New Calculator to try

[yooperdad]

HELP !
I've been using JC for over 3 years and love it. Did some mixing last night and when I went to save and exit I ran into a problem. I got the following message:

This is not the location specified under Options. I have backups set for every 5 days but they stopped on September 6th, a month ago yesterday.

From Options:

Also from Options:

I'm lost on what to do next. Can anyone help? Thanks.

 

[IDJoel]

Ah.. Didn't really think of it that way.. And maybe Wayne didn't, either.

And that was why I prefaced my statement with:

(and I could be totally wrong; it certainly wouldn't be the first time)

Out of curiosity, though. In the comments on YT, you mention using this calc, then switching to juice Grinder, and then back to this.... What made you switch each time, and end up landing on juice Calc?

Not quite what I said, or did... The progression went: I started with E-JuiceMeUp, which at that time had a fairly small (as I recall) restriction of ingredients, when someone here on ECF mentioned juice Griinder's larger capacity (ten at the time, and I think(?) it went to 20 before I switched to JC); So I switched to JG. JG was decent, but as Wayne pointed out in the video, all the unused fields became rather distracting (and I don't think JG had yet added the inventory features). Again, someone on ECF, said something about Juice Calculator, and the facts that it had unlimited fields (without having to display unused fields), as well as an inventory management feature. I could even import both my EJMU, and JG files. Sounded good to me, so I switched again... and have been a Juice Calculator groupie ever since.

 

[IDJoel]

HELP !
I've been using JC for over 3 years and love it. Did some mixing last night and when I went to save and exit I ran into a problem.

Bummer @yooperdad! I don't recall seeing that one before. Your defaults don't look much different from mine:

and:

The thing that is perplexing to me; is your error message specifying an xml file that include numbers (which I presume is the file date):

That looks like a backup file designator (to me; April 21,2014). My working file is simply JuiceCalculator.xml. You can verify which file you have open by looking in the top left corner of your main (home) window. It will look like this:

Is it possible you were doing something with the backup file and forgot to switch back? I don't know if the program will allow itself to save to a backup file; if not, that may be what is preventing you from saving your new recipe, as well as, not creating any new backups (because a backup date is already attached). I don't know; I am completely guessing here.

I'll do some reading in the Help file and see if I find anything else. If I get anything useful; I'll post back.
In the meantime, maybe someone else will have an idea...

 

[Brad P]

I am by NO means an expert on anything computers but, I noticed from your screenshot that you had your default directory set to your "D" drive. Is that what you wanted? I think that mine automatically set to my "C" drive when I installed the software. I hope it might be something that simple for you. Good luck!

 

[IDJoel]

That's interesting @Brad P... I missed that in @yooperdad's screen shots. It might be worth checking out where the directory (and program) really resides? (For what it's worth; my installation defaulted to drive C: also)

 

[Hoggy]

I have no idea what my defaults were as I would've overridden those immediately, both pointing to different Google Drive folders.

But the automatic backup naming is everything after the lines I drew here, starting with "_":

.........
So follow the others as what they say to check.
Also adding that maybe you changed some permissions, perhaps? Dunno..

 

[Fozzy71]

@yooperdad That access denied error in the software I do tech support for generally indicates the folder is set as read only and needs to be given full user read/write permissions. Not sure which OS you are using so here is a general google search result so you can find instructions for win 10 or win 8, etc - folder read only - Google Search

 

[yooperdad]

Finally got a chance to read your comments and suggestions. Thanks for the effort. Checking the "properties" is something I did right away and the files are not set to read only. I just restored from the Backup before the Sept 6th backup to see if that made a difference. Nope. Just got this message:

Here's a view of the backup folder where they were going every 5 days as set.

Maybe I need to do an uninstall, then download again and install again? Hopefully I can then restore from one of these backups? This is wierd that all was working perfectly for so long.

 

[IDJoel]

I just restored from the Backup before the Sept 6th backup to see if that made a difference. Nope.

@yooperdad, what does your entire JuiceCalculator directory contain? Mine looks like this:

If you are using the default installation settings (by which I mean you have not renamed your files), the active JC file should be: JuiceCalculator.xml; not JuiceCalculator_Backup_<fill in the blank>.xml (which is what it still seems to be trying to write to. DO you have any xml files that do NOT have "Backup" anywhere in the name? If not; try using the Windows File Explorer, and search for "JuiceCalculator.xml" on both drives. What are the results?

I am not particularly computer savvy, and I am certainly no programmer, but I am wondering if HotRod has something (other than basic "Read Only") that internally protects each backup that has been saved. It would make sense (to me anyway) that this might be the case... for if you overwrite to a particular backup date; it would no longer be a backup of "that" date... right?

How exactly did you try to restore? It is done using JC>File>Restore from Backups... ; and not by changing the path (JC>File>Open).

If you decide to reinstall, you might save one, or more, of your backup pairs (JuiceCalculator_Backup_ file, AND DefaultOptions_Backup_ files), to a separate temporary Document directory. I don't know that the originals will be deleted/overwritten, but a little extra precaution wouldn't hurt. Then I would use the Windows Uninstall Program(s) to manually uninstall JC (this should get rid of any bad pathways). Then reinstall JC. Once you have a fresh installation; you should be able to use the File>Restore from Backups... to reload all your ingredients and recipes.

