CC3+ BREAKS CC3

jeffmcarthur

I have one, and only one map I created with CC3+.
I needed to open it up to output a graphic. I stupidly installed CC3+ again.
This BREAKS the file associations with CC3.
Now none of my normal maps work.

I cannot go into file explorer and click on a map and have it open correctly.

I have to manually open up CC3, then select the map for it to open correctly.
Otherwise all the symbols, fills, and such are broken.

Looks like I have to UNINSTALL EVERYTHING AGAIN!!!
Then install CC3 only.

In my opinion CC3+ is totally worthless. I just want to be able to click on a map in File Explorer and have it open. CC3+ breaks this.
I have a lot of maps I created over the years. I have uninstalled and reinstalled CC3 several times now.

Jay_NOLA

Do a repair rerun the latest CC3 updater and it will change it back to CC3 as your default program.

For some reason it sets your default program as the one you last installed or ran an update for.

No need to uninstall CC3+ .

Also , do be aware that CC3+ and CC3 will some times look in the folder of the other program when you go to openup a map or symbol set if you used the other program before

Joachim de Ravenbel

Hi Jeff,

I noticed that some effects don't work correclty from CC3 to CC3+.

I don't know what your operating system is, but on WIndows7+ if you right-click on the file you can change the default program to open it.
Right-click and select someting like Open with then something like Choose default program (translated from French so I don't know the exact English wording).

You have a check-box enabling you to indeed make it the default program, but if you uncheck it the default stays on CC3+ but allows you to open that specific file with CC3. I have also two FCW32.exe files but one has the kaki icon for CC3 an the other the red icon for CC3+ so choose the kaki one.
I've done so successfully on Win8.1 for me and on Win7 for a friend.

Sorry if you have another system...

jeffmcarthur

Jay, I already tried what you suggested. That does not fix my problem.

Joachim, I am running Windows 8.1.

I tried changing the default program. No luck.

I have been through this before. CC3+ breaks CC3 on Windows 8.1. I tried several things.
I tried using the repair option in Control Panel. No luck.

If I click on CC3, it open up fine. Everything appears to work. If I go to file explorer and double click the file, the file opens with the symbols and menus messed up.
If I then close CC3, then open up CC3 it opens up with the same map with the symbols and fills all working.

The spent about a week playing with this last time.
I view CC3+ as a piece of malware. It breaks all your CC3 maps.

I own all the add-ons for CC3. Since CC3+ does not support any of those, it will be a very long time before I can ever use it.

I have used CC3 for over 15 years. I cannot express how angry I am at ProFantasy right now.

Joachim de Ravenbel

Jeff, I have 8.1 too. Aren't able to get an open with dialog with a right-click on its name/icon? I can open any file with CC3 instead of CC3+ - that indeed became the default program - that way.

Jay_NOLA

Hey Jeff & Joachim,

I did some looking into what was going on and the problem is that both the main exe for CC3 & CC3+ have the exact same name which cause a problem with Windows being able to tell that they are actually separate programs.

I'm using Windows 7 and I can't change the default program nor add the other. Windows will only let the one you installed or updated last show as the current one.

A similar problem exists with some Adobe products and the Ai format, etc.

A fix you can try is to make a slight name change to FcW32.exe of one of the versions so the exe doesn't have the exact same name as the other.

Profantasy will have to give the CC3+ FcW32.exe a slightly different name to fix this.

Joachim de Ravenbel

Posted By: Jay_NOLAI did some looking into what was going on and the problem is that both the main exe for CC3 & CC3+ have the exact same name which cause a problem with Windows being able to tell that they are actually separate programs.

So why am I able to see it?

From top to bottom

How do you want to open this file?

Use this program for all the .FCW files

Keep using FCW32.exe

FCW32.exe

Firefox (why?)

More options

Jay_NOLA

I'm not sure why you can see it. It could be a registry entry or something else going on fin addition to the file name problem what I saw on some posts that others had with similar software or your Windows version.

This what I'm showing as my default program since I reran the last update a few days ago to fix something.

My CC3+ is 3.66
My CC3 is 3.66

I'm using Windows 7 32 bit.

I've attached a picture f what I see currently, before I used to show my CC3+ program instead of my CC3 one.

Also, since I said similar problems exist with other software products when you have different versions but the exe has the same name in the different versions, see this site for a discussion of a similar problem with Adobe software.

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1254448

R A Jacobs

...

I view CC3+ as a piece of malware. It breaks all your CC3 maps.

...

I have used CC3 for over 15 years. I cannot express how angry I am at ProFantasy right now.

I know this probably won't help - as you are feeling very frustrated right now - but ProFantasy never made any claims that CC3+ was ready for broad, general use. The current release is an early adopter release; one of the express goals of which is to solicit feedback and find bugs and defects that need to be fixed ahead of broader distribution. If I had all of your maps, I'd probably be frustrated as well...but do keep in mind that the software is currently "Beta" at best and will get better in time.

Good luck!

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R A Jacobs
Learning CC3+ @ Funny-Shaped Dice

jslayton

Try running CC3 manually as administrator (find the CC3 fcw32.exe, right-click on it and then Run As Administrator). This action may restore your original CC3 associations. What seems to be happening is that CC3 and CC3+ both register the file associations at run-time from the main program. Unfortunately, this means that programs tend to steal the file associations back and forth.

