windows client beta!
Dear Users,
For the past couple of years I have been primarily working on the High Fidelity end of Electric Sheep. Development of a so-new-it's-incompatible version of the free screen-saver has gone on behind the scenes. Finally the first public beta of this new version for Windows is ready! Get the installer here. The source code can be had from SVN.
After installation, go to your desktop properties and select "ElectricSheep_2_7b8" as your screensaver.
Reports of any problems or bugs as well as successes are most welcome. It seems to work great for most people but crashes for others. We are trying to figure out why, so if you try it, please let us know what happens good or bad. We are looking for crashes, freezes, and stutters. It would help most if you included the computer make/model, operating system version, and graphics card hardware in your report. Thanks! Your best bet is to comment on this forum, but you can also send me email.
It writes log files that might include some clues about any problems. On Vista they are in "C:\ProgramData\ElectricSheep\" and "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ElectricSheep\" on XP. Look at the end of the log file first. There's a bug that causes the log to grow very large, you might want to just delete it.
In order for the settings dialog to work it needs a recent ".net" runtime. If you get an error that "config has reported a problem and needs to close" then get the runtime from Microsoft. If the settings editor continues to fail, you can edit the config with any text editor. The files are in XML format and are located in the same place as the log files (see above).
You can browse the new flock here even without the client. Note that this flock is at 1/10th quality since there are hardly any users yet. I'll crank it up as people join. The advantage of few users though is it starts in seconds :)
Main improvements are: a more expressive visual language, a dynamic filter in the renderer to smooth out the dust, and h264 of double the pixels per sheep (800*600*160/(640*480*128) = 1.95).
Note there is also a Linux beta.
Thank you so much, -Sp0t
ps. credits are all the web page but special shout-outs to keffo sandberg, erik reckase, and daniel summer for this release.
Beta fixes
Im running 32bit vista on a 2.2ghz cpu with a geforce 8300 or something like that (new laptop) and the beta fixed
1) problems with choppy sheep
2) really bad blacks (the the blacks were coming up as weird pixely grays) and
3) the screen saver never starting (It worked when I hit preview but even when i put the time to 1 minute it would never come up)
problems so far, the config crashes when i try to open it and the beta watermark kinda kills the awesomeness of the sheep :p
Valid windows package?
I tried dowloading and installing the beta package v.2.7b8 and I can't get it to run the installer. It says it isn't a valid windows package. I have had no problems with other installs and have the latest updates from Windows including the NET update(s). I tried downloading it a couple of times thinking it may be a bad download but with no luck. Size shown = 5,002,240 KB Size on disk = 5,005,312.
Running Win XP Pro SP3
AMD 2800+ @ 2.19GHz
ATI 9600 Vido
v2.6.7b6 downloads and runs fine.
Any suggestions.
*****************
Jerry in NW Florida
Is this thread still
Is this thread still monitored?
See my prior message: http://community.electricsheep.org/node/251#comment-1117
I still can't get it to install.
*****************
Jerry in NW Florida
yes but the current version
yes but the current version is here.
One day 800 Mo error.log
This morning, error.log got a size of 2.5Go. So, I delete it.
Now I go to see the Error.log and the size is about 800Mo.
Here is a part of the content of the Error.log
2008/07/03.14:41:41 - SheepGenerator.cpp[getControlPoints(362)]: 'Unable to open C:\ProgramData\ElectricSheep/content/\xml\cp_1.gzip'
2008/07/03.14:41:41 - SheepGenerator.cpp[getControlPoints(362)]: 'Unable to open C:\ProgramData\ElectricSheep/content/\xml\cp_0.gzip'
2008/07/03.14:41:41 - SheepGenerator.cpp[getControlPoints(362)]: 'Unable to open C:\ProgramData\ElectricSheep/content/\xml\cp_1.gzip'
2008/07/03.14:41:41 - SheepGenerator.cpp[getControlPoints(362)]: 'Unable to open C:\ProgramData\ElectricSheep/content/\xml\cp_0.gzip'
2008/07/03.14:41:41 - SheepGenerator.cpp[getControlPoints(362)]: 'Unable to open C:\ProgramData\ElectricSheep/content/\xml\cp_1.gzip'
...
In C:\ProgramData\ElectricSheep\content\xml I got cp_0 and cp_1.gzip but the size of these file are 0KB or 1KB
How to disable Error.log ?