Keep us in the loop; I am really puzzled by this one.

 

[Burnie]

Not sure if this post is relevant about installing to drive c only unless you a using the portable version.

New Calculator to try

 

[Dunder Mifflin]

Diy or Die Wayne has put up a calculator roundup article. Comparing E-liquid Calculators (Best DIY E-liquid Calculators)

 

[IDJoel]

Diy or Die Wayne has put up a calculator roundup article. Comparing E-liquid Calculators (Best DIY E-liquid Calculators)

That's a fair write-up; I take no issue with that. Though, I still wish he would remove that video (same one as before), or redo it. I think (my opinion) his personal lack of experience with JC, and unwillingness to use the instructions provided with JC, puts the calculator in a less flattering light than it deserves. If he were to identify it as a "first impressions" type of review (like many online reviewers do with new gear) I think that would be much more honest... but that's just me....

I know HotRod is a big boy, and probably won't loose any sleep over it; but it could also dissuade potential users, who might otherwise benefit from its use. Then again, maybe it will help steer others, who also want instant gratification, to calculators that may be less frustrating to them.

To each their own.

 

[Fozzy71]

That's a fair write-up; I take no issue with that. Though, I still wish he would remove that video (same one as before), or redo it. I think (my opinion) his personal lack of experience with JC, and unwillingness to use the instructions provided with JC, puts the calculator in a less flattering light than it deserves. If he were to identify it as a "first impressions" type of review (like many online reviewers do with new gear) I think that would be much more honest... but that's just me....

I know HotRod is a big boy, and probably won't loose any sleep over it; but it could also dissuade potential users, who might otherwise benefit from its use. Then again, maybe it will help steer others, who also want instant gratification, to calculators that may be less frustrating to them.

To each their own.

Yeah, UI is a tricky thing even for devs dedicated to UI design. The company I work for is on gen 3 of our software and we have a team of developers with decades of total experience and our customers still complain about UI issues in the v2 and v3 beta (v1 is dead) software alike. You can't make everyone happy when it comes to UI, especially if it is their first time using the software and they are trying to do complex things (like add a lifetime supply of inventory right out of the gate).

 

[Scouser]

6.) Use "Edit>Adjust recipe to max PG or VG" (not sure it matters which one).
Done.

.

Thanks heaps Joel! This has cleared up a problem I have had with JC in the years using it. I don't understand it but your tip here solved it for me.

I have never understood what the message "Unable to add enough PG for desired level" meant since the amounts I plug into JC seem correct. I also don't fully understand the "Precedence PG/VG" switch, which sometimes removes the red warning bar and message. But I tried your "Edit->Adjust....max PG or VG" solution and it worked! Again, I have no clue what the math is here and why it works but it does In all cases it does not seem to affect the weight (Grams) of recipe ingredients.....only the red bar warning.

Cheers

 

[IDJoel]

Thanks heaps Joel! This has cleared up a problem I have had with JC in the years using it. I don't understand it but your tip here solved it for me.

Glad you found it helpful! I can't take credit for original thought though... others on this thread first pointed it out to me. We have the best community! I know your posts have provided help, and understanding to me, in the past.

I have never understood what the message "Unable to add enough PG for desired level" meant since the amounts I plug into JC seem correct. I also don't fully understand the "Precedence PG/VG" switch, which sometimes removes the red warning bar and message. But I tried your "Edit->Adjust....max PG or VG" solution and it worked! Again, I have no clue what the math is here and why it works but it does In all cases it does not seem to affect the weight (Grams) of recipe ingredients.....only the red bar warning.

If you want to take a stab at better understanding this, Hotrod has a fairly detailed write-up, in the Help file. Help>Display Help>Getting Started>About PG/VG Calculations (be sure to look at the examples, at the end of the article, to get a better feel for what is going on)

Cheers

Back at you Scouser!

 

[squee]

HELP !
I've been using JC for over 3 years and love it. Did some mixing last night and when I went to save and exit I ran into a problem. I got the following message:

View attachment 691333
This is not the location specified under Options. I have backups set for every 5 days but they stopped on September 6th, a month ago yesterday.

From Options:
View attachment 691335
Also from Options:
View attachment 691337

I'm lost on what to do next. Can anyone help? Thanks.

Try changing your backup location to a different directory. If it works, then you can change it back to what you want

 

[capthook]

Sweet!!
If you right-click a flavor line, you can move that ingredient up/down the list.

2 years using this superb calculator - thanks HotRod - and just discovered this.

