fair bit of CPU time here!), and thats more than most people would ever use

I use just the ren & launcher, and the adjustable preview to test, but turn off the preview for the actual show and my laptop show PC now sits on <5%, with just the occasional spike as it's loading the next song.

[FLHippy]

How did you remove them? I assume that you removed them from the dropdown lists?? I was under the assumption that if they were not "selected" they would not be loaded or used and thus take no resources - but from what you wrote it seems that may not be the case.

My concern is that I have seen other posts in other threads that seemed to indicate crash on launch if there was anything (plugins or addins) missing from the install.

Brad H

Yes, during the install it would not run because these folders were empty.

I had downloaded the all plugins zip file and it seemed like the obvious thing to do to put them all in the plugins and addons folders.

After having lots of stutters when trying to play in real time to a blinky light, I checked the cpu usage and it was spiked so I started doing things like shutting off the real time animation on the application, that didn't help so I removed all but the renard plugin and then it zipped right along. I removed the files from the application folders.

I have a fairly beefy CPU, dual processor 1.86,1.87ghz 3 gig memory.

[Wayne J]

After I unzip Vixen, I go in and cut all of the plugins I will not be using and put them in a different (new) folder. I currently only have these in the plugins folder....

Adjustable Preview
Event Data Logger
Launcher
Renard Dimmer (modified)

Everything works fine. ;)

[JimWright]

I am sorry to jump in here, but I am having a problem. I just downloaded Vixen to give it a try. I unziped the file and ran Vixen.exe. I have the following problems: 1. When Vixen loads I get the error "error when loading UI plugin from Ledtricks UI: Exception has been thrown by target of an invocation": 2. When I click on "Help" I get an error saying that navigation to the web was canceled: 3. Most windows do not seem to have OK or Cancil buttons. Also most windows do not have the close window X in the upper right hand corner.

Also, I can't seem to find the right place to ask these questions. Can anyone help? Please?
Bewildered Jim

[Brad H]

So I tried this idea... moving all plugins to another folder except Adjustable Preview and Renard. On launch it crashes due to missing LEDTriks - moved the two LEDtriks files back to the folder and it launched. Watching the performance meter I saw no difference in CPU or memory load. But a new (or really a very OLD problem - from last year) has popped up - now I am getting all kinds of COM port errors - handles, failure to open, failure to close, Access Denied, etc <sigh>

I suppose since I saw no performance improvement but do now have a different problem it would be prudent to put all the files back where they were. I will do that.

I wonder why I seem to be the only one experiencing these problems?? I have replaced all of the hardware (new computer, new OS [xp pro] more memory, using profiles and program plugins -- but still the same problems persist (all detailed in another thread). Heck I even replaced the Renard board and have tried running with nothing plugged in to the serial port since it appears there is no handshake in Vixen (comments?).

Well any thoughts on this ongoing problem would be deeply appreciated - only 5 months to fix it!! :wink:

Brad H

[Wayne J]

Try putting the "Launcher" plugin back in the folder.

[Macrosill]

I have never had any issues with Vixen having all the default add-ons and plug-ins in their respective folders, that I can recall. I am curious why having the add-ons and plug-ins in their folders but not active would cause an issue?

[FLHippy]

I have never had any issues with Vixen having all the default add-ons and plug-ins in their respective folders, that I can recall. I am curious why having the add-ons and plug-ins in their folders but not active would cause an issue?

Yesterday, I installed a second copy of vixen. I'm working on launching sequences using a midi foot switch. I noticed that all the plugins came in the folders when I downloaded the package.

Could this be a windows vista issue?

Launching sequences with only 24 channels causes the CPU to peg until I remove all but the renard plugin and the remoteclient add in. which are the two things I'm using.


Red

[Macrosill]

I am not sure why this is happening. I have not used Vixen on a Vista machine but I believe others have, on 32 and 64 bit versions.

[FLHippy]

I am not sure why this is happening. I have not used Vixen on a Vista machine but I believe others have, on 32 and 64 bit versions.

I think I found the cause of this problem

I installed vixen to c:\program files

Vista forced the whole directory to be read only.

I turned off the read only flag and now it doesn't use up all the CPU when all plugins and add ons are part of the installation.

[Macrosill]

Glad you figured it out.