Video Screen tool fail

[Mickey]

I've seen this before in 2013 but after installing 2014 I didn't have a problem, yet here I am again in 2014 and the problem persists

I select the "Video Screen" tool in the Spotlight tool set

I immediately get this error message

"The symbol you have chosen is not a valid projector model. Please select a different one"

Yeah thanks guys. Where do I select the projector model?

After I click OK another dialog box opens up talking about height to lens not readable in the chosen symbol.

Yeah duh, because there is no symbol.

anyone know how to fix this. I like using the projector tool when it works.

[C. Andrew Dunning]

Mickey -

If you upgraded from 2013, are you by any chance using User Folders? And, if so, are you using your 2013 folders for 2014? And...did you update the contents of /Libraries/Defaults/Video Screen to 2014-format files? The error you're getting means the tool isn't getting correct data from the Resource files in those folders. 99.99% of the time that's caused by a version compatibility problem. The other .01% of the time I've seen this the Resource files either were non-existent or corrupted.

[PVA - Admin]

Mickey -

If you upgraded from 2013, are you by any chance using User Folders? And, if so, are you using your 2013 folders for 2014? And...did you update the contents of /Libraries/Defaults/Video Screen to 2014-format files? The error you're getting means the tool isn't getting correct data from the Resource files in those folders. 99.99% of the time that's caused by a version compatibility problem. The other .01% of the time I've seen this the Resource files either were non-existent or corrupted.

^

[Mickey]

Mickey -

If you upgraded from 2013, are you by any chance using User Folders? And, if so, are you using your 2013 folders for 2014? And...did you update the contents of /Libraries/Defaults/Video Screen to 2014-format files? The error you're getting means the tool isn't getting correct data from the Resource files in those folders. 99.99% of the time that's caused by a version compatibility problem. The other .01% of the time I've seen this the Resource files either were non-existent or corrupted.

I will have to investigate.

I installed a full version.

I'll check the library files.

My desktop at my office works fine it's my home machine that has the problem.

Curious what's different.

Thanks for the lead.

[Mickey]

Mickey -

If you upgraded from 2013, are you by any chance using User Folders? And, if so, are you using your 2013 folders for 2014? And...did you update the contents of /Libraries/Defaults/Video Screen to 2014-format files? The error you're getting means the tool isn't getting correct data from the Resource files in those folders. 99.99% of the time that's caused by a version compatibility problem. The other .01% of the time I've seen this the Resource files either were non-existent or corrupted.

I looked and the files in

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Vectorworks2014\Libraries\Defaults\Video Screen" are all 2014 files.

I can open them. When I do I get a diaglog box that says these are read only files do I want to open a new version.

So now what?

[C. Andrew Dunning]

Mickey -

So, you're not using User Folders?

If you have Windows do a search for "Projector Models.vwx," does that file show up in multiple places?

[Mickey]

Mickey -

So, you're not using User Folders?

If you have Windows do a search for "Projector Models.vwx," does that file show up in multiple places?

I searched. That file only exists in the one place.

However on a different note.

I started a new blank file, and tried using the video screen tool and funny it works just fine.

I went back to the file I was working in and tried using the Video Screen tool, and I get the failure notice.

Now what does that mean?

The tool should not be file specific right?

[C. Andrew Dunning]

Mickey -

The tools are not file-specific. BUT, if they find the resources they need within a given file, they don't go looking elsewhere. Try deleting all of the projector Symbols from the "problem" file and re-running Video Screen. Those particular Symbols and/or the Record attached to them in that file might have gotten corrupted or disconnected.

[Mickey]

Mickey -

The tools are not file-specific. BUT, if they find the resources they need within a given file, they don't go looking elsewhere. Try deleting all of the projector Symbols from the "problem" file and re-running Video Screen. Those particular Symbols and/or the Record attached to them in that file might have gotten corrupted or disconnected.

Well that did it.

We have a projector symbol in our show template. It's not from the Video Screen file, but it has the same name. We'll need to change that and see if it still causes problems.

To test this theory I opened an older version of the file, and changed the Video screen tool settings to Projector Large, and the tool worked just fine.

Thanks Andrew for helping figure this out.