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[Released] Now-Crowd Billboards - School Life and Asian School Life (2 Products) [Commercial]

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Comments

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 27,501

    @NorthOf45 I agree that the statement "If you have the scripts for the DDS 4.24 version, you can copy them into the corresponding folder in DS 6" makes no sense. There are no separate folders for DS4 and DS6 for any of the Now-Crowd Billboard files. For plugins there are separate folders for DS4 and DS6, but not for the scripts in these products. So ignore that whole "corresponding folder" business.

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 27,501
    edited August 11

    These are the files that I am using. I copied them from the ZIP file that RiverSoft Art posted in this forum. Note that Billboard Doctor is the wrong folder for the user facing scripts. They need to be moved into the Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards folder (and the Scripts/Now-Crowd Billboards for the elves billboards).

    Note that with these files installed, Orient Billboard does not work consistently in DS4 and DS6. Something is still wrong, and RiverSoft Art is investigating the issue.

    User Facing Script Files from ZIP file in this forum

    2025Common scripts from the ZIP file in this forum

     

    Screenshot 2026-08-10 231825.png
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    Screenshot 2026-08-10 231940.png
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    Post edited by barbult on
  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,896

    barbult said:

    These are the files that I am using. I copied them from the ZIP file that RiverSoft Art posted in this forum. Note that Billboard Doctor is the wrong folder for the user facing scripts. They need to be moved into the Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards folder (and the Scripts/Now-Crowd Billboards for the elves billboards).
     

    Same here. I understand the folder mixup with RiverSoft Art's little zip file, but those are also the files that don't get installed with any new Now-Crowd update. It basically has all the changed scripts. Notice that the "Common" folder was not altered. Still, I can't get the new scripts to work in DS4.24... 

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 27,501
    edited August 11

    The new scripts "work" for me in DS4.24.0.4 Public Build. Change Billboard Angle seems to work correctly. Orient Bilboard runs, but I suspect the result is incorrect. At least it is different than the DS6 result. (I know I have repeated these things several times. But I don't understand why your results are different.) With Change Billboard Angle, I do not get errors or warnings. I get thousands of lines of DEBUG. I don't know why a released product still has so much DEBUG in it, unless it is to help figure out user problems. This is the log file I get when loading a single billboard and changing the angle. I saved it as a text file, because nobody wants to look at thousands of lines of log statements here (if it would even let me paste that much in.) Maybe you can find a clue as to why it differs from what you see in your log.

    txt
    txt
    Change Billboard Angle DS4 log.txt
    271K
    Post edited by barbult on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 27,501
    edited August 11

    These are the options I have selected on the Options tab of Change Billboard Angle. I am executing the script from the billboard product (Now-Crowd Billboards - School Life, in the case of the billboard used in the example log file above.)  But I think all of those individual scripts in the individual billboard products (other than the elves) are all really executing from Scripts/RiverSoft Art/ Now-Crowd Billboards, so it shouldn't matter which one you execute the script from.

    There is a product named Now-Crowd Utilities that I don't think has been updated. It has a separate version of the scripts in Scripts/RiverSoft Art/Now-Crowd Billboards/Utilities.Those scripts in my library are dated 2022. I have not tried using those scripts since this whole update mess occurred.

    Screenshot 2026-08-11 001338.png
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    Post edited by barbult on
  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,896
    edited August 11

    What immediately jumped out at me was this:

    2026-08-10 23:54:05.599 [DEBUG] :: FOUND: N:/DAZ 3D/Studio/My DIM Library/data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common/RSConstants.dsa
2026-08-10 23:54:05.601 [DEBUG] :: FOUND: N:/DAZ 3D/Studio/My DIM Library/data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common/BBConstants.dsa
2026-08-10 23:54:05.602 [DEBUG] :: FOUND: N:/DAZ 3D/Studio/My DIM Library/data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common/RSBuildPanels.dsa
2026-08-10 23:54:05.604 [DEBUG] :: FOUND: N:/DAZ 3D/Studio/My DIM Library/data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common/RSAdvHelperFunctions.dse
2026-08-10 23:54:05.608 [DEBUG] :: FOUND: N:/DAZ 3D/Studio/My DIM Library/data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common/RSBillboardFunctions.dse

