Aura 2.5b compatibility

[Paul Lara]

Since Aura 2.5b uses the new Windows Media libraries for many of its newest features, this makes 2.5b incompatible with Windows 95, 98 Windows ME and Windows NT. Aura 2.5b remains fully compatible with Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

[fanany]

here's the reason of my "damned" MS message when trying to install it , ... anyway, thanks for this precision.
(I have to upgrade W98se > W2000 or XP)

[danlev]

Hey Paul,

The info on 2.5b says that it's compatible with DPS Reality boards.

Unfortunately, the download does not include an updated dps.dll file so that the program can recognize the newer product. Could you post a link to the files needed to make it work? (The 2.0 dps.dll only links to a DPS Perception board.)

Thanks!

Daniel

[paulfierlinger]

e-mail me your e-mail and I'll e-mail you a link to my FTP.
Paul Fierlinger

[paulfierlinger]

Daniel, here's a link directly to the DPS Lockstep site:

http://www.leitch.com/custserv/products.nsf/Home?OpenFrameSet&Frame=ContentFrame&Src=%2F__85256a160051ae1a.nsf%2FNLEForm!OpenForm%2 6AutoFramed

[danlev]

The link you gave doesn't work, but I found "Lockstep for Aura" on the DPS website. Looks like it's written for Windows NT, but I'll give it a go with Win 2000.

Thanks!

Daniel

[paulfierlinger]

That was the link. One warning though. The installer will direct you to install the plugin into the Preview folder inside the Plugin folder. When I left it that way, Aura had a tendency to crash very early on. By moving the LOC and .dll files directly into the Plugin folder I eliminated the crashes.
Paul

[danlev]

Thanks, Paul.

I did load the files into the PlugIns folder and it seems to be working fairly well on my Win 2000 workstation.

Having some difficulty loading large .dps files, but it may be more an issue of file size. (Already managed to crash Aura several times, but I'm just starting to learn that program.)

Thanks for your assistance!

Daniel

[paulfierlinger]

Well, the DPS plugin (made by DPS, not NewTek) seems to be a bit unstable. I've found that if I have my canvas File set to the scene on the P drive, which I am currently working on and Canvas Background Mode set to Background clip and open Aura, load the project, Aura crashes. It is best for me to have the BKG mode set to None.

I render back to the P drive by usig a hotkey shortcut for export sequence and navigate to my P drive clip in BMP mode.
Paul

[danlev]

Interestingly, Aura seems to preferentially look for sequences in BMP mode. Why? (One of the reasons we purchased the Velocity/Reality system was for the broad utility of the file system. I guess it's coming in handy with Aura.)

I tried to use the P drive as my temp. drive, but Aura wouldn't accept it. Good to know that you can render to that drive.

By the way, We purchased Aura 2.0. The 2.5b upgrade was a download. Is there any reason to keep 2.0 installed. Is it needed for the operation of 2.5b?

Thanks!

Daniel

[paulfierlinger]

Originally posted by danlev
>>Interestingly, Aura seems to preferentially look for sequences in BMP mode. Why?<<

Open File>Mode where you'll find a selection of modes.

(One of the reasons we purchased the Velocity/Reality system was for the broad utility of the file system. I guess it's coming in handy with Aura.)

Reality, on the other hand, has a prefered mode of BMP. All the other ones are virtual.

I tried to use the P drive as my temp.

Never, ever use the P drive for anything else than DPS files! That's why you have to prestripe a file before you can save to it. You may end up corrupting the whole drive and facing a reformating. Actually it's a good idea to backup all your P drive files onto another drive. If the P drive becomes corrupted, you can reload from your backup, but you can't run Velocity itself from your backup.


By the way, We purchased Aura 2.0. The 2.5b upgrade was a download. Is there any reason to keep 2.0 installed. Is it needed for the operation of 2.5b?

You don't need the Aura 2.0

Thanks!

Daniel

[Paul Lara]

Originally posted by danlev
We purchased Aura 2.0. The 2.5b upgrade was a download. Is there any reason to keep 2.0 installed. Is it needed for the operation of 2.5b?

Daniel,
2.5b is an update , and therefore uses existing, but unchanged files in your current Aura directory. Install it on top of your existing Aura2 folder.

[danlev]

Hi Paul,

I've made a separate folder for 2.5. Should I go to the bother of uninstalling the upgrade then re-installing?

Thanks!

Daniel

[danlev]

I've looked in File>Mode, but the "DPS" option is ghosted out.

The DPS files are installed and the Reality board seems to be working fine with Aura. what's going on?

Thanks again!

Daniel

[paulfierlinger]

It sounds to me that you might still be on 2.0. Check this out in your Help>about column.

