Latest versions of InDesign and Ucreate in Virtual Environment

[Sue J]

Hi Everyone, We have recently updated to the latest versions Of InDesign 18.3 and uCreate 12.0.1 and are working in a virtual environment Windows server 2019. We are experiencing delays on loading data, editing content objects and losing currency formatting from .txt (tab delimited). Just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar and if so how did you resolve the issues. Any input would be appreciated. TIA

[west-digital.fr]

Hello,

No experience here with this specific configuration.

>> to the latest versions Of [...] uCreate 12.0.1

In my knowledge, the latest version of uCreate is 12.1.1.

>> and are working in a virtual environment Windows server 2019

?? Do you mean that a) the machine that hosts your VM is a Windows Server 2019, or b) that your VM is a Windows Server 2019?

If a), could you specify, the OS of your VM?

If b), based on the XMPie "Customer Expectation Document", version 12 is only supported on Windows 10 Pro Edition, Windows 11, as far as workstations are concerned.

>>  losing currency formatting from .txt (tab delimited)

Could you elaborate the situation? What "formatting" are you losing?

west-digital.fr

[ke...@blitzprint.com]

Hi All

Not sure if anyone else is having issues but:

I am currently working with XMPie uCreate Print Version 12.1 build 14388  [Mar 27 2023] on a Windows 11 Pro 12th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-12700   2.10 GHz machine and Indesign 18.3. I work mostly with excel spreadsheets. that I have been using for years with no issues till version 12. Now every time I open a job with xmpie in it all I do is wait, wait for it to open, wait for it to open the window to link it to the updated spreadsheet, wait for it to confirm the link was successful and so on and so on. I spend more time waiting then working on the file. There seems to be a lot of issues with 12.1. But I'm sure they will get things straightened up soon or later. 

Kelly

[west-digital.fr]

Hello Kelly,

Not familiar with this one neither, despite we extensively use MS Excel as Data Sources from Windows workstations.

If you are with 12.1, maybe would you like to test with 12.1.1, which is said to fix "various bugs" (which ones? I don't know).

If already with 12.1.1, maybe raising a case to the XMPie Suppor Team would help?

west-digital.fr

[Gardener Kev]

I found out that after I upgraded to version 12.1, if i have the excel document (data) open on my machine and open the Indesign document it is linked to, it crashes Indesign in about 15-30 seconds after trying to link to data.  Then I close the excel document , open the same Indesign document and there are no problems.  At that point, you can open the excel document and proceed.

If you make a change to excel document and save it with the Indesign document open, it crashes Indesign after trying to relink to changed data. So if you want to change the document, close the Indesign document, make your data changes to Excel, save and close. Then reopen your Indesign document and it will link to changed data.

It's a bug. It never happened on previous versions.

Just my experience.

[couch]

The problem with Excel datasources was reported to XMPie and has been identified as a bug and it has been fixed. 

The fix will be available in the next version of uCreate Print - v12.2 - which will be relelased in the next week or two (before end of June).

[Gardener Kev]

That's wonderful to hear!

Thanks Couch

[ke...@blitzprint.com]

Hi All

That sounds great Couch. Do you know if it will help getting back to normal response times and I won't have to wait 20 to 30 seconds every time I open a document or try to edit a rule?

Kelly 

[Sue J]

Hi Kelly, I also have the same issue with Windows 11 and uCreate. It takes anywhere from 5 - 10 minutes to open a file or do anything in the file once opened with XMPie content, Artfiles without open immediately. I have tried multiple versions of InDesign and uCreate and still same outcome. I have put a ticket in with XMPie, hopefully they will have a solution for this. Stay tuned.

Sue

[couch]

Kelly, Sue, I am not aware of this problem and since I also have Windows 11 and uCreate, I suspect there is something specific in your environment causing the problem. 

I suspect that the only way forward will be to have XMPie Support look at your computer and trouble-shoot with a remote web session.

If you have time before arranging a session, here is what I would do:

* uninstall uCreate print

* check you have the latest InDesign installed via the Adobe cloud app.

* check in the programs control panel that you don't have multiple InDesign versions installed (if you do, uninstall the older versions)

* start indesign and hold down ctr-shift-alt keys -  you should get asked if you want to delete InDesign preferences - click yes. 

* download the latest v12.1.1 uCreate Print installer - or perhaps wait for v12.2 if you prefer and install

* quit all applications and reboot.

