We want your feedback!

This release has updated Help and Tutorials, as well as a number of new additions and fixes.

We have put a lot of work into SiteSpinner Pro, as well as in to the Help and Tutorials, and we want it to look its best for the release - any notes on missing images in the Tutorials, or problems with the Help file are appreciated.

We plan to continually update SiteSpinner Pro, but if you have any last minute feedback before the final release, now is the time to let us know, as this may be the final Beta release.


The beta7 can be downloaded from here.


For a complete list of changes, fixes, and additions, see the Readme.txt file

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Derry,

Tried my test site in Beta 7. Right off I notice my logo gif image (yucca-maple leaf), which was scaled down to 85% size in SSPB6

http://www.allianceforresponsibleenergypolicy.com

is no longer scaling down in SSPB7

http://www.allianceforresponsibleenergypolicy.com/b7test.html

This message has been edited. Last edited by: starhubs,

Thanks for telling us about that, starhubs.

Would you be able to send us the ims file? Send it to vmsupport (@virtualmechanics.com) Put "SSPbeta7/harpo" in the subject and I'll watch for it.

Starhubs, no need to send the ims file after all. I was able to reproduce the problem.

A workaround is to turn on re-rendering for that object. You might also need to select 'gif' or 'use image's format' in the geometry if it is not already on.

Thanks again for reporting it. We really do appreciate hearing about this kind of thing.

Thank you for your fast response Harpo. Here is some follow-up info:

Re-render was the first thing I tried. Although it did fix the resize problem, it changed the tone of the image slightly and produced an outline, eliminating the smooth blend into the background.

I tried changing the geometry editor settings to 'gif' and also 'use image's format', but neither fixed the sizing issue.

The only way I could work around this was to actually export the gif image into an external editor to resize, then import the smaller image back into SSP. I tried every way I could think of to fix the problem in SSP to no avail.

I hope this info helps.

Jim

I have seemed to come across another problem with SS Pro.

I have had SS (2.70f) for quite some time, and have never had any problems. Just recently, I purchased WE, and as yet, have experienced no problems either.

For a try, I downloaded SS Pro, and now a generic problem has surfaced across all three programs.

In the text editor, when creating a link to highlighted text, the "Find file" button will not work.

While writing this post, I tried all three programs again to get my facts right. The "Find file" option now works in SS and WE if I run them independently, but not in SS Pro.

I can use the "Find file" option on the text object itself, but on prewiewing, the link doesn't work. It works fine in SS and WE.

When you say the "Find file" button will not work, does that mean it is disabled (greyed out? I just tried this with a fresh text object and it worked for me.

How does it work for you with a fresh text object? -- In case there is something strange about your text object.

FYI, I just had SS, WE and SS Pro all up at the same time and had no problems with the find file in any of them.

I am experiencing the same thing. The file name input box prepopulates with the selected text until a file or URL is designated as the link. Sometimes I have to clear the input box to get the find file button to work. The button still appears normal and active, it just doesn't perform.

This only happens sometimes, so I'm not sure what conditions cause this. I'll pay more attention from now on.

Bruce, it is not disabled or greyed out, just that nothing happens when it is clicked.

I did try it last night in two or three different (and new) text objects and couldn't get it to work.

Just tried it again and the "Find file" button worked, but, on preview, the actual link doesn't. It works fine for an URL or page link, but not for a file.

I get the "hand" and the link looks okay, and the path displayed in the status bar is correct, but nothing happens when ckicked.

Okay, I'm at work now using a completely different machine, and the same scenario.

I have tried all different types of links.

The Page links, http and mailto all work fine, but the File link does nothing.

I have also tried it on different objects and selected text within a text object, all with the same result.

If you click the "Find file" button and the dialog does not open, then it could be Windows or SiteSpinner. The File Open dialog that should appear is a standard Windows one. If that then does not work correctly, it is more likely to be a Windows issue. (My opinions only!)

I'd try to reselect the directory to be used, in case it is pointing somewhere strange from a previous operation.

If you successfully make the [ file ] type link, but then the link does not work, that is likely to be a separate issue. If you can publish a page or a project file that shows the problem, that should be a great help in tracking it down.

What versions of Windows are we all using? I'm Windows XP SP2.

Bruce, I am using XP Pro SP3 on both machines.

The "Find file" button seems to be working okay now, but the link itself doesn't when previewing.

As SS Pro is still in Beta, I have never bothered publishing anything until now. I have just been having a muck around trying different things out.

Funny thing is, the link works when published to disk and viewing on the local machine, and also when published to site, but will still not work when previewing from within SS Pro. All other types of links do.

The file link works fine in preview with both SS v2.70f and WE.

All of the above applies to two completely different machines, though both have XP Pro SP3.

