Problems with set up..

Tony Horner · Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:43 pm

Hello everybody ,
I bought a 2nd hand tacx fortius from eBay a few years ago and have never used it , so now this lock down is on and I need to do something I decided to try set it up . I tried it on my laptop ruing windows 10 and installed the software (tacx 2.0 ) and all went well till I tried the live video and the video although it showed up , when I pedalled the video didn't move on .
I then tried something different and set up a virtual machine using virtualbox and xp and managed to get it installing till it got to the head unit install and wouldn't get any further ,
Next I had an old laptop with xp on it and installed the software and completed the tacx test OK then clicked on live video and an error popped up which I think said framework error, this vanished and I tried to cycle and again the video wouldn't move on .
If anybody has any ideas it would be appreciated , I also tried to load the velodrome live video but it said to install tacx software 2.02 and no idea if I can now that tack has gone over to Garmin.
Take care all.
Tony.

Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:03 pm

Need to be clear on terminology here. Are you talking about an early version of Tacx Trainer Software 2 (TTS2) or an even earlier Tacx software that preceded TTS known as the Fortius software? The last major release of the Fortius software was Fortius 2.02 (which had 2 small available updates, 2.03 and 2.04).

You should be aware that the older Fortius software only works with a 32-bit operating system. It will not work on any 64-bit OS. It does work with 32-bit Windows 10, but not many people have that OS. Most people use this software with 32-bit Windows XP or 32-bit Windows 7, which I have also done.

This can also be fairly confusing for a newcomer, but it is essential to know which software you are trying to get to work.

Tony Horner · Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:54 pm

Looking at the cd it came with it says tacx version 2.0 vr software on the disc and on the sleeve of the cd box it says virtual reality software for fortius multilayer ,fortius and i-magic , it doesn't mention tts on the disc or the sleeve .looking at the laptop I'm pretty sure it's 32 bit xp home edition with service pack 3.

Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:50 pm

Any chance of a cover photo? If the cover is blue, it will be the Fortius Software, if not its likely to be TTS v2.

Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:57 pm

Tony Horner wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:54 pm Looking at the cd it came with it says tacx version 2.0 vr software on the disc and on the sleeve of the cd box it says virtual reality software for fortius multilayer ,fortius and i-magic , it doesn't mention tts on the disc or the sleeve .looking at the laptop I'm pretty sure it's 32 bit xp home edition with service pack 3.

Yes, you have the older Fortius software (sometimes referred to as the "Blue" software). Some of the earlier CD boxes had the word "Fortius" written on the cover sleeve while the later ones had the "Virtual Reality Software" on the front sleeve.

So, as I said before, you must have a 32-bit operating system for this software to work. This program incorporates a runtime version of National Instruments CVI software and that version must have a 32-bit OS. That runtime is used to control the brake.

After installing version 2.02, you also need to download the version 2.03 and 2.04 updates and apply them in order. You can actually download all of this from this website here:

https://lunicus.org/tacx-trainers/fortius-software/

So, once you find a 32-bit OS to install this on, you might consider just downloading the 2.02 install disc and the updates from the link above. I think the velodrome and other VR programs are included.

Tony Horner · Wed Apr 29, 2020 9:39 am

Thank you both for your replies , the cover is blue with a picture of a cyclist on a fortius in front of the eiffel tower .
I'm sure it is 32 bit and when I do the tacx test and il press the buttons on the head unit and pedal to see if the cadence is working and when you have to pedal and it checks if pedalling feels harder and easier and it passes that .
I have looked on the laptop in computer on the control panel and although it lists the name etc it doesn't say 32 or 64 .
I will download the software above and try that, also I did try to post a cover photo last night but the site said the image was too large.

Wed Apr 29, 2020 2:38 pm

Tony Horner wrote: ↑Wed Apr 29, 2020 9:39 am Thank you both for your replies , the cover is blue with a picture of a cyclist on a fortius in front of the eiffel tower .
I'm sure it is 32 bit and when I do the tacx test and il press the buttons on the head unit and pedal to see if the cadence is working and when you have to pedal and it checks if pedalling feels harder and easier and it passes that .
I have looked on the laptop in computer on the control panel and although it lists the name etc it doesn't say 32 or 64 .
I will download the software above and try that, also I did try to post a cover photo last night but the site said the image was too large.

