Annotation does'nt start when SD started from a .bat file

[hgn98009]

Hi, my problem is that I need to start SD from a batch file that sets up a number of parameters. This seems to work beautifully as long as I don't try to start Annotator which causes SD to freeze.

I have minimized the sources of error by changing directory to the "start-in" directory and running the exact .bat file that SD's start icon is referring to.

If I get this to work then I should be able to do any needed modification to my own batch file, but the error stays the same.

Suggestions please, I'm new to using SD on PC's.

[John Scheffel]

We use a custom batch file to start Modeling and it works fine. My best guess is that your batch file is setting some parameter that interferes with Annotation. You might try starting with a batch file that does nothing except run the command to start SolidDesigner and see if that works. If it does, start adding your other lines until you find the one that causes the problem.

You might also want to take a look at the batch file which is used to start Annotation to see if it provides any clues. It is:

<install_dir>\binNT\startAnnotator.sh.bat

In the past we have found that if there are any problems running this batch file that Annotation will hang and never come up.

If you tell me which version of SolidDesigner you are running, I can provide some batch code that we used to start that version. The command seems to change with every major release. It might also help if you attach your batch file so people can review it. You will have to chagne the name to something like "filename.txt" since the ".bat" extension is not allowed for attachments.

[Wolfgang]

Hi hgn98009 (a real (first) name would be nice ;) )
start Annotator which causes SD to freeze.
describe. How does it look like, black VP area, did you already see the Annotators Splash screen (the colored Co|Create sign)?
any needed modification to my own batch file
what kind of things are you doing in your batch file? Do you set ENV variables? Which?
when OSD is started (that way, but without Annotation), enter in OSD command line
(oli::sd-sys-background-job "set |sort >d:/temp/a-file.txt". This will give you the complete ENV just before Annotation would be started. Study the output of that file (may be upload to temporary URL)

all for now.. Wolfgang

[hgn98009]

This is really interesting. None of your suggestions semms to work!

First I tried to explain that I already have gone "back to basics" and just try to start the original <install_dir>\bin\run.bat that CoCreate's icon is pointing to.

The <install_dir>\binNT\startAnnotator.sh.bat is missing.

I am running 11.60.3.0 (or 11.60C as it is called in Help -- About).
I have had the same experience with 11.60.2.0.

When I mark Annotation in the modules list everything in SD stops working. The modules list is still there and nothing else happens. The Splash screen dos not show.

(oli::sd-sys-background-job "set |sort >d:/temp/a-file.txt"
does not produce any output.

I have also tried to use (olo::sd-execute-annotator-command :cmd "trace del_old 'c:\tmp\anno.txt'")

But since I cannot run (oli_sd-execute-annotator-command :cmd "trace off") the buffer is not emptied into the file.

The only thing that I can detect from SD after trying to start Annotator is some cpu activity for about 0.2 seconds.

The purpose behind starting SD from a batch file is indeed to set some environment variables. These are used to manage which configuration to use.

Hans-Göran Gustavsson

[gmatelich]

This sounds similar to a problem we are having on one of our computers (which in our case is suspected to be graphics card related). Support suggested we try creating an environment varible of SDPIXELFORMAT with a value of SOFTWARE. We haven't tried it yet, though.

[John Scheffel]

Originally posted by hgn98009
The <install_dir>\binNT\startAnnotator.sh.bat is missing.
I don't think it is possible to start Annotation if you don't have this file. Since you only asked about starting from a batch file, I assumed that you were able to run Annotation if you started Modeling from the Start menu button, but without this file I don't see how that could work either. This file should have been created during installation, I have no ideas why it is not there.

I have attached a sample of this file from Modeling as installed on my PC. This file contains hard coded paths which are set at install time to the install path selected, so you will need to edit the file to change those paths to match your installation.

[Wolfgang]

I wrote
(oli::sd-sys-background-job "set |sort >d:/temp/a-file.txt"
which is not completely correct, because of the operating system directory delimiter :-(
(oli::sd-sys-background-job "set |sort >d:/temp/a-file.txt"
********
(oli::sd-sys-background-job "set |sort >d:\\temp\\a-file.txt"
Hans-Göran, somewhere on your disk there might be a file named '*a-file.txt'. Small typo, sorry.

