multiple dialog windows stay open on remote access

[huber01]

Hello Community

I am not a developer but a user of a software that uses wxWidgets.
So please excuse if I might not use proper terms when asking my questions.

We use a third-party software that acts as an interface between our CAD system (Siemens NX) and our PLM system (Aras).
We run it here on a Windows 10 Enterprise (10.0.17763) system. It generally works fine as long as we interact with it on a local machine.
But for some years now we encountered a phenomenon when working with remote access.
We never where really able to consistently reproduce this issue but now I think I found a way.
As the third-party SW developers are still not able to reproduce I thought it might be a good resource to ask here.

Now here is a desription of the issue.
When I work on a local machine and interact with the Software (e.g. create new CAD items or save them) the different dialog windows (that are based on wxWidgets) open and close regularly when clicking the "OK", "Save" or whatever dialog buttons.

When I do the same actions by means of MS Windows "Remote Desktop Connection" e.g. FROM a machine in a meeting TO my local machine, those dialogs do not close properly, i.e. they stay open as multiple instances in the taskbar of my local, when I close the remote connection and return to my local computer.

Maybe it is just an unlucky combination of HArdware, Software and Coding style.
But maybe you have an idea of how this issue might be tracked down further.
Our internal SW-developers say it might have something to do of how the software cleans allocated memory on closing dialogs.
But I have no idea as I am a mechanical engineer.

Please let me know, what information is necessary for you to furhter track the issue down (screenshots, videos, code, etc) and I will try to gather this information.

Best regards
Olaf Huber
Teamleader Project Cloud
soplar s.a.
9450 Altstätten
Switzerland

[ONEEYEMAN]

Hi, Olaf,
Do you use the standard Windows "Remote Desktop Connection" feature or you jave something like "TeamViewer" or a "NetworkMeeting"? (Sorry I don't remember exact names).
If you use just the former - can you try with the TemViewer?
Or maybe try to install VM software, create a VM and try to reproduce the issue?

From the SW POV everything works fine as working on 1 machine works. Which means something in your environment prevents it from working.

Thank you.

[doublemax]

Is this particular application based on wxWidgets the only one where it happens? Have you tried a good number of other applications?

Do you know which wxWidgets version that application uses?
(You can try a CTRL-ALT-middleclick in any window of the app. Some developers leave that message in.)

i.e. they stay open as multiple instances in the taskbar of my local, when I close the remote connection and return to my local computer.

Does the application still work properly when you continue to use it on the local computer after that happened?

Is it possible that this is only a repaint issue?

[huber01]

Thanks for the feedback/input.

1. Yes, we use the standard windows remote desktop connection.
I could try with a VM, as I believe our machine software developers use such tools to gain remote access when servicing our machines at the customers.

2. To my knowledge, this is the only application we use which is based on wxWidgets.
And maybe also the only one that is sometimes reasonable if we use it remote.

3. As appendix to 1.)
I also had this phenomenon when I did not use remote connection in a meeting room but plugged in my notebook to the HDMIPort of the meeting room's big screen to share my screen, i.e. some dialogs stay open there as well.

4. After it happened, the application doesn't work properly. Reason: the Close button or upper right corner "X" do not work, so I cannot exit the dialogs. But interestingly some other buttons still work on the dialog.
If necessary I can provide a video of this behaviour as attachment

5. The Version screenshot with the CRTL-ALT-Middleclick I try to add as attachment

[doublemax]

Thanks for the info.

2. To my knowledge, this is the only application we use which is based on wxWidgets.
And maybe also the only one that is sometimes reasonable if we use it remote.

Sorry, my question wasn't clear. I meant is there any other application that shows a problem, regardless of whether it uses wxWidgets or nor.

If necessary I can provide a video of this behaviour as attachment

That would be interesting. But quite frankly, i don't have the slightest clue what could cause this issue. So i'm not sure if it's worth the effort.

The Version screenshot with the CRTL-ALT-Middleclick I try to add as attachment

I guess there is no way the author of the software could upgrade to a newer wxWidgets version?

[huber01]

Hello Doublemax

Thank you for the quick reply.
No, to my knowledge there is not any other application that shows such issues.

Regarding the upgrade in the SW by the author I could ask but I am not sure, if this solves the issue.

In my believe it is a kind of graphical/display/memory clean issue and the way this third-party SW is embedded/runs as a thread/application INSIDE the main application (the CAD by Siemens NX) by means of APIs.

Or it is how the software is coded/architected.
Maybe there are some special commands in wxWdigets that need to be inserted in the code after a dialog closing actions so that the used CPU/GPU memory is really left "clean" or that force a kind of "de-garbaging".

Because if I e.g. run the same dialog for creating a new CAD part 3 times remotely (creating three separate CAD parts) and then return to the local machine, then 3 dialog windows are still open in the taks bar, even if the are closed/finished correctly (with OK button) from the remote side.

I hoped for some hints in this regard but I am not sure, how deep the support level reaches for a "free" library like wxWidgets.
Or which is a proper way to start/refine the search.

Best regards
Olaf

[ONEEYEMAN]

Hi, Olaf,
This is definitely a very interesting issue.

As you say you are using a "Virtual Machines" it would be interesting as a test to try to access the software from the VM and see if the issue is reproducible.

Also a question - who developed this portion? Was it done in house or you brought in some contractor? Do you have access to the original code?
Are you still in contact with the original developer?

wxWidgets provides a lot of different samples alone with the code of the library. Those samples have the bare minimal code which can be used to demonstrate the problem/issue or prove that it is actually exist. So it would be very interesting to to talk to the original developer and ask to compile one of the samples and then run it in your environment. This way we will see if the issue is on wxWidgets side or some environment that this main CAD application sets up.

Now, about support.
This is a forum for wxWidgets users made by wxWidgets users.

So if there is some serious issue or problem we advise to send an e-mail to the wx-dev/wx-users mailing lists where you can hit core wxWidgets developers and get a suggestion from them.

Thank you.

[huber01]

Hello Oneeyeman

thank you as well for your feedback. As I have a kind of double-role, both mechanical engineer and CAD-admin/support I cannot do immediately perform the tests as we are within a project. But maybe the next week.

Yes, the SW was brought in by a contrator with which we are still in contact and actively enhance/develop the SW together.
So I will definitely let them know about the discussion.

I realized yesterday what might be the special about the issue. The machines where the issue seems to occur when we do the remote connection have always 2 displays (or 2 monitors, I do not know which is the right term to be used in English).
Also in the Big-Screen HDMI scenario there are secondary displays involved (notebook screen and Big Screen).
So I will test this as well.

In case I/we can narrow down the issue further, where are to find those mailing lists and how is one possible to subscribe there?

[doublemax]

In case I/we can narrow down the issue further, where are to find those mailing lists and how is one possible to subscribe there?

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/wx-users

[ONEEYEMAN]

Hi,
Is one of the displays you are using is HighDPI monitor?
It is hard to imaging that HiDPI can play a role here, but maybe because you are using it with the remote connection it somehow does not get a refresh call?

To re-iterate:
You are in a conference room where there are a laptop with 2 monitors: a native one and external one.
From this laptop you do a remote connection to you working laptop and execute the program which is displayed {on the external monitor only}.
After closing a dialog that dialog stays open in the task panel window.

Does this sounds about right?

Also, as I said before - it would be nice to ask that developer to build the dialog sample or a minimal sample and you execute either one of those in the same setup.

Thank you.