RC2 hangs on startup if I remove packedgfx*.png: SOLVED! (1 Viewer)

[danfg]

AFAIK, if you're working on a new skin or changing an existing one, you have to remove the packedgfx*.png files so MediaPortal can regenerate them. Otherwise, no changes in the images will be noticeable.

With RC2, MediaPortal consistently hangs up on startup if I remove those files, the splash screen stops on "Starting recorder...".

Can anyone try to reproduce this behaviour? Just go to your skin/selected_skin directory and rename your packedgfx*.png files to packedgfx*.old.png and restart MP.

This didn't happen with RC1, are there any workarounds? Any other way I can tell MediaPortal to regenerate those files like it used to?

 

[danfg]

Why this is important

Uh... people are viewing this thread but not replying (?) :roll:

Let me explain why this is important:

You can't change a skin or create a new one if MP doesn't regenerate these packedgfx*.png files, and I don't know a way of regenerating these files other than removing them and restarting MP (please let me know if there's any other way).

That means, skin artists (or regular folk like you and me) can't change MPs skins or make new ones. If that isn't the end of the world then I don't know what is.

SO, here's how YOU can help:

1. Go to the directory of the skin you're using (e.g., if you're using BlueTwo, it's MediaPortal\skin\BlueTwo)
2. Rename your packedgfx*.png files to packedgfx*.old.png, like this:
packedgfx0.png => packedgfx0.old.png
packedgfx1.png => packedgfx1.old.png
packedgfx20.png => packedgfx20.old.png
packedgfx21.png => packedgfx21.old.png

3. Ok, now run or restart Media Portal and tell us what happens, does it hang? Does it start properly?

4. If it hangs on startup, close MP with the Task Manager and rename your png files back:
packedgfx0.old.png => packedgfx0.png
packedgfx1.old.png => packedgfx1.png
packedgfx20.old.png => packedgfx20.png
packedgfx21.old.png => packedgfx21.png

It's an easy test for an important bug (I think), thank you for taking the time to do it!

 

[Frodo]

also delete the packed*.xml not only packet*.png

 

[danfg]

Hi Frodo, thanks for clearing that out. I don't remember having to delete packed*.xml in older versions, I didn't even know they were generated by MP!

Since you're here, I've a simple suggestion for a skin auto-refresh: if the texture manager has to load every (or most of the) xml and png files upon startup, what if it also stored the date of the most recent file and compared it to the date of the latest packed*.* file?

That way MP could establish if the skin needs updating.

BTW, is there a command line option I can use to force MP to update these files?

Thanks!