What's going on with Fo2PiX?

[DannyRaphael]

Moved your posts here for a more appropriate venue.

Since Fo2pix is "no more," has no website, no longer replies to e-mails, has abandoned support if their customers, what's your opinion of making abandonware available?

[DannyRaphael]

Interesting legal info here:

http://www.edinburgh-gazette.co.uk/V...sic&all=fo2pix

Source:

http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/pho...artmasterg.htm

[Steve Conway]

Originally Posted by DannyRaphael

Moved your posts here for a more appropriate venue.

Since Fo2pix is "no more," has no website, no longer replies to e-mails, has abandoned support if their customers, what's your opinion of making abandonware available?

I like what Vicman did. Made available their software for free downloading and use after ceasing operation.

Something similar might work here.

Steve C.

[plugsnpixels]

The former developer has a model website which we linked to elsewhere. He should be reachable through it.

[DannyRaphael]

re: The former developer has a model website which we linked to elsewhere. He should be reachable through it.

That's good to know...

Thanks.

[plugsnpixels]

Here he is. Beware the link to his Photo.net gallery; lots of T&A ;-).

[Psyxiatros]

Hi all
The first post didnt upload so i have to rewrite it.
I m angry like many of you with what Fo2PiX did.
After a problem with WinXP i had to upgrade to Vista
to find out that many serial numbers were not valid any longer.
One of them was AMP.
The other programs work ok now.
AMP doesnt.
And you all know why.
Did I say I m angry ? Well yes I m angry.
And I m trying to find a way to make this amazing program work again.
Now, some said that by changing the compatibility to Win XP the installation works. Mine doesnt. I get a 1722 error.
But, I think the error is not an AMP issue but an InstalShield issue.
SO I tried to extract the files in a folder and find a way to run it from there.
Unfortunately from the 60something MB of the amp.exe file only 5,5 MB are extracted and they re all installation helpers (exe, dll, cat, etc etc).
When I run the "msiinst.exe" file (which is inside the amp.exe) it gives an error msg saying "Wrong OS or OS version for application".
The question is IF there was a way to extract the complete archive in a folder, change the InstalShield files to more recent ones, and re-compress it,
would it run ?
Of course I dont even know if the 1722 error msg is caused by InstalShield files or by Java (if i remember well AMP is based in Java).
I have no idea.
I m just trying to find a way to solve my problem.
Yes there are some programs which work "like" AMP but they dont work the way i want them to.
If I helped any of you think something else please let me now.
Thank you and sorry for the long post.

[plugsnpixels]

Anybody with issues with f02pix products should try contacting the original developer via his model website linked above. Perhaps he will give permission for the sharing of software and serial numbers by others who have purchased his products in the past, short of other support (??).

If all else fails, be aware that current Topaz products when used in combination pretty much replace f02pix offerings and then some.

[Randcarlo]

I'm still using XP, but may have to 'upgrade' to Vista or Windows 7 when I purchase my next computer and have done a bit of research on using XP software like ArtMasterPro that doesn't run using Vista 'compatability features'. You could install both XP and Vista and dual boot your computer or use a virtual computer software solution. Here's the virtual software solution that's been recommended to me by my local computer technician. If I go this route I will have the shop set it up for me.

http://lifehacker.com/software/windo...l-pc-238071.ph

I'm starting to think the best solution may be to buy a CD copy of XP Professional SP2 and install it on my next computer. I question whether Vista or Windows 7 are/will be any better than XP. An ongoing discussion that will be ongoing for years

I have ArtMasterPro but also use Fo2Pix PhotoArtMaster Silver, although it only has 160 Sources I prefer it's user interface and simplicity.

[pavel123]

Originally Posted by Randcarlo

I'm still using XP, but may have to 'upgrade' to Vista or Windows 7 when I purchase my next computer and have done a bit of research on using XP software like ArtMasterPro that doesn't run using Vista 'compatability features'. You could install both XP and Vista and dual boot your computer or use a virtual computer software solution. Here's the virtual software solution that's been recommended to me by my local computer technician. If I go this route I will have the shop set it up for me.

http://lifehacker.com/software/windo...l-pc-238071.ph

I'm starting to think the best solution may be to buy a CD copy of XP Professional SP2 and install it on my next computer. I question whether Vista or Windows 7 are/will be any better than XP. An ongoing discussion that will be ongoing for years

I have ArtMasterPro but also use Fo2Pix PhotoArtMaster Silver, although it only has 160 Sources I prefer it's user interface and simplicity.

Guess this may not exactly be right thread. I have the same problem, I want to upgrade my computer but do want Vista on a new one. Vista has a lot of issues, microsoft is not planning to fix, they would be shipping Windows 7 instead, tentatively in Jan 2010. I am perfectly happy with XP, the only problem is that it can not access more then 2Gb of RAM....with newer graphic applications you want all RAM you can get. Installing XP over say Vista is quite a story. It could be done, but it is not straightforward.

Pavel

[plugsnpixels]

FWIW, I have heard from a graphics software developer that Win7 is much faster. I too have it running (under emulation on a Mac via Parallels) and it indeed does seem faster. It's still Windows (!) but maybe MS is finally getting somewhere with it ;-).

My point is, when you get your new computer you might as well move ahead with the OS and consider leaving ArtMasterPro behind, rather than letting it drag you down. Maybe you can keep the old box around as a second workstation for legacy apps such as this. Or get a Mac and run OS-X, XP, Win7 and Linux all at once if you want! Each virtual machine has its own separate environment so it's easy to operate this way (screenshot attached). You can go full screen with any OS if you want, as well as drag and drop files among them and the host.

[Randcarlo]

Hmmm ... good points plugsnpixels; keep the old PC tower for legacy software from expired companies and step up to a a Mac.Then that screenshot running 4 OS is quite an enticement.

"Since Fo2pix is "no more," has no website, no longer replies to e-mails, has abandoned support if their customers, what's your opinion of making abandonware available?"
Danny Raphael

Yes; I'm not stymied by highend morality considering F02Pix demise. The firm handling liquidation would probabably invite a bid to purchase code than censor with a copyright infringement warning. Abandonware - Yes.

[plugsnpixels]

On the Mac side, if you have a G4, you can run anything from OS9 to Leopard (by booting into either as needed) to keep old apps going. Otherwise the VM setup on an Intel Mac such as I described is probably one's best bet (I run any Windows software I need to that way; I don't have a PC box).

The fo2pix developer can be contacted; he has a model photo gallery (I posted a link to it in another thread, I believe). Though I haven't heard if anyone actually tried to reach him.