You can view a test I just did with SS Pro at

http://www.tratcliffe.com/test

You can also have a look at the project file at

http://www.tratcliffe.com/test/Test.ims

The pdf file is named "Branding 2003-12-01.pdf" and is in the root "test" folder.

postyr,

Are you using IE or FF? If IE, the problem may be IE's security setting for a local intranet are not allowing the PDF to open while the internet security settings do allow it. IE has stricter security settings for content from a local network since most virus are passed on internal networks.

To me it still looks like a bug.

In IE7 for me, the file link to the Simple.pdf file in the PDF tutorial also does not work in preview. By comparison, the equivalent in the SiteSpinner Basic tutorials still does work. If it is security settings they sure do work in mysterious ways....

Update: I modified postyr's project to work from my desktop in both SiteSpinner Basic and SiteSpinner Pro. The link works in Basic but not in Pro.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bruceee,

Thank you Bruce for confirming what I have been trying to explain.

I think that Larry's point is a valid one, but am still not fully convinced it's not a bug, as I will explain further down.

Firstly, I would like to point out that the problem does not just relate to pdf files. I have tried it with jpg, doc, xls and others with no success.

The original test was developed with SS Pro, so I made three seperate ims files, one each in SS standard, WE, and SS Pro. All three projects work in SS standard and WE, but not SS Pro.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, once the project is published to disk, it works fine, which made it hard for me to relate to Larry's point about IE7's security. The project is still on my local machine, but can still be viewed outside of SS Pro.

Having said all that, I tried previewing the project with FF, and it worked fine. Well bugger me. One point for Larry.

In conclusion, I have decided it is definitely a bug. Mainly because of the fact that previewing with IE7 is no problem with all of VM's products except SS Pro.

There must be some code in the software that allows integration with IE7 in earlier VM products that is missing from their latest.

On the other hand, this little hitch is not enough to turn me away from SS Pro, great program. But Derry did ask for some feed back.

Regards,
Terry


PS I hope this forum has a spell check.

Hi Terry,

Thanks for pointing out this problem and describing it in detail and thanks Bruce and Larry for analysing it. These kind of reports really help to make the program better.

After reading the results of your examples and tests I see where the problem is and it looks like everyone is correct. The issue comes down to an IE security but is a result of a change in SiteSpinner Pro.

The basic problem is that IE7 is preventing the link to content on your local hard drive. The difference between the SS and SSP html pages is that SSP has code to mark the web page as if it were coming from internet. This mark (known as ‘mark of the web’) is supposed to make IE treat the page as if it comes from the internet. That means that you do not get the “Allow Active Content?” warnings that you see with SS when previewing a page but only if you would not get that warning from the same page when it is published on the internet. So for example, if you are previewing a page that has Mouse FX script, in SS you will get the Active Content message but in SSP you will not. (Note: this assumes that you haven’t turned on the ‘Allow Active Content on My Computer’ IE option)

The problem here is that the mark of the web doesn’t seem to apply to links to files made using ‘Find File’ (Interestingly, if you link to a .gif file it works normally but not if you link to a .png or .jpg). I don’t know that that is something that has changed in an IE7 update or if it has always been that way but I guess it makes sense that a page from the internet should not be allowed to open a local file. We will need to think about what can be done to help this situation. It may be that we need to use http:// instead of file:// in the preview code when mark of the web is used but that could open up all kinds of unexpected side effects. It may take some time to evaluate. (If you have suggestions please feel free to let us know.)

So … for the time being there are two options: 1) ignore the problem knowing that the page will work when published or 2) turn off the ‘mark of the web’ option and revert to SS behaviour.

Note: to turn off ‘mark of the web’ uncheck the Options> Workspace Options > Preview tab’s ‘Mark Preview and Internet zone’ setting. You may need to restart IE before the effect works if the page has been previously loaded with the mark turned on.

Thanks Harpo for your prompt and detailed response.

I tried turning off the "Mark Preview and Internet Zone" option, and all worked well. My apologies for claiming it as a bug. It is obviously yet another feature of SSP.

As long as the user is aware of this feature, I can see no reason to change it. It has it's pros and cons, and it would depend on the user's preferences as to when and how to use it.

Terry

NOW I AM CONFUSED

I think this is the better place to put my post.Sorry if it seems somehow inconvinient.

I use Site Spinner and love it. Some time ago I received an email to upgrade it to PRO beta and did it.
I LOVED the HTML PREVIEW and Configurations for mobiles devices!! I bought it and came up with WEB ENGINE.
Does it mean that after beta we all -who purchuased the upgrade - will receive site spinner pro?

I like this two feautures but do not find them in engine.

Thank you for reading this

As I understand it, if you buy Web Engine, you get a free upgrade to SiteSpinner Pro. Web Engine being older and now almost superseded, doesn't have mobile or multiple browser support.

You can download the latest SSPro Beta from the link in Derry's first post in this thread. Your Web Engine registration details will work with it.