I am sure it is the Fortius software. You have to compress images in order to post them on this forum.

Go into System in the Control Panel of Windows to see if you have a 32-bit or 64-bit OS.

Tony Horner · Thu Apr 30, 2020 2:22 pm

Hello all,
The laptop is a 32 bit xp , I downloaded the 2.02 and burnt to disc and also downloaded the two patches from this site and installed all 3 in sequence , the software loads up and shows it as 2.04 in the info screen .
Same problem as before tho , I click on live video , and press start , I then get an error message asking if I would like to send a report but it doesn't say what the error is .

ms6073 · Thu Apr 30, 2020 3:49 pm

I would suspect the dreaded video codec issue. The Fortius software has a log file which you can review for more details , but I am unsure where the file resides.

Tony Horner · Thu Apr 30, 2020 3:54 pm

I'll have a look for that file and also search Google for xp odes.

Thu Apr 30, 2020 5:44 pm

What are the specs of your video card? The Fortius software is not overly demanding, but if you have a weak, business-class video chip, it may not be enough.

Have you tried the Catalyst program within the Fortius software? It has no video function, just workouts. If that works, at least you are narrowing the problem. If it does not work, then there is still a problem with the software overall on this PC.

Tony Horner · Fri May 01, 2020 8:53 am

I'll try that and post back ,

Tony Horner · Fri May 01, 2020 11:48 am

Just an update , I installed the k-lite standard codec pack and also updated my framework to 4.03 .
Rebooted the laptop and it works with no error messages , so thank you all for your help, just have to work out how to connect an old laptop without hdmi to a tv .
Thank you
Tony.

ms6073 · Sat May 02, 2020 10:44 pm

Tony Horner wrote: ↑Fri May 01, 2020 11:48 am just have to work out how to connect an old laptop without hdmi to a tv .

Depending on the age of the laptop, I suspect it has either an external VGA/SVGA connector or possibly display port. In either case there are reasonably inexpensive adaptors/converters available to make the connection.

Tony Horner · Sun May 03, 2020 7:26 pm

Thanks for the reply ms6073
I'll have a look for an adapter , the fortius seems to be working well ,it's hard work but that's because I'm unfit ,
I have tried loading a oouple of the real life cds (velodrome and a mountain range ) but they don't seem to load and show up , the virtual reality I loaded up OK and started pedalling and the cyclist on screen pedals , moves forward about 3 foot and just stops although he is still pedalling.
Thanks for all your help .

Tony Horner · Sun May 03, 2020 7:32 pm

Also another quick question , when I stop pedalling the rear wheel is still being driven by the motor for few minutes , is this normal ?

Sun May 03, 2020 8:35 pm

The Fortius trainer is designed to self-propel (motor) on downhills, but that should stop a few seconds (not minutes) after you stop pedaling. The Fortius has a separate cadence sensor and is designed to stop self-motoring if no cadence signal is being received. I used a Fortius for a number of years and never had it continue to motor if the crank was not being turned for a few seconds by me, so this is quite odd and unexpected. It really should not do that. It is a safety feature to keep it from running by itself. I do not believe this is a software controlled function. It works directly between the cadence sensor that is plugged into the Fortius power supply. To my knowledge, the only time it will run more than a few seconds on its own is when you do a calibration.

Regarding your attempt to use the VR program. you should be aware that this part of the software requires quite a bit of video resources. So, if you have a weak video card/chip, it may not work correctly and may stall or crash. You can try setting the video resolution in the Fortius software to a lower resolution to see if that helps. Can you confirm that you have a correctly working cadence sensor. If you don't have one, then none of the programs, including the VR program, will work. They will all stop after a few seconds if cadence is not hooked up and working correctly.

Tony Horner · Wed May 06, 2020 6:16 pm

Hello and thank you for you reply mcorn ,
The cadence does work OK and the demo built into the tacx software works , it was when I was trying to load the other rlvs from original cds , but I've read on this forum that I have to open the cd and use a different file , the motor/brake seems to be working fine now .
I've seen a few rlvs for sale and a page that mentions member rides in rlv format and then work out how to install them , now if only there was one cycling around cornwall.
Many thanks
Tony.