1/6/00 Patch

[Dan Marrin]

I just downloaded and installed the 1/6/99 patch yesterday and thought that it might be a good idea to have a place to record our impressions and observations of this long awaited "improvement"

Good- stair sections are now able to be positioned in the Set Dimension Line Dbx by selecting the dimensions that automatically appear when one is selected, however it only works if if "move entire polygon" is checked; it won't "move edge" for resizing. It also won't allow selection of any manually placed dimensions to the stair section, but all in all a great improvement in functionality.

Bad- Railings used to be editable in camera views(unless my mind is playing tricks on me) when using the 10/21/99 and prior patches. When in camera view, I used to be able to double click on a railing, change its color, height, or other attributes and immediately see the results of my editing upon leaving the dbx. Now I have to exit the camera view, rebuild F&C, and then take another camera view to ensure that my changes have take place. This is certainly a step in the wrong direction. Would someone who hasn't rushed into the new patch verify the prior fuctionality for me, so I can be assured that I'm not going crazy?

Thanks

------------------
Dan Marrin
Lake Shore, MN



[This message has been edited by Dan Marrin (edited 11 January 2000).]

[Dermot Dempsey]

I just tried it and railings are still editable in 3D views. It is possible you were looking at the railings at an angle and the program would not select it in that case. Try setting up your view so that you are looking at the railing straight on and see if that works for you.

------------------
Dermot Dempsey
Senior Software Engineer
ART, Inc.

[Dermot Dempsey]

I have confirmed the following new bugs in the 1/6/2000 program patch:

1. Values typed in the material list are not being saved.

2. Fixture/appliance depths get changed to bogus values when you edit them (only when working in metric units.)

Both of these bugs have been repaired and we will be releasing a new patch shortly (depending on how many other new bugs are found).

Please report any additional new bugs that you have noticed in this patch and I will try to make sure they are fixed ASAP.


------------------
Dermot Dempsey
Senior Software Engineer
ART, Inc.

[Tim O'Donnell]

Railings work the same for me with either Oct21 or Jan6 patch, resizing the height has to have a rebuild,unless I change the railing type then it will redraw in 3d, color changes work OK

[This message has been edited by Tim O'Donnell (edited 11 January 2000).]

[pbowden]

Selecting the wall in section, does not bring up dimensions for resizing.

[Dan Marrin]

pbowden:

I'm not sure whether this is a new problem with this patch. As I recall it is an on and off again phenomenon. Sometimes the dimensions are there, sometimes not. I think it may have something to do with the old problem of memory leak. Try saving/closing the plan and CA. Then reopen. This usually restores lost functionality for me.


------------------
Dan Marrin
Lake Shore, MN



[This message has been edited by Dan Marrin (edited 11 January 2000).]

[Geoff Francis]

Dermot

1/6/00 patch has lost the ability to "Retain Edited Roof Sections" when rebuilding roofs. I checked this a number of times, with nil-results. The "Retain Manually Built Roof Sections" still works OK. I am using Direct-X version.

On the job in question, I just opened up Chief from my saved 10/21/99 patch and performed the roof rebuild as desired.

While I will continue to work in the 1/6/00 version, I do thank the correspondents who previously suggested saving old patch ".exe" files - it has saved time and frustration.

[Dan Marrin]

I am definitely unable to effect any changes to a railing in any 3D view without first leaving the view and rebuilding F&Cs. Dermot, I am at an appropriate angle to select the railing for editing, so that's not my problem. I used the 10/21/99 to 1/6/00 patch. Perhaps if I try patching the original exe file from the 60 CD I'll have better luck?

Thanks Tim and Dermot for the prompt feedback.

------------------
Dan Marrin
Lake Shore, MN



[This message has been edited by Dan Marrin (edited 11 January 2000).]

[Dermot Dempsey]

Re: railings in 3D

I missunderstood your problem. I thought you couldn't get the dialog, but what you are seeing is that the screen doesn't get updated properly.

I will look into this further, but for now you will have to rebuild f&c or remove 3D.

------------------
Dermot Dempsey
Senior Software Engineer
ART, Inc.

[Geoff Francis]

Dermot

Don't waste any time on this one - I tried it later on a different job, and the
"Retain Edited Roof Sections" worked as it should. It must have been a foible of the first job. I'll let you know if it raises it's ugly head again. In the meantime, no news is good news!

[M.A. Winterton]

Geoff I had "retain edited roof sections" not work for me a while back haven't tried it since.

------------------

[Geoff Francis]

Maurice

That would have been pre-1/6/00 patch, thereby pointing to an intermittently occurring set of contributing circumstances (and hence difficult to track). But thanks for confirming that I'm not Robinson Crusoe. If it happens again, I'll try to narrow down the factors involved.

[ibuild]

"Retain edited roof" is working for me. Unfortunately, the design of this tool has never stoped the automatic roof generator from building ANOTHER roof section on top of the retained edited section. You get two section on top of one another. You have to delete the automatic section. The only way to stop the double roof on a roof build is to remove the "roof over" attribute for the room that the edited roof is covering. The program will not build a roof over the room and will retain the manual or edit section.

Once you start with manual editing, it's better not to use the automatics again unless you have to. If you do, be prepared to delete the extra roof sections.

Al

[M.A. Winterton]

Al, the time it didn't work for me it wasn't a double build like I was exspecting, it deleted existing roofs like it is surpose to if not checked. But as I said it was a while back (oct patch I think) and only one job, if it ever happens again I'll post it, but as you said you only use this feature occasionly as its a last resort if a client makes very late amendments..
Called up the job again, checked retain manual roof sections, checked retain edited roof sections, reatuo rebuit roofs, gutters and floors/ceilings. The dutch gables that where created by editing atuo roof sections were deleted with no warning message like if you dont check retain edited sections.

------------------


[This message has been edited by M.A. Winterton (edited 15 January 2000).]

[Geoff Francis]

Al

The new roof over the top of the existing roof is not a problem. I find it relatively easy to go through and delete any unwanted parts of the rebuilt roof - if I mistakenly delete a roof section, I can bring it back with an immediate "Edit/Undo" (this option has to be active). For a roof that contains a fair amount of editing (e.g. dutch gables, shortened or extended eaves portions, etc), this is eminently more preferable than having to repeat all of that editing.

Maurice

Due to the slightly unpredictable nature of this tool (or perhaps because I'm "running scared" at the moment), before embarking on the "Rebuild/Retain Edited Roof Sections" operation, I "Save As" the plan and add the suffix "Roof". By working on this plan, if it blows up in my face I still have the original roof on the original plan. Once everything has been sorted, I then "Save As" the "Roof" version as the original (i.e. delete the "Roof" suffix), and continue on my merry way.

Dermot

Cupboards/Soffits (Metric version) are increasing in DEPTH by a factor of 2.5 when being edited (copied or shifted). This degree of increase has been consistent every time I've checked it. You have probably already ascertained this.

Regards to all.