Paul Fierlinger

[danlev]

Hi Paul,

It does say Aura 2.5 on the Window when I click on "help".

Is the DPS option available on your system in "mode"?

As I mentioned, the Reality board does display the Aura output.

Daniel

[paulfierlinger]

My Aura says 2.5b. As a beta-tester I remember that the DPS mode had been ghosted for the longest time and came to life with one of the more recent versions -- it might have even been what is now 2.5b, so maybe you still don't have this latest version installed. But I honestly don't have experience with the DPS mode because, dealing only with single frames, I import and export only BMPs in and out of the P drive.

[danlev]

I did download the newest version a couple weeks ago. Maybe I'll check for another one.

As I said, the Reality board seems to be working fine, so perhaps there's only a small link missing in the DPS .dll that Aura can't recognize, and then show compatibility. Hey, I'd rather it work and not show compatibility, then show compatibility and not work...

I did send an e-mail to Paul Lara and to NewTek tech support on this issue, and haven't heard back.

[paulfierlinger]

http://alienated.newtek.com/aura/aura25b.html

http://alienated.newtek.com/aura/aura25bpatch.html

There are 2 versions available:
one for the full version and another for the upgrade from [2.5] or [2.0]

Paul F.

[danlev]

That did it!

I had downloaded the 46 MB full version and installed it. Apparently 2.0 didn't recognize it properly. So following your cue, I downloaded the 11 MB "upgrade" version tonight, and the DPS mode works as advertised.

Thanks for all your help!

Daniel

[craigt]

I just installed the 2.5 version and then the 2.5b patch and I don't get any DPS support at all(I'm using a Quattrus). To be honest, I'm a little unsure about what support there is for the DPS boards in Aura to begin with. :confused: I once started using Aura2 with my Reality but I never could do what I needed to do, due to the memory requirements, so I just went to Digital Fusion(full version). I really would like to get Aura fully working though since I know it does have it's strengths. Nice seeing Paul F. is still around- hope all is well with you these days Paul. :D
BTW, I hope the smilies show up properly- this is my first post here. :-)

Craig

[danlev]

Hi Craig,

Did you install the Lockstep for Aura program from the DPS website?

Daniel

[craigt]

I happened to think I hadn't but the files are all there so I guess I did after all. Nothing DPS releated shows up in the Preview tools though so I'm highly suspecting nothing is Quattrus compatible. I guess this does make sense since they had to write a new lockstep for MAX but so far there isn't one for LW. It is kind of a bummer but I'll survive. :D
Thanks for the reply Daniel and it was a good thought.

Craig

[paulfierlinger]

Hi Craig T!!
Good to come across you again; you have taught me many, many things. So your DPS/AU gadgets show up in Aura but don't interact with Quattrus, is that correct? If so, I'd be pretty sure that you could still import and export your pic sequences the conventional way, but you're right, you are going to find Aura to be the same memory hog as before. The lockstep lets me interact and share my TV monitor with DPS and allows me to render to my P drive directly from Aura's project window and then instantly recalls any DPS files from the P drive for preview -- which doesn't mean much to me since I always run both Velocity and Aura at the same time, although there are times when I need to find a reference in a scene from another film and I don't have to open a new project in Velocity with this lockstep at hand. Aura has become a total 2D animation program now and there are more and more people like me showing up who want to make use of paperless animation. It's so much faster and helps me be a better animator. So I live here now. Once in awhile I lurk on the DPSedit side, but with all the new versions it has become a foreign culture to me -- my Velocity 7.6.14 is all I need for the pasting of scenes to sound which is what we animators call film editing. Aura 3 is in the works now and that is supposed to be an entirely new concept -- like Quattrus to Velocity I guess.

Paul Fierlinger

(See? The DPSedits group has made me forever sign my full name!)

[craigt]

Yep, it looks like we did a great job training you to sign your full name. LOL. BTW, I think we all teach each other something along the way- I think your speciality was the proper use of the virtual file system. :D
Anyway, back to Aura, I actually don't get anything DPS related to show up in Aura like I originally did using Lockstep and my Reality with Aura 2.0. I think it was in Filter/Preview that I originally saw the DPS options. On my drive, I see the Lockstep_Au.dll and .loc files in the Aura\Plugins\Preview folder but obviously they're being ignored. I put in a request today for a new Aura Lockstep so hopefully there will be a new one at some point. I also made another request for a LW Lockstep version- I'm offended that I'm a DPS beta tester and the MAX users get one and I don't!:rolleyes:
Velocity is ever evolving- I'm beta testing the next version now. At least since the last release I only have two versions installed now instead of four. :) Well, time to see what's doing over in the LW area(some of us have to use LW since we can't draw worth a darn) . :D Take care.

