Unable to get HERO Designer to work...

[Nightnova]

Greetings.

 

I'm on a Windows 10 Home machine (64-bit). I went to java(dot)com and downloaded the most recent version of Java SE version 8. After installing it, I followed a tutorial to properly path it. When I attempted to run HERO Designer, I received a JNI error message. I proceeded to try and run it from the command line and received the following information:

 

 

E:\HERO Designer>java -jar HD6.jar
Error: A JNI error has occurred, please check your installation and try again
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.UnsupportedClassVersionError: com/hero/Launcher has been compiled by a more recent version of the Java Runtime (class file version 58.0), this version of the Java Runtime only recognizes class file versions up to 52.0
        at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method)
        at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(Unknown Source)
        at java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(Unknown Source)
        at java.net.URLClassLoader.defineClass(Unknown Source)
        at java.net.URLClassLoader.access$100(Unknown Source)
        at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(Unknown Source)
        at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(Unknown Source)
        at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
        at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(Unknown Source)
        at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(Unknown Source)
        at sun.misc.Launcher$AppClassLoader.loadClass(Unknown Source)
        at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(Unknown Source)
        at sun.launcher.LauncherHelper.checkAndLoadMain(Unknown Source)

E:\HERO Designer>java -version
java version "1.8.0_321"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_321-b07)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 25.321-b07, mixed mode, sharing)

 

 

Seems like a version issue? I'm not sure how to fix it. Please help!

[Simon]

Where (and when) did you get your copy of HD?  

That error would occur if HD were compiled to a higher version level than Java 8 (which has major version 52). While I do run a higher major version of Java, HD is compiled specifically to be compatible with Java 8.  Checking the latest build verifies this:

 

javap -classpath ./HD6.jar -verbose com.hero.HeroDesigner | grep "major"

  major version: 52

[Nightnova]

Hero Games store at the end of 2020. I just got around to installing Java as my computer took a dive and I was in between systems for a while. Has there been an update to HD since then?

Edited January 24, 2022 by Nightnova
Clarification

[Tasha]

If you got it on the HeroGames store, go into Store>Manage purches> Hero Designer. there is a new version from Aug 2021.

PS I run it in Windows 11 with ZERO issues.

[Nightnova]

That did the trick.

 

I had my head so wrapped around getting Java installed properly, I thought it might have something to do with it and completely missed checking the HD version.

 

Thanks and glad it's working now!