Help with strange Windows focus issue

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dwcaldwell
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2010/07/21 05:00:09 (permalink)

Help with strange Windows focus issue

Hi all,
 
I am experiencing weird behavior (I think) with Sonar 8.5.3 Producer Edition on Windows 7 x64. I have been attempting to transition from 32-bit Sonar to 64-bit Sonar and have made the following changes to my software setup:
 
1. Installed jBridge and configured some of my 32-bit plugins to load using the jBridge wrapper.
 
2. Used dxshell to wrap some 32-bit DX plugins (DreamStation, Cakewalk FX3 SoundStage, and a couple of others) and scanned the wrapped DLLs into Sonar x64.
 
Now whenever I open any plugin's property page (by opening the plugin's GUI and clicking on the VST button) and then close the property page dialog box, my Sonar window loses focus and the last non-Sonar Windows application I had open pops up and and I have to Alt-Tab to get back to Sonar. For example, if Internet Explorer had focus when I started Sonar, when I close the plugin property page, then Internet Explorer goes back to the top of the Windows Z-order and gets focus. This happens now in both versions of Sonar 8.5.3 (32-bit and 64-bit) and with any plugin, bridged or not. I don't ever remember seeing this behavior before I made the modifications mentioned above.
 
I tried this with Sonar PE 8.3.1 and noticed that I can see the previous application's window flash for a moment, but focus returns to the plugin's GUI. But even this seems to alter Windows Z-order because if I follow this up by pressing Alt-Tab, Windows switches focus to the third window back in the Z-order, not the previous window. Example, if I open Windows Explorer, then Internet Explorer, then Sonar 8.3.1, open and close a plugin's property page, then press Alt-Tab, focus goes to Windows Explorer! I don't really care about this scenario, but the one with Sonar 8.5.3 losing focus is very annoying.
 
Has anybody else encountered this problem before? I tried a forum search but didn't find anything. I'm really starting to hate computers.
 
Thanks in advance,
Don
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    lfm
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    Re:Help with strange Windows focus issue 2010/07/21 08:21:12 (permalink)
    I have not experienced anything quite like you describe.

    But 8.5.2 I think still had a problem with AlwaysOntop if set to scan for plugins at startup. Then a lot of dialogs popped up behind Sonar and you thought it was hung, until you found Alt-Tab switched to the appropriate dialog.

    I have not tested but I think it should be fixed in 8.5.3. If you have scan at startup try unchecking it.

    Overall I encountered a lot of strange fenomena with 32bit wrappers and the GUI of plugins. Stuff not updating or behaving erratic. I run x64 and Sonar x64 too.

    Out of curiosity - have you checked if dxshell handles Midi Fx plugins too?
    Not so many of the free ones have updated to x64 versions.
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    dwcaldwell
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    Re:Help with strange Windows focus issue 2010/07/21 09:05:40 (permalink)
    lfm,
     
    Thank you for your response.
     
    Scan for plugins at startup is unchecked. (I got tired of that a long time ago! )
     
    The dxshell wrapper is included in a suite of wrappers that also includes dxishell (for DX instruments) and mfxshell (to wrap MIDI plugins), but I have not tried mfxshell. Here are a couple of links:
     
    http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=177538&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=f83c84776eea900e448b455652507325
     
    http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2514349
     
    Best regards,
    Don
     
     
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