But the main things is the (missing) binNT\startAnnotator.sh.bat, of course.. and whether you can start OSD+AM without the use of your own batch file.
oli::sd-execute-annotator-command :cmd does never work, when there's no Annotation running! ;)

[hgn98009]

Sorry about the misleading info about startAnnotator.sh.bat, I do indeed have one, I must have been sleepy.
The real problem was an error in my first .bat file.
It set up some environment variables that was wrong. When I tried CoCreate's original
file I used the same DOS-window... The rest is history.

At the moment I have SD installed on a server, the local configuration is in a separate location (which
enable me to have different configs for dfferent projects) and a .reg file that I us to update the registry
with the actual info.

This is what my run.bat file looks like.

w:
cd \apps\SolidDesigner\Vendor\NT\11.60.3.0\binNT
set PROD_DIR=W:\apps\SolidDesigner\Vendor\NT\11.60.3.0\
set SDANNOTATIONDIR=%PROD_DIR%\annotation\binNT
set DXFDIR=%PROD_DIR%\dxfdwg
set IGESDIR=%PROD_DIR%\iges2d
set SD_CONFIG_DIR=W:\apps\SolidDesigner\Config\11.60.3.0\
REGEDIT /S %SD_CONFIG_DIR%\sd11.60.3.0.reg
%PROD_DIR%\bin\run.bat -lang en


And then files I want to customize are replaced by something similar to this:

(setq SD_CONFIG_DIR (getenv "SD_CONFIG_DIR"))
(load (concatenate 'string SD_CONFIG_DIR "/pesa_customize") :if-does-not-exist nil)

Most of the configuration seems to be similar between hpux and windows but we have at least
two different groups of designers using different plot setups and what not.

Thanks to Wolfgang for the correct code for an ENV dump. Does anyone know how to get a trace from
the non-annotator part of SD?

[Wolfgang]

iggggssss..
set SDANNOTATIONDIR=%PROD_DIR%\annotation\binNT
don't do it. There's no need to do so..
OSD will find it's own Annotator dir by default and this is working fine. I assume now, that exactly this line caused your problems, because the behavior you described looked so.
how to get a trace from the non-annotator part of SD?
I'm not complete sure what's the meaning is... but do you know the start parameter "-v"?

regarding your different user groups.. may be you should have a closer look to the environment variables SDSITECUSTOMIZEDIR and SDCORPCUSTOMIZEDIR. you can influence the location of customization files here in general. (see advanced customization)

[Wolfgang]

After you mentioned:
I have SD installed on a server, the local configuration..
I would like to point you to another thread (http://www.cocreateusers.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4471&#postid=10672) inside this forum (and the links overthere, too)

[hgn98009]

>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>set SDANNOTATIONDIR=%PROD_DIR%\annotation\binNT
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


>don't do it. There's no need to do so..
>OSD will find it's own Annotator dir by default and this is working fine.
>I assume now, that exactly this line caused your problems, because the
>behavior you described looked so.

In startAnnotator.sh.bat it says:
if not "%SDANNOTATIONDIR%" == "" goto medir_ok
set MEDIR=c:\CoCreate\OSD_MO~1.0\Annotation\binNT\
:medir_ok
This is the only place where SDANNOTATIONDIR is mentioned as far as I can find. If we don't control this MEDIR, DXFDIR and IGESDIR can also go wrong. I agree that everything goes wrong if SDANNOTATIONDIR points to the wrong dir.

However I find it interesting that other people share the idea that it is better to install the programs on a server. On a well built 100 Mb network you could expect to get about 10 megabyte of data per second which is about the same amount you could expect from an average ide hard disk. The faster scsi disks on the server compensates for some of the delay in the network.

The real profit with server installations comes from lower support costs and a possibility for project centered configuration. I am just a little sad that CoCreate has fallen into the "register hack ditch". ;)

>quote:
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>how to get a trace from the non-annotator part of SD?
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


>I'm not complete sure what's the meaning is... but do you know the start parameter "-v"?

When developing a ME10 or Annotator macro I often start a trace, make a number of
commands and use the trace file as the skeleton for the macro.

