Subject:Forge CLI script doesn't multitask very well

Posted by: Angels

Date:6/23/2005 6:53:08 AM

On several occaisions after starting my batch resampling script via CLI with Forge, I've switched to another app and worked on something else, but I have to remember not to do this because after a while I return to Forge and it's frozen in mid-operation. I close the file and interrupt the batch (Ctl-C) but from this moment on it's impossible for Forge to process anything.

After being seemingly closed it won't restart, but that's because a quick visit to the Task Manager shows that it's still active. Killing it there, it will restart and all is well.

I assume that when launching Forge processing from a batch file, it's best to wait until the processing is over. I remember when computers could only do one thing at a time ;)

Is this normal for this kind of processing, or is this something that will change in future versions?

TIA

Subject:RE: Forge CLI script doesn't multitask very w

Reply by: _TJ

Date:6/23/2005 3:55:42 PM

Most likely, Forge is trying to show some sort of dialog or modal Form, and the script is going to be halted until you dismiss the dialog. This has nothing to do with multitasking, per se.

Be aware that sometimes dialogs can get stuck behind Sound Forge. This is a perinial problem for which there is no general purpose solution, the .NET runtime doesn't provide a way to force a Form to show up in front of Sound Forge.

Unfortunately, if you shut down Sound Forge instead of dismissing the dialog, then Sound Forge will get stuck and can never exit properly. At that point you have to use Task Manager to kill it.

If you can identify for us which specific dialogs are trying to show in enough detail so that we can reproduce the problem, then we can usually put a fix into Sound Forge to prevent that specific problem. But as I said before, this something that has to be fixed in detail, there is no general purpose solution.

tj

Subject:RE: Forge CLI script doesn't multitask very w

Reply by: Angels

Date:7/11/2005 11:00:12 AM

Ok, it happened just now again: I had to check something on the web while my batch file was processing and the whole processed stalled because SoundForge just quit processing.

I carefully minimized each open window till I was at the desktop: there's no dialog or other popup to be seen. The file it was currently processing is sitll in Forge's workspace (Resample is frozen at 69%).

I tried creating a new file and that worked; tried to synthesize a sine wave, and that wave's screen is blank, with the message "Simple Synthesis...100%" frozen on its progress bar.

I tried opening a file from disk and it's frozen at 0% "Building peaks r..." (name_of_file).

Closing the windows, Forge asks:

"An operation is currently in progress. Closing the data window now will cancel this operation. Are you sure you want to close (name_of_file) now?"

No: resumes the waiting. Yes: dismisses the file. I close all windows then File>Exit Sound Forge.

Checked the Task Manager, and SoundForge doesn't appear on the list. I tried relaunching the batch process and nothing happens. In fact, trying to simply launch Forge fails: it won't launch.

Checked the Task Manager again: there's 2 instances of "Forge80.exe" running. I guess one from the batch and one from the manual attempt. I kill both.

Try my batch again and struggle to keep typing in this window (Forge is trying to be the active window) and this time Forge has an exception error, with stack dump, and quits after dismissing the exception dialog..

Back to Task Manager: no running Forge80.exe.

So I run the batch again and I "STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER!!!" as I've learned to do. All works fine.

And so as I originally reported, Forge does have a problem processing scripts while the system is doing something else, QED. I just have to remember to "STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER!!!" and do something else while I'm running the batch. Reminds me of the good old days :)

Angels