2006

[BrenBren]

Anybody installed 2006 yet?

[robert.1.hall72202]

I have, and already like it, hate it, etc. Seems to be a good step forward for Autodesk.
Now if they would just let you have DWF composer.......same as the viewer but with extra tools, they could corner the Cad market completely.

[BrenBren]

Can you do me a favor. I have been working with Autodesk on a problem I have found, but they are unable to duplicate it. They know about the problems stretching dimensions, but I am also unable to stretch a rectangle that is made with either the REC command or the AMRECTANG command.

Can you run one of those and see if you can stretch the rectangle. When I try to stretch it, it only moves.

Thanks! Running on Windows 2000, but I don't think that matters

BTW, I agree on the love/hate relationship thing :)

[robert.1.hall72202]

I cannot seem to get the stretch command to do much of anything to a
rectangle. I can only move the rectangle to a new location. I could do that
with the move command, or simply by holding down a mouse button.
I don't use the stretch comman much, but shouldn't that increase the size
of the rectangle?

[BrenBren]

I cannot seem to get the stretch command to do much of anything to a
rectangle. I can only move the rectangle to a new location. I could do that
with the move command, or simply by holding down a mouse button.
I don't use the stretch comman much, but shouldn't that increase the size
of the rectangle?
Yes, it should stretch it, just like it would stretch a line or anything else. I have reported this as a bug, but the guy at Tech Support couldn't get it to duplicate, so I sent them an avi file showing how it doesn't work, and they STILL couldn't get it to duplicate. I am going to have to install AutoCAD on another system to see if it works, but I was just wondering if it was only me.

Thanks!!

[lance.81922]

Are you talking about the STRETCH command or grip editing? I tried stretching with grips in both Vanilla 2006 and Mechanical 2006, and found nothing "funny". STRETCH (the command) works fine in both, too, provided you use the crossing rectangle/polygon to select. If you simply PICK a rectangle (important difference!), or you fully surround it with your "crossing rectangle", it moves exactly as you describe. However, that was true in 2000, 14, etc.

[BrenBren]

Are you talking about the STRETCH command or grip editing? I tried stretching with grips in both Vanilla 2006 and Mechanical 2006, and found nothing "funny". STRETCH (the command) works fine in both, too, provided you use the crossing rectangle/polygon to select. If you simply PICK a rectangle (important difference!), or you fully surround it with your "crossing rectangle", it moves exactly as you describe. However, that was true in 2000, 14, etc.
I am talking about the stretch command, but it the rectangle has to be created using the amrectang command, not the plain old vanilla rectangle command.

I was using a crossing window, and only selecting the right portion of the rectangle.

The IMPORTANT difference is that it is the AMRECTANG command and not the RECTANGLE command

[lance.81922]

Sorry -- Your original post didn't differentiate between AMRECTANG and RECTANG. On my system, however, a rectangle created with AMRECTANG, using the dialog box (does this matter?), still stretches as expected using the STRETCH command, with the crossing rectangle around one corner.

Does the one corner part matter? How much of the rectangle did you select (one, two, three vertices)? Did you use the dialog box to create the AMRECTANG?

This does have me curious. I don't mean to ask stupid questions -- I'm just trying to reproduce EXACTLY what you did.

[BrenBren]

Sorry -- Your original post didn't differentiate between AMRECTANG and RECTANG. On my system, however, a rectangle created with AMRECTANG, using the dialog box (does this matter?), still stretches as expected using the STRETCH command, with the crossing rectangle around one corner.

Does the one corner part matter? How much of the rectangle did you select (one, two, three vertices)? Did you use the dialog box to create the AMRECTANG?

This does have me curious. I don't mean to ask stupid questions -- I'm just trying to reproduce EXACTLY what you did.
I don't use the dialog box, I can check that though. I just type REC (which is my shortcut - and I think the default - for AMRECTANG) It doesn't matter how much of the rectangle - I am selecting right side, top and bottom, approx 1/3 of the way into the rectangle. I have just tried it selecting only the bottom right corner, and it still moved it.

Also tried it with the dialog box - still moving it.

I am not surprised that it works on some and not on others. I sent Autodesk an .avi file showing exactly what I do, and they still were not able to duplicate it.

Just for the record, here are the exact steps I followed.

at command line, type REC
draw a rectangle, any size, bottom left to upper right
at command line, type STRETCH
from right to left, draw crossing window that selects entire right side of rectangle, along with approx. 1/3 of top and bottom of rectangle
try to stretch rectangle and it moves.

