Other World Mapper (mapping software), feedback request and future changes

[OWM]

Our project group has run OWM through the paces in tests with the demo version. Conclusions:

1) Compared with other 32-bit cartographic applications, it's impressive.

2) However, it's not a program that we would consider using. Just like CC3+, Dundjinni, MapForge etc., we consider the software to be obsolete. Our PCs all have 32 to 64 GB memory and have been running 64-bit operating systems for more than a decade. OWM, like the other programs I mentioned, allows us to use only 4GB of that memory and also denies us the use of many other advantages of the operating system. This would have been a great entry 15 years ago. We'll skip it.

Thank you so much for the comments and feedback!

Other World Mapper is a 64 bit application (the Installer will install a 32 version if your system is 32 bits), so I'm not sure what you mean with saying it only allows 4GB of RAM use? Also not sure what other operating system advantages it denies use? Let us know so we can look into it!

The only limitation is maps right now can't be larger than 20000 x 20000 pixels, which is something that will be removed later this year.

Thank you!

[Mark Oliva]

Other World Mapper is a 64 bit application (the Installer will install a 32 version if your system is 32 bits), so I'm not sure what you mean with saying it only allows 4GB of RAM use?

So far, I've installed only the demo version. It installs under 64-bit Windows 10 Pro as a 32-bit app. Is something going wrong there, or is only the full version a 64-bit app? If it will be available on a 64-bit basis, that, of course, will change our appraisal considerably. In that case, we obviously can use more than 4 GB of memory and the following point ...

Also not sure what other operating system advantages it denies use?

... would be moot.

[OWM]

So far, I've installed only the demo version. It installs under 64-bit Windows 10 Pro as a 32-bit app. Is something going wrong there, or is only the full version a 64-bit app? If it will be available on a 64-bit basis, that, of course, will change our appraisal considerably. In that case, we obviously can use more than 4 GB of memory and the following point ...



... would be moot.

It defaults to Program Files (x86) for the installation path for legacy reasons (first alpha builds were 32 bit), but the actual app is 64 bits. Simple check is creating a map that is 20k x 20k pixels and add a few elements to it, RAM usage per task manager will show more than 4GB.

We'll look into updating the install script so it will default to just plain Program Files if it's a new installation.

Thank you!

- Alejandro

[Mark Oliva]

It defaults to Program Files (x86) for the installation path for legacy reasons (first alpha builds were 32 bit), but the actual app is 64 bits.

It's clear that installing in Program Files (x86) does not define an app as being 32-bit. I have figured out what in my installation caused limited memory access. The process might give you some useful information. But maybe not, too, because I use protective software on our computers that probably isn't on most other users' machines.

1) I did not install the demo version as an administrator. I ordinarily do that when I install something, but I simply forget the step when installing the demo. I realized that right away, but since the demo seemed to run, I thought, Okay.

2) I used monitoring software to check performance. I opened the OWM demo and began piling 3rd party PNG symbols, each with a size of >100 MB, into the test map. Every time the memory monitor showed it was nearing 4 GB capacity, OWM crashed with a freeze. The monitor showed no noticeable change within the upper 60 GB of memory. There were no error messages. The program simply became inactive and the Windows 10 Pro task manager reported that OWM was not responding. I killed the dead session with the task manager.

3) The combination of the Program Files (x86) installation with the crashes at <4 GB memory usage led me to believe that I'm dealing with a 32-but app. I did no additional checking to see whether I was running on a 32- or 64-bit level.

4) Last night, I uninstalled the demo, manually checked for registry entries, erased those that were there, rebooted and installed the demo again, this time running the installation as an administrator. The issues described above no longer were there.

Conclusion: It probably is good to always run the OWM installation as an administrator. Others may not have problems with not doing so, but if such issues are going to occur, running installation as an administrator might prevent them.

Servus,

[Mark Oliva]

The Help File contains the following:

18 Presets and Themes
Presets are saved under folders which together make up a “Theme.” You can create a new
Theme and add Presets to the Theme using the Preset window.
These folders are saved in the installation path and may be copied and shared with others.

That's good news, of course. Is there any information anywhere on how to make a new theme and preset?

Error situation:



This message occurred with the demo version and it still occurs with the full version. The reason that it appears is that the OWM installation did not create the folder in question. If one knows one's way around the computer one can fix it easily enough. One only needs to create the folder manually, and after that, the message no longer appears.

