The Flix Client does not warn the user should connection to the Server be lost while in the revision Panel Browser.
Should assets be cached, for example, an artist could easily open a panel in Photoshop and start editing, or re-order panels, add dialogue etc without realising none of those changes will reach the server once they try and save.
If connection is re-established and the user has not moved to another revision, odd errors might appear following actions such as publishing or exporting.
Steps to reproduce
There are multiple ways to reproduce this issue, this is only one of the ways:
1) Create a show, add panels to the sequence and save.
2) Disable the internet connection, or turn off the VPN, while in the Panel Browser.
3) Export the Contact Sheet for any panel and observe the infinite “Please wait…” in the Export window.
4) Re-enable the internet connection, add a new panel to the sequence and save.
5) Export the contact sheet for the new panel and observe the vague “hash doesn’t match” error (though the contact sheet is generated this time).
6) Close the Export dialogue and attempt to publish the sequence with the contact sheet.
7) Observe the “Unable to publish: Avid publisher failed” error if Avid is the editorial tool, or “Unable to publish: hash doesn’t match” if it’s Premiere.
Another way to reproduce:
1) Clear the Flix Client cache.
2) Open an existing sequence revision.
3) Disable the internet connection, or turn off the VPN, while in the Panel Browser.
4) Attempt to open a panel in PS - for at least a good minute, it will look as if nothing is happening, then you will get a popup mentioning the artwork for that panel could not be downloaded, and asking if you'd like to open the thumbnail instead.
5) Click on yes on this popup, and the thumbnail will open in PS.
6) If you try to send this straight back into Flix via Current Image, nothing will seem to be happening until minutes later, you finally get the error mentioning connection to the Server could not be established.
Expected outcome
The "cannot connect to server" error should appear when exporting the Contact Sheet with no internet connection, and subsequent exports / publishes should be successful when the user is reconnected.
It should not take minutes for the Client to notify the user it's no longer connected to the Server.
Actual outcome
The user isn’t given an error message when attempting to export a Contact Sheet with the internet disconnected.
An ambiguous “hash doesn’t match” error appears when exporting the contact sheet once the internet is reconnected.
An unhelpful “Avid publisher failed” / “Unable to publish: hash doesn’t match” error appears and the publish fails after the internet is reconnected.
Instead of the “hash” errors, the Flix 6.3.4 and 6.3.3 clients crash.
When trying to open in Photoshop a panel whose artwork isn't cached, Flix suggests opening the cached thumbnail, instead of acknowledging connection to the Server has been lost.
Workaround
Reboot the Flix client (refresh doesn’t work).
Reproduced by support
6.3.6 - macOS 10.14 Client - CentOS 7 Server
6.3.5 - macOS 10.14 Client - CentOS 7 Server
6.3.4 - macOS 10.14 Client - CentOS 7 Server
6.3.3 - macOS 10.14 Client - CentOS 7 Server
6.1.2 - macOS 10.14 Client - CentOS 7 Server
Earliest version tested
6.1.2 - this issue appears to be in all versions of the product