No More .PJS?

feddx

I just got off the horn with Customer Service and it is now official. With NetLinx Studio 3, there is no longer a way to convert the old .PJS (Panja Studio) files (from NS 1.2) to the more current and familiar .APW workspace files. (even though the help file with NS 3 describes the process the way it worked in NS 2) Isn't that nice? And thank you for making me aware of this prior to installing NS 3!!

I mean it's true that version of the software died in the early 2000's, but there are still a few jobs that we have on the server that are old-school .PJS files, and guess what? Today on site, I encountered one. Fortunately I just upgraded to NS 3.1 from NS 2.6. Perfect.

My choices:

Unistall 3.1 and install 2.xx.

Create a new APW file from scratch (which would be tough as apparently this programmer did not understand things like file portability, centrally localizing files, and revision control).

OR

Is there a way to run NS2.xx in a WindowsVM for just such an occasion?

If you'd like to see it added back into NS3, call customer service and tell them. MAKE SURE they write it up to send along to the development staff. (If it's not written down, it never happened) If not, then just ignore this.

Thanks.

yuri

i'm missing alot of options in NS3, so i'm still using 2.8

NS3 keeps crashing on me too, and after it has crashed once, i can't restart the program again...

feddx

yuri wrote: »

i'm missing alot of options in NS3, so i'm still using 2.8

NS3 keeps crashing on me too, and after it has crashed once, i can't restart the program again...

Thanks. I was trying 3.1 out on a loaner laptop because I programmed too hard on my actual computer (ha ha ha)

I'm trying 2.8 out now to see how that goes. I used 2.6 for a long time, and got hosed in the whole 2.7 wash!! (SERIOUS anger).

I hope the Find/Replace thing works well, otherwise I'm going to just cry and cry. Thanks.

Tworhythms

yuri wrote: »

i'm missing alot of options in NS3, so i'm still using 2.8

NS3 keeps crashing on me too, and after it has crashed once, i can't restart the program again...

AMX has announced a recent build to correct this problem. I can say it works great! No more crashing!!

feddx

Tworhythms wrote: »

AMX has announced a recent build to correct this problem. I can say it works great! No more crashing!!

Ok, so does the new build have PJS conversion? If not, why? Is AMX going to make a separate program to deal with converting PJS workspaces to APW ones? (It would be different if I could have NS2 and NS3 on the same computer. But I cannot)

<nitpicking>And why does the Control Device Dialogue work so differently? I used to construct strings in the window so I could change them on the fly without much hassle like:

"(header)'

(desired ascii command here)

'(footer or trailer),delimiter"

With NS3 if I don't construct the command in the window correctly (no errant spaces or line feeds), I get an error. Why was that changed? Is that supposed to be an improvement?</nitpicking>

Colzie

feddx wrote: »

Ok, so does the new build have PJS conversion? If not, why? Is AMX going to make a separate program to deal with converting PJS workspaces to APW ones?

How many years has it been since PJS workspaces were used? In this thread (several pages in) the question was asked about PJS conversion. The majority of people responding said they had never used this feature.

Not that this was the reason it was removed, but it is definitely a select few that have ever used it, let alone currently need it.

Spire_Jeff

I know that this question was asked in Programmer 3 of the class and nobody indicated having a need for the function. I am not positive, but I believe the talk was that removing support for this feature would allow them to move forward in making NS3 a better product. I personally feel that the format is old enough to warrant dropping from the new versions. It would be nice if one could install 2 versions of the program on the same computer, but I am going to go out on a limb and say that you are in the minority of people that require this feature. If you encounter it on a regular basis, just stick with NS2. It's not like they added programming commands to the language that allow you to do more things in NS3.

You could turn this into a positive and use it as validation to the clients using this older gear that it might be time to think about upgrading as support for the product line is being discontinued.

Jeff

feddx

Update.

While on site with AMX staff on a particularly hairy project, I was told specifically that I should update to 3.1XX as the 2.8 NetLinx Compiler will cause problems with modules and the latest duet firmware.

So I finally made the change to upgrade, and wouldn't you know it, this morning I have a PJS job from 2003 throwan at me. Brilliant.

<sarcasm>I guess I can just tell my boss AMX has told me no one ever uses .PJS files anymore, so I can't do it.</sarcasm>

Spire_Jeff

I have no knowledge of the ability for this to occur, but have you asked AMX if they can convert the project for you? Or, you could install a previous version of NS on an older computer to do the conversion. <sarcasm>Or, just tell the boss to buy you a second laptop that will run the new versions and keep the old one running the old versions </sarcasm> (parallels could help with this )

While writing this, it dawned on me... it could be worse. Some of the other control systems require you to have all of their previous versions installed so that you can properly service all of your clients without requiring very time intensive upgrades (The kind that would have you begging for the days of quick 20 minute per R4 graphic version updates )

Jeff