Making secondary design option primary

[Archman]

I am using design options quite a bit on my latest project to show the owner various schemes for cores, lobby, entry elements, etc., and I’ve run into some unexpected behavior.

We were given direction by the owner yesterday that we should proceed with the lobby option titled New Option – Meyer which is the secondary option. I am trying to make this option the primary option now, but when I hit the “Make Primary” button, it has no effect. I would like the make this option primary, because at some point (soon) I want to accept the primary option.

Is there any reason that I would not be able to switch a secondary option to a primary option? I've done it before on other option sets with no problem. I'm perplexed.

[Dimitri Harvalias]

In the view(s) in question under Visibility/Graphics on the Design Options tab do you have Design Option set for Automatic or is there an override in place?

[Archman]

I have an override in place in some views to show the current secondary option.

[luigi]

I don't know where you are trying to make that option your primary, but if you are doing it inside the "Design Option" editor, then it will work. Then, if the view in question is set to "Automatic" it will be visible in your project. If the view is set to Override "Automatic" to be the old primary option, then that might be your problem.... Any of my babbling helped?

Peace,

Luigi



I am using design options quite a bit on my latest project to show the owner various schemes for cores, lobby, entry elements, etc., and I’ve run into some unexpected behavior.

We were given direction by the owner yesterday that we should proceed with the lobby option titled New Option – Meyer which is the secondary option. I am trying to make this option the primary option now, but when I hit the “Make Primary” button, it has no effect. I would like the make this option primary, because at some point (soon) I want to accept the primary option.

Is there any reason that I would not be able to switch a secondary option to a primary option? I've done it before on other option sets with no problem. I'm perplexed.

[Archman]

I don't know where you are trying to make that option your primary, but if you are doing it inside the "Design Option" editor, then it will work. Then, if the view in question is set to "Automatic" it will be visible in your project. If the view is set to Override "Automatic" to be the old primary option, then that might be your problem.... Any of my babbling helped?

Peace,

Luigi

Good suggestion. I just tried what you suggested. I switched all my views back to automatic. Still can't make the secondary option into the primary within the Design Option editor.

Just to be clear. I'm not trying to switch the option to primary so it will display properly. I can accomplish the look I want by overriding the views in visibility/graphics. I want to make the secondary option into the primary option so I can accept it and delete the other option out of the project. I don't want to have to carry the baggage of design options all the way through the project life cycle. We're just starting DD now.

[luigi]

Hi Steve,
actually, I have been working on Design Options all day...funny!!!

I will go step by step in what I do...and if it is exactly what you already did, then I don't have a clue in what is going on....

1. Go to the Design Option Manager
2. select my option within my option-Set that I want to be primary
3. click on the "Make Primary" button on the lower right side of the manager
4. The selected option should then change and have "(primary)" on the right side of it.
5. hit close

Done

Now, is it possible that all of your options are the same? or have similar objects in it? Because when you work on the main model, and then add it in the "Option set" it will be copied to all of the options within the Option set, unless you tell it to not be added in a specific option.

Take care and hope you figure out what's wrong...

Luigi



Good suggestion. I just tried what you suggested. I switched all my views back to automatic. Still can't make the secondary option into the primary within the Design Option editor.

Just to be clear. I'm not trying to switch the option to primary so it will display properly. I can accomplish the look I want by overriding the views in visibility/graphics. I want to make the secondary option into the primary option so I can accept it and delete the other option out of the project. I don't want to have to carry the baggage of design options all the way through the project life cycle. We're just starting DD now.

[Archman]

1. Go to the Design Option Manager
2. select my option within my option-Set that I want to be primary
3. click on the "Make Primary" button on the lower right side of the manager
4. The selected option should then change and have "(primary)" on the right side of it.
5. hit close


Luigi

Thanks for the reply. The process I am doing is exactly what you describe.