 

[Mr.Reliant]

Just recently discovered this Awesome tool! Thanks! I have an idea for a new feature... I hope it is new... haven't had time read all 167 pages on here so pardon if this has already been addressed at some point. ;-)

I am fairly new to DIY and at the moment I only do it to save money feeding my families nic habits. I use the various DIY web sites to find recipes that sound interesting and import them and use this tool to create shopping lists and track inventory etc. From what I have gathered, this tool is tuned more for recipe creators and explorers rather than cheap b-tards like me. Anyway the idea:::

I would like a way to define how many bottles (of various sizes) I want to be able to make at any given time in batches of several recipes (some with multiple bottles) at once. The tool would then tell me if I needed to order anything in order to achieve that. We mix our favorite recipes in big batches about every 3 or 4 months. Sometimes we might make 5 or 6 110 ml batches of a single recipe while others only 1 of each and yet others none at all.
From what I can tell the tool currently only tells me if I can make a single batch of a single recipe. After I make that then I might not have enough stock left to make anymore of that recipe and likely several other recipes as well.
If there were a text box on the recipe page for batch size the inventory system could be made to alert globally any time one or more of the recipes were going to be shorted on the desired batch size.
Batch size is different than "Amount to make (ATM)" since we need ATM to calculate and print the various grams we need to put into each bottle. (we mix 110ml batches by mass directly into 120ml individual gorilla bottles - less mess that way)
I hope all that makes sense. I am surely not the only recipe following cheap b-tard out there using tools like this to help track my ingredient inventory.
I tried using a spreadsheet to track everything at first but as our recipe list grew and grew it got way to complicated to keep track of everything. As a result we kept running short of key ingredients on mixing days and even using this tool it has still happened albeit to a lesser degree.

Thanks again for all your great work... This tool ROCKS!

 

[Hoggy]

Just recently discovered this Awesome tool! Thanks! I have an idea for a new feature... I hope it is new... haven't had time read all 167 pages on here so pardon if this has already been addressed at some point. ;-)

I am fairly new to DIY and at the moment I only do it to save money feeding my families nic habits. I use the various DIY web sites to find recipes that sound interesting and import them and use this tool to create shopping lists and track inventory etc. From what I have gathered, this tool is tuned more for recipe creators and explorers rather than cheap b-tards like me. Anyway the idea:::

I would like a way to define how many bottles (of various sizes) I want to be able to make at any given time in batches of several recipes (some with multiple bottles) at once. The tool would then tell me if I needed to order anything in order to achieve that. We mix our favorite recipes in big batches about every 3 or 4 months. Sometimes we might make 5 or 6 110 ml batches of a single recipe while others only 1 of each and yet others none at all.
From what I can tell the tool currently only tells me if I can make a single batch of a single recipe. After I make that then I might not have enough stock left to make anymore of that recipe and likely several other recipes as well.
If there were a text box on the recipe page for batch size the inventory system could be made to alert globally any time one or more of the recipes were going to be shorted on the desired batch size.
Batch size is different than "Amount to make (ATM)" since we need ATM to calculate and print the various grams we need to put into each bottle. (we mix 110ml batches by mass directly into 120ml individual gorilla bottles - less mess that way)
I hope all that makes sense. I am surely not the only recipe following cheap b-tard out there using tools like this to help track my ingredient inventory.
I tried using a spreadsheet to track everything at first but as our recipe list grew and grew it got way to complicated to keep track of everything. As a result we kept running short of key ingredients on mixing days and even using this tool it has still happened albeit to a lesser degree.

Unfortunately HotRod, the developer, is 'on hiatus' - gone missing for now. We can only hope he returns, even if only to open-source this software so development can continue to further improve this amazing software. Until he shows up again, though, I (and I think many others) will still continue using this software as-is. It's already above-and-beyond other e-liquid calculators and rather feature-complete.

So in the meantime, one thing you could do is manually calculate how many ML's in total you will batch out for a session and enter that in the 'ATM' field. That will at least tell you if you have enough inventory to make the amount you want to make. Then if you have enough, replace the ATM field with your [120ml] bottle size.

Of course, if you have some spare 16-oz bottles from buying that amount of flavoring - and transferring that into proper glass storage, in either amber-glass or even mason jars - you could make a big batch in one fell swoop. For myself, I transfer 4-oz flavorings into amber glass bottles with polycone caps, and 16-oz flavoring bottles into mason jars at the moment - although I hope to get 16-oz amber glass bottles if/when I can afford them in the future. ... So I have plenty of 4 or 16 oz plastic bottles on hand to store my bad recipes in , should I decide to start making bigger batches again.

It's also possible that someone else may pop in with some more suggestions you could try, but this is what I've come up with for now.

 

[Mr.Reliant]

Thanks for the info Hoggy! So sorry to hear that HR stepped away from this.

The problem with this tool as is (as awesome as it is) and your suggestion is that it will only take into account ingredients for that single recipe. Many of our recipes share ingredients so they really have to be looked at as a whole batch consisting of multiple recipes and not just a single one. With the amount of recipes and ingredients involved in our mixing day events it is almost impossible to figure it all out without a serious computer tool involved.

Do plastic bottles really affect flavors that bad? We really like dripping out of the bottles they come in directly into a 120ml Gorilla setting on a scale. When we are done there is no mess to clean up... just shake and store and put all the flavors back in their storage boxes and file them away in the dark til next mixing day.
If you think we are losing flavor to the plastic we might have to reconsider how we do things. Hmmm....

DO you know of any other tool out there that handles batching and inventory as I have described?