This is getting beyond frustrating. If a Poser 8 library folder shows up with a question mark and I click refresh, nothing happens. I wait for ages, nothing. Sometimes the word "refresh" appears next to the name, but still, it just sits there. Is the icon supposed to revolve to show something is happening? Because it doesn't. Certainly, I am not getting access to the content.

Worse, the problem is erratic and appears to happen with mostly folders that are two levels in or more. This even happens with the Poser 8 content.

Adding anything to my external runtimes seems to trigger the problem. Strangely, it seems a very bad idea to have Explorer open at the same time as Poser 8, because that seems to make it worse. Also, opening Poser Pro seems to trigger the problem next time I open Poser 8.

Sometimes the problem can be improved by re-starting Poser, sometimes it is improved by restarting the computer. But it doesn't go away.

My Flash is up to date and my machine's specs exceed the requirements. How could this problem escape quality control? I feel like a beta tester.

If it shows with a question mark, then you are seeing a bug. Poser 8 file scanner (not in the GUI, but the scanner back end) has bugs. Certain file names make problems.

Refresh isn't going to do anything, so stop wasting your time.

Examine the folder that is not populating. Report its contents to SM.

I have posted numerous threads suggesting ways to diagnose more specifics. I have no time to post extensively for today or the next 3 days as I'm moving my daughter to college for the first time!!!

Look for (or ask others to point you to) threads where I give links to http://localhost:11530/apps/lms/api.py?op=...

Also look for posts how to display the debug log using F7 F8 F8 in the search text field, and look for Faults.

For the API, techies can help. Here is a quick rundown. All responses should be in XML. Note that some browsers won't show the XML.

.../api.py?op=scanCategory&id=Character

This is the top level category scanner for any given category tree. For id, specify the category you're having trouble with - it is the name of a first sub-folder under Runtime/Libraries. Response should include info from all attached runtimes.

.../api.py?op=scanFolder&id=FullPathOfSomeFolder

Shoudl be obvious what this does. This is what Refresh tries to do. If it doesn't work, then Refresh isn't going to work either.

You are not a beta tester. Beta testers found and we fixed over 500 bugs. How many have you found, LOL? Over 30 man-years of work went into bata testing. If you know a better way to do it, you should start a software company.

Based on industry standards, there will be over 100 more bugs found after release. Everybody who gets frustrated by this should understand. Software does not come bug free, ever.

Amen to that, bagginsbill. I used to work as a game tester for EA Tiburon. I'm not sure the casual gamer really knows what all goes into the testing process, which is why it annoys me when people bash a game like Madden or the like, and say "Jeez, did anyone actually test this game?" ... because yeah, if it wasn't tested, it'd probably never get past the title screen. :> Not exaggerating on that one, really. I remember waiting hours for a new build to come to us testers, and then having to go back to the previous build again because of some showstopper crash upon bootup. :D

Quote - I have posted numerous threads suggesting ways to diagnose more specifics. I have no time to post extensively for today or the next 3 days as I'm moving my daughter to college for the first time!!!

:0)) - I can only wish you the best of luck BB. Been theredone that.
 

Bagginsbill, I appreciate your taking the trouble to post in such a busy time. All the best with the move, and may the college experience be everything she hoped for.

I had in fact been trawling the forum for your other posts, but had not found a solution.

There is nothing unusual about the folders that give trouble. They are in the Poser 8 Content structure, and were created by the Poser 8 installer. I have not changed them in any way. That is why I would have expected them to work.

I apologise for venting, but I needed to. If it's a bug that will be fixed, I'll wait.  Just as developers are exasperated when people complain about bugs, users are exasperated when when they pay for software, wait for it to be delivered or downloaded, and then spend hours (days) trying to get it to work, only to find that it won't. A frustrating time is had by all.

Quote - This is getting beyond frustrating. If a Poser 8 library folder shows up with a question mark and I click refresh, nothing happens. I wait for ages, nothing. Sometimes the word "refresh" appears next to the name, but still, it just sits there. Is the icon supposed to revolve to show something is happening? Because it doesn't. Certainly, I am not getting access to the content.

Worse, the problem is erratic and appears to happen with mostly folders that are two levels in or more. This even happens with the Poser 8 content.

Adding anything to my external runtimes seems to trigger the problem. Strangely, it seems a very bad idea to have Explorer open at the same time as Poser 8, because that seems to make it worse. Also, opening Poser Pro seems to trigger the problem next time I open Poser 8.

Sometimes the problem can be improved by re-starting Poser, sometimes it is improved by restarting the computer. But it doesn't go away.

My Flash is up to date and my machine's specs exceed the requirements. How could this problem escape quality control? I feel like a beta tester.

Questions for you:

1. What Operating System are you using?

2. Where did you install Poser 8?

3. Where did you allow Poser 8 to install the P8 Runtime?

On my WinXP Pro System I had Poser 8 installed in the C:Program FilesSmith MicroPoser 8 and the P8 Runtime in the Poser 8 Folder, not the Default Install. I have had no problems with the new library.

Now on my Vista x64 System I have Poser 8 installed to C:Smith MicroPoser 8 and I have had no problems.
I "Turned UAC OFF" and I installed as Administrator.

I noted at RDNA that some are having Search Problems with Vista, care to guess where they installed Poser 8? - Correct, the C:Program Files Folder.

I have some 50 odd External runtimes on a USB 2 External HDD and when I "Add One", Poser 8 loads it all in, generally I do not even need to hit the "Refresh Button"

This machine has Vista Business 32 bit.
UAC is off.

Poser 8 is in the c:Program FilesSmith MicroPoser 8 folder.

Poser content is in D:Poser 8 Content

My other runtimes are in D:Poser Runtimes, each with a subfolder there.

I am now wondering whether I should re-install outside the Program Files folder.

I have moved Poser 8 out of the Program Files folder.  I felt I had nothing to lose and a lot to gain if it worked. I left the Poser Content where it was.

Poser 8 seems to run a lot faster and so far (touch wood) it has not choked on the libraries. There isn't even a pause when it loads up on startup.  I was able to access the Props category in the new Poser 8 content, and I had not been able to do that before. This is very exciting. I'll play around some more and see if this is a lasting solution. It certainly looks promising.

Mariner, I thank you for the sage advice.

Nope, I got excited too soon. The next time I opened Poser 8, the problem was back as before. It really is an erratic, intermittent problem. Now you see it, now you don't. I am going to hope that this is solved in a service release.

I don't see a question mark, but I do get incomplete libraries. If a folder has 50 items in it, the P8 library might initially show 12, Click refresh, get 20. Click refresh again, get 8. Click refresh enough times and you might eventually see the item you want among the truncated list. Argh.

I will search the sea of P8 comments for posts on this topic, but it might be worthwhile to make a Sticky for answered P8 questions.

Please, report the random file listing business to SM, if you haven't already. I'm not keeping track of all the failure modes, since it's outside the part I wrote. They are.