How to stop this error ? :)
Thx
thanks for the report, the
thanks for the report, the windows developer knows about this and it should be fixed in the next release.
Bad Things
Hi there! You said to report anything that goes wrong, so here goes.
Windows Vista 32-bit (BLAH D:)
EMachines W5233
3.00 Ghz CPU
1 GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 LE
128 MB VRAM
1440*900 32-bit 60Hz
Drivers:
nvd3dum.dll, nvwgf2um.dll
I have never before seen the infamous blue screen of death in my entire life, and then I installed the 2.7b8 screensaver. I have now seen the blue screen of death no less than 4 times. Twice running Garry's Mod, once playing a video, and once on startup. I did a system restore which uninstalled the screensaver, and I have not had it happen again. Just letting you know. I'm gonna stick with 2.6.6 until next release. You guys are great!
thanks for the bug report,
thanks for the bug report, sorry it crashed your machine! i don't know how it could do that when it wasn't running. hopefully a future version will correct this.
You're welcome
Hey, don't worry about it. :) It's Vista anyway. :(
Does the beta have a
Does the beta have a Statistics screen like the 2.6? I've tried hitting 's' during the screensaver, but it just stops the screensaver. I've also had trouble editing certain fields in the settings through the config dialog box (nickname, password), but i was able to edit them directly through the xml files. Lastly, I've been running the screensaver for several hours, and I'm seeing no signs of my computer rendering frames. Maybe i'm being impatient, but i'd thought i'd mention it.
Windows Vista Business 32x
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T7250 @ 2.00GHz
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT 256Mb
4GB RAM
no it doesn't display stats
no it doesn't display stats yet.
the beta server is not delivering frames to windows users due to a bug which will be fixed in the next release.
ok. I'm glad that it's just
ok. I'm glad that it's just a bug and not my comp refusing to help out. With some of the issues I've had with this computer, I wouldn't be surprised if it took it upon itself to not help, lol.
Crash when waking up (I think) the computer
Whenever I come back to my computer after leaving it alone for a few hours I find one of those messages where Windows tells you a program has stopped working and asks you whether you want to debug the problem and send crash statistics to Microsoft's servers.
I'm not sure, however, whether my computer is actually in standby mode when this happens. I have set the power saving settings so that the computer should go into standby mode, but the power light never starts to blink and I can still hear the fans in the chassis. At the very least, the monitor turns off automatically (following a period of time after the screensaver has been running) like it is supposed to.
One final note: before I close the dialog I can see the very last frame ElectricSheep was displaying before the computer went to sleep/turned the monitor off. This is behind the dialog in the background. When I close the dialog I am returned to the desktop per the norm.
No frames uploaded since reset
Hi, notice that since the server reset this morning I've not uploaded any frames, and that the new flock is growing very slowly....
yea something went
yea something went wrong with the reset, but i don't know what, trying to figure it out...
and in fact...
I've still only got the old sheep, it's like the client is unaware of the new flock, though it did upload 3 frames...
the cp_0.xml file is also 0 bytes, is that still needed?
custom location ignored
Hi, I have just installed the beta client on my windows laptop at work. I cannot set a custom path to the saved sheep and rendered frames. Anyting I enter there will not get stored. When I then open the settings again, the default path C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ElectricSheep\content is still there.
Besides that, it seems to work fine.
> Besides that, it seems to
> Besides that, it seems to work fine.
Well actually not fine enough. I don't know why, but the sheep playback is not fluent. It stops for a moment 2–3 times per second. I don't know why it happens. Could be some mess in my videocodecs or not enough resources.
If I understand things
If I understand things correctly the jerky playback is due to the fact that it is simultaneously rendering new frames in order to populate the sheep server with new sheep. The beta is so new that all the clients need to play catch-up in order to fill the server. Once the beta has aged a bit the server will have more stored sheep, and clients won't have to render so many frames anymore (they'll just be able to download them instead).
Regarding the custom directory: you can edit the configuration XML files in Notepad and configure it that way. On Windows XP look in the "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ElectricSheep\settings\" directory.
it should be able to render
it should be able to render without stuttering. we're working on improving it. the linux client plays smoothly even when rendering, so it is possible.
Numbers...
Quote:
"Main improvements are: a more expressive visual language, a dynamic filter in the renderer to smooth out the dust, and h264 of double the pixels per sheep (800*600*160/(640*480*128) = 1.95)."
What are the numbers 160 and 128 for? The number of frames?
