Hey Mick - Long time no "talk-to".

Maybe you can tell me what is going on here?
From event viewer details:

Swoopware.TandemVids.2014.0.5.0 .ac.ae Object reference not set to an instance of an object

Error seems to occur & Cypres fires at the "Populating Empty Templates" stage/step of TandemVids building the video before sending to VegasPro 🤬

Hi Scrumpot,

Not hearing from customers is usually a good thing and generally indicates smooth sailing. 😎

The object reference error is a fairly generic error. It usually means something has gone amiss further up the chain. I've tried to use something that doesn't exist. It's like saying throw this pilot chute to deploy but when you deploy, you discover you have no rig. The problem is kind of bad when it occurs but the actual error was back in the hangar during the gear up process.

Are there any preceding errors to this one? This error is usually caused by a previous error although I can occasionally switch a canopy over and forget to attach the pilot chute. Testing (or packing) usually uncovers this issue.

I'll have a look at the code from the renamed "ac.ae" function and see I can see anything while you check for a preceding error.

The "Populating Empty Template Events" procedure is fairly simple. I tell Sony Vegas to insert the source media into the empty events in the template but two common things can cause an error at this stage.

1. Invalid or corrupt media - trying to insert a broken media file or a non-video file like an image. Ensure all the source media is OK by right clicking and selecting "Play media".
2. Not setting the start and end of freefall. If the start and end of freefall are too close to the start and end of the event, an error occurs when I try to fade the music.

Does it happen every time or with one specific customer?

Mick

It is every time right now. I am not at the dropzone during the week, or I would take and send along some screenshots. Mybe this helps relate/parse the issue though in the interim. The computer we have swwopware installed and running on, was previously on the dropzone ("a member of") the networks domain, as and with an "administrator's" level log in. The dzo decided this season, to tighten up his security, and no longer wanted people logging in from it in the video room, to necessarily have access to his entire network domain. Makes good sense, actually! So far so good, right?

The computer is running Windows 7 premium, if I am recalling correctly sitting here from home right now - so what he did to "solve" his potential security breech concerns was created a non-administrator / user-only, restricted access user log-on to that PC, via the windows users mgmt system. Everything seems to open up, and starts out, and seems to run okay, right to the progress section I mentioned (no previous hang-up's or errors of any kind... and no, I am not forgetting to set begin/end ff times as I otherwise always have) - "populating either video or audio events", and - bango ... premature Cypres fire!!

I/we are stymied!

I figure it may be because under the original (administrators level) user/windows log-on id - that had access to files that as originally installed (all still on the same, original single computer - no changes there in anyway at all... only just how I now log into it) - had access to some file components (maybe dll's?) that are part of the root directory, or otherwise elsewhere "on the network" that this newly created user-level only access, as a result - no longer can even "see"? Does that make sense?

Sure hope you can parse what I am saying, and come up with a solution I can pass along before this upcoming weekend, as otherwise, I am again... now just totally stymied, and stuck!

Thanks!!
-Grant

I think I know what's wrong. I'm working on a fix at the moment but there is an easy workaround in the mean time.

The problem is Sony Vegas applies incorrect permissions when archiving a template. This occurs even without TandemVids running. When you Save a template, Sony sets read write permissions for the current user but does not apply the default permissions for the folder. This means the template folders have read permissions configured for the current administrator but any normal user is locked out. When you imported the template into TandemVids under an administrator account, you effectively denied access to any other user. I'm working on a solution to reset inherited permissions after importing a template. As an example, if you save a Word document or copy a file to the same folder, inherited permissions from the parent folder will be applied correctly. This is a Sony Vegas issue.

The workaround is to log on as an administrator, turn on hidden folders and reset permissions for every file in the Vegas template folders.