    I was under the impression that 2025Common was for DS6 and Common was for DS4. If so, the top main scripts would be checking for a DS version and use the appropriate data script folder. Or, or, 2025Common is supposed to be used by either version, but I can't get any of them to load in DS4.24 to see where they are looking (they work perfectly in DS6). That would need RiverSoft Art's confirmation.

     

    And, no, I have not installed Now-Crowd Utilities for the same reason, but I have never installed them before. Maybe there is something essential in there. Will give it a try. Tomorrow...

    Post edited by NorthOf45 on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 27,501

    I was under the impression that 2025Common was for both DS6 and DS4. I thought that exactly the same files were supposed to work for both versions. So, yes, RiverSoft Art would have to clarify that. But the scripts that I am running are using 2025Common and Change Billboard Angle is working in DS4. I don't think 2025Common is something new added for DS6. Were you doing something to force DS4 to use the old Common? I don't see how that would even be possible, since the scripts access 2025Common. We'll catch up tomorrow.

  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,896

    No, I had that folder with scripts for other RSA products, like Look At Me something, and another that escapes me now.

    Installed the Now-Crowd Utilities, which has only "data/Riversoft Art/Common" and an in-between "old" and "new" version (2022-05-23) of Change Billboard Angle that actually works in DS4.24 (Previously it would not change the vertical or horizontal angle). There were a couple of newer files in "Common", but didn't make a difference using the "old" Change Angle script that didn't work before. These Utilities are in a different folder, "Scripts\RiverSoft Art\Utilities"

     

  • RiverSoft ArtRiverSoft Art Posts: 6,969
    edited August 11

    RiverSoft Art said:

    barbult said:

    The images I posted above were after applying Change Billboard Angle to Horizontal 90 and Vertical 60 and then applying Orient Billboard. So you are only seeing the final view. 

    Here is the scene starting billboard configuration:

    Here is the DS4 Change Billboard Angle result:

    Here is the corresponding DS6 Change Billboard Angle. The billboards are rotated the same way in DS6 as in DS4.

    Now here is the DS4 Orient Billboard result: The billboards have all rotated back to the original configuration of Vertical 0 and Horizontal 0.

    And Here is the DS6 Orient Billboard result. They did not change from the result of Change Billboard Orientation. That may be correct, since I didn't change the camera angle.

    So the conclusion is that DS4 and DS6 Orient Billboard do not have the same result. That must be a bug in one or the other.

     

     

    I will look into the bug.

    I am unable to reproduce this bug. Orient works identically in DS4.24 and DS6 and leaves the horizontal/vertical alone. Is this consistently happening with your DS4.24 version? I am thinking it might be crashing and that is why it is stopping. What does the log say after Orient when this occurs?

    Post edited by RiverSoft Art on
  • RiverSoft ArtRiverSoft Art Posts: 6,969

    For people's information: Support files in data/RiverSoft Art/Common are the legacy versions and work for up to DS4.24 and may or may not work in DS6. Everything I am releasing now is in data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common and are intended to support both 4.24 and 6. I separated them this way so I wouldn't stomp on un-updated products.

  • RiverSoft ArtRiverSoft Art Posts: 6,969
    edited August 11

    barbult said:

    The new scripts "work" for me in DS4.24.0.4 Public Build. Change Billboard Angle seems to work correctly. Orient Bilboard runs, but I suspect the result is incorrect. At least it is different than the DS6 result. (I know I have repeated these things several times. But I don't understand why your results are different.) With Change Billboard Angle, I do not get errors or warnings. I get thousands of lines of DEBUG. I don't know why a released product still has so much DEBUG in it, unless it is to help figure out user problems. This is the log file I get when loading a single billboard and changing the angle. I saved it as a text file, because nobody wants to look at thousands of lines of log statements here (if it would even let me paste that much in.) Maybe you can find a clue as to why it differs from what you see in your log.