I'm not seeing any frames rendered by me
I've been running the Beta for a few days now and none of the completed loops or edges seem to have framses attributed to me. My CPU is being pounded to the tune of 100% any time the screensaver kicks in so I have to think it's doing something other than running pretty .avi's
Any idea what's up? My nick appears in the settings dialog, but I don't know if I need a password or not. That field is still blank.
the beta server was stuck
the beta server was stuck the past couple of days, but it's fixed now. i can see your client in the logs, and it looks fine. your nick should appear in the credits after the current sheep is finished, which shouldn't take long (less than an hour).
Still not seeing my nick in the credits
Two new sheep have been born since your response and still I'm not seeing how much work my machine has contributed. I'm guessing something is off somwhere. Any ideas?
Thanks!
i see you credited for one
i see you credited for one frame. your machine is asking for frames but they are getting timed out. it sounds like you should update your video drivers. it shouldn't use 100% cpu right away because it waits before it starts rendering. other people have reported this problem, and updating drivers fixed it.
No renders in 2,3,or 4 sheep of new flock attributed to me...
Why 3 frames in the first sheep but none since? I have a new video card and the latest drivers. The reason must lie elsewhere.
Hi, I just tried to set up
Hi,
I just tried to set up the new beta but i seem to have some trouble. Installed new MS Framework and the software let me choose some configs but afterall it didnt load any sheep. The screen still remains black. I tried to download some files via torrent (azureus) from RSS Feed (the new ones) but sadly the files didnt even begin to download. (waited for 5 hours)
Is it possible to load the files directly over the flock? (while clicking on a sheep) I get an avi and dropped several in my folder. Still my Screensaver wont start.
Does the screensaver load sheeps by himself at this point of beta? (Should I just leave settings open in background?)
Had never any problems with older versions.
Any1 got an idea?
Mfg
Flo
its all fine now, working
its all fine now, working great. reinstalled and it solved the problem
Settings Dialog Issues
Hi there.
Doing the major Windows Update and then re-installing the 2.7beta client seems to have fixed the previously unavailable settings dialog. I've noticed that pressing the settings button from the display properties>screensaver dialog box won't show the 2.7b8 client settings until one closes the display properties dialog box first. You can wait all day but it won't appear. Click the close button on Display Properties and...ta-daa!...there it is!
Don't know what the password field is for on the server tab. Do I need one from the shepherd?
I have noticed that the settings dialog won't accept input (nickname). Editing the generator.xml file in a text editor to add my Nickname allows the settings dialog to show the nick.
AM
SheepWatcher
It would be nice if SheepWatcher were updated to work with the beta version (or any, user-specifiable version). I'd rather use it than the screennsaver in most cases.
Also, a question: is using bitorrent recommended for the beta version? Why is it disabled by default?
i believe if you just double
i believe if you just double click on the ".scr" file, it will run in a window like under SheepWatcher.
bittorrent is not implemented at all in the beta client, that's why it's disabled. you should be able to subscribe to the rss feed though, ie use an external client.
double click on the ".scr"
double click on the ".scr" runs ES in fullscreen (in Windows XP). If you move your mouse, it quits. /-: Any other way how to run ES in the background while working? Not necessarily animating sheep, just crunching and uploading. (in linux it the option --no-video 1)
I think Sheep Watcher is
I think Sheep Watcher is made by a different developer, so we'd need to contact him.
Anyway, it would be ideal if the way ES and SW talk to each other could be standardized so that the both applications are forward and backwards compatible with each other going forward into the future.
But I really should stop complaining. It's very easy to say that some other people are supposed to things better and all that when you yourself have done nothing to contribute. Both programs do what they're supposed to for the most part, so there's not a lot to complain about.
I'd be interested in a
I'd be interested in a no-video option for windows too.
ES wont run on my laptop (some OpenGL error, see my other comment on this page) but i've got a core2duo just waiting to do some work
Typo in content.xml
In content.xml is the following:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ElectricSheep/content/
AFAIK, this should be:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ElectricSheep\content\
Don't know if it makes a difference.
Config Works Now
After updating the .net framework to 3.5 and installing service pack updates, the config screen now opens up. Here is the link to the 3.5 framework
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=333325fd-ae52-4e35-b531-508d977d32a6&displaylang=en
Where settings stored? Cohabitate with earlier version?
On Windows XP, are the settings stored in any other places besides "All Users\Application Data\ElectricSheep\settings\"? I'm just trying to confirm whether the settings are getting saved and whether editing the XML files has any effect.
