GHS/BHS Bug Report

Versions affected:

1. 9.98H - 10.05

2. 9.76G - 9.98F

Program area affected:

Calibrated Tanks

Conditions under which a problem could occur:

Note: Calibrated tanks have tank property tables built into the Geometry File in addition to the geometry. Property tables are typically used where tank properties must match values that have been determined by some external means. They can be added to a geometry file using Model Converter. When a property table is present you have a choice of computing properties from the geometry or taking them from the table. In order to use the table, you set the tank to TYPE CALIBRATED.

1. In version 10.00 (the official release) the only situation in which trouble could occur from this bug would be with a geometry file containing property table information and where conditions were being saved (SAVE command) and restored. If you have not built tank property tables into your geometry file, this bug has no effect. If you are using property tables and you are not depending on the CALIBRATE setting to be preserved when running a SAVE file, this bug has no effect.

2. In beta versions 9.76G through 9.98F there was an unrelated and more serious calibration bug present, which caused major problems for all tanks when issuing the TYPE CALIBRATED command. This beta bug would not affect most GHS users but could crop up in GHS Load Monitor (GLM) systems created with versions from 9.76G up to and including 9.98F.

Discussion:

1. The latest official release version 10.00 of GHS has a bug when saving loading conditions for vessel geometries containing calibrated property table tank information. The problem has been corrected in beta version 10.06.

The bug was that random "TYPE CA" lines were being inserted into save files. These spurious lines have no effect whatsoever for any tanks not possessing property table information in the geometry file.

For tanks possessing property table information, the effect of this bug is to randomly turn calibration mode on or off when the saved file is run. Note that saving of calibration mode information for specific tanks was never implemented until beta version 9.98H, at which time this bug was introduced.

2. In beta versions 9.76G through 9.98F the TYPE CALIBRATED problems include displaying tanks without property tables as if they were calibrated, clearing tank loads to zero, and propagating such misinformation via save files. This beta bug would not affect most GHS users but could crop up in GLM systems created with versions between 9.76G and 9.98F. If the TYPE CALIBRATED is not used it appears that this bug has no effect. In most GLM systems TYPE CALIBRATED is never used.

Workaround:

1. After running a SAVE file, issue the command "TYPE (*) INTACT" to remove all CALIBRATED settings, then use "TYPE tankname CALIBRATED" for any tanks that you want to be in calibrated mode.

2. Users of any GLM systems using a version between 9.76G and 9.98F should be aware that when restoring saved conditions, tank loads could be reset to zero rather than the values they had when the condition was saved. If this occurs, they should delete their GLM save files and contact Creative Systems for a replacement GLM32.EXE.

Updates:

Please contact Creative Systems for instructions on downloading the latest version.