    Change output_debug in data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common/BBConstants.dsa. Change it from true to false - that will get rid of the spam.

    Post edited by RiverSoft Art on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 27,501

    RiverSoft Art said:

    barbult said:

    The new scripts "work" for me in DS4.24.0.4 Public Build. Change Billboard Angle seems to work correctly. Orient Bilboard runs, but I suspect the result is incorrect. At least it is different than the DS6 result. (I know I have repeated these things several times. But I don't understand why your results are different.) With Change Billboard Angle, I do not get errors or warnings. I get thousands of lines of DEBUG. I don't know why a released product still has so much DEBUG in it, unless it is to help figure out user problems. This is the log file I get when loading a single billboard and changing the angle. I saved it as a text file, because nobody wants to look at thousands of lines of log statements here (if it would even let me paste that much in.) Maybe you can find a clue as to why it differs from what you see in your log.

    Change output_debug in data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common/BBConstants.dsa. Change it from true to false - that will get rid of the spam.

    Thanks. I think we had this same conversation years and years ago, and I changed it then. The updates must have set it back to true. I will "fix" it again. 

  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,896

    RiverSoft Art said:

    For people's information: Support files in data/RiverSoft Art/Common are the legacy versions and work for up to DS4.24 and may or may not work in DS6. Everything I am releasing now is in data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common and are intended to support both 4.24 and 6. I separated them this way so I wouldn't stomp on un-updated products.

    Thanks for clarifying that. Still, I cannot get the newer version to run in DS4.24, only in DS6.

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 27,501
    edited August 11

    RiverSoft Art said:

    RiverSoft Art said:

     

    So the conclusion is that DS4 and DS6 Orient Billboard do not have the same result. That must be a bug in one or the other.

    I will look into the bug.

    I am unable to reproduce this bug. Orient works identically in DS4.24 and DS6 and leaves the horizontal/vertical alone. Is this consistently happening with your DS4.24 version? I am thinking it might be crashing and that is why it is stopping. What does the log say after Orient when this occurs?

    Thank you for taking the time to try to reproduce this problem. After further investigation today, since RiverSoft Art can't reproduce this result, I believe my conclusion about a difference between DS4 and DS6 is WRONG. The difference I experienced was because of a difference in options between my DS4 and DS6 scripts. One version had Live Preview checked in Orient Billboard, and the other did not.

    When I run Change Billboard Angle and then run Orient Billboard right after that, the difference in results seems to depend on whether or not a Preview operation was performed in Orient Billboard (either live preview or Preview button). If no preview is performed before pressing the Accept button in Orient Billboard, the result will be different than if a preview was performed before pressing Accept.(See screenshots below)  It doesn't seem like lack of previewing should affect the result, so this seems like a bug to me. Additionally, pressing Preview button once in Orient Billboard does not update the viewport. I have to press Preview a second time before the preview is actually displayed in the viewport. This also seems like a bug to me. These anomalies occur when Orient Billboard is run right after Change Billboard Angle. Can you reproduce these results? Do you need to see my log files?

    Some other observations:

    • What is the Reset button in Orient Billboard supposed to do? It doesn't seem to do anything when I press it.
    • In Change Billboard Angle, if I drag the Horizontal slider all the way to 180 (actually 166 or above), the Vertical slider value seems to be completely ignored.
    • In DS6, dragging the Change Billboard Angle sliders causes the viewport display to flicker the billboard. This flickering happens regardless of whether Live Preview is checked. This flicker doesn't happen in DS4. Maybe it is a DS6 bug, or maybe there is something you can do to prevent it.