Templates can be found in
"C:\ProgramData\Swoopware\TandemVids\Vegas templates\"

1. Start Windows Explorer (Windows Key + e), select View and tick the Hidden files option.
2. Navigate to "C:\ProgramData\Swoopware\TandemVids\Vegas templates\", right click and select properties.
3. Click Advanced
4. Tick the option to "Replace all child object permissions entries with inheritable permission entries from this object."
5. Click OK

That should be enough to allow normal users access to the Vegas Templates.

Other files in the same area such as the music files imported by TandemVids have the correct permissions applied already.

Mick

The same issue will apply to every local project and archived customer. A normal user will be unable to open an existing customer.

Customers processed by the current user can be opened by the current user even if they are not an administrator. Any other normal user will be locked out.

The same trick to reset inherited permissions can be applied to the Local projects folder and any configured archive folder.

Thanks Mick - I will apply this fix this weekend and let you know. As always, your attention, responsiveness and customer support is just superb, and extremely appreciated!!!

YOU ROCK!! 👍

Well - Even Logging in under the administrators log-in, doing a show all (hidden) files operation before starting, then searching EVERYWHERE... I still could not find on the DZ Computer - the exact file(s)/directory (vegas templates) anywhere. So... I used the very top of the folder/directory tree, working my way manually both up and down throughout it (with the "god" log-in) and clicked/set the "inherit" as your screenshot showed, to ALL files within the entire directory/tree. Then, logged out as the "admin".

Logging then back in ("switching user") to the "VideoRoom" I.D. - Now... Tandem Vids will no longer even start, and the "Cypres Fires" almost immediately during load-up / splash screen. Windows event viewer shows:

Swoopware.TandemVids.2014.0.5.0 Swoopware.TandemVids.Data.DatabaseVersion.GetVersion Access to the database file is not allowed. File name = C:\ProgramData\Swoopware\TandemVids\TandemVids.sdf

And shuts down before even loading with a plain-text error box "TandemVids database is not a valid TandemVids database."

Other errors also seem to be present in the event viewer now as well, as follows:

Swoopware.TandemVids.2014.0.5.0 Swoopware.TandemVids.Data.Configuration.SetDataDirectory The file 'C:\ProgramData\Swoopware\TandemVids\TandemVids.sdf' already exists

and:

Swoopware.TandemVids.2014.0.5.0 .au.b Access to the path 'C:\ProgramData\Swoopware\TandemVids' is denied.

So - Now what?

Remember too - We are running Window 7 here, and I think your screenshot showed 8.1 - - in case that also makes any difference in any way at all (file/directory locations, etc.) Still completely "stuck" unless the DZO logs into the PC this is loaded on - again, with his admin/"god" access (which he does not want to do - but that is how/where the program was originally installed) - and it does work just fine under his windows log-in, but the idea behind him creating a rather just USER account, was so the videoroom computer under the user log-on would no longer have access to the entire network/manifest/accounting etc. drives. Do we have to do an entire new/clone re-install and set-up all over again, using the users log-in ID, so that everything "tracks" with/to that user ID log-in credentials and "permissions" perhaps? - - - Sure hope not, as everything otherwise in the program for the past season otherwise, has been "tweaked" so nice... what a PIA it would be now, to have to otherwise try and re-create everything that would be, fo-sho!!

Hope you are able to help!!

There are special permissions for "C:\ProgramData\Swoopware" configured during installation. What you've done is removed those permissions and replaced them with the permissions for "C:\ProgramData". You've effectively denied access to the database.

The behaviour you're describing is perfectly normal. TandemVids can't see the database and tries to create a new one but it can't do that because it can't access the folder where it stores the database.

Reinstall TandemVids to fix the permissions on the "C:\ProgramData\Swoopware" folder.

I've finally released the latest version. Apologies for the delay. This should resolve the permission issues for normal users.
http://www.swoopware.com/Forum/default.aspx?g=posts&m=2504&#post2504 

Only new archives will have the correct permissions applied. You will still have to manually adjust permissions on existing projects but this can be done at the top level folder.

"C:\ProgramData\Swoopware\TandemVids\Vegas templates"

and

"D:\Swoopware\TandemVids\Local projects"