Digital Workshop

It would be nice to have the following in the next version published.

1. Have all the keyboard shortcuts work all the time (Ctrl + 1, Ctrl + 2, Ctrl + 3, etc.)
2. If above is not possible, then underscore the first letter on all menus for quicker access (some of the first letters are already underscored).
3. Add additional keyboard shortcuts as suggested in several requests I submitted in past years for previous version updates.
4. Stabilize the software. Regularly I have to uninstall, clean out the registry and re-install the entire program because of unrecoverable malfunctions.

Even with its shortfalls, I find Opus Pro to be an excellent application.

Don Flynn

I'm curious about that statement. Could you tell us something about the types of pubs you develop, what version(s) of Opus are causing the problems, and the system on which you run Opus?

It has been more than 18 months since I last had a stability problem with Opus. I use Opus for approximately 6-8 hours each day, so it gets a fair work -out.

With this post I've probably jinxed my good stable runs

Same here.
Keyboard shortcuts work all the time for me.
I don't have any stability problems with Opus, and never have to reinstall it.

Paul

I really hate to "pile on" poor Don, but OPUS v5.5 is as solid as any software can ever be.

Don, please go to your PROFILE and in your Signature Block, add what version of OPUS you are using and give us info on your hardware. Take a look at my signature to get an idea of what we need to give you help.

I have used OPUS everyday for over a year, and have NEVER had to reinstall it. With no information from you to go on, I'm going to guess you have an old version of OPUS, and/or memory/hard drive issues. Have you updated DirectX and other Drivers on you computer? What OS (operating system), and model of computer are you running? Have you defragged your HD recently?

Please let us know. We want to help you get the enjoyment from OPUS the rest of us are getting.

I had an odd experience last week. Launch the Opus application, and the small diaogue windows and splash screens appear on screen normally, then Opus shows up in the Task Bar but not on screen. Nothing I could do would get it to "restore" or show on display. (Win XP).

I had just previously run SpyBot, and it cornered a few tracking cookies. What seemed to initiate the problem (with Opus not displaying) was that I turned on "Immunization" feature of SpyBot. Great! I thought, but it must have prevented any number of application extensions or other crucial components from running. Had to unistall SpyBot and do reboots to get Opus running.

Point being... maybe there's something other than Opus playing around with stability.

I run Spybot and regularly update it and run immunise to add new details. In the 6 or so years that I have run the Opus/Spybot combination, I have never had an issue like you describe.

I don't know what caused your problem with Opus, and I can't suggest a solution, except this:

Shut down your computer. I mean a full shut down, not a restart. After everything stops, start it again so that a nest POST is automatically run. It's amazing how many times this fixes the strange problems.

BTW, POST stands for Power-on Self Test

HTH

Sentosa, thanks. Good to know.
I hardly ever do "Restart", preferring hard stop as you describe.

Thanks for your input. Fred, I followed your suggestion and added system details to my profile. I am afraid my frustration triggered a critical approach not intended. Opus Pro 5 is a great application and is rich with keyboard shortcuts.

My greatest frustration is Ctrl 1 (and 2, and 3) not functioning after working on a project. (Alt + V + P will toggle the palette bar, but I cannot find a shortcut for the organizer or layer.)

The next greatest frustration is the functioning of the thumbnail view when searching for an image to insert or to import as a vector. The problem is that moving the scroll bar or using the mouse wheel results in the thumbnails overlapping or being superimposed on adjacent images resulting in the incorrect image being returned.

Finally, everytime I close a pub and exit Opus Pro, an "Application Error" message appears: The instruction at "0x00d10f6c" referenced memory at "00x02f8af60". The memory could not be "read."

Drivers are updated, HD is defragged and directx is ver 9.0c. Publications are voice over supported by about 100 pages with close timing of the wav file for each page and its execution. Any suggestions appreciated.

Don

Don --

Do you really mean you have OPUS 5.1? If so, immediately download and install v5.5. There were many improvements to stability between 5.0 and 5.5. That could be your problem.

Yes, I've also received the memory instruction. Just ignore it. I haven't seen it in v6 Preview.

I think your overlapping Thumbnail images could be a video card issue with your computer. I don't see what you are describing. I'm sure it's on your computer.

Thanks for the full information in your Signature Block.

Fred,
Thanks for the advice. I updated to Pro 5.5 and after heavy usage I have had no stability problems. The preview thumbnails are no longer mis-aligned and show up well except for WMF files which do not display at all (they are listed). Ctrl + 1 works consistently, although Ctrl +2 and 3 only worked the first time and then were dead (even on successive starts).

You may be right on the video card (I again installed the latest Ratheon x300 drivers). What video card do you use?

Thanks for your help, my frustration index is now in a comfortable range.

Don

Don --

So glad to hear you have had success by upgrading to OPUS 5.5 from 5.1. Yes, there's a BIG difference in stability between 5.5 and previous versions.

I have an NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT video device. I bought it a few months ago only because my son bought me a second monitor, so I needed a video card which handles two monitors. I first thought dual monitors was a luxury. Now, I find it very difficult to work on single monitor computers. I don't recall what video card I had before.

If your computer system is more than 3 years old, it's probably a very good time to get a new one. I personally would strongly advise AGAINST going to Windows VISTA. Windows XP Home/Pro will be your best choice for at least the next year (and maybe beyond). VISTA has been reported to be a memory hog, and it apparently is "so secure" you'll find it almost impossible to work on your own, stand-alone computer. This is my opinion. I do not have VISTA.

Don,

I've been using a NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT for months without any obvious problems or other issues. This card had 256MB of graphics memory. Its Video BIOS is Version 5.73.22.18.00, which I have not updated because I haven't identified any issues.

HTH