Latest cvs build is crashing when I cycle through rendering

[fsgregs]

Hi folks:

I love some of the new features in the latest windows version of the cvs build. I have been using it to finalize my Educational Activities, which have taken me over 200 damned man-hours this summer to update and add to. Its a labor of love but has turned out to be a hell of a lot of work ... I'm getting very weary!!).

I'm almost done and tonight, the new cvs build program began crashing.

I began to notice that my Open Gl 2.0 rendering path was no longer active. I'd go to one planet and it was fine, then I'd go to a new planet and suddenly, specular textures, normal maps, etc. were gone. It had reverted to basic or multitexture rendering all on its own. Perhaps it reacted to some file type that I was using at the planet (Normal map, etc.) Perhaps it just wanted to cause a fuss!

When I pressed [Ctrl + V] to cycle back through the paths, it would pause on GeForce FX, then crash and I'd get an error message. This is not happening with 1.4.0pre 6 on my computer, so it is new to the new cvs build. It's very reproducible on my computer.

My computer is a 1.6 GHz P4 running Windows XP Home edition. I have 768 MB of RAM and a new Nvidia GeForce 6600 GT video card with 128 MB VRAM and the latest Nvidia drivers.

HELP! I NEED THIS NEW VERSION. IT HAS ONE CRITICAL FEATURE THAT I MUST HAVE TO FINALIZE THE UPDATE OF MY ACTIVITIES (the ability to specify an alternate cfg file via command line). I am running out of time. I have to have my activities done in two weeks.

HELP!!!!!! Tell me what to post here (error logs, etc. etc.) and how to get an error log (I don't know how). Does this ring a bell as a known bug?

If we can't get this figured out, would someone be willing to really help me out here and cut and paste the few lines of code inserted a few weeks ago to set up an alternate cfg file via command line, and paste it into a good version of 1.4.0pre6? Then, send me a Windows compiled version of that? It should not take more than 20 minutes or so (so I've been told).

PLEASE!!


Frank

[fsgregs]

I have been unable to get through the latest cvs build without it crashing. This is the Windows exe file of that build that Brendan has posted on his website.

If I load any large texture of Earth or Mars, and set rendering to Open Gl 2.0, Celestia will go there and will initially display the planet OK. However, as I move around, the program will revert to Basic or Multitexture. When I try to return to Open Gl 2.0, it gets as far as GeForce FX, then crashes. It is 100% reproducible.

I have a Nvidia GeForce 6600 GT, which I just bought. I have the latest drivers from Nvidia. This should not be happening, unless I am missing some file that should be accompanying the program, or I need to somehow adjust Nvidia settings for the new cvs build.

Please, someone with a Nvidia GeForce 6600 card, the latest cvs build and some high res Earth or Mars textures, please try to duplicate the problem. Open Celestia CVS, go to Earth and set your resolution to high res textures by pressing [Ctrl + R]. Right-click-drag around a bit, so that Celestia has to load all the Earth textures (surface, night, spec, etc.). Then, while watching, try cycling through the rendering options by pressing [Ctrl + V]. See if Celestia crashes when it gets to GeForce FX.

Let me know. If anyone knows why this is happening, please advise.

Thanks

Frank

[buggs_moran]

Could the crash be brought on by any of the add ons? I noticed that I had to take your nebulas folder out of your original add ons for one of my laptops. After that, everything ran fine. On a different computer, I've noticed that I had to use older Nvidia drivers (they are in the 70's now, I think I had to revert to the 50's versions...) Sorry I don't have more to offer Frank...

Buggs

[selden]

After installing the current educational "General Addons" plus "Activities 1 & 2" from the MotherLode, both the current CVS build and Brendan's ECelestia crash when I goto Earth, switch to hires mode and type a Ctrl-V.

Celestia v1.4.0pre6 does not.

System:
1GB 3.4GHz P4-550; WinXP Pro, SP2
128MB, GF 6600GT, ForceWare v77.72

[fsgregs]

Selden:

Thanks for testing it out.

Do you get the same results without using one of the high-res textures in my add-ons? For example, if you load Don Edwards high-res Earth, plus his Normalmal, spec map and night texture from his website or from Motherlode, and go to Earth and press {ctrl+V], do you also get a crash?

If not, then some texture in my add-ons, or some line in my celestia.cfg file, is causing the problem. I could not imagine what that would be, since all the textures in my files are dds, jpg or png.

Anyway, let me know if you suspect the problem in isolated in my add-ons.

Frank

[selden]

Frank,

I couldn't find any bumpmaps by Don, but I have a 4K jpeg bumpmap from I know-not-where. Using it with Don's 8K DDS Earth, spec, cloud & night textures, I couldn't get the CVS versions of Celestia to crash.

However, I'd suggest backing off from using a CVS derived version of Celestia for now. I think it's better to have a somewhat clunky experience than an unreliable one.

[Brendan]

I sent Frank a celestia.exe that is from cvs as of July 12, so it has the old galaxy rendering, plus the code I copied from later sources for the --config option. If anyone else needs it, I'll post it.