Raiko

I just wanted to confirm that jslayton's method works for me on Windows 8.1.

Previously file associations always remained with CC3 (so I had Jeff's "problem" in reverse). This was almost certainly because CC3+ was never set to run as administrator.

Running each of the programs in turn in administrator mode does indeed swap the file association back and forth. Not that I was bothered as I usually open the files from within the program anyway.

@Jeff: I understand that you were frustrated, but your two posts in this thread are really angry and frankly quite rude. They didn't really make me feel like helping you out.
This forum is a really pleasant place, where everyone tries their best to help out. But if you really feel angry enough with Profantasy (after using their products for 15 years??), then you'd probably be better off contacting customer support, or emailing Ralf. I've emailed Ralf a few times and he's always replied much quicker than I'd have been able to, he's always helpful, and he's always polite.

Note/disclaimer: None of my emails to Ralf were angry emails. lol! I really hope jslaytons advice solves your problems. And I think CC3+ is awesome.

JimP

What I do, is use the desktop icon, or the systray icon, to bring up the one I want to use for a particular map.

I haven't any problems doing it this way.

If I happen to pull up a CC3 map in CC3+, I browse over to the other folder. Or a CC3+ map in CC3, I also browse over to the correct folder.

I started doing this when I installed CC2 in C:\CC2 on this same Window 8.1 laptop. I can make maps in all 3 without any problems.

Does this work for those who are having this problem ?

Jay_NOLA

I just do what Jim does.

Vintyri

Joe Slayton's advice (above) seems to work fine here, and it's a simple solution that simplifies your work.

jeffmcarthur

@Raiko, I was surprised when you said I was rude. Yes I was and am angry. I do not feel I was rude. Saying a piece of software does not work and breaks other versions of the software is not rude, it is reporting a serious problem.

R A Jacobs

@jeffmcarthur: Have you yet found a solution that works for you? There were some suggestions above that appeared promising - such as running the installers in administrator mode, slightly modifying the names of the executable or right-clicking and choosing "Open with..." from the context menu.


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R A Jacobs
Learning CC3+ @ Funny-Shaped Dice

jeffmcarthur

@R A Jacobs, I have not found a solution. I have been playing with Fractal Terrains.
If I export a map from FT3 into CC3. That map opens. I can double click on the file and everything works.
I can add symbols and such without a problem. There is the odd issue of the FT3 styles (I added another discussion about that issue).

However, the maps created with CD3 or DD3 are broken. If I double click, the map opens but all the symbols show as "X"s.
If I then close CC3, then reopen CC3 it will open with the map, and everything is good.

It all depends on what add on packages you used when creating the map.
Or if you are like me, I often switch packages while designing the map to get different menu options and symbol sets.
That works, but those maps will no longer open correctly when you double click.

The solution I found last time this happened is to uninstall everything, then re-install everything.

The thing that make me angry is I will never be able to upgrade to CC3+ until ProFantasy releases upgrades for:
Character Artist
City Designer
Cosmographer
Dungeon Designer
Symbol Sets 1, 2, 3, and 4
Source Maps: Castles, Temples, and Cities

Until all of those are upgraded, I could run into maps I created that will not open correctly if I install CC3+
Based on what I am hearing, that could be a very long time to wait.

I really liked the ability to use City Designer to lay out a set of buildings. The select a building and use that to create the floor plans using Dungeon Designer.
I would go searching for symbols to drop in the dungeon. I remember using some symbols from Cosmographer in a Dungeon.
That is probably why I have such problems.

Jay_NOLA

CC3 is 3.43
CC3+ is 3.66 I got sent an update patch to try when I reported a problem with my symbol catalogs in CC3+

Posted By: R A Jacobs

Posted By: Jay_NOLA
This what I'm showing as my default program since I reran the last update a few days ago to fix something.

My CC3+ is 3.66
My CC3 is 3.66

Where did you get a 3.66 update from? I haven't seen any new updates in the registration download area...

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R A Jacobs
Funny-Shaped Dice

viking2054

So, how do the rest of us on CC3+ version 3.65 get the 3.66 or newer version?

Ralf

It will get released next week.

Sorpaw

Hmm. Currently, I have CC3 installed, with DD3 and others. If I work on map A in CC3, can I open it in CC3+? If I can, and I modify the map while in CC3+, can I still open the map in CC3 or is it bye-bye to the CC3 version time? This may make a big difference in whether or not I upgrade to CC3+. I would like to, but I don't want to seal my early maps.. Any thoughts out there?

Thank you for your attention,

Sorpaw (since CC)

JoeyD473

you can open it. However you may (will) have to move copies of symbols over, or other assets

JimP

I use all 3, CC2, CC3, and CC3+. I just make sure the symbols, etc. I want to use are in folders each version uses. Otherwise I would get red Xs as that version wouldn't be able to locate the assets outside their own folders.

Sorpaw

Posted By: JoeyD473yeah, copy from the symbols directory in CC3 to the symbols dir in cc3+ But I wouldn't do that till after you open the file and see what is missing

OK. Thanks!

Sorpaw