WM2D Help Required !

[Fletcher]

Hi guys .. this is a request for urgent HELP !

I run Windows 10 and upgraded about 4 years ago on an Acer Laptop.

About a month ago I noticed that when using WM I could no longer make objects transparent under Windows>Appearance>Pattern Menu.

I use this transparency feature all the time because I like to see where the System CoM is located. When I selected Pattern nothing happens. Pattern doesn't register any change at all when I try to click on it. It's incredibly annoying as I then have to grab parts from old sims that are transparent and copy across. And not all old parts spread around the place are transparent, like polygons for example (never made one transparent).

Then about three weeks ago I would run a sim and go to stop it, and then reset etc. The sim and program would crash out (not responding message). I'd go back in and try again, same result.

Now this has happened before, over the years (the not responding). I'd fix it by shutting down and then rebooting etc. This always fixed the crashing out problem. But not any more it seems.

N.B. was going to start rebuilding SilverTigers Levers but can't progress that until this problem is sorted.

For stability reasons I keep my WM program in downloads section because I learned many years ago that it was more stable located there than anywhere else on my drive.

Any help greatly appreciated.

[Fletcher]

I have reloaded the program to downloads and also my drive, and created desk top shortcuts to to the WM.exe execute file of both.

My WM files are stored in my docs file on my main drive. I can pull up any file from either shortcut but the same problems occur whichever entry I use.

I have loaded the program onto my sons laptop and later today will send him a file and see if the program works correctly on his platform. Will report back.

[agor95]

Hi
Sorry to here about your loss.

I left windows a while back and used multi-products.

I recommend you purchase an external hard drive to hold a copy of your data.

In windows you should be able to ask the shortcut to run the application in a compatibility mode. Like windows xp etc.

All the best

[Fletcher]

Thanks agor .. the program runs fine on my sons laptop in Downloads which also has Windows 10 (same as mine).

The plot thins !

I think I'll uninstall my program today. And copy my sons program onto a USB I bought yesterday for the purpose.

If it runs from USB in my laptop then I know it is my system causing the crashing and gremlins.

Later !

[Robinhood46]

When i can't get my computer to do what i want it to (which is frequent), my son connects his computer to mine and does everything for me. I can watch exactly what he is doing on my screen and talk on the phone while he is doing it.
When i had Windows xp i got by, Windows 10 i hate it.
Good luck.

[Wubbly]

About a month ago I noticed that when using WM I could no longer make objects transparent under Windows>Appearance>Pattern Menu.

I run windows 10 and the pattern won't change if I click the down arrow on the pattern.

Need to click right in the pattern box for the drop down choices to appear.

On all the other drop downs on that window, the down arrow works, but Pattern is the exception.

My appearance window randomly crashes WM2D.

[Fletcher]

WAHOO ! .. Thanx Wubbly. You're a champ ! I really appreciate that.

It works. Who'd of thunk !

It was driving me nuts, as I use transparent all the time. My program isn't crashing anymore but transparency was the last thing not working after I reinstalled.

I'd made a workaround by finding old files of circles, rectangles, squares, polygons that I had previously made transparent in some sim or other. I then copied them to a temporary file and copied them from that across when I needed them.

But having that functionality back is terrific.

I did switch off my anti virus etc but made no difference. So put the gremlins down to Windows 10 updates, which eventually sorted itself out. Except for transparency. Works on my sons laptop with Windows 10, so go figure.

Cheers.

[Robinhood46]

Can anyone suggest a sim programme that is not too expensive and easy enough to get the hang of. Maybe a commonly used one that will be easy to find educational videos? Is there one that is particularly suitable for beginners of a certain age who hate bloody computers?
I should imagine that many members are more interested in the top end performance of simulators, the ones with the graphs and calculations. I just want to be able to visualise on the screen the behaviour of mechanisms.
I don't really have a clue what i am talking about so bear with me.
I want to be able to devide a circle into as many sections as i wish with ease. Reproduce identical mechanisms and locate them all in the same place in each section, distribute references evenly around the wheel.
I tried a free version of a sim a few years back and i was unable to do these, what i believe to be, simple things.
Am i being too hopefull? Am i really that stupid? Why is my cat able to do things i can't? Has throwing a computer violantly against a solid structure ever successfully resolved a problem?
I just can't believe i am the only one here who isn't a big fan of computers, there must be one somewhere who actually managed to put a few arms of the right shape in the right place on a circle.

[daxwc]

Has throwing a computer violantly against a solid structure ever successfully resolved a problem?

Yes, its orgasmic in nature.

[Robinhood46]

I agree that the lack of the sensation of being in an orgasmic state, could be considred to be a problem, by some people. I do however find the suggestion of violantly throwing a computer against a solid structure to resolve this problem rather curious. It would never have crossed my mind.

[daxwc]

RH46 I actually seen a guy throw a laptop through a closed window then jump in his vehicle never to return. Oddly he was smiling as he drove away.

Have you tried Algodoo? It is an easy SIM to use. I don’t think it will divide a circle into divisions but if you turn the grid and ruler on before you start it might only let you put things on at equal distances depending on its size. I see some of the physic classes are using the SIM.

[Robinhood46]

I think that is the one i tried a couple of years ago. Making one mechanism was fine, even if it did take forever and wind me up a bit. Making another exactly identical and postioning it exactly opposite was a nightmare, the thought of repeating that 8 or 9 times is not even wurth considering.
When i see other sims, i have a job to believe that each and every identical piece is individually created and manually placed. Is this the case?

[daxwc]

If you highlight the whole mechanism, then left click and then select clone. You can do this as many times as you want.

[Robinhood46]

Do you use, or have you used algodoo and managed to create a wheel with a relatively simple mechanism correctlty distributed around a wheel?

[GravityMechanic]

I use Algodoo to test and design ideas for simple mechanisms.

The following three videos will give you an insight into how perpetual motion designs can be created in Algodoo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfNpVTdpN_I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JELwhTSAnR8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6vK0mM3yHc

With a little practice and patience you can achieve the following advanced mechanism designs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q3HzWV3DfE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQAb2R1xa0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1eBFjIiMpw