AutoCAD is actually selecting the whole rectangle instead of just the parts I want to stretch. Just strange, and very frustrating.

[Ed Jobe]

AutoCAD is actually selecting the whole rectangle instead of just the parts I want to stretch. Just strange, and very frustrating.
What are your snaps set to? end?

[lance.81922]

That's pretty interesting. I just spent a little time using AMRECTANG (and YES, "REC" is the default shortcut) and trying crossing rectangle and crossing polygon to select one, two, or three vertices for stretching, and tried OSNAP END and OSNAP completely off (hard to get an accurate stretch, but....) but couldn't reproduce the problem. Sorry. I will be curious to see if it can be reproduced or can be fixed. Please keep us informed.

[BrenBren]

What are your snaps set to? end?
I do have them set to end, but the same occurs whether osnaps are on or off.

I guess I was just trying to get a feel for how many people have this problem as opposed to how many people don't.

[BrenBren]

That's pretty interesting. I just spent a little time using AMRECTANG (and YES, "REC" is the default shortcut) and trying crossing rectangle and crossing polygon to select one, two, or three vertices for stretching, and tried OSNAP END and OSNAP completely off (hard to get an accurate stretch, but....) but couldn't reproduce the problem. Sorry. I will be curious to see if it can be reproduced or can be fixed. Please keep us informed.
Thanks for looking into it. It is odd. I will let you know what I find out.

FWIW, the same problem exists with dimensions, but Autodesk is aware of that problem, it is reproducible, and they are working on a fix for it.

[mhodson86803]

I can't replicate that problem. My rectangles, regular or AM, will stretch just fine...as long as I use the crossing window. Dimensions however, will move.

What I really don't like about the changes to the stretch command is the selection. I often stretch parts of shapes that are on top of, or touching other shapes. I used to pick select the one I wanted to stretch and then use a non-crossing window to select just the verticies that I wanted to stretch. Now, if I pick select the shape, it moves. I have to use the crossing window and then unselect all the other shapes that I don't want to stretch...it's a pain in the butt.

Note to Autodesk...If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[bmichell]

I was talking to a couple resellers yesterday and mentioned your problem. They indicated that it may be a setting issue. Did you talk with your reseller about the problem? I found that my resellers can usually get solutions before Autodesk. If you want to talk with my resellers send me an e-mail and I'll give you the contacts.

[BrenBren]

I was talking to a couple resellers yesterday and mentioned your problem. They indicated that it may be a setting issue. Did you talk with your reseller about the problem? I found that my resellers can usually get solutions before Autodesk. If you want to talk with my resellers send me an e-mail and I'll give you the contacts.

No I haven't talked to my reseller. The problem exists when importing a profile from AutoCAD 2005. The dimension problem is a known issue, and Autodesk is working on it. Since this problem exists, I feel it is important for Autodesk to know about it so they can work on a solution for it. Not all resellers know every little problem with the program, therefore they are not all going to be able to answer all questions. My reseller is very good at answering questions, but this is a pretty serious error with the program, when commands don't work as expected, and I feel Autodesk needs to be made aware of the problem, and they should be the ones working on it. There is a workaround for the rectangle problem (simply use the rectangle command instead of the amrectang command) and as far as the dimensions go, I dont' think there is a workaround, but I also don't think this is a setting issue since it is like that right out of the box

If I am paying XXX for a subscription, I am dealing with the people who write the software. That is part of what I am paying for is tech support. They have been very responsive and helpful in trying to find a solution.

[robert.1.hall72202]

Ive found resellers are not that great for Cad support. They are in the computer industry and most of them are computer geeks. Very few have actually done any drafting. Most questions you ask to a reseller are either going to be googled or ignored.

[bmichell]

I am also a subscription member and I couldn't agree more with Brenda that Autodesk must solve any code problems. I didn't realize that the problem was that severe.

My current reseller has professional engineers on staff who have spent considerable time working with the Autodesk products. As I use only Inventor, Mechanical Desktop and Mechanical I wanted a reseller that specialized in these packages. My sales rep. can answer almost every question I have within minutes, while I found the Autodesk help line to take several days to answer questions. My sales rep. also maintains a mechinal designer website. I realize that not all resellers are created equally and I'm glad I found one that can help me with my problems.