frequently asked question

Cobra does not work properly.

I have downloaded the latest COBRA package, but failed to install it. What do I do?

The detailed installation instructions are given in the User Manual included in the installation package. Generally,

• You have to log on as a system administrator
• You have to download and run the setup file CobraExximSetup(xyz).exe , where xyz stands for a version number
• You may also need to install Microsoft redistributable package.

Every time you re-install COBRA please make sure that you completely uninstall it. The recommended way is through Windows Add and Remove Software Panel.
If installation is completed there will be a system service guard permanently running. A lack of guard in the Task Manager is a sign that Cobra is not installed right.
Exxim team is always trying to do its best to help customers. If our advice above does not help please consider contacting us at info@exxim-cc.com to set up a time for GoToMeeting session. Exxim’s representative will host online meeting when he could see and control customer’s PC remotely.  

When I start COBRA, I get the splash screen with the logo, but then nothing happens. What is the problem? What kind of help I can get from Exxim?

Cobra has a rather complex architecture (because it may be "spread" over a network) so its installation and functioning might be "confused" by many factors.
First, please disable your anti-virus (AV) software (at least temporarily, to make sure that this is not the reason), if you have it permanently running and scanning. Cobra is based on Windows Service concept, which may malfunction due to some AV packages (COBRA's ability to start and control processes on remote PCs looks highly suspicious to AV). Conventional Windows Firewall usually does not introduce problems, but in the case of problems to start COBRA please also turn it off (at least temporarily, to make sure that this is not the reason). Should there be any additional questions regarding this matter, please email us.
It is also important to make sure that there are not any “conflicting” programs and services installed. The particular package we know and which may cause conflicts is MAC mobile device support. Please consider not using / un-installing this or migrate to Cobra with version mark starting 6.4.7. Please also note that Cobra GPU mode and Microsoft remote desktop utility are not compatible.
Obviously we are testing our setup package on some variety of PCs (different vendors/platforms) but our set is not comprehensive. So we cannot exclude the situation when the configuration you have is potentially causing the problem.
Exxim team is always trying to do its best to help customers. If our advice above does not help please consider contacting us at info@exxim-cc.com to set up a time for GoToMeeting session. Exxim’s representative will host online meeting when he can see and control customer’s PC remotely.  

I can start Cobra GUI but the reconstruction process cannot be started or “hangs down”. What is the problem? What kind of help I can get from Exxim?

It is important to make sure that there are not any “conflicting” programs and services installed. The particular packages we know and which may cause conflicts are MAC mobile device support and iTunes installed on the same PC. Please consider not using / un-installing this or/and migrate to Cobra with version mark starting 6.4.7. Please also note that Cobra GPU mode and Microsoft remote desktop utility are not compatible (this is a reason to get blank slices in many practical cases).
Exxim team is always trying to do its best to help customers. If our advice above does not help please consider contacting us at info@exxim-cc.com to set up a time for GoToMeeting session. Exxim’s representative will host online meeting when he can see and control customer’s PC remotely.

Output slices come out blank. What is the problem?

It is important to make sure that there are not any “conflicting” programs and services installed. The particular packages we know and which may cause conflicts are MAC mobile device support and iTunes installed on the same PC. Please consider not using / un-installing this or/and migrate to Cobra with version mark starting 6.4.7. Please also note that Cobra GPU mode and Microsoft remote desktop utility are not compatible (this is a reason to get blank slices in many practical cases).
The other reason could be just missing input projections (views). Cobra does not stop reconstruction if some (or even all) input views are missing. To make sure that this is not the reason please open projection viewer in GUI: go to Make/Projections tab. You should be able to scroll though input views.
GPU mode typically more often makes such problems. Please try CPU reconstruction. If it works then make sure that you have a decent graphics card (see the corresponding information in FAQ), try to upgrade your card driver. In some cases an installation of DirectX runtime (available on this website) may be needed.
Please consider sending us

• Parameter (xxm) file you use;
• Files preprocd_proj.000 and logged_proj.000 from Cobra working directory (a default working directory is a folder where Cobra resides);
• Screenshot of typical input view;
• Central axial (equatorial) slice.  

Exxim team is always trying to do its best to help customers. If our advice above does not help please consider contacting us at info@exxim-cc.com to set up a time for GoToMeeting session. Exxim’s representative will host online meeting when he could see and control customer’s PC remotely. We also suggest customers to upload data to our FTP so we could have better understanding of a particular problem.

Output image comes out corrupted (low/high contrast, over-/underflow, distorted geometry, totally wrong content). What is the problem? What kind of help I can get from Exxim?

In order to get the best-reconstructed image it is critical to apply correct parameters. More than 100 ones are controlling Cobra behavior. So in many cases it is not trivial to find an appropriate combination. It requires a comprehensive knowledge of your image acquisition setup and sometimes reconstruction algorithm details. Exxim team is always ready to help. Please start with sending us

• Parameter (xxm) file you use;
• Files preprocd_proj.000 and logged_proj.000 from Cobra working directory (a default working directory is a folder where Cobra resides);
• Screenshot of typical input view;
• Central axial (equatorial) slice.  

We also suggest customers to upload data to our FTP so we could have better understanding of a particular problem.

How to upload a dataset to the Exxim's FTP site so Exxim engineers may analyze my problem and help to resolve it?

Our ftp (available for uploading by Exxim's customers) is:
URL: www.exxim-cc.com
Login: customer-up@exxim-cc.com
Password: Please contact Exxim at info@exxim-cc.com

Please note:
1) This is ftp protocol, so this is not about our web site www.exxim-cc.com. You should use any FTP client program. . We recommend using FileZilla (http://filezilla-project.org/download.php)
2) We recommend compressing data before uploading. We recommend using WinRAR (www.rarlab.com)
3) We do not have any intentions to make any arrangements for disclosing or populating uploaded data. However this ftp server is organized as a public-accessible file storage. We cannot guarantee that uploaded data will be treated as strictly confidential materials. Other Exxim customers can see them. Please send us a DVD by mail if it is more appropriate for your situation.

I want Exxim people to help with my case but my dataset is too big to upload. What should I do?

I unstalled the latest nVidia driver. Since that COBRA GUI does not work properly (strange effects with pull-down menu and vertical tabs). What should I do?