If possible attach text rather than images/screen dumps. If there is a single error or warning message in a dialog, it can be copied using Ctrl+C and pasted to the bug description. If there are multiple errors or warnings, please expand the dialog by clicking Details. A Copy and a Save button will appear. Either use copy and press Ctrl+V in the bug report or use Save and attach the saved file. Not only does this save disk space compared to screen dumps on the Bugzilla server, but it makes tracing easier since the text can be immediatelly copied and searched for in the code.
Any text messages on screen can be copied by right clicking and "Select everything" followed by "Copy".
If relevant, attach the project file used for the bug.
To improve support and bug tracking, Metria CityModeler can log a session to a file. Choose Project->Log to file in the menu before you open or create a project. The log is saved to a file called log.txt in the directory where Metria CityModeler is installed. When you enable logging, a message dialog shows where the file is saved. For DSM generation, logging will be on screen.
Logging is primarily recommended when ReVisitor asks for a log. Logging may decrease performance significantly. It disables error, warning, and information dialogs. The log is interpreted by ReVisitor to track bugs.
Some minor errors are only displayed if you turn on the logging facility. For example, if a Shape file contains objects with no coordinates, this will only be displayed in the log file - not as a warning or error message on screen.
You can enable logging from the command line. This is recommended if Metria CityModeler does not even start, since you will not have any opportunity to select Project->Log to file. Follow these steps to enable logging from command line:
Figure 14.1: Starting Metria CityModeler with log and verbose switches
A successful initialization log should look like this (v6.7, changes may come in later versions):
1:37:50 PM: Logging is enabled
1:37:50 PM: Metria CityModeler (TM) 6.7
Created by ReVisitor AB, Sweden URL: http://www.revisitor.com
Exclusively licensed to Metria Miljöanalys URL: http://www.metria.se
1:37:50 PM: Document manager created
1:37:50 PM: Loading configuration (CityModeler)
1:37:50 PM: Configuration loaded (CityModeler)
1:37:50 PM: Checking for single instance
1:37:50 PM: Initializing image, zip and internet handlers
1:37:50 PM: Creating main frame
1:37:50 PM: Loading help files
1:37:50 PM: Loading file history
1:37:50 PM: Loading splash image
1:37:51 PM: Checking software license
1:37:51 PM: Deleting any temporary files from previous runs
1:37:51 PM: Initializing menus
1:37:51 PM: Initializing tool bars
1:37:51 PM: Loading document templates
1:37:51 PM: Checking for updates (CityModeler 6.7) [Only if set to check for updates on start up]
1:37:51 PM: Initialization done