QR Codes quit making

[Craig]

I have been creating QR codes for quite some time on mailers. I have a project that was generating files for 127,000 records and it stopped part of the way through. It generated about 60,000 records then I get an error "Failed to generate graphic". All the data that is mapped to the mailer is there except the QR code.

 

Now whenever I use the barcode rule that was working fine before Fusion Pro hangs up, takes forever to preview the data and when it does the QR codes are missing. If I compose the data the QR coeds are missing as well.

 

This is the barcode rule

return MakeQRBarcodeGraphic(Field("first") + "\t" + Field("group1") + "\t" + Field("last") + "\t" + Field("address") + "\t" + Field("city") + "\t" + Field("st") + "\t" + Field("zip"))

 

I'm using FusionPro VDP Creator 9.1.0 with Acrobat 11.0.08. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Craig]

This is from the log of a test file I did.

Job started 08:20:18 - 1411993218.

Creator: FusionPro VDP Creator 9.1.0

Computer Name: CRAIG

Current working folder: C:\Users\craig\Desktop\Paramount Annual Election Data

Template File: C:\Users\craig\Desktop\Paramount Annual Election Data\Annual Election Mailer 1.pdf

Input File: C:\Users\craig\Desktop\Paramount Annual Election Data\Data Break Down\Data 1.csv

Preprocessing started 08:20:18 - 1411993218.

Preprocessing record #1, input record 1

Preprocessing record #2, input record 2

Preprocessing record #3, input record 3

Preflight ended 08:20:18 - 1411993218.

£á: Cannot open

Error creating graphic from data.

Composing record #1, input record 1

Sheet #1, record #1

Font <Avenir LT Std 65 Medium> normal style is not loaded, using bold style of this font family.

No value associated to graphic copyhole <> in record 1.

£á: Cannot open

Error creating graphic from data.

Composing record #2, input record 2

Sheet #1, record #2

No value associated to graphic copyhole <> in record 2.

£á: Cannot open

Error creating graphic from data.

Composing record #3, input record 3

Sheet #1, record #3

No value associated to graphic copyhole <> in record 3.

Job ended 08:24:57 - 1411993497.

[Dan Korn]

I'm investigating this issue. I think you can work around it by chunking the output to multiple files, either by checking the "Output to multiple files" box on the Output tab of the Composition Settings dialog, or by calling FusionPro.Composition.OpenNewOutputFile from OnRecordStart, possibly based on a criteria such as the FieldChanged function.

[Craig]

I actually was doing that when it stopped working. I was able to talk the customer into using a Datamatrix barcode just to keep the job moving. I still can't generate a QR code, I have gone as far as uninstalling Fusion Pro and re-installing it. Still it will not generate a graphic QR Code, not even a preview.

[Dan Korn]

I actually was doing that when it stopped working. I was able to talk the customer into using a Datamatrix barcode just to keep the job moving. I still can't generate a QR code, I have gone as far as uninstalling Fusion Pro and re-installing it. Still it will not generate a graphic QR Code, not even a preview.

I think you're running into a system limitation on the number of temporary files that can be created. Apparently we do not have a job which tests creating over 65,535 QR barcodes. We'll try to change the way this works in a future release to avoid the limitation.

 

For now, you should be able to clear the temp files by restarting the machine.

 

Also, if you can use a DataMatrix barcode as a workaround, then I don't see why you couldn't use a text-based QR barcode instead of a graphic barcode.

[Craig]

I have tested the QR code with a file of 10 records. It just hangs the program up. Even using the pre-made rule fails to generate the barcode. I was trying to stay away from a text based barcode so I had more control over the sizing.

[Dan Korn]

I have tested the QR code with a file of 10 records. It just hangs the program up. Even using the pre-made rule fails to generate the barcode.

Did you try restarting the machine?

I was trying to stay away from a text based barcode so I had more control over the sizing.

Understood. That's why we introduced the graphic QR barcodes. I'm just trying to figure out something to get you working again.

[Craig]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for taking the time to get the resolved, I really do appreciate it. Especially since I used FP every day!

 

Yes I have restarted several time and I got the same results. I did do one additional step this weekend and that was to clean up all temp files. This did allow the QR codes to start again, with the only issue being a test file I had created with 2 lines of data now crashes every time I try to preview the QR codes. I created a new FP document from InDesign and used the same 2 line data for the test and the results were perfect!

 

Maybe you can confirm there was something in the temp files that was not allowing FP to create a graphic QR code?

 

Again, Thanks for the help, you are doing a great service to those of us who need it!!

[Dan Korn]

Maybe you can confirm there was something in the temp files that was not allowing FP to create a graphic QR code?

Yes, there is a limitation with the Windows API call we're using to create the temp files for graphic QR barcodes. I'm working on changing the FusionPro source code to use a different function which doesn't have that limitation.

[Dan Korn]

Okay, I've applied a fix for this bug. It should be included in an upcoming 9.3 release.