Cracking The 2010 UI - Go back to classic

[anthonyf]

Hi All,

Fact: The classic UI exists in Revit 2010, well in part anyway and is not tested.
Fact: Phil Read has somehow enabled the classic UI in 2010 but isn't sharing and may be signed to a non disclosure agreement or something else.
Fact: Autodesk use the classic UI for automated testing purposes.

Challenge:
To try and enable the classic UI even if it only partially works, I'll be happy and i suspect most others would be too:

Links:
http://architechure.blogspot.com/200...nein-nein.html

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nXqfuBlxAQ.../Picture+4.png

http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=92112&page=20

[Rick Moore]

I wouldn't use it - since I filled up the QAT and changed the color theme to "light" I prefer the new interface. Fix the idiotic dialog boxes instead.

[Wes Macaulay]

I'm with Rick. The Factory's regression tests are a different animal than day-to-day use: what works for their purposes might not work for yours.

[Bunkazoo]

Re: Cracking The 2010 UI - Go back to classic

"I'm with Rick. The Factory's regression tests are a different animal than day-to-day use: what works for their purposes might not work for yours..."
______________________________________________


Speaking of regression, I've been regressing for two weeks now, trying to embrace 2010 in MY day-to-day use:

I want my old UI back!

Am I ranting because I'm set in my ways and don't like change? No...I am a single practitioner trying to make a living, and I was doing just fine up until I installed 2010.

I want my subscription fees back!

I've already lost twice that much in productivity learning how to navigate the new ribbon, and I've begun talking to myself about how STUPID this is! Did anybody else get the email from Autodesk, which I understood said they're going to charge as much as half a new license fee for subscription renewal if we skip a version (2010) and want back in (2011)? I wouldn't install it either, if I weren't supposed to teach it at a local college this fall. But as a former Technology Director in a larger firm, I know this "upgrade" is going to cost a lot of firms a lot of money, just to get back where they were, and it's going to sour a lot of firm decision-makers who are still on the fence about switching over. Autodesk should fire whoever came up with this idea, or at least make him work in 2010 fulltime for a month or two...

I want the last two weeks back!

I've had the program close all by itself, run out of memory in the middle of a three hour rendering, and found objects missing in pdf's generated. I've been reading other 2010 product forums, and it's pretty apparent Revit has been dumbed down to match AutoCad, in terms of inefficiency. I swear an AutoCad technician took over all programming and logic and intentionally tried to mess it up! I've filled up the QAT and stripped menu groups off the ribbon just so I can have some semblance of normal efficiencies, but the real stinger is it's definitely affecting my work, as every time the ribbon jumps and slides commands to and fro, I lose my train of thought and have to think about the darn interface rather than staying focused on the work I'm performing. The Ribbon is a big waste of both money and resources. There is nothing in other 2010 improvements that will make up for what I've lost so far.

And what happened to the beta-testers this time around, that they weren't screaming about this useless upgrade?

[Gordon.Price]

Originally Posted by Wes Macaulay

I'm with Rick. The Factory's regression tests are a different animal than day-to-day use: what works for their purposes might not work for yours.

Wes, what good is regression testing that doesn't mimic real world use? What can possibly come of it but testing that totally fails to catch real problems. If the ribbon is the future they had better get their testing protocols to work because I don't think we want to hear a lot of "We didn't see that behavior in our testing" excuses. This and the fact that the whole ribbon UI looks to be a graphic overlay kludge sure starts to look fishy.

Gordon

[Wes Macaulay]

IIRC regression tests are just automated tests for various tasks and tools to make sure a certain tool or command doesn't get broken as development continues -- so regression tests are not day-to-day testing: they just do the same command each time they test.

I screamed about the display performance in the beta and that was fixed. I'm still irritated by the massing tools lack of iterability [sic] and I don't expect to see that fixed before 2011. I'm irritated by the fuzzy UI in the Type Selector and elsewhere.

I would be livid about the new interface if I were not a keyboard guy. It's way slower to use the Ribbon interface than the old 2009 interface. QA testing of 2011 is underway, so apparently pulling those people off 2011's development will hamper production of that release. Fine. But after that, let's get that old UI back as an option. I'm neutral on it, but on the whole would prefer the old UI. Hmm -- I should start a poll on the Ribbon...

[tyveka010]

So has anyone actually figured out how Phil took the 2010 UI back to the old UI yet?
I haven't. But I'd sure like to. If you know and can't say, PM me or something...

Thanks!

[DaveP]

Originally Posted by gordonprice67

Wes, what good is regression testing that doesn't mimic real world use?

My guess would be that they can do the regression testing in English, and only in English. When they are testing the functionality of a command, it doesn't matter what the language is. Just what steps are involved. When they make a shipping release, however, they need to localize it for each language (or maybe even country. I think you guys in Canada and Oz speak English)

I'd bet that's one more reason they are resistant to reviving the old UI. It would need to be localized for 37 different languages. (I'm guessing at the #)

[wildcat_714]

I have to admit though, as much as I prefer the "classic" UI hack there are a few issues I've run across. Essentially the tools that they removed from the options bar aren't very usable now. Because they neutered the options bar and made separate buttons in the ribbons for tools like trim to corner, trim extend single, different types of dimensions, etc these options no longer appear in the options bar to be able to use them. Add to that, you cannot add those tools to the shortcuts (not the 2010 ones, they look at the ribbons which arent there in the hack) the classic UI is not as wonderful as it first seems to be, even though its still more responsive. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but dont spend too much time looking for how to do the hack if you will need those changed tools. Or if you do still want to do it be prepared to undo and redo it as needed.
p-

[trombe]

Originally Posted by wildcat_714

. Because they neutered the options bar and made separate buttons in the ribbons for tools like trim to corner, trim extend single,............................................you cannot add those tools to the shortcuts (not the 2010 ones, they look at the ribbons which arent there in the hack)
p-

Revit 2010 keyboard shortcuts OOTB = Trim (for one element to another / corner trim) = "TR"

I added Trim (multiple elements to one etc.) = "TM", and others work seem to work fine, although until they implement 2nd tier commands more widely, we are limited I agree.
You can do the same with mirror and so on very easily.

Being a mainly toolbar user until 2010 came along and forced me to take the keyboard shortcut route as the only reasonable answer to the madness of the disco ribbon, I am glad to start learning this method (finally !!) . It means less time and stress looking for the tool and seemingly easier ergonomics / less overall stress on the eyes and more direct contact with the workspace canvas.
(hey, maybe AD are doing me a favour !!) jah !
trombe