ProjectM visualization choice missing from VLC 2.2.0

[biffster]

Downloaded official Windows version of VLC 2.2.0, and projectM 2.1.0. I followed what instructions I could find for installing projectM, and created a visualizations directory underneath c:\program files(x86)\videolan\vlc into which I copied the *.mllk files from projectM. Then I went to advanced settings => Audio =>Visualizations => projectM => projectM preset path and browsed to the visualizations folder where I copied the *.milk files.

When I save the settings, then restart VLC, I still don't see ProjectM under Audio => Visualizations. I went back to advanced settings => Audio =>Visualizations and set "Audio visualizations" first to "Automatic" and then to "libprojectM effect".

The "automatic" setting had no effect and I still didn't see any ProjectM option under audio => Visualizations. If I selected "libprojectM effect" then VLC crashes every time I attempt to play a video. I have to switch back to "automatic" or "disabled" to play a video.

ProjectM used to work in an older version of VLC (2.1.5?)

Windows 7 x64
i5 3570k Ivy Bridge
Nvidia 750 Ti

[biffster]

I just confirmed ProjectM was present in a default install of VLC 2.1.5, and missing immediately after upgrading to VLC 2.2.0, so it's a regression. Also, for some reason, someone thought it would be a good idea in VLC 2.2.0 to disable access to the visualizations submenu it unless a video is loaded as well, which is annoying.

[biffster]

Looking at the source file src/audio_output/output.c, I see that the projectM option has been intentionally guarded with a preprocessor macro so it's not built on Win32:

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#ifndef _WIN32 /* Look for libprojectM plugin */ if (module_exists ("projectm")) { val.psz_string = (char *)"projectm"; text.psz_string = (char*)"projectM"; var_Change (aout, "visual", VLC_VAR_ADDCHOICE, &val, &text); }

I see a comment that says:

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commit 59409d5d43fd85e55728f9addcf5cd70770392f2 Author: Jean-Baptiste Kempf <jb@videolan.org> Date: Fri Jan 23 13:59:16 2015 +0100 Disable OpenGL visualisation for Win32 temporarily Works-around #13650 crash on 2.2.0

It appears this temporary change is now in a released version of VLC. Will it be fixed in VLC 2.2.1? Can ProjectM use something other than OpenGL? (It wasn't mentioned in the comment but was disabled as a dependency ... I'm guessing.) Can the cause of the crash be reverted instead of disabling OpenGL? (That is, since it worked on Windows in VLC 2.1.5, clearly OpenGL/ProjectM wasn't the source of the crash, but merely a victim.)

[biffster]

The bug report for 13650 appears to be https://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/13650.

I'm not clear on why the fix isn't just to revert whatever changed from VLC 2.1.5, instead of disabling the feature.

"Doc, it hurts when I move my fingers! Can you help?"
"Here, let me chop your arm off, that should solve the problem."

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

Why? because of lack of time and motivation - this issue is specific to Windows and to the 2.2.x stable branch. But patch is most welcome.

Back to your metaphore, what do you think the doctor would do if you did not pay for the consultation?

[400836]

Sorry but there is actually no fix in 2.2.1 it is still missing and the portable 1.1.9 is getting less and less support by stream servers

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

Patch is still most welcome.