When I test a new version of ME10 or Annotator and find that an old customisation
does not work, I start a trace, run the macro, stop the trace and evaluate what went
wrong.

These are things that I want to do with SD-macros as well. The "-v" start
parameter just shows in a verbose way what happens when SD is starting.

Hans-Göran Gustavsson

[clausb]

Check out the Common LISP "trace" function:

http://www.lispworks.com/reference/HyperSpec/Body/m_tracec.htm

[Wolfgang]

>----------------------------------------------------------
>set SDANNOTATIONDIR=%PROD_DIR%\annotation\binNT >----------------------------------------------------------

one more time regarding this..

when you install your OSD to z:\cocreate\OSD_11.50 where z: is your general map to the server's hard disk, why do you need to set the SDANNOTATIONDIR?? Installing OSD that way the start_annotator.sh.bat is well configured and is using the correct path.. as well as IGES and DXF directory are set when AM gets started. Well the path used during installation should be the same as it is used by every user in your environment.

Do we misunderstand each other?

[hgn98009]

Well I installed to the C:\ disk. After that I do not want to hack more than necessary into start_annotator.sh.bat, or any other vendor created script. The installation dir was zipped, copied to the server disk and unzipped. This was done partly to "smoke out" quirks like the ones I found. I am also, from hard experience, very suspicious of installation programs that "know" what needs to be done. I have a server with 600 users. How often have you installed something on your "personal computer" that stopped something else from working?

Hans-Göran

[Wolfgang]

Well I installed to the C:\ disk.... The installation dir was... zipped, copied to the server disk and unzipped .

.. which is something else than c:\...
Did you ever try THIS with a bigger Windows application.. (and specially M$)?????

but Why do you do the installation into c:\somewhere? Why not to z:\elsewhere ? even if z: for your test installations is a simple subst to a directory on your local c: drive...

just fo interest.. if you got it working now it's ok.

[ChrisE]

Hi Hans-Göran, hi all the others,

I've done quite a bit of installations where I simply "extracted" a SD ZIP file somewhere (either local or network), updated the registry using a simple batch file, and then started SD from a network mounted batch file, using variables like SDSITECUSTOMIZEDIR (and all the magics ;-) behind it)
Even works for a SolidDesigner installation on a network drive - so please don't give up :)

Because: I never experienced any problems starting up SD Anno, although having installed SD in a bunch of different places.

As I got rid of the JAVA crab, my customers are not using JAVA based help. They don't really miss it, I suppose :D

[rhankey]

I am experiencing this situation on a new PC Workstation, HP x5000, Pentium 4 2.66 GHz, 1.5GB ram. Nvidia Quadro 4 900xgl w/ ver 4.0.7.0 driver. Win XP ver 2002, Sp 1.
My error message is:

LISP error:
NIL is not of type G-BROWSER::BROWSERNODEPTR.

When I OK this message and cancel the Annotation Module I get ths error:

LISP error:
The function DOCU::HIDE-3DVP is undefined.

The program will then recover and function in the modeling mode and other modules.
I have tried both our custom installation and an uncustomized version (downloaded from the CoCreate site), with the same results. Same result starting from a .bat file as checking the module initalize button in OSD.
Our customized startAnnotator.sh.bat file is identical to the uncustomized version.
A complete Win XP diagnostic test was run with test failures:
CD-RW1: Sequential Read Test:test failed, error code: 066003000

Internal Diag Error No Entry in Resource Table for error 66,3,0
&
CD-RW1: Random Read Test:test failed, error code: 066004005

Internal Diag Error No Entry in Resource Table for error 66,4,5
Now what?

[John Scheffel]

Originally posted by ChrisE
As I got rid of the JAVA crab, my customers are not using JAVA based help. They don't really miss it, I suppose :D
The Java startup used with vesion 11.6 is not easily transportable. The problem is that when you install it, it hard codes the application path into about 10 files. If you want zip up and move to another location, you will have to change all those files. Hopefully they will set all the files to use an environment variable in the future so this will be easier.

If you don't use the Java start up, you will also lose Collaboration and Model Manager in addition to Java help.

[John Scheffel]

Originally posted by rhankey
Our customized startAnnotator.sh.bat file is identical to the uncustomized version.
If your file is indentical, then how did you customize it?

