G-Force not available in Media Center (Vista Ultimate 64bit)

[Willem]

I'm using Vista Ultimate 64bit and the last G-force platinum Beta.

The G-force visualization is available in Media Player and works correct. But in Media Center the visualization is not available! Does someone knows how i can add the visualization to Media Center?

I've heard that Media Center 64bit doesn't accept 32bit applications inside it. Anyone expierence with Vista 32bit Media Center and the visualization?

Best regards,
Willem

[crustom]

Hello,

I am experiencing the same thing with G-Force Gold under Vista Ultimate 64bit.

Regards.

[andy55]

I'm using Vista Ultimate 64bit and the last G-force platinum Beta.

The G-force visualization is available in Media Player and works correct. But in Media Center the visualization is not available! Does someone knows how i can add the visualization to Media Center?

I've heard that Media Center 64bit doesn't accept 32bit applications inside it. Anyone expierence with Vista 32bit Media Center and the visualization?

Best regards,
Willem

Sadly, this is correct... 64 bit processes can't host 32 bit processes, and the reason GF is working in WMC is that Microsoft launches the 32 bit version of WMP by default (if you launch the 64 bit version of WMP, G-Force won't be there either). The real mystery is why Microsoft ships 64 bit binaries of WMP and WMC on their 64 bit OS at all. In other words, the only class of apps that ever have a need to be 64 bit are scientific apps and database servers. Unless people suddenly need to play a 4GB mp3, there's absolutely no reason why Microsoft should be distributing WMP and WMC in 64 bit form. In short, it's absurd.

Andy

[crustom]

Hello,

You are definitely right about the fact that scientific applications benefit a lot from a 64bit environment.

But... wait a minute... the G-Force visualization software is some kind of a scientific application, no ? In other words, do you have plans to build a 64bit version of G-Force ? I would be more than happy to test it and give feedback on it...

Regards,

[andy55]

Hello,
But... wait a minute... the G-Force visualization software is some kind of a scientific application, no ?

Well, an application that needs more than 4GB of storage? "Scientific" apps often have data models that span more than a couple gigs of memory... Examples are physical modeling and genetic research...

Andy

[crustom]

Yes, I understand. I am in biomedical engineering myself and many mathematical models I use are quite big in size...

By quoting the G-Force software a "scientific application", I was just trying to ask you if they are plans to provide a 64bit version of it in the near futur ?

Don't forget that when trying to build a finite element model of heart cavities and some kind of a catheter inside it, I can still appreciate and value the beauty of G-Force : it helps me relax during my coffee breaks...

[andy55]

Yes, I understand. I am in biomedical engineering myself and many mathematical models I use are quite big in size...

By quoting the G-Force software a "scientific application", I was just trying to ask you if they are plans to provide a 64bit version of it in the near futur ?

Don't forget that when trying to build a finite element model of heart cavities and some kind of a catheter inside it, I can still appreciate and value the beauty of G-Force : it helps me relax during my coffee breaks...

Yeah, we're migrating the codebase to 64 bit compatibility as we rev stuff, but it's low priority since 32 bit processes will be supported for a long, long time. In fact, it's only because Microsoft makes the WMC 64 bit on Vista 64 us the reason this is even an issue--it's totally nuts.

andy

[crustom]

Just because I am a little curious... is it a lot of work to migrate a 32bit codebase to 64bit ? I am not an expert but do you need to write new code or is it just a question of compiling the original 32bit code with 64bit flags ?

Again I am not an expert...

[andy55]

Just because I am a little curious... is it a lot of work to migrate a 32bit codebase to 64bit ? I am not an expert but do you need to write new code or is it just a question of compiling the original 32bit code with 64bit flags ?

Again I am not an expert...

Yes and no... It's normally not a lot of work, but it does double a company's liability/QA with no engineering benefits whatsoever (the only benefit would be to support x64 setups). In performance sensitive software (e.g. music visualization, games, etc), you're basically chewing up more (limiting) RAM bandwidth with absolutely no added benefit. The only benefit is *if* an app needs to access more than 4 GB at once (which is unheard-of for entertainment software).

To put things in perspective, few to no companies offer x64 bit versions of their software. For example, you'd get nil for a response if you emailed EA or Adobe and asked them to provide an x64 version of their titles.

If/When SoundSpectrum grows large enough to have a budget for x64 development, we'll definitely jump at it, but we're just not there yet unfortunately.