    Change Billboard Angle and then Orient Billboard without Preview before Accept

    Change Billboard Angle and then Orient Billboard with Preview before Accept

    DS4 Billboard angle and orient result NO PREVIEW.png
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    DS4 Billboard angle and orient result WITH PREVIEW.png
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    Post edited by barbult on
  • barbultbarbult Posts: 27,501

    NorthOf45 said:

    RiverSoft Art said:

    For people's information: Support files in data/RiverSoft Art/Common are the legacy versions and work for up to DS4.24 and may or may not work in DS6. Everything I am releasing now is in data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common and are intended to support both 4.24 and 6. I separated them this way so I wouldn't stomp on un-updated products.

    Thanks for clarifying that. Still, I cannot get the newer version to run in DS4.24, only in DS6.

    I wonder if you have some plugin installed (that I don't have) that is interfering in some way. You could try disabling third party plugins, restarting DS4 and see it that makes a difference. If it is a plugin conflict with the billboard scripts, that could explain why they work in DS6, where you don't have those plugins. 

  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,896

    That's a lot of plugins...

    I would like to hear from other users about their experience with the new scripts.

  • RiverSoft ArtRiverSoft Art Posts: 6,969

    NorthOf45 said:

    RiverSoft Art said:

    For people's information: Support files in data/RiverSoft Art/Common are the legacy versions and work for up to DS4.24 and may or may not work in DS6. Everything I am releasing now is in data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common and are intended to support both 4.24 and 6. I separated them this way so I wouldn't stomp on un-updated products.

    Thanks for clarifying that. Still, I cannot get the newer version to run in DS4.24, only in DS6.

    For "newer" version, do you mean the update I posted here, or the one from Daz?

  • RiverSoft ArtRiverSoft Art Posts: 6,969

    barbult said:

    RiverSoft Art said:

    RiverSoft Art said:

     

    So the conclusion is that DS4 and DS6 Orient Billboard do not have the same result. That must be a bug in one or the other.

    I will look into the bug.

    I am unable to reproduce this bug. Orient works identically in DS4.24 and DS6 and leaves the horizontal/vertical alone. Is this consistently happening with your DS4.24 version? I am thinking it might be crashing and that is why it is stopping. What does the log say after Orient when this occurs?

    Thank you for taking the time to try to reproduce this problem. After further investigation today, since RiverSoft Art can't reproduce this result, I believe my conclusion about a difference between DS4 and DS6 is WRONG. The difference I experienced was because of a difference in options between my DS4 and DS6 scripts. One version had Live Preview checked in Orient Billboard, and the other did not.

    When I run Change Billboard Angle and then run Orient Billboard right after that, the difference in results seems to depend on whether or not a Preview operation was performed in Orient Billboard (either live preview or Preview button). If no preview is performed before pressing the Accept button in Orient Billboard, the result will be different than if a preview was performed before pressing Accept.(See screenshots below)  It doesn't seem like lack of previewing should affect the result, so this seems like a bug to me. Additionally, pressing Preview button once in Orient Billboard does not update the viewport. I have to press Preview a second time before the preview is actually displayed in the viewport. This also seems like a bug to me. These anomalies occur when Orient Billboard is run right after Change Billboard Angle. Can you reproduce these results? Do you need to see my log files?

    Some other observations:

    • What is the Reset button in Orient Billboard supposed to do? It doesn't seem to do anything when I press it.
    • In Change Billboard Angle, if I drag the Horizontal slider all the way to 180 (actually 166 or above), the Vertical slider value seems to be completely ignored.
    • In DS6, dragging the Change Billboard Angle sliders causes the viewport display to flicker the billboard. This flickering happens regardless of whether Live Preview is checked. This flicker doesn't happen in DS4. Maybe it is a DS6 bug, or maybe there is something you can do to prevent it.

    Change Billboard Angle and then Orient Billboard without Preview before Accept

    Change Billboard Angle and then Orient Billboard with Preview before Accept

    Ok, I will investigate

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 27,501
    Thanks again.
  • garrett_3dgarrett_3d Posts: 865

    This is why I learned years ago not to update anything that isn't broken....

