I like the old A14 properties dialog

[gino.mancusa]

Help

1. Properties dialog: who thought this up!! it's clumsy and poorly presented. Can I get back the old properties dialog box?

2. Plotting: why don't my changes stick and I mean all my changes?

[bbapties]

#1...can you be more specific? ...what is clumsy about it?

#2...you need to have "save changes to layout" selected see attached image.

[scott.wilcox]

1. I think Properties dialog is awesome.

2. Try using pagesetup to set your plotting setup preferences.

[Ed Jobe]

1. I think Properties dialog is awesome.
Do you mean dialog or palette?

The palette doe more than just edit properties of existing entities. You can use it to change properties of a command in progress.

[jaberwok]

The properties Manager comes as a shock at first just because it is so different from the old methods. Once you use it for a while you will realise the benefits. Anyway, you might as well get used to it because Adesk is most unlikely to go backwards.

[Poorest Chump]

I completely agree with Gino.

1.) If ALL the properties were changeable it might make sense. But when half the stuff you want to change is grayed out... it makes you wonder... "What idiot thought this up?". I think AutoCAD 2006 should be completely trashed. It's garbage. 14 is about ten steps forward. Not everything NEW is better.

2.) When I plot a drawing, that's ALL I want to do. Why on EARTH would I want to use someone else's plot configuration?... Well, like AutoCAD says... "Maybe he was just kidding. I think I'll just not USE a printer to print this time. I'm so confused."

What a sick, sick joke...

Sorry (to all the AutoCAD flunkies).

[scott.wilcox]

I completely agree with Gino.

1.) If ALL the properties were changeable it might make sense. But when half the stuff you want to change is grayed out... it makes you wonder... "What idiot thought this up?". I think AutoCAD 2006 should be completely trashed. It's garbage. 14 is about ten steps forward. Not everything NEW is better.
Perhaps we can all benefit by trying to make things better. It's tougher than simply pointing out things you dislike, but better for all. I'm not yet a 2006 user, but to say that R14 is better than 2005 sounds ridiculous to me. Maybe some of your thoughts can go to the wish list.

Scott

[Poorest Chump]

I already told you my wish list... TRASH IT!!!!!!

I had R14 working just the way I wanted it to work by the time I added some fairly elaborate lisp routines. Then, all of a sudden... POOF!!! It's gone. Now we've got a sad AutoCAD rendition of Microstation.

Pure insanity. Plain and simple.

[david-k]

Help

1. Properties dialog: who thought this up!! it's clumsy and poorly presented. Can I get back the old properties dialog box?

Does entdisplay still hold after 2002?
That will give you the old properties dialog with layer, linetype, lintype scale, color, etc. like the "old" days.

[bbapties]

I already told you my wish list... TRASH IT!!!!!!

I had R14 working just the way I wanted it to work by the time I added some fairly elaborate lisp routines. Then, all of a sudden... POOF!!! It's gone. Now we've got a sad AutoCAD rendition of Microstation.

Pure insanity. Plain and simple.
then go back to using r14.....

like what was said earlier, if you just recently getting on to 05 or 06 then it is obvious that you've been using 14 for a bit now. Once you use the new properties dialog for a little bit and see all the new functionality and its benefits, you will come to like it better....

[Poorest Chump]

I have to admit, I like the "wheel zoom" in '06...and that's it. If I could go back to R14, believe me, I would. The problem is Autodesk is holding us hostage. If they would just be honest about the whole matter and say, "Here's the deal: we're going to charge you for the upgrade and if you want to continue to use R14, we'll still allow saving to R14 because we know the new software is still full of quirks and work-arounds. In fact, we'll never discontinue R14, but we're going to have to charge you for the upgrades anyhow.

I wouldn't like it. But at least they wouldn't be wasting my time by having me figure out all the things that are wrong with the program. I'm sick and tired of fixing their software.

[Ed Jobe]

You talk as if R14 was perfect. It had just as many bugs. Every version does. Fact is, I haven't had a single problem with 2006. The only "problem" I had was that I needed to upgrade my video card to one with more ram. Is your pc still an R14 machine?

[Poorest Chump]

You say you only had one problem w/ '06... and R14 had just as many by inference. So R14 had onlly one problem? Hardly. I agree R14 was NOT perfect. But at least we had plenty of time to get the kinks out. NOW we've got to start all over.

