New Version Locks Up PS CS5

Downloaded and purchased FF 2.0 last night and was able to run 1 or 2 filters with it. Since then, whenever I launch it, it locks up CS5 and the only way out is to Force Quit. Anybody else having this problem?

Greg

What system are you using? Are you using the Professional Filter Forge? What size of document are you working on?

In short, if you're working on a document bigger than 3,000x3000 px, you can only use the Pro version of Filter Forge, and if you're like me, you won't be able to see the dialog box that tells you this and allows you to exit. Your Photoshop document obscures your FF window, and your beachball keeps spinning, and you'll think you have to force quit.

Here's what happens to me:

I'm using a Mac and the Basic Filter Forge, which will not work on documents over 3,000 pixels square. Even though I know this, sometimes I forget and accidentally click Filter Forge when working on a large document, or I have a stupid moment and sel ect Filter Forge when I intend to sel ect a different Plugin. In the past, Filter Forge would just give me a dialog box stating it cannot work on documents larger than 3000x3000 px, and that I can upgrade to the Pro version. BUT ever since I installed the recent update this past week, it keeps my Photoshop document in the front, so I cannot see the dialog box to click on it and exit fr om Filter Forge. The first time this happened, my beachball just kept spinning and I had to Force Quit Filter Forge to exit. Since then, I realized if I just click the FF window (that is, if I can, if my PS document isn't taking up the entire screen), then I'll get dialog box as normal and be able to exit fr om it.

The problem is similar but I am using the pro version.

I can exit from ff by selecting it in the dock and closing it.

I just tried launching it in stand alone mode. It bounced up and down in the Dock for about a minute then finally settled down, but the filter forge window never appeared on my desktop and I couldn't quit the program. Again, I had to Force Quit it.

BTW, Ellie, yes... I'm using FF Pro and the documents were very small compared to what I usually work on.

@Ellie: the hotfix will be available at http://filterforge.com/download/, I will notify in the forums when it is ready.

@jjividen: what Photoshop version do you use?

GMM - Does Filter Forge have a tech support team or are we basically on our own here with these "crash" problems?

GMM - I used this form several days ago, but I'll try again.

Greg, the support team has confirmed that they emailed you. Please check the spam folder.

It works! They had me change the name of the FF2 folder in my Library > Application Support and now it runs in both stand alone and plug in.

Thanks!

Rusty - I went to.... My User Name > Library > Application Support > Filter Forge 2 and re-named the folder to Filter Forge 2 with a couple of dashes. So it looks like... "Filter Forge 2--"

Give it a try.

I followed your instructions. I didn't have a folder called "Filter Forge 2" but a folder (probably from my first version that was labelled "Filter Forge" Just for the heck of it I tried your suggestion anyway and PhotoShop crashed as soon as Filter Forge 2 is selected in the filters menu.

Yep, I installed the FF2 program and did follow your instructions to the correct folder. I thought it was weird as well. Did a search as well but the only FF2 folder is the one created in the apps folder. The product is registered as well.

YEa, I was thinking the same thing. I'll let you know either way.

I finally got it to work after numerous crashes and a complete re-install. I did do the rename folder thing before launching, at first it didn't work. When I looked at the App support folder again, it had made another Filter Forge 2 folder that was basically empty. Trashed that and tried it again and it seems to be working. I've never had so much trouble updating a program before.

That worked for me too, sort of.

The way it worked was to make a new "Filter Forge 2" folder, that didn't have my library or the filters or environments that I had created. All it had was the defaults that FF ships with.

I kind of need those things, so I dragged them into the new folder, and got the very same error message. ("Filter Forge
Cannot load 'Library_2244-2.ffxml' - you need to update Filter Forge to open this filter. Update now? No Yes".)

This happened even if all I copied into the new FF2 folder was the "My Filters" folder. I was about to give up and just keep working in the stand alone, which is what I've been doing all this time. But I decided to go ahead and try the upgrade one more time. (I've done it dozens of times now.)

When I tried to open FF from within PS after that, same error message. So I just said "no". And much to my surprise, FF ran! I was able to navigate around, search, apply filters - everything. Every time I run FF, I get the error. But if I just tell it no, I don't get a crash, I get FF working the way it should.

So you might try that, if you're having the same problem.

Not sure if this is helpful, but when I launched FF I knew it was active (hyperdock showed me the window) but couldn't see it on my screen. I right click on the FF icon and clicked on 'full screen', and it appeared.

Sorry if this is off track but this only happened when I reinstalled on a new Macbook Pro.

I have read all the posts about this problem with the latest FF2 which I have too.

I didn't realise that the FF window is open behind CS which freezes with the endless ball when FF plugin is accessed from within CS.

As there seems to be no sign of a 'fix' - when I want to use FF as a plugin, which is the best way to use it, I reduce the width of CS enough to be able to see the side of the FF window behind. I can then click on the FF window and use it. When and if I am not going to use it, I leave CS full size.

Look forward to a fix.