Can I set the sheep directory so that it's the same as for v2.6.6? I don't want to accidentally overwrite/erase any sheep.
Yes that's where the
Yes that's where the settings are stored and yes you can just edit them with a text editor. You can set the directory wherever you want, but you should not mix your 2.6 flock, they are incompatible.
Status Report
System:
Windows Vista Ultimate x64
Core Duo T7500 (2.2 GHz)
4GB RAM
ATI Mobility FireGL V5600 (Catalyst 8.5)
Observations:
First and foremost, the Vista "flicker" bug is gone, which is awesome. Also, the sheep are very clear and smooth looking with my display running at 1920x1200.
I too had the config issue until I installed .Net 3.5 and updated all the service packs for it. After that, it was smooth as silk to edit, if a little slow to open.
I think my only two issues (and one is minor) are:
1.) You cannot hide the version. (If I am missing something obvious I apologize.)
2.) About 30 seconds after the sheep start they start to run slower with a bit of a stutter. Then they are fine again for a while, and then the slow stutter happens.
I'll try to capture some PerfMon logs and such to see if I can correlate when it happens to something else on the system.
Many thanks to sp0t and the other shepherds for their continued work on this. I had missed the sheep so.
-DR
Needs more users
I think that the beta version is good enough to start the switch from 2.6 to 2.7 . I think the screensaver would be a lot nicer if more people started using it so the sheep would render much faster and more voting would take place. Is there any way that after a certain amount of time of the screensaver being on or a certain amount of sheep have played on 2.6, that a screen would flash that announces 2.7's existence and asks the viewer to switch from 2.6 to 2.7? Or are you just going to slowly shut down 2.6 as you beef up 2.7 and hope that the users put 2 and 2 together themselves and make the switch?
yes eventually, i will
yes eventually, i will notify the 2.6 users that they should upgrade through their screensaver. but not until 2.7 is out of beta, which is going to take a long time. right now we haven't even put the beta on the home page, nor have we promoted through any major blogs. we will take these steps as the windows client develops and stabilizes.
I think your recommendation
I think your recommendation is a bit premature. Several users including myself are having issues with the newer version.
Well most of the errors that
Well most of the errors that have been mentioned are minor, and some would even be fixed by more users joining the new version. Like yours, your cpu goes up to 100% and your screensaver gets choppy, this seems like your computer is just trying to render some frames. These new sheep use around 200 more frames per sheep than the ones in 2.6 did and there are only a handful of people on 2.7 therefore you computer will render frames much more often than in 2.6 . I'm by no means saying that we need to shift everyone from 2.6 to 2.7 right now, I'm just saying that if more people joined the rendering workload would be more spread out and the transition from 2.6 to 2.7 may go smoother and quicker. Hopefully I make sense, if not please let me know
That sounds like it makes
That sounds like it makes sense.
not working
Win XP SP3
SiS 661FX/GX Mirage Graphics
I get a black screen that quits like in 1 second.
The error log says:
- Exception.cpp[ReportCatch(34)]: 'EXCEPTION: in Q:\Work\Projects\ElectricSheep\DisplayOutput\texture2d.cpp(185): Unrecognized OpenGL Error.'
Is there a way to make it work?
Thanks.
Same error
Exception.cpp[ReportCatch(34)]: 'EXCEPTION: in Q:\Work\Projects\ElectricSheep\DisplayOutput\texture2d.cpp(150): Unrecognized OpenGL Error.'
Exception.cpp[ReportCatch(34)]: 'EXCEPTION: in Q:\Work\Projects\ElectricSheep\DisplayOutput\texture2d.cpp(118): Unrecognized OpenGL Error.'
Running a toshiba Satelitte A200 Winxp
Mobile Intel 965 Express Video chipset with current drivers from intel
2gb RAM
Intel Core2Duo (cant remerber how fast it is)
Also sometimes getting an error about memory not being able to be "written" (has quotes around written in the error)
The old electric sheep worked just fine and the laptop runs 3d applications fine, though the error is coming from "texture2d".
Does anyone know is i can get something to test my opengl setup?
Endless loop
Hi, it keeps getting stuck in an endless loop of two edges, 3275 and 3274... This happens on 2 installs of the Beta. Beautiful but a touch boring:-)
Thanks for the report. The
Thanks for the report. The windows version does not yet recognize and escape from infinite loops. This is just a bug that will be fixed in good time.
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