Tell me, you don't have problems with grayed out properties? You've never wanted to change ANYTHING except what "properties" allows?

You've never been annoyed by not having a customer's .ctb file?

I think you're way too easy on Autodesk.

Gettin' some kickbacks, ehh?... or straight-up salary?

[BrenBren]

You say you only had one problem w/ '06... and R14 had just as many by inference. So R14 had onlly one problem? Hardly. I agree R14 was NOT perfect. But at least we had plenty of time to get the kinks out. NOW we've got to start all over.

Tell me, you don't have problems with grayed out properties? You've never wanted to change ANYTHING except what "properties" allows?

You've never been annoyed by not having a customer's .ctb file?

I think you're way too easy on Autodesk.

Gettin' some kickbacks, ehh?... or straight-up salary?
Just curious - the things that you find are grayed out in the properties box - can you change them by other means, or are they unchangeable properties all together?

[bbapties]

... R14 was NOT perfect. But at least we had plenty of time to get the kinks out. NOW we've got to start all over....

this could also be a result of waiting 5.5 years to upgrade... there has been 6 versions since 14

and

I'd like to "ditto" what brenda asked

[scott.wilcox]

You've never been annoyed by not having a customer's .ctb file?

Only the same as not having a customer's pcp or pc2 file.

When the properties box shows properties for a line, several bits of info are greyed out, such as angle and length. How would one be able to change those values when they are a product of the line's only 2 bits of geometry, start and end points?

I have recently changed companies, and have gone from 2005 to 2002. Even this small step back revision wise has made big changes to my efficiency.

Oh CHSPACE, where art thou?

Scott

[scott.wilcox]

I have to admit, I like the "wheel zoom" in '06...and that's it. If I could go back to R14, believe me, I would. The problem is Autodesk is holding us hostage. If they would just be honest about the whole matter and say, "Here's the deal: we're going to charge you for the upgrade and if you want to continue to use R14, we'll still allow saving to R14 because we know the new software is still full of quirks and work-arounds. In fact, we'll never discontinue R14, but we're going to have to charge you for the upgrades anyhow.

I wouldn't like it. But at least they wouldn't be wasting my time by having me figure out all the things that are wrong with the program. I'm sick and tired of fixing their software.
What exactly have you fixed?

[Ed Jobe]

NOW we've got to start all over.I think to say "all over" is exaggerating. Its obvious that you're disgruntled, but its unfair to place all the blame on adesk. Why are you just "now" having to change. There's a fundamental principle with computer hardware and software: "Things WILL change." CPU makers even have a law that describes the rate of change/expansion for their chips. If you don't accept this fact of life, you will have difficulty remaining productive and keeping your sanity. You can't go back to your childhood and remain in the state where you grew up. The rest of the world grows away from you.


Tell me, you don't have problems with grayed out properties? You've never wanted to change ANYTHING except what "properties" allows?Sometimes, but its a matter of learning the limitations of the software. No software can do everything, nor would you want it to. For example, many of the grayed out properties are read-only properties that are an added bonus, as if you had run the LIST command. I can't remember for sure, but I doubt that they were even there in the old prop dialog. Take the pline object, it has an Area property. If the software let you change it, how would it know which vertex to move to increase/decrease the area? To get read-only properties to change you need to take other actions and edit the object directly. If the Area property was even in the old dialog, you wouldn't have been able to edit it then either. Nothing has changed as far as editability goes.


You've never been annoyed by not having a customer's .ctb file? Yes, but that's not the software's fault, is it. When the new plotting system was introduced ( 2000 I think?), it added the ability to reproduce consistent plots with ease. Before that, you had to scratch your head and wonder how a co-worker produced a plot when your boss handed you a copy and said "I want 10 more like this." Granted there is more complexity now, but that doesn't mean R14 was "better". Is a Model A "better" than a Mustang? Not if you want to get around quick and comfortable. Just because R14 didn't have a ctb file to get lost, doesn't make it a better program.

Most of the people I hear complain about the changes in software work in jobs/industries that haven't changed much. They may even say they would prefer to go back to hand drafting at the board. Fine, if you can work that way. But those jobs are few and most jobs have changed greatly. The software market is driven by what the majority is willing to buy.