Sometimes I HATE the designer!!

[Indy Anna Jones]

Finished. Done. Complete.
I thought.

Started on the final check/repair/spruce up of the b9. Luckily I saved it with a new file name. Did what needed to be done, added a couple of structures, more crowds, repaired some greens, added/reduced a few slopes, threw in/removed/grew/shrank a few trees. Then saved.

Reopened, then ran the course repair tool and optimized a few spots. Wrote in the course name (instead of the project name.) Renamed the file and saved again.

Reopened, then tried to compile the course. About 1/4 of the way into it I got the "PGA has run into a problem and is closing" message." It compiles objects first, so I removed the new things I had added (a few flowers and shrubs from stock courses.) Saved, closed and reopened. Same thing.

Went back to the previous file. Removed the new things again, saved reopened, tried to recompile. Same thing. I'm really glad that only the cats were here to hear my language. It wasn't pretty, it definitely wasn't ladylike.

Fortunately I saved under a new file name after checking/repairing the f9 and it works fine. I know it has to be something from the stock libes, but I have no idea what it is. Oh well, tomorrow... later today, is another day. Just needed to vent here; thanks for listening!

[Indy Anna Jones]

I guess all of posters have the late fall/early winter bluez huh? Anyway...

It took me 2 hours, but I finally tracked down the culprit, a shaggy tree on #9 that I finally remembered changing from another shaggy tree while I was working on #18. In the process I undid about 3 hours of earlier work, but also changed objects on 4 libraries I didn't really want to use to objects on libraries I did want to use.

There is a lesson in this to all aspiring designers: Save! Save! Save your file(s) and rename them often. Had I not renamed my working file after finishing the f9, I might have had to have gone back and redo all my work after I finished the 18th hole, another 2-3 hours of work.

As it is I need to go back and replace/rebuild the work I'd done after finishing the "sweep" through the b9, but that's still saving me a couple of hours of effort. Believe me, I'll be renaming/saving with a new name after every new object the rest of the way. Hopefully I'll be finished later this afternoon.

[sandwedge]

So does this mean that the "shaggy tree" is unable to be used in a design? If so why and what library was it found in? Pardon my ignorance but I am confused - is it just the sensitivity of the architect (glitch in the program) or is it a legitimate clb issue that caused the problem in compiling? If there are clb issues it might be good to compile a list of the libraries that have known problems and the objects that have turned up as the "culprits" as you described it. The other question I have is this - are the library or architect program issues more prevalent when libraries are cloaked and not just uninstalled? I feel horrible that you went through all that work and the only answer our community has at this point is that it is "the dreaded architect" - seems we might benefit from some more research into this ongoing problems and if no technical solution is possible at the moment; at least we would have some list of things to consider when designing. Posts are great but a list or document that pulls these issues into one place would certainly help someone looking to break out into designing to be better prepared. Just a thought - anyway, I feel bad for what has happened to you

[Indy Anna Jones]

The guilty party was from Pebble beach lib, row 3, item 3 (going down and across L-R.) I also had the same problem with CDA flowers, row 3 either #3 or #4 I'm not sure which. Fortunately I had just "built" the concessions and a small garden and knew approximately what items would be involved and I found them right away.

I'm not sure why this happens. On Alice Boge's Garden I put some small rocks (CDA, row 5 items 3-7, again not sure exactly which ones) into and around the shore of a small pond. The course compiled okay, but when it came to this hole my game would shut down; the people I was playing with had no problems so apparently it was something with my computer/game. Something similar happened with A Fab Place. It compiled and played fine on my computer initially; I submitted it to Copyright Club and others couldn't use it. Then it began shutting down my game. A search of #17 found it to be one yellow flower from one of the flowers libraries than fortunately I had used only on #17 and was the first library I checked. After removing it, everything worked okay and that's why the course is A Fab Place v2. What is strange is that I'm able to use the original courses (like CDA or PB) without any problems while at the same time it won't work on mine.

I am just assuming that like any data, over time and usage some of the code corrupts, so the designer or game glitches. I've reinstalled several of the 700 libes I have onboard, but some of the libes have been on my comp since 2005. All of the stocks were reinstalled this past spring; again no idea why but I seem to have more trouble with these than with custom libes. If not, then it might be something to do with the drawing (rendering) tool in the game or designer itself.

It's a mystery to me, but I've learned to avoid using the Pete Dye libe completely. I'm using several trees from PB with no problem, so perhaps it's just a corrupt object? I just don't know.

[SteveHorn]

Judy! Its really weird how the architect won't work because of an object. Like you said Pebble works fine. I've used the Pebble Beach library in several course's but I don't believe I've ever used that bushy tree that you used. You just never know whats going to happen when using the architect but its seems to happen on every course design anymore at some point.

[Indy Anna Jones]

I know Steve, it's a weird thing. I keep repeating that it's a shame the Headgate people didn't do one more update on it before the went over to EA Sports.

Today I've been fighting the old "too severe of slope on a green" battle today. It ended up a compromise on #13 and 18; it's not what I want but it seems to be fair on dry. After one bit of work I carelessly didn't look at the course before saving; after I compiled and went back to check #18 the bloody hole was shattered. Fortunately, very very fortunately it was confined to the fairway and rough, so it was easy to rebuild, but I sure was lucky. That's the main reason I rename the working file and save so often; there's nothing more disastrous than losing hours/weeks/months of work to that broken mirror effect. Believe me I learned it the hard way.

Anyway, I have 6 small things to fix and it's done. I also need to finish the course notes and game screen. The guys and I will play it on Monday so most likely I'll be submitting it to Dar Monday evening.

Btw, I found something out by accident last night. Playing with the guys that afternoon, I uncloaked my libes. I forgot to recloak them; generally when you open the arch it simply refuses to open. But last night I entered the program via the file in My Documents; lo and behold it opened with the appropriate libraries and with the rest uncloaked. That's nice; I get tired of using the cloaker and making sure the correct libes are available.