Again, this may be a nearly unique problem due to protective software on our computers. It's possible that the software keeps the OWM setup from creating this folder. I have no way to know whether that's the case.

Is there a place online at Three Minds where these things can be posted? They really might be of little interest to most guild members.

Servus,

EDIT: OK. I've since learned that the error message above is a known bug planned for repair in the next release.

I've also learned that you folks have a forum. Unfortunately I can't post there yet because my account remains inactive. So it goes.

On the presets and themes question above, a private E-Mail has made clear to me that I didn't make myself very clear. I already have read the instructions in the help PDF. I know the basics. What I want to know:

1. What does one need to do to make presets like your river presets that will work in OWM?

2. How does one make presets with faded edges like those delivered that will work in OWM?

FYI: I've read the full help guide and the homepage tutorials, and I've run the two videos you have on YouTube, but I have quite a number of questions to raise and points to make. However I'll wait until that day when my forum account is active.

Servus,

[OWM]

The Help File contains the following:

18 Presets and Themes
Presets are saved under folders which together make up a “Theme.” You can create a new
Theme and add Presets to the Theme using the Preset window.
These folders are saved in the installation path and may be copied and shared with others.
That's good news, of course. Is there any information anywhere on how to make a new theme and preset?

You can save new presets from an item's property window (button near the top left of an item's properties). From there, you'll be prompted for the preset's name and a parent theme (any you can create a new theme from there too).

I've also learned that you folks have a forum. Unfortunately I can't post there yet because my account remains inactive. So it goes.

Sorry about the delay! I gave you forum access yesterday morning. Spam/bots have been terrible over the last few months so we do manual verification of new users. It takes a bit longer to grant access, but it's better than having bots getting through.

1. What does one need to do to make presets like your river presets that will work in OWM?

2. How does one make presets with faded edges like those delivered that will work in OWM?

FYI: I've read the full help guide and the homepage tutorials, and I've run the two videos you have on YouTube, but I have quite a number of questions to raise and points to make. However I'll wait until that day when my forum account is active.

You can change any item's properties from the property window and then save those as a new preset, but I fear I'm missing part of your question. Let us know here or on our forums (either is good) - or if you have any other questions.

Thank you!

[OWM]

It's clear that installing in Program Files (x86) does not define an app as being 32-bit. I have figured out what in my installation caused limited memory access. The process might give you some useful information. But maybe not, too, because I use protective software on our computers that probably isn't on most other users' machines.

1) I did not install the demo version as an administrator. I ordinarily do that when I install something, but I simply forget the step when installing the demo. I realized that right away, but since the demo seemed to run, I thought, Okay.

2) I used monitoring software to check performance. I opened the OWM demo and began piling 3rd party PNG symbols, each with a size of >100 MB, into the test map. Every time the memory monitor showed it was nearing 4 GB capacity, OWM crashed with a freeze. The monitor showed no noticeable change within the upper 60 GB of memory. There were no error messages. The program simply became inactive and the Windows 10 Pro task manager reported that OWM was not responding. I killed the dead session with the task manager.

3) The combination of the Program Files (x86) installation with the crashes at <4 GB memory usage led me to believe that I'm dealing with a 32-but app. I did no additional checking to see whether I was running on a 32- or 64-bit level.

4) Last night, I uninstalled the demo, manually checked for registry entries, erased those that were there, rebooted and installed the demo again, this time running the installation as an administrator. The issues described above no longer were there.

Conclusion: It probably is good to always run the OWM installation as an administrator. Others may not have problems with not doing so, but if such issues are going to occur, running installation as an administrator might prevent them.

Servus,

Thank you for the feedback! OWM shouldn't need to be installed as an admin, but it could be an issue if you are logged in as a domain user rather than a local user. We are towards the end of regression testing for our next release, so we'll take the chance to do extra testing of the installer with different user scenarios.

Thank you!

[Mark Oliva]

OWM shouldn't need to be installed as an admin, but it could be an issue if you are logged in as a domain user rather than a local user.

FYI: I was logged in as a local user with a local administrator account. I just did a test installation on a laptop (Windows 10 Home/8 GM RAM) without admin log-in. The result I got on my main machine occurred again. I uninstalled and reinstalled as admin, and the problems were gone. I was logged in again as a local user with a local administrator account. However, a German-language protective program installed on all of our computers called HS Wächter may be causing this, rather than it being a normal problem.

Servus,