The error messages you posted sound like some kind of 3D graphics issue. We have seen some problems starting Annotation with nVidia based cards using the drivers that came with the card. Updating to the latest reference drivers from www.nVidia.com (not the card manufacturer) fixed the problem. You might give this a try.

[rhankey]

Our customizations are in C:\..\CoCreate\Homebrew\ site. We use a start.bat file that sets up the environment variables defined in this folder.
We have several of these systems running different driver versions of the Nvidia display adapter.

[clausb]

LISP error:
NIL is not of type G-BROWSER::BROWSERNODEPTR.


I'd be VERY surprised if error messages like this were caused by graphics problems.

When I see an error message like this on my system, I usually modify the startup shortcut for OSDM by adding the "-v" option. This will display all names of modules and files which are loaded during startup. The module/file which is loaded directly before the error message appears is the one which has the problem. Knowing where the problem occurs usually helps with locating and fixing it.

I'd still guess that customization is involved. Make sure that none of the magic environment variables are set which point to user/site customizations, then test again. To verify that no such environment variables are set, open a DOS shell, then enter


set >env.txt


Then post the env.txt file here so that we can examine it.

Hope this helps,

Claus

[rhankey]

this is the uncustomized version env.txt file:

ALLUSERSPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
APPDATA=C:\Documents and Settings\rhankey\Application Data
CommonProgramFiles=C:\Program Files\Common Files
COMPUTERNAME=VCSCHABR1
ComSpec=C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe
HB_SITE=Vancouver
HOMEDRIVE=I:
HOMEPATH=\
HOMESHARE=\\vcsuser2\rhankey
LOGONSERVER=\\VCSDC1
MCADSITE=Vancouver
NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS=1
OS=Windows_NT
Path=C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adaptec Shared\System
PATHEXT=.COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH
PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE=x86
PROCESSOR_IDENTIFIER=x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 7, GenuineIntel
PROCESSOR_LEVEL=15
PROCESSOR_REVISION=0207
ProgramFiles=C:\Program Files
PROMPT=$P$G
SDUILOOK=2
SESSIONNAME=Console
SystemDrive=C:
SystemRoot=C:\WINDOWS
TEMP=C:\DOCUME~1\rhankey\LOCALS~1\Temp
TMP=C:\DOCUME~1\rhankey\LOCALS~1\Temp
USERDOMAIN=VANCOUVER
USERNAME=rhankey
USERPROFILE=C:\Documents and Settings\rhankey
windir=C:\WINDOWS

The customized version generated the exact same file.
-Richard

[John Scheffel]

Originally posted by rhankey
Our customizations are in C:\..\CoCreate\Homebrew\ site. We use a start.bat file that sets up the environment variables defined in this folder.
It would be helpful if you could attach the batch files you are using. You will have to change the file extension to *.txt since you cannot attach *.bat files, or you can zip the batch files.

It's possible that environment variables are being set in those batch files. Any variables set in the batch file are process dependent and will not be output by a "set" command unless it is run from that process or a child of that process.

[rhankey]

here is run.bat
BTY, the run.bat is the same for both customized and stock OSD. Which other .bat files are you interested in? pesdEnglishJapanese.bat
ResetUISettings.bat
pesd.bat
startAnnotator.sh.bat
PEME10.bat
makeicon.bat
?
I ran \..\OSD_Modeling_***\bin\run -v from a dos command window and the last line before the failure was:
Initializing am_browser

[John Scheffel]

Originally posted by rhankey
here is run.bat. BTY, the run.bat is the same for both customized and stock OSD.
You're right, that is a standard run.bat file. I thought you were using something custom. Since it is an Annotation startup problem, the only other file which might be of interest is the startAnnotator.sh.bat you are using.

I'm not sure why you are having the startup problem, but if you start from the run.bat file that you sent and your environment variables are set as indicated above, you probably aren't loading any customizations unless you have modified some standard LISP startup file such as "personality/pesd_startup". Normally to load customizations you must set one or more of the following env variables in your Windows environment or from a batch file used to start Modeling.

SDCORPCUSTOMIZEDIR
SDSITECUSTOMIZEDIR
SDUSERCUSTOMIZEDIR

I don't see an evidence that you are setting any of these.