Logs

When encountering an issue with Vortex Studio, the initial step is to examine the log files.

All Vortex applications generate log files.

Recovering Log files

Log files can be accessed from the operating system's standard temporary file folder. Here’s how to retrieve them:

1. Navigate to the temporary file folder of your OS. For instance, on Windows, you can find it in the folder specified by %TEMP%.

2. Search for the log file, which follows this naming convention: <application name>_<hostname>_<processId>.log.

   1. For example, a log file for Vortex Editor on Windows might be located at: %TEMP%/VortexEditor_workPC_9176.log, where "workPC" is the name of the computer running the editor, and "9176" represents the process ID of the Editor at that time.

   2. Additionally, the Unity log for VortexUnityApp.exe can be found at %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\CM Labs Simulations Inc\VortexUnityApp.

3. It is advisable to sort the files by the date they were modified for easier access.

4. Open the desired log file using any text editor.

5. The entries within the log file will indicate the time of the report, the severity level, and the corresponding message.

6. Pay special attention to any warning, error, or fatal messages.

    

Customizing log files

The log file names for a Vortex Application can be tailored through the Vortex Setup process.

1. Launch the Vortex Editor to either open an existing setup or create a new one by following this setup.

2. Within the root of your setup, locate the properties named LoggingLevel and LogFile.

    

   Open

   

3. The logging level can be configured to reflect various severity values, including:

   • Off - no logging will occur

   • Fatal

   • Error

   • Warn

   • Info

   • Debug

   • Trace

   • All - all messages will be logged

   Each log level represents a threshold for message logging. For instance, if the level is set to Info, it will also capture warnings and errors. The default logging level is set to Info.

4. The log file prefix allows you to customize both the location and the name of the log file. The required pattern is <location>\<file prefix>, for example, c:\my files\mySim.

   1. If the prefix is left empty, the system will revert to the default behavior mentioned earlier.

   2. In the absence of a specified location, the log file will be created in the same directory as the application that initiated it.

   3. Regardless of the chosen file prefix, the computer name and process ID will be automatically appended to the file name, following the aforementioned pattern. For instance, it will appear as mySim_workPC_1234.

Simulator log files

Viewing the log

When running a simulation, you can access the log files through the Warning and Errors Tab.

This tab is integrated within the Vortex Studio Player and can be included in any simulator node setup file.

Using the Vortex Network layer, the tab transmits error messages from each node, and it is specifically required on the console page.

Saving the log from a simulator

Each log file will be accessible on every computer within the simulation at the designated location.

To retrieve the log files for each node, utilize the Vortex Director.

In the Director application's tab, click on the log button corresponding to the node you wish to examine.

You can save the log from that location.

Licensing Issues

See Troubleshooting Licenses.

Editor

Debugging

When creating content, various issues may arise during simulation.

One effective strategy is to minimize the content to the bare essentials required to reproduce the issue.

• Use the Vortex Editor to streamline the content needed for issue reproduction.

  • At times, removing certain objects can assist in pinpointing the problems.

• Review the logs or examine the errors displayed in the editor.

Warnings

When creating content, issues in the extension will be shown as warning icons in the explorer. See Resolving Problems in the Editor for more information about fixing these issues.

Simulator issues

Vortex Studio offers several pages for the Vortex Studio Player that can help investigate general issues on the simulator.

• Generic Issues

  • The Warning and Errors Tab

• For content-related issues

  • The Content Debugger Tab

• For performance-related issues

  • The Profiler Tab

  • The Network Processes Tab

Additional tips

• Optimization Guide

• Remote debugging

Devices issues

• CANopen Controls Troubleshooting

Contacting Support

When reaching out to support regarding an issue, it's essential to include as much detail as possible in your support ticket. Please specify what you were doing at the time, the version of Vortex you are using, the application in which the issue occurred, and attach any relevant log files and a screenshot of Vortex.

Additionally, please provide the following information when applicable:

Log files

The log file can be extracted as described above.

Vortex Version

The vortex version can be recovered from the About menu of the application. Please provide a screenshot or the full number version e.g. 2024.11 → 2024.11.0.31

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Crash dumps

In the event of a crash in Vortex Studio, please follow these steps to help us reproduce the issue:

1. Describe the actions that led to the crash in detail.

2. Provide the relevant log files and crash dumps.

You can find the crash dumps in the following directory: %LOCALAPPDATA%\CM Labs\. Each application maintains its own dedicated folder within this location.

Enabling Crash Dump

If you do not have any crash dump files, please enable their generation by following these steps:

1. Navigate to the folder c:\\cm labs\\<Vortex Studio Version>\\bin.

2. Double-click on the file named _enableVortexCrashDumps.reg_.

   • Note: You will need Administrative rights to proceed.

   • Click "Yes" to confirm.

You only need to perform this action once for all versions of Vortex.

After completing these steps, please attempt to reproduce the crash.

Content Issues

If you encounter content issues that you believe may be a bug in Vortex, please submit the relevant Vortex files (*.vx<type>) that replicate the issue.

• Clearly indicate how you are utilizing the file.

• Minimize the content to the essential elements to reduce the file size and expedite the reproduction of the problem.