Software Bisque Knowledge Base Article – 1109

PHOTOGRAPHS IN THESKY6 DO NOT DISPLAY UNDER WINDOWS XP SERVICE PACK 2 OR AFTER APPLYING A WINDOWS UPDATE

ISSUE

TheSky6's default panoramic horizon and other photographs do not appear after installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 or after installing the GDIPlus Windows update.

RESOLUTION

There is a bug in the latest release of Microsoft's GDIPlus.dll that causes some images to not display correctly. 

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a “priority zero” (highest priority) issue with Windows XP Service Pack 2 and in Windows GDIPlus updates, and is working on the resolution. There have been no announced release dates for the fix at this time. See the Workaround below.

WORKAROUND

An early production run of TheSky6 media (CD-ROMs and DVDs) saved panoramic horizon files using a TIFF multi-resolution setting called “pyramid encoding.” Windows XP Service Pack 2 does not correctly display TIFF images that have the embedded pyramid encoding tag. Microsoft has confirmed that this is an issue in Windows XP Service Pack 2.

I.  The images that are affected by this issue have been saved without the “pyramid encoding” tag, are can be downloaded from the Software Bisque anonymous ftp site.

1. Click on the following files and save them to your computer: FixedImageGroups.zip (67.2 MB), and FixedHorizons.zip (6.8 MB), FixedLargeConstellationPictures.zip (500 KB), FixedSmallConstellationPictures.zip (90 KB).

2. Unzip the contents of FixedImageGroups.zip into TheSky6's Data/Pictures/Image Groups directory. This directory, by default, is named: C:/Program Files/Software Bisque/TheSky6/Data/Pictures/Image Groups. When prompted, replace the existing TIF images with the new ones.

3. Unzip the contents of FixedLargeConstellationPictures.zip the into TheSky6's Data/Pictures/Constellations/Large  folder. This folder, by default, is named: C:/Program Files/Software Bisque/TheSky6/Data/Pictures/Large. When prompted, replace the existing TIF images with the new ones. 

4. Unzip the contents of FixedSmallConstellationPictures.zip the into TheSky6's Data/Pictures/Constellations/Small  folder. This folder, by default, is named: C:/Program Files/Software Bisque/TheSky6/Data/Pictures/Small. When prompted, replace the existing TIF images with the new ones.

5. Unzip the contents of FixedHorizons.zip into the /TheSky6/Horizons folder. When prompted, replace the existing TIF images with the new ones.

TheSky6's TIF images will now display correctly under Windows XP Service Pack 2.

II. Save the affected image using PhotoShop or other image processing application that supports the “pyramid encoding” option.

1. Open the TIF image in PhotoShop.

2. Click File | Save As.

3. Clear the Save Pyramid setting.

4. Click Save.

This behavior can be reproduced using Microsoft Windows Explorer. To do so, view a thumbnail preview of the TIF images on a computer without Windows XP Service Pack 2 or the GDIPlus update (TIF images appear normally) and with Windows XP Service Pack 2 or the GDIPlus update (TIF images do not display).

APPLIES TO

TheSky6 media created before January 31, 2005, all Editions.

This issue does not apply to TheSky6 media dated January 31, 2005 or later. Use Windows Explorer to determine the date of files on your TheSky6 media.

KEYWORDS

SBKB

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