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Support => Terragen Support => Topic started by: ares2101 on August 18, 2013, 03:07:39 PM

Title: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: ares2101 on August 18, 2013, 03:07:39 PM
I'm liking the looks of these new features, but I get fairly frequent program crashes at no particular times.  I'm not even doing anything complex yet, just slowing testing things out and trying to make a new image.  Anyone else been experiencing issues with crashing?  I'm using the Windows 7 64-bit.
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: Oshyan on August 18, 2013, 05:00:57 PM
Can you provide more information about the crashes and about your system? What graphics card do you have? Are you using the latest drivers? When it crashes, do you get any kind of error messages? Does it seem to be any commonality at all, for example use of the 3D preview?

- Oshyan
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: j meyer on August 19, 2013, 12:18:46 PM
Yep,had some of theses crashes,too.No recognizable pattern so far.Also Win7 64bit.
The first crash after installing 30050 happened when I moved the mouse after a render
completed,the first crash with 30070 was after changing a value in the water shader and
then pressing the render button.Just to give an example.
There were more,but all under different circumstances.Generally TG3 is not as stable
as TG2.5,for me that is.
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: yossam on August 19, 2013, 01:26:00 PM
I also have had some crashes.................also Win7 64bit. Can't pinpoint anything yet.............save a lot.  :)
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: jaf on August 19, 2013, 01:57:02 PM
My impression is that TG3 is much more stable than TG2, but then I'm running an old OS, XP64.  Usually, if I do get a crash it's when I forget a render is in progress and I change a value -- something I shouldn't do, of course.  I kind of wish TG3 would "lock out" changes when a render is active (but allow viewing your setup, as it does now.)

I've also tried running two instances of TG3 -- rendering on one and editing on another -- different scenes of course, and it is quite stable.  Set threads to 6/6 on the render and 2/2 on the edit.  Again, not recommended, but was interesting to see what would happen.
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: ares2101 on August 19, 2013, 04:00:56 PM
Quote from: yossam on August 19, 2013, 01:26:00 PM
I also have had some crashes.................also Win7 64bit. Can't pinpoint anything yet.............save a lot.  :)

Sounds like what I have going.  I have the latest driver on my GPU, the computer runs pretty well in general and I don't see much of a pattern with the crashes.  I can work with it if I save a lot, it's just kind of annoying.
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: Oshyan on August 19, 2013, 04:25:54 PM
3.0.05 had some stability issues we're aware of that we resolved with 3.0.06 and 3.0.07, so please stick to problem reports from the *latest* version, 3.0.07.0

Any repeatable crashes on 3.0.07.0 we *really* want to track down as we're just not seeing them here, nor in the alpha test group.

As noted, do not make changes to a scene while it's rendering (even though you technically can). Make sure you have the latest graphics drivers. If you continue having problems, please email us at support AT planetside.co.uk so we can work directly with you on the issue.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: reck on August 20, 2013, 04:09:05 PM
Was just about to come here and create a new post about this but might as well tag onto this one. I'm also seeing quite a few crashes, 3 in the last hour in fact. It's very noticeable for me as Terragen has hardly ever crashed for me before so to see it crash even once is unusual.

I'm also using Windows 7 x64. Using Terragen 3.0.07.0

My crashes have all happened when I click the render button, before anything else happens Terragen freezes up and I get the standard Windows "this program has stopped responding" message and I have to close it.

The scene had a fair few objects, not a massive amount and i've certainly had more. Wireframe or smooth shaded was active on the 3D display and it lagged a bit when I moved the mouse when I was setting up the scene.

I never change a parameter once it starts rendering.

I'm using an Nvidia GTX 460, driver version 9.18.13.1407.
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: Oshyan on August 20, 2013, 04:16:26 PM
Is it possible for you to share one or more TGDs where this has happened?

- Oshyan
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: jaf on August 20, 2013, 07:44:26 PM
Reck, you may want to try a newer version of your video driver.  I also have a 460 and currently use 320.49.  There's about four newer releases than the one you are currently using.

However, I don't think that will solve your TG problem though, but one never knows.  :)
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: Oshyan on August 20, 2013, 07:54:22 PM
Actually, newer drivers *very often* fix these kinds of problems, believe it or not.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: reck on August 21, 2013, 03:49:12 AM
Oshyan, Jaf,

I'll update my gfx drivers to the latest version first of all. Next time I have a crash, if I have a saved project i'll share it.

Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: reck on August 28, 2013, 06:56:12 AM
Just had another crash but this time on another computer running a completely different gfx card. Again it was as soon as it started rendering that it froze up and crashed.

This was the default file loaded up with a single population added left at there defaults, so very simple and not memory intensive at all. Annoyingly as i'm just running lots of tests at the moment rather than working on projects i've not been saving my files. But in this case it can be easily recreated by creating a new file and add a single population leaving everything as default.

The gfx card in this computer is an ATI FirePro V3750.

I really am going to have to get in the habit of saving frequently with TG3. It's something I never had to worry about with TG2 as it hardly ever crashed, just a handful of times over the years.
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: jo on August 28, 2013, 07:06:25 AM
Hi reck,

We're looking into this problem. Unfortunately I'm finding it very hard to reproduce on my own machines.

Have you change the Object display mode in the 3D Preview from bounding box to something else when you're having these problems?

Regards,

Jo
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: Dune on August 28, 2013, 07:52:14 AM
It's best, for the time being, to set objects/populations in bounding box mode as soon as you start rendering, is my experience. Also, if you have populated, restricted to camera, and then change POV, do change the preview mode to bounding box or none, or it'll crash! Temporary inconvenience, I'm sure.
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: reck on August 28, 2013, 10:29:52 AM
I can imagine that these sort of crashes must be difficult to track down. Especially when all you get from users like me is "i've had another crash", not a lot to go on.

I have been using shaded mode a lot, or wireframe when it's become a bit slow. If this is the case of the crashes i'll stick to box mode for now as Dune suggested. Maybe just quickly jumping back to wireframe now and again for position reasons and then returning to box mode before rendering.

So i'm not much help with the crashing.

I forgot to mention in my previous email, both system are Windows 7 x64 with the latest version of TG3.
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: jaf on August 28, 2013, 12:35:06 PM
I must be very lucky.  My typical workflow is I put up a second full screen preview on my second monitor with shaders, atmosphere, and lighting active.  Plus objects as wireframe.  I do pause the small preview but soometimes let it render when my secondary preview is in a different view, usually top.  I can't remember a crash since I've started using TG3, except when I cause it by poking around in the settings while a render is active, which is of course, not recommneded.

Maybe it's because I running that old OS winXP!  :D  The below image is my setup with the exception the full preview is usually on the second monitor.
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: reck on August 29, 2013, 07:44:28 AM
You're not tempted by Win 7 then Jaf? It's a great OS. I believe support for XP will be stopping next year so you might want to consider upgrading then as you'll no longer be received updates.

As for the TG3 crashes, who knows what's behind it. What gfx card are you using?
Title: Re: TG3- Lots of crashing
Post by: jaf on August 29, 2013, 02:07:22 PM
Hi reck.  I've been tempted and have it on an Amazon wish list.  I also have the win8 upgrade but haven't installed it yet.  I guess after all these years of getting my PC running the way I wanted, I'm a little hesitant (and I don't like pushed by Microsoft.)  They did a lot of things like make DirectX 11 unavailable to XP to force buying into the next version.  But I know they are a business and that's the way it is.

My gfx is in my signature.  :)