CC3+ Update 14: Unable to export file to bitmap, jpeg or png

wmsmitty · January 2018

Hi all, I am going out of my mind right now. I've created a new map and am attempting to export the image to disk as a .png file. CC3+ seems to go through the motions, but when I open the directory in which I save the file, there is nothing there. I'm only able to save working .fcw files.

I'm on a Windows 10 environment. Steps to reproduce:
1) File -> Save As
2) From the Save as type: pull down, I select PNG Bitmap file (I've also tried saving as a JPEG too!)
3) Select Options...
4) Pixel Size: I enter 1800 Width and 2400 Height Resolution: 96
5) Print size adjusts automatically to 18.75 width and 25 Height.
6) JPEG Quality: 40
7) Click Save, enter title for Settings.
8) Click OK
9) Click Save on Save As window
10) DOS window executes...
11) Go to directory where I saved the file and NOTHING...NADAR...ZILCH!

Any ideas?

Monsen · January 2018

Sounds odd. Just to narrow it down a bit, can you try the following things:

- Make sure antialiasing is off (not checked)
- Save it somewhere else (for example on your desktop, if that wasn't the previous location)
- Try using the BMP file type

Also, when the command window pops up, are there any messages in it? You should first see some messages from CC3 about rendering different sheets (possibly over different passes), does this appear? After that, CC3+ processes it through an external tool (ImageMagic), which should generally also give some status messages in the widow, like loading, flipping and saving the image. Also, just to be sure, you are waiting untill the command window closes by itself right, and not closing it yourself prematurely?

wmsmitty · January 2018

Yes, quite odd. And this started happening once I installed the latest update, version 14. I've already tried all of the above and more with no success. At this point, I'm uninstalling the software, and will reinstall. Messages are clean; nothing unusual.

Monsen · January 2018

This might be ImageMagic failing for some reason, although for such a small export, I wouldn't suspect that happening.

Can you add the lines in red below to your cc3pluscfg.xml file (in your CC3+ data directory). This will cause the progress window to pause when don instead of disappearing until you click hit a key (and after that you may need to close the window by clicking the top right x).
Before closing the window, can you take a screenshot of it and post it. Also, before hitting the key, check in the destination directory if there is a temporay bitmap file there.


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Software>
    <EvolutionComputing>
        <CampaignCartographer3Plus>
            <Debug>
                <SaveImageFilesWait>1</SaveImageFilesWait>
            </Debug>

wmsmitty · January 2018

So, after installing version 14, the problem arises. If I install the original CC3+ executable and select Repair. I am able to save the file; however, the GUI looks horrendously terrible. Reinstall version 14 and the issue comes back.

Here is the screen shot you requested

wmsmitty · February 2018

Here is some follow up for you. Update version 9 works no problem. I had this version until about November or December of 2017, when I upgraded with update 13a. I didn't do any exporting of files with this updated version. But now that I recreated the install process from update 9 to update 13a, the bug was introduced. With update13a, I am not able to save/export different file formats to disk. I can only save .FCW files.

So this issue wasn't introduced in update14, like I originally thought. It was introduced somewhere between version 9 and 13a. I was looking over your Readme.txt files, and it seems like there has been a lot of work done with exporting files and some updates to ImageMagick between Versions 3.76 and 3.79

That being said, am I the only person reporting such an issue? I would find this hard to believe that this is only happening to me. Especially since I can reproduce this issue consistently.

Ralf · February 2018

Yours is the only report for this problem I've seen so far, and I can't reproduce it here. Are you running a Windows account with normal admin access rights? Have you tried the "Launch Image Viewer" option in the export dialog?

Monsen · February 2018

I see from that dialog that ImageMagic (convert.exe) actually gets a permission denied when it tries to save the file after doing the final work on it. In other words, it isn't really a bug/error in CC3+, but rather that your system blocks the write when it tries to do it's thing. (Although it is correct that the behavior in CC3+ changed at one point, as it used to do everything itself, instead of handing off work to imagemagic, so it does seem like your system allows CC3+ itself to write, but not imagemagic for some reason)
Getting permission denied is a very weird thing inside what looks to be your personal documents directory. Off the top of my head, there are two scenarios I can think off. Do any of them apply to you?
- Your antivirus blocks it. Try an export with the antivirus off
- You have turned on 'Controlled folder access' in windows defender (this is a new feature in the fall creators update of windows that is supposed to prevent harmful programs access to your data directories, but unfortunately the default whitelist from MS doesn't contain most programs). If you use this feature, both CC3+ and ImageMAgic must be on the whitelist. This is controllled from the Windows Defender Control Center -> Virus & Threat Protection -> Virus and Threat Protection Settings -> Controlled Folder Access

wmsmitty · February 2018

Guys, thanks for helping me out on this. It is funny that you mentioned anti-virus; because I woke up this morning thinking exactly that. Fresh mind, clear ideas! What was throwing me off is that I wasn't having any issues with the earlier versions exporting files until I installed update 13a. That was consistent; and the fact that your read me text suggested recent work in those exporting areas.

However, as you mention above, the issue was with BitDefender antivirus on my Windows 10 OS. And yes, the anti-virus had the folder with protected permissions, AND was actively blocking both CC3+ and ImageMagick. Once I removed the protected permissions and white listed CC3+ and ImageMagick, I was able to export my files with no issues.

Thank you!

Monsen · February 2018

You're welcome.

Remember to remove that piece of debug code from your cc3pluscfg.xml file.

wmsmitty · February 2018

Posted By: Monsen
Remember to remove that piece of debug code from your cc3pluscfg.xml file.

Already done! Thanks.

ProFantasy Community Forum

CC3+ Update 14: Unable to export file to bitmap, jpeg or png

Comments