auto skin switch with embedded gps problem

kuo · 01-28-2009, 11:27 AM

when the auto skin switch occurs while rr is in the gps screen, it's like the current gps skin gets hung up and stays behind the new skin that's loaded. when this happens, if i minimize rr, the hung up gps skin appears instead of the desktop. if i click anywhere on the skin, rr maximizes again. to access the desktop again i have to exit rr.

if back out of the gps screen (leaving the gps running in the background) before the auto skin switch occurs, this does not happen. if the gps app is not added to the config as an embedded app and the auto skin switch occurs while in the gps screen, this does not happen. however, when not embedded, the gps app gets closed when the skin switch occurs. in iguidance that means i lose the current route which is no good.

to get around this problem i tried to add the following to exectbl.ini

Code:

"DAYSKIN","MAIN||DAYNIGHTSKIN"
"NIGHTSKIN","MAIN||DAYNIGHTSKIN"

however it seems that the auto skin switch either does not use the dayskin, nightskin commands or it does not honor the entries in exectbl.ini.

guino · 01-28-2009, 03:05 PM

That's correct.. the auto-skin switch has internal functions that do not execute the dayskin/nightskin commands. However, it should execute ONSKINEND. In any case, I'd check the ignative setting and that the gps window name is "iguidance" to verify they're set right. I'm assuming you're using the embbeded list setting (that prevents the apps in the list from closing while switching skins)?

kuo · 01-28-2009, 03:58 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by guino

That's correct.. the auto-skin switch has internal functions that do not execute the dayskin/nightskin commands. However, it should execute ONSKINEND. In any case, I'd check the ignative setting and that the gps window name is "iguidance" to verify they're set right. I'm assuming you're using the embbeded list setting (that prevents the apps in the list from closing while switching skins)?

my rr.ini has
ignative=true
gpsname=iGuidance

and yes i am using the embbeded list setting. if i do not use the embedded list setting, auto skin switching works as it should. i tried this with the bmv2 skin as well and it exhibits the same behavior.

kuo · 01-29-2009, 12:16 PM

hey guino. so i tried monkeying around with the onskinend command but it only sends commands to rr after the skin has already closed and the commands get executed on the new skin which doesn't help in this situation. the only solution that seems to work for me is to exit the embedded screen before changing skins. i can do this using gammacontrol and autoit but i can't figure out how to accomplish this with the built in gamma/dimmer. any ideas?

here are some pictures of the problem i'm having.

if i am in the gps screen when the skin change happens, the gps skin stays visible while the new skin is loaded. when using iguidance the gps skin stays behind the new skin, but with the garmin overlay skin, it stays on top as you can see below.

guino · 01-29-2009, 03:45 PM

It's weird since the code that is executed when the GPS skin is visible is the same code executed when the gps skin is invisible -- so it must be something in the GPS software causing it to freeze when it's visible.

Can you try the RELOADSCREEN command while in the GPS screen (and tell what happens) ?

Also, is anyone else experiencing this ?

kuo · 01-29-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by guino

It's weird since the code that is executed when the GPS skin is visible is the same code executed when the gps skin is invisible -- so it must be something in the GPS software causing it to freeze when it's visible.

Can you try the RELOADSCREEN command while in the GPS screen (and tell what happens) ?

Also, is anyone else experiencing this ?

the "RELOADSCREEN" command doesn't seem to do anything except make the screen flash once. the "RELOADSKIN" command has the same effect as a skin change. the gps skin gets hung.

here's why i think it's not the gps program. i changed my gps skin to embed internet explorer instead of iguidance and it does the same thing.

so then i was thinking there could be something wrong with my skin file so i replaced wbrowser.skin with a copy of my gps skin. so now when i issue the "WEB" command, it pulls up my gps skin with ie embedded inside. when i do "RELOADSKIN" it works as it should. When i do "GPS", it loads the same screen with ie embedded but when i do "RELOADSKIN" it hangs the gps skin image behind roadrunner. i tried unchecking ignative but no change. there's something different about the way the "GPS" command loads and embeds windows vs teh "WEB" command. right now i have both commands using the same skin file embedding internet explorer. only the "GPS" command doesn't work correctly with "RELOADSKIN".

surtr · 02-16-2009, 02:09 PM

I'm experiencing an issue with day/night skins in RideRunner also and I'm wondering if it's related:

If I have Visualization on and switch day/night skins (manually or automatically), I lose the visualization and it will not come back on no matter how many times I execute the "VISU" command.

-Justin

kuo · 06-04-2009, 03:17 PM

i'm bumping this bug because it's still an issue and since rr is seeing monthly upgrades and fixes, maybe someone can take a look at it. it's not a huge problem...just a minor inconvenience. to summarize, this issue occurs if the gps program is in the embedded apps list in rr.ini and if rr automatically switches skins while on the external gps screen, the external gps skin gets hung up.

to replicate the bug set the day skin and night skin to bmv2 in rrconfig. add the gps app to the embedded apps list. start rr and switch to the gps screen. start the rr skinner tool and send command dayskin or nightskin. rr will load the appropriate skin and it will appear to have worked correctly but when you minimize rr, you will see the gps skin's image instead of seeing your regular windows desktop. if you click anywhere rr will pop back up. so with this bug you can't access the desktop unless you exit rr to make the hung gps screen go away.

mitchjs · 06-04-2009, 05:54 PM

embedding apps into other apps, is a kludge on it own...
and then there is z order issues...

i will be glad to look at this... im not too familair with the embedded windows management code, but i might be able to find issue/fix

anychance u can do a set up with carwings... since i consider that the base skin
it has a skin u can embeded gps into...
can u set it up on carwings... and tell me what to do

the GPS.skin i bet is handled special in RR to work around zorder and other windows issues with embedding... i dont know yet

kuo · 06-04-2009, 11:04 PM

hey mitch, it works the same way in carwings. set up rr to use the carwings skin for both day and night skin and to use an external gps program, then switch to the gps screen. then use the skin tool to send the dayskin or nightskin command while in the gps screen. the skin reloads and shows the main menu. now if you minimize rr, you will see the external gps skin is still there. if you click on it, rr is restored as if you had clicked on it on the taskbar.

mitchjs · 06-05-2009, 12:29 AM

ok, i will play....
i might need ya to walk me though it

mitchjs · 06-05-2009, 02:31 PM

kuo, i need u to define "external gps program"

i dont have any gps at the moment
if i can do it with out gps program, that would be great
i think i need u to walk me though this...
maybe join me on windows/msn live messenger?

mitch

mitchjs · 06-05-2009, 02:35 PM

when i look at the images u post, thats the GARMIN script
its NOT RR
its a completely separate program...
and thats the problem, RR has NO control over it, unless someone who wrote
it added control

i donnt think we can do anything about it
we would need the source code, and i have no idea who wrote it...

i really should take out all gps stuff from carwings
too many outside dependencies

kuo · 06-05-2009, 11:03 PM

hey mitch, i posted images of garmin's gps screen just to show that it happens with any skin that is set as the external gps skin. i normally use iguidance. you can actually set up any program to run as the external gps program to see how the bug works. i tried it with internet explorer once just to make sure it wasn't the gps program itself causing problems. i can sign onto msn, aim, or gchat. what's your screen name?

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