Andy

[swish]

Yes, I understand. I am in biomedical engineering myself and many mathematical models I use are quite big in size...

By quoting the G-Force software a "scientific application", I was just trying to ask you if they are plans to provide a 64bit version of it in the near futur ?

Don't forget that when trying to build a finite element model of heart cavities and some kind of a catheter inside it, I can still appreciate and value the beauty of G-Force : it helps me relax during my coffee breaks...

Yeah, we're migrating the codebase to 64 bit compatibility as we rev stuff, but it's low priority since 32 bit processes will be supported for a long, long time. In fact, it's only because Microsoft makes the WMC 64 bit on Vista 64 us the reason this is even an issue--it's totally nuts.

andy

I understand your pain, but it's not totally nuts. Moving apps to 64-bits has to start sometime...and now is the time. We have been stuck at 32 bit procs for quite a while...it's time to move on. Yes it's a lot of work in the interim, but it will be worth it. I know I'd like 64 bit gforce.

[andy55]

Just because I am a little curious... is it a lot of work to migrate a 32bit codebase to 64bit ? I am not an expert but do you need to write new code or is it just a question of compiling the original 32bit code with 64bit flags ?

Again I am not an expert...

Yes and no... It's normally not a lot of work, but it does double a company's liability/QA with no engineering benefits whatsoever (the only benefit would be to support x64 setups). In performance sensitive software (e.g. music visualization, games, etc), you're basically chewing up more (limiting) RAM bandwidth with absolutely no added benefit. The only benefit is *if* an app needs to access more than 4 GB at once (which is unheard-of for entertainment software).

To put things in perspective, few to no companies offer x64 bit versions of their software. For example, you'd get nil for a response if you emailed EA or Adobe and asked them to provide an x64 version of their titles.

If/when SoundSpectrum grows large enough to have a budget for x64 development, we'll definitely jump at it, but we're just not there yet unfortunately.

Andy

[Evil_Spongebob]

Hi

Pretty much all of my systems are now 64 bit vista.

I know the advantages over 32 bit are not supposed to be that noticeable, however, i find 64 bit Vista is faster and smoother - so thats my default install for systems now.

I have 4 systems at home using 64bit Vista. One of them is my media centre which is the one that used to run g-force.

I also use the 64 bit media players and windows media centre - yes - there are 64 bit codecs which work very well now - actually - WMP x64 and media centre x64 are pretty smooth and quick.

Of course there is the g-force problem now - i have no intentions of going back to 32 bit Vista, or xp for that matter, so unless a 64 bit version of g-force becomes available, then there really is not point in renewing my platinum subscription for g-force any more.

Cheers

Rod

[Evil_Spongebob]

Having made this last post - Vista has progrssively got slower for me on all my systems, so much so that I am now considering other alternatives to windows. The hard disks are thrashing themselves to death and that is with 4GB of ram on board. Cant really go back to xp as the licenses were upgraded to Vista from XP, so the XP keys are dead.

So - i retract my statement earlier - 64 bit would be nice, but maybe for mac and linux. But Vista is going!

I am so ticked off with Microsoft right now that I might just attempt Ubuntu now and see how that goes. I know its not supported either by Sound Spectrum, but the platforms I am using now arent supported either so theres no change there.

[Tassu]

I'm using Vista Ultimate 64bit and the last G-force platinum Beta.

Well, I'm using Vista Ultimate 32bit and the latest G-Force Gold 3.73 stopped working with me in Windows Media Center. I get no visualization, just the desktop and a black bar on top that tells me the name of the current visualization (G-Force). It does work with Windows Media Player though.

However, G-Force Gold 3.72 works superb in the same Media Center without any problems at all. After installing 3.73 it won't work, but installing 3.72 back works. Strange enough, Softskies Platinum 1.2 AND 1.3 do the same exact thing in Media Center - desktop with black bar on top. Softskies also works in Windows Media Player.

For some reason, I do believe that this in 3.73: "OpenGL is now used by default under Windows Vista" has a lot to do with my problems, which I'll be unable to solve.

Some possibly helpful specs: ASUS M2A-VM HDMI motherboard with integrated ATI Radeon X1250. Updated drivers etc. although this might be a driver problem after all.

[mattica]

I realize this thread was started over a year ago, so I'm hoping there'll be a change. I've updated to a 64-bit computer and Vista 64, so I'm hoping to use G-Force still in WMC. When will I be able to use your wonderful program again?