Xara X1 vs. Xara Xtreme

[Daniel]

The latest version of Xtreme doesn't crash anymore (in any way I know of). Maybe you could continue to use it again, and note if it does crash (even if you can't identify the exact cause), if not for yourself, then for the benefit of others. For the most part, I would now recommend Xtreme over X1, unless people need the features that were removed.

Well, I've done that - and want to make my way back to X1 again! I kept Xtreme uninstalled until the http://talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=19503 topic, when I reinstalled. I have 2.0e dated 7th December and expect the CD to arrive in the morning (not sure if it will contain a later revision?)

Today I had four words in one text block, changed the last word to a different font and cut it to the clipboard. Xtreme exited with a serious error immediately after I pressed CTRL+X. The document was a very basic file created in X1 containing just three rectangles as markers for print borders to a pre-cut sheet of paper. Since opening the template I had pasted in a bitmap (not large) from the web and had rotated the text 90º.

Another gripe still present is this: type some text, apply a 1 step contour and a drop shadow to it, copy the result with a left-drag and right click to deposit the copy, then amend the original's text. The contour and drop shadow don't update. The only sure way I have found to update them is to save, close, and reopen the file: moving them, panning them off screen and back on again, scrolling, or drawing a rectangle over it and deleting it doesn't (always?) work. The same thing happens in a more regular workflow but those steps seem to consistently reproduce the problem.

[Xhris]

Today I had four words in one text block, changed the last word to a different font and cut it to the clipboard. Xtreme exited with a serious error immediately after I pressed CTRL+X...

This did not occur for me. When I encounter a problem like this, I always try to repeat the last few steps I did, or as much of the general document as I can. It sometimes takes a while of trial and error, but I usually figure out the cause with some persistence and effort. I then write a recipe to repeat it and contact Xara about it.

Another gripe still present is this: type some text, apply a 1 step contour and a drop shadow to it, copy the result with a left-drag and right click to deposit the copy, then amend the original's text. The contour and drop shadow don't update...

Yes, this occurs for me too. Have you reported it to Xara so they can do something about it?

There are times when it would be easier for me to run back to something old and stable when I see a problem with something new, but problems aren't fixed unless an effort is made to help get them fixed. I always try to identify the source of a bug when I run into one. As a result, many of the ones I have found have been fixed and a lot of the bugs in X1 are not there in Xtreme now.

[Daniel]

This did not occur for me. When I encounter a problem like this, I always try to repeat the last few steps I did, or as much of the general document as I can. It sometimes takes a while of trial and error

I can't make it happen again either, but with respect, the last thing on my mind when I've just lost an amount of work is how to re-create the problem immediately. When I have time later, other factors may have changed - and I can't rarely ever recreate the crash. My point earlier though was that these kind of crashes never get me in X1, only Xtreme.

Yes, this occurs for me too. Have you reported it to Xara so they can do something about it?

No I lost confidence in making contact with Xara long ago. Perhaps you know of a contact method I don't, with the exception of telephone contact I have enjoyed very limited success.

[Xhris]

I can't make it happen again either, but with respect, the last thing on my mind when I've just lost an amount of work is how to re-create the problem immediately. When I have time later, other factors may have changed - and I can't rarely ever recreate the crash. My point earlier though was that these kind of crashes never get me in X1, only Xtreme.

Yes, while annoying, in general, experiencing a crash is no reason to ditch Xara given its record for fixing reproducible serious bugs in a timely manner. Go here for evidence.

No I lost confidence in making contact with Xara long ago. Perhaps you know of a contact method I don't, with the exception of telephone contact I have enjoyed very limited success.

xtreme@xara.com is used for reporting bugs. I've reported the text contour one and it has been recognised by the developers, and will likely be fixed in due course.

The Xara cycle:
1. Discover a bug
2. Find a recipe for reproducing it
3. Report it
4. It gets fixed (most severe first).

[Daniel]

OK here goes, I finally got my Xtreme CD on Dec 31st and tried to install it last Monday. The CD was faulty and Xara didn't reply to my ticket after a week so I've copied someone else's CD. Using Xtreme 1.0e CD for the first time today, crash straight away.

(original message deleted - just found an easier way to reproduce the crash, will post in a minute...)

[Daniel]

Could someone try this before I send it in an email to Xhris's bug reporting address?

Xtreme has always crashed on me at what seemed like random events and I've never been able to reproduce my steps. Today I think I have found one of the crash prompts: if you colour a word in a text block using the colour picker and then cut a selection of the sentence to the clipboard, Xtreme crashes with the error "Access violation exception at offset 0x000C3727".

(While I was taking the screenshots (and pasting them into X1), the "updating clipboard" bug hit me again - that one has been around for years but I've never been able to find the trigger for that. It requires any flavour of X1/Xtreme to be closed and re-opened before it can "see" new contents of the Windows clipboard. It hits quite often when producing documents with lots of screenshots, Alt+PrntScrn takes a screenshot and places it onto the clipboard but when the bug bites, Xara can't see anything new on the clipboard until it is restarted.)

[Know1]

jep, that will crash Xtreme.

[Daniel]

Thank you. I've sent an email to the address Xhris posted.

[NeilH]

Thanks. That's a nasty bug that's new to Xtreme, so we'll look at fixing it and releasing an Xtreme patch.

Neil

[glenngosack]

Just tried your instructions three times, and Xtreme didn't crash.. was able to Ctl-X and paste with no problem.