  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,896

    RiverSoft Art said:

    NorthOf45 said:

    RiverSoft Art said:

    For people's information: Support files in data/RiverSoft Art/Common are the legacy versions and work for up to DS4.24 and may or may not work in DS6. Everything I am releasing now is in data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common and are intended to support both 4.24 and 6. I separated them this way so I wouldn't stomp on un-updated products.

    Thanks for clarifying that. Still, I cannot get the newer version to run in DS4.24, only in DS6.

    For "newer" version, do you mean the update I posted here, or the one from Daz?

    I have tried the ones in the zip you posted here and the updated ones from DAZ. I compared the files' dates and sizes, and all were the same. Note that the DAZ versions do not actually install the files 2025Common folder because they are not in the manifest. I did extract them manually, but no difference. I cleared all things Now-Crowd to start over, but no joy with the new scripts in 4.24. (I am staying with 4.24.0.3 to keep 3DL funtionality, in case that makes a difference)

  • SonixUKSonixUK Posts: 19

    Yeah, I can confirm the new scripts don't work in 4.23 either. I tried the official updates and the zip file from here; neither works.

    Thankfully, I have the now crowd utilities - these scripts still work since I don't think this package has been updated yet.

  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,896

    NorthOf45 said:

    RiverSoft Art said:

    NorthOf45 said:

    RiverSoft Art said:

    For people's information: Support files in data/RiverSoft Art/Common are the legacy versions and work for up to DS4.24 and may or may not work in DS6. Everything I am releasing now is in data/RiverSoft Art/2025Common and are intended to support both 4.24 and 6. I separated them this way so I wouldn't stomp on un-updated products.

    Thanks for clarifying that. Still, I cannot get the newer version to run in DS4.24, only in DS6.

    For "newer" version, do you mean the update I posted here, or the one from Daz?

    I have tried the ones in the zip you posted here and the updated ones from DAZ. I compared the files' dates and sizes, and all were the same. Note that the DAZ versions do not actually install the files 2025Common folder because they are not in the manifest. I did extract them manually, but no difference. I cleared all things Now-Crowd to start over, but no joy with the new scripts in 4.24. (I am staying with 4.24.0.3 to keep 3DL funtionality, in case that makes a difference)

    Oh, somethng just occurred to me. These scripts are encrypted. Which version of Studio did you use? Encrypted files are usually only compatible with future versions, and not backwards compatible....

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 27,501

    NorthOf45 said:

    Oh, somethng just occurred to me. These scripts are encrypted. Which version of Studio did you use? Encrypted files are usually only compatible with future versions, and not backwards compatible....

    I think you are on to something! I know he originally had encryption version issues with Ultimate Zero. 
    I am using DS4.24.0.4 successfully. You are using DS4.24.0.3 unsuccessfully.  

  • RiverSoft ArtRiverSoft Art Posts: 6,969

    Except I encrypted these with DS 4.22 to get around this very problem. I really wish that DS still supported encrypting using the version you tell it to - that worked for years. I don't know when they broke it, but it is causing lots of problems for me.

    For people having issues, what is the log? The new version downloadable from here was confirmed to work by Barbult, so there might be configuration issues. Another alternative is that you installed Voxelizer or Animation Doctor AFTER installing this - those products need to be updated too.

  • barbultbarbult Posts: 27,501

    Although it works for me in DS4.24.0.4, it does not work for me in DS 4.22.0.19, which I think is the version you encrypted with. maybe something about encryption is still not working as expected. 

    The log file says:
    2026-08-12 21:42:27.553 [INFO] :: Loading script: N:/DAZ 3D/Studio/My DIM Library/scripts/riversoft art/now-crowd billboards/now-crowd change billboard angle.dse
    2026-08-12 21:42:27.553 [INFO] :: Failed to load script: N:/DAZ 3D/Studio/My DIM Library/scripts/riversoft art/now-crowd billboards/now-crowd change billboard angle.dse

     

    Screenshot 2026-08-12 214349.png
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    Screenshot 2026-08-12 21.43.06.png
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  • barbultbarbult Posts: 27,501

    I'm sorry all this has become such a nightmare for you.

