Digital Workshop

Hello

I'm sure this Resource Manager is well thought through and will work wonders.
I've had lots of problems with changed fonts/missing files and other problems.

This is what I did:
1. I devised a programme on a desktop to display music for musicians in my band.
It all worked fine with help from several forum members - many thanks to all.
(See scrolling topic)
2. I tried various methods to have musicians control the display including numeric keypads
(wired - USB - and radio); digital touch screen pens; digital radio keyboards - all of which had
several problems - probably due to Windows "housekeeping".
3. I've now bought some Fujitsu touch screen Windows 7 computers which work fine.
4. I copied the files/ programme material onto a USB hard drive and then transferred the hard drive
to the new Fujitsu machines. I had loads of initial problems and bought Opus 8 to see if that would solve
some of them. Nope
5. I transferred the files to the main C: drive of the new computer where I've also added the Opus ( now Opus 8 ) programme
to one laptop because processor speed variations interfere with scrolling speeds.
I have a fast processor and adequate RAM - although I've now ordered to double it in case that's a problem.

Now after several hours of trying I am almost at the stage of throwing everything in the bin!!
I just can't figure out how to use this Consolidation tool which shows missing files when they are there
in the root directory as I've instructed the programme in the edit menu - e.g. C:Opus/Trombone resource.

The only way I've found is to go to each individual page and replace any missing bits such as jpgs.
because my new screens are 1280p X 800p, I'm having to resize all the content - tedious but I'm getting there.

But I've got hundreds of pages and it's going to take weeks to fit all the missing bits individually.

When I try to load, "1 missing files" is/are flagged. I go to the resource manager as instructed and
many appear not just 1 - different files.

There's my C drive with red blobs but also my E USB drive with yellow exclamation marks.
I'm afraid I don't understand the instructions on how to resolve this.

Please: Please: Please

Can someone take me through step by step to get the files where I need them?
When I go to the image section of the properties on each page it says "None" in the browse window.


Kind regards to all.

I have only used the Resource Manager while in the development mode, using the Opus Editor.
What I have found is that it can be quite painless, and almost automatic. (but I have another issue with RM that I'll explain separately).

So, first while you are working on a Pub editing it in Opus, Save your work and then run the Resource Manager from the Menu. If there is anything missing or flagged in RM, one of the icons is there for "Rebuild resources" or something similar. I have generally had good results with that. (mostly of course that in my working, I tend to say 'yes' to Consolidate Resources when Saving my work. And when I have changed a Pub significantly, I rename it slightly and Consolidate Resources goes into another new folder.)

My understanding is that the Consolidate feature simply means I do not have to go searching for images and other files in 20 different source locations (eg, the path specified in properties for an image).

So that is development.

If you have trouble after publishing, I suggest you look at the Opus Help file for topics under "publish". You will see several mentions related to resources there -- and I think most of what they talk about relates back to Properties >>> Added Resources (for the Publication).

Last note: If you used Opusscript anywhere to reference or load a resource -- then you should audit your code and see if you have properly used SYSTEM VARIABLES to point to such things as the SYSTEM_PUBLICATION_DIR.
That way you do not have to worry about C:\ drive or other lettering.

From what you describe, I'm imagining you have used different images/photo/graphics from a variety of locations on your computer. If you disconnect an external hard drive, OPUS won't be able to find it. If you MOVE the image, OPUS won't be able to find it.

In the future, always create a folder for a new project, then a sub-folder for RESOURCES. Make copies of any image, then place the copy in that sub-folder. All your OPUS resources will then be stored together.

If OPUS can't find an image, you will get an error message when you next load the project. If an image is used 10 times, maybe on different Pages, you will get 10 notices that one file/image is missing. The Resource Manager will show you each Page where it is missing, and if you use it multiple times on one Page, you'll get multiple warnings for that Page.

When you get a warning an object is missing, you first need to find where it is on your computer's hard drives. Once you've found it, you can run the Resource Manager. Highlight the missing file, then Right Mouse Click and select "Change Path." Now put in the correct location, and click OK. You should get at least one line which shows OPUS found the location and made the change. If you used it 10 times, you'll get 10 lines indicating the file has been given a new path. If you do NOT receive any lines indicating a new path was assigned, then you haven't correctly identified the file's location.

When there is a warning of a missing object, the Resource Manager tells you where the file should be. It might be easier to make a copy of the missing file, then paste it into the folder where OPUS is expecting it. You'd use Windows Explorer to do this.

When you no longer have any warnings of missing resources (no yellow !!!), you can Consolidate all the files into a single sub-folder. There's an option to MOVE the files,or just make a COPY in the new Resource sub-folder. You will not have to ever consolidate IF you initially put all your resources into one sub-folder.

Does that help?

Thanks Fred
I've been doing this since Illuminatus years ago so I know about resource files.

I always use resource files and do not have files here there and everywhere; compiling when I close the programme.
I copied the resource file etc as I described originally. So everything SHOULD have been in the one folder.

Anyway, despite the fact I couldn't suss out how to use this bit of DW's excellent software, remarkably, suddenly
everything worked as normal. I've not the slightest idea why or what I did.

Thanks Larry and thanks Fred. Someone "up there" interfered and now I'm back to normal!!
Cost me for a new version though.
Kind regards to all
And have a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

What does that mean? I SAVE often while I'm building a project, but just doing a Publish doesn't do anything to pull files together, or correct broken Paths. Sorry, I don't know/understand what you mean.

Hi Fred

Sorry you don't understand- I've been using this software for years and I KNOW how to consolidate resources.
I don't publish until my project is complete and well tested.

I've never had problems with resources before. The problem has come by trying to migrate to a new laptop which I
described in some detail above.

However it works - except my scrolling is not working with v8/9 properly - so I'm going back to 7 and starting
again - what a waste of time and money!! I wish they'd check EVERYTHING out before selling an upgrade which, in my case,
doesn't work properly.

Kind regards