Let me give a bit of a history of how I created the options in the first place. I started out with one lobby design in the main model. The client then wanted to see an alternative design. I did not want to change the first design until approval was given by the client to proceed with one of the designs. So, I created a design option set called "Lobby Options", and created a primary option (the original) and a secondary option (the new design). I then grabbed all the components that made up the lobby in the main model. I then clicked "add to option set" and chose both options for the elements to be copied to. So now at this point I have two options with identical elements in them. I then went about editing and adding elements in the secondary (new design) option. I then went to a design meeting and the new design was accepted by the client.

I now want to remove the old design from the model and make the new design part of the main model. Unfortunately when I try to make the secondary option primary in the design options manager it acts like its doing something, and then returns to the original design being primary.

I guess I'm starting to get frustrated. I'm usually able to figure something out, but this one's baffling me.

[luigi]

Steve, you seem to be doing everything properly.... The only suggestion I have to give you is to fight against your dilemma (copy the file as is and give it to support to look into the situation...if it is a real bug, they can try to fix it so it won't happen to anybody else...)

My suggestion is to try (try because depending on what elements are included in your options, may cause your process to be easy or difficult.....) try to copy all the contents of the accepted option and so many feet or cm to the left, or right of your project area(make sure that it is part of the main model, not the option)....so that later, when you clean up the options, you can safely move it back to the original position (let's say 10000cm/1000ft to the left)
Then you can delete all of the contents of both options...and delete the option set....delete also anything in the main model that has conflicts with the option you have copied (into the main model)
Then, as you move the accepted option to the original position you are good to go.

If for any odd reason, your client changes his/her mind again (and we know that doesn't happen ;-) you have your saved file as a source to copy and paste the previous option...that's your safety net...

I am sorry you have encountered this problem...I hope I won't have to.....I would be more than frustrated (I have 4 option sets in my current project, but it is a small study, not a big project at all)

Take care,

Luigi

[irwin]

Can you post the journal file that is created when you try to make the option primary?

[jamesd10181097]

I know this sounds so basic that I am sure you have already tried it since you seem to have been experiencing this for a while.

The only time I have run into a similar problem you is when I only had two options in an option set. so I when I wanted to switch the secondary to the primary I assumed too much and just kept clicking make primary when in fact I did not have the secondary option selected when I was clicking make primary.

Like I said I am sure it is too basic, so I doubt it a forehead slapper for you like it was for me.

[Archman]

Can you post the journal file that is created when you try to make the option primary?

Irwin,

As requested, I've posted the journal file. Thanks.

[irwin]

Unfortunately I don't see anything in the journal to explain what's happening. It looks like you are doing the right things. When you are done, if everything were working correctly it would show (primary) in the dialog after the option you selected (New Option - Meyer). If that's not happening, I suspect that somehow it is choking on something. Here's what I would try in this situation. Make a copy of your file that you can play with without any risk. Detach it from central and make everything editable, just to make sure it isn't an editability issue. Now, delete everything in the primary option. Try Make Primary again. If it still doesn't work, try deleting various subsets of the secondary option (New Option - Meyer) and try again. If it eventually allows you to Make Primary, use that technique to narrow down which element or elements are causing the problem. Once I knew what was causing the problem, I'd go back to the original file, delete that bad element, Make Primary, and recreate that element.

[Archman]

Thank you so much Irwin. I did as you suggested (deleting everything out of the primary option) and it worked!!

Should I send a copy of the file in a state before I deleted the primary option elements to support? How would I go about this?

[irwin]

Should I send a copy of the file in a state before I deleted the primary option elements to support? How would I go about this?
It sure sounds like it isn't working properly, so certainly send it to support. See this post by Scott Davis about how to do that: http://forums.augi.com/announcement.php?f=6

[adegnan]

Wow, this is a bit challenging! I deleted the window & door out of my #1 primary design option-- but left the walls-- and then I can change my #2, #3, or #4 design option to primary. But after #2 becomes primary, I cannot switch to any other design option as primary!