* ensure that you login as an administrator on the computer so you will have permissions to install the required system components

* Install the uCreate Print, activate the license, register, test to see if the problem is resolved

[rotero9]

3 of our work stations had the same issue (Windows 10 running uCreate 12.0.1). Projects that had data connected to it would take between 10-30 mins to load or apply a change. XMPIE support was not able to find what was causing this. Other stations with the same environment had no issues. Completely removing xmpie plugin and Adobe Cloud apps would not fix it. The only solution we found was:

1. Create a new user profile on the same workstation

2. Or completely reformat the work station to have a clean Windows installation

[ke...@blitzprint.com]

My windows 11 machine was a brand new machine not upgraded from windows 10, and has been slow from the initial install. One more issue that I had a ticket on was, if I have a spreadsheet with say 500 records in it and clear it out except for the header row  and put new information in 200 rows and do a save as new file name and link it to the same document, when it finally links to it it says it still has 500 records in it. Close the indesign file so I can open the spreadsheet again and delete the blank rows from 201 to 501 save and close. Reopen the indesign file and now it returns with 200 records. I have been re-using  spreadsheets since we started with xmpie and have never had an issue till version 12.

[Sue J]

Couch, Thanks, I have tried what you have suggested, had a call with XmPie support and they hadn't seen this behavior before and it has been sent to the next level of support. Hopefully I will here something soon.

[couch]

v12.2 should be released soon (I was told before the end of the month, but they tend to release on Sundays). Hopefully that will fix it.

[couch]

PE and uDirect 12.2 has been released. check with you reseller or XMPie support for the updated installer.

[ke...@blitzprint.com]

Hi All

Well we upgraded to version 12.2. We are still experiencing quite a bit of delay just opening a file linked to a spread sheet, as well as editing a rule can take forever. At least now I can have a file open and work on the spread sheet without Indesign crashing. I miss the days were 

I could double click on a file and it would open before I could move my mouse.

[west-digital.fr]

Mmm... Even with an SSD drive and a decently fast CPU, it has been a while since I did not feel a sort of delay, opening an Excel or a CSV file.

This has certainly to do with the background conversion that uDirect / uCreate makes to a Microsoft Compact SQL (before 11.3) or to SQL Server Express LocalDB (since 11.3) - I personally do not miss these old days - before this conversion process was introduced - as many data-typing issues or unpredictable events used to occur, particularly for those who operate an XMPie server, in addition to a workstation.

Now, what could explain your sudden loss of performance and instability? Now that you have the latest version, maybe the XMPie Support Team could be of some help. Or, you could investigate, if an antivirus or whatever 3rd party software could be the cause of these troubles, or if there is maybe a lack of resource (HDD?, RAM?) on your machine.

Anyhow, I do not remember that any of our customers did raise a case on the same matter - if some of them did and we did not notice, then they have the liberty to throw the first stone at us.

west-digital.fr

[Amit Cohen]

indeed XMPie uses SQL Server LocalDB. you can try rebuilding it if you have issues:

1. close all running programs
2. run command line (run "CMD")
3. type "SqlLocalDB info", you should get information about the installed  SQL Server LocalDB, if you do not, do not continue to the other steps, inform, and I'll try to explain something else.
4. type "SqlLocalDB stop MSSQLLocalDB"
5. type "SqlLocalDB delete MSSQLLocalDB"
6. goto your user folder (run "%UserProfile%"), and delete all files named *.ldf and *.mdf
7. type "SqlLocalDB create MSSQLLocalDB"
8. type "SqlLocalDB start MSSQLLocalDB"
9. launch InDesign again, and try to connect to a data source.

[ke...@blitzprint.com]

WOW!!!!! 

Amit, it is night and day difference. I'm back to linking to data and instantly having it return with link to data successful, instead of waiting for more than a minute some times. Jobs also open right away. Thank you so much!

Kelly

[Greg]

Hi Amit, for step 3 above I ran the first CMD "SqlLocalDB info", but it returned " is not recognized as an internal or external command". I have the latest 12.2 uCreate print installed.

Is there something I'm missing?

Greg

On Monday, August 14, 2023 at 2:46:48 PM UTC-6 Amit Cohen wrote:

[Amit Cohen]

So, you probably have some issue with the installed LocalDB (maybe anti-virus issue), don't worry, you just need to install the latest version, and continue from there the same steps.

there is a problem though, for some kind of unknow reasone, Microsoft made it compicated to get the LocalDB installer, so to get it you need to folow the instractions:

1. download the latest SQL Server Express installer:  SQL Server Express LocalDB - SQL Server | Microsoft Learn (SQL2022-SSEI-Expr.exe)
2. run the installer (double click), but do not install, instead select "Download Media".
3. than select the radio button "LocalDB"
4. than click download.
5. click "Open Folder"
6. you'll have there the installer you really wanted: "SqlLocalDB.msi"
7. before continuing, close the installer you just run, and select to quit.
8. than you can double click the "SqlLocalDB.msi" to install the LocalDB, follow the instractions, and complete the installation.
9. you might need to restart the computer before going back to the other instructions step 3, and continue from there.

[Greg Lanuke]

Awesome. That worked!. Thanks Amit.

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