Craig

[paulfierlinger]

Before you leave, I had some problems with Lockstep sitting in Preview. I woved the two files outside, just into the plugin folder, where they work properly. Maybe worth a try for you...

Paul Fierlinger

[craigt]

Well, I left, but I'm back. :) I just tried moving the files into the plugin folder itself but still no-go. I'm not really surprised that it isn't working since I did some beta testing for a few companies that had products that worked with the Reality and didn't with the Quattrus. It didn't take long to get new versions so it must be a relatively minor change. Thanks for the ideas Paul.

Craig

[Denis G La Bine]

aura2.5b is very great I love it, Now it won't open after I installed Toaster Xp on my system. I wonder what I did wrong?
toaster Xp is truelly a fabulous software, very impressive work again from the Newtek Brains doing their magic.

So Paul how do I get Aura2.5b to work again? I checked the path in the Icon and checked and re-installed , and did a repair as well. I did notice the program made an aura25 directory and it wasn't in the standard aura2 directory that is still their and working ok.

best regards
Denis

[paulfierlinger]

Hi Denis,
I don't have Toaster myself, so I might not be the right person to be helping you. The only thing that comes to my mind is that there are two versions of the Aura 2.5 for downloading. One is an upgrade of Aura 2 and should be installed in the A 2 folder. The other is the full version for complete reinstalation and that should go into it's own, new folder. After that you don't need the A2 anymore. It sounds as if you have installed just the upgrade into its own folder. If this doesn't do the trick, you should start a new thread here with your question so that the VT folks will notice it.

On the side, you might be interested in knowing that Aura is a French program published by NewTek. The developers live and work, I believe, in Metz (could be wrong).
Paul F.:)

[Denis G La Bine]

hello Paul

Yes I know this is true, but Aura2.5b did work great before I Installed the Toaster Xp disc they sent me.

Yes I also know that Aura is made in France. Beautifully done as well.

question: why won't it work after Toaster 2 Xp was installed? What does the T2 xp have to do with Aura2.5b's operations?

Thanks for all of your help.

[SBowie]

Denis, since Toaster ver. 3890 includes Aura2.5b, why does it seem like you are simultaneously trying to run the standalone version on the same system? Or am I misunderstadning somehow?

[Denis G La Bine]

I have toaster 2, and aura2, lightwave with the dongles, It ran before I installed Toaster2's Xp version on the Xp that allready ran aura2.5b and lightwave on the same Xp computer.

So I will try to run aura2.5b from withing the toaster 2 Xp to see if it runs.

thank You Aura2.5b in toaster 2 does work, so I don't have to run the stand alone at all, that solved that problem.

The stand alone doesn't want to load because it is IN the TOASTER AS WELL?

Thank You Sir, I appreaciate all of your help.

Denis

[SBowie]

The standalone version can be made to work alongside the toaster version, but it's redundant and hardly worth explaining. You might as well move the dongle to another unit and get some use from it.

[Denis G La Bine]

Thanks I will do that, As a matter of fact can I do the same with thelightwave stand alone?

remove the bulky dongels and run of the Toaster card?

I really hate those dongle keys, when moving the system around.

Thanks for the fast replys

[SBowie]

Originally posted by Denis G La Bine
Thanks I will do that, As a matter of fact can I do the same with thelightwave stand alone?

remove the bulky dongels and run of the Toaster card?

I really hate those dongle keys, when moving the system around.

Thanks for the fast replys No, although there is a LW version that uses the Toaster board as dongle, your standalone (like mine) will continue to need the dongle. The USB dongle is less obtrusive, but can still be snapped off (trust me on this) ;)

[bradl]

:confused:

Steve or Paul,

Does Aura 2.5b Standalone or VT support DPS Perception NTSC Video Card with Windows XP? I am not clear whether the Lockstep will support this card. I don't have many details on this card yet as I don't have it in hand but here is a picture if that helps:
http://ebay2.ipixmedia.com/abc/M28/_EBAY_330afcfa2ec251e54ef63a488084dc03/i-1.JPG

The list of DPS Lockstep files available (DPS Lockstep Files (http://www.dps.com/custserv/DPSWebDL.nsf/FF?OpenForm&LOCKSTEP)) shows one for Aura and one for Lightwave released in 2000 and for Windows NT4.

I am looking for clean NTSC monitor QC'ing as we work in AURA, with smooth real-time composite output.

Thanks for clearing this up for me, hopefully...

Brad

:)

[paulfierlinger]

Brad,

I really don't know if this Lockstep will work with the Perception Board -- I have a feeling it might not. I think your only choice is to call Tech Support at DPS (they are extremely responsive) or just try it if you are getting the card anyway. The Reality card uses a different extension than Perception -- but I'm not the one to know much about such things. Sorry,
Paul