  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,896
    edited August 13

    barbult said:

    Although it works for me in DS4.24.0.4, it does not work for me in DS 4.22.0.19, which I think is the version you encrypted with. maybe something about encryption is still not working as expected. 

    The log file says:
    2026-08-12 21:42:27.553 [INFO] :: Loading script: N:/DAZ 3D/Studio/My DIM Library/scripts/riversoft art/now-crowd billboards/now-crowd change billboard angle.dse
    2026-08-12 21:42:27.553 [INFO] :: Failed to load script: N:/DAZ 3D/Studio/My DIM Library/scripts/riversoft art/now-crowd billboards/now-crowd change billboard angle.dse

     

    Exactly the same for me, and no other diagnostics, so we can't see what the minimum Studio version is required. I do not yet have either of the other mentioned products, and I had temporarily re-named the data script folders (2025Common and Common) to get a clean working set from the Now-Crowd product. I will install 4.24.0.4 (with Dr. Jellybean's 3DL patch) to see how that goes.

    Post edited by NorthOf45 on
  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,896

    Well, the new scripts work in DS4.24.0.4, as suspected. Seems like there's some more digging to do.

    (Also happy to say that Dr. Jellybean's 3DL patch works, too)

  • RiverSoft ArtRiverSoft Art Posts: 6,969

    barbult said:

    RiverSoft Art said:

    RiverSoft Art said:

     

    So the conclusion is that DS4 and DS6 Orient Billboard do not have the same result. That must be a bug in one or the other.

    I will look into the bug.

    I am unable to reproduce this bug. Orient works identically in DS4.24 and DS6 and leaves the horizontal/vertical alone. Is this consistently happening with your DS4.24 version? I am thinking it might be crashing and that is why it is stopping. What does the log say after Orient when this occurs?

    Thank you for taking the time to try to reproduce this problem. After further investigation today, since RiverSoft Art can't reproduce this result, I believe my conclusion about a difference between DS4 and DS6 is WRONG. The difference I experienced was because of a difference in options between my DS4 and DS6 scripts. One version had Live Preview checked in Orient Billboard, and the other did not.

    When I run Change Billboard Angle and then run Orient Billboard right after that, the difference in results seems to depend on whether or not a Preview operation was performed in Orient Billboard (either live preview or Preview button). If no preview is performed before pressing the Accept button in Orient Billboard, the result will be different than if a preview was performed before pressing Accept.(See screenshots below)  It doesn't seem like lack of previewing should affect the result, so this seems like a bug to me. Additionally, pressing Preview button once in Orient Billboard does not update the viewport. I have to press Preview a second time before the preview is actually displayed in the viewport. This also seems like a bug to me. These anomalies occur when Orient Billboard is run right after Change Billboard Angle. Can you reproduce these results? Do you need to see my log files?

    I am unable to reproduce this behavior in DS4 or DS6. Which version is giving the wrong result? And yes, please give me the log.

    Some other observations:

    • What is the Reset button in Orient Billboard supposed to do? It doesn't seem to do anything when I press it.

    Reset button resets the "Perpendicular" checkbox and the Select Billboards edit box

    • In Change Billboard Angle, if I drag the Horizontal slider all the way to 180 (actually 166 or above), the Vertical slider value seems to be completely ignored.

    I can confirm this happens. It is mostly a product of whether there are bitmaps for the angles, but it is a bug.

    • In DS6, dragging the Change Billboard Angle sliders causes the viewport display to flicker the billboard. This flickering happens regardless of whether Live Preview is checked. This flicker doesn't happen in DS4. Maybe it is a DS6 bug, or maybe there is something you can do to prevent it.

    This is a DS6 problem.

    Change Billboard Angle and then Orient Billboard without Preview before Accept

    Change Billboard Angle and then Orient Billboard with Preview before Accept

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