topic Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9 in Installation & update

Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

SeaGeoff — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 10:24:34 GMT

When I first installed AC 9 I successfully printed the default shortcuts from the WE dialog box via Safari. Now after building my custom set I go to view them and nothing happens. I don’t know what I did that might have killed this useful feature but everyone in our office who shares the same installation has the same problem. Is there some file or preference that I might have changed or lost that effects this? Thanks.

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

__archiben — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 05:42:03 GMT

have you fiddled around with the default browser settings, or set some other application on the machines to be the default XML file reader?

if i recall correctly, both of these can affect the display of the keyboard shortcuts in your browser. unfortunately, i can't remember all of the exact details . . .

sorry!
~/archiben

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

SeaGeoff — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:28:21 GMT

I haven't fiddled that I know of, not intentionally anyway.

Now that this is not working I cant remember how it did work. Does the browser just fire up with the list? Is the XML file written out somewhere I can find it? Is there an ArchiCAD setting that defines the default browser or are you referring to the OS setting?

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

__archiben — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 03:53:52 GMT

it's a strange one. i have a feeling archiCAD generates an XML file on-the-fly and fires up the OS default browser rather than the one set in archiCAD. at least i get the keyboard shortcut list in safari and that's definitely not available in archiCAD internal prefs.

does changing the archiCAD's internal browser result in some confusion at the time you press the button?

one other thing - you haven't by any chance installed apple's plist editor on your machines to hack the archiCAD preference file? as soon as that's installed on mine it becomes the default XML file reader . . .

i'll investigate a little further later . . .

~/archiben

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

SeaGeoff — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 20:46:01 GMT

I have the plist editor installed at home but no one has it at the office, so that’s not it. I created a custom install, placed it on the server, and that’s what everyone who’s moved up to 9 is using, so I’m guessing I deleted or moved something I shouldn’t have. But to the best of my knowledge all I modified was the default library (replaced AC 9.pla with AC 8.1.pla) and added our third party add-ons. Instead of me trying to determine by process of elimination what I MAY have screwed up I’d sure just like to know how the browser view thingy works so I have half a clue where to look. Seems like no one knows and the Graphisoft boys don’t seem to be hanging around much. I guess it’s time for tech support.

BTW, how do you change ArchiCAD’s internal browser?

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

__archiben — Fri, 29 Oct 2004 06:01:15 GMT

Geoff wrote:
BTW, how do you change ArchiCAD’s internal browser?

Options>Preferences>Publisher (i think!)

...but you only have the option of IE and netscape. this can't be the place archiCAD looks to launch the keyboard shortcuts as a web page because it fires up safari for me . . . puzzling

let us know how you get on . . .

~/archiben

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

__archiben — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 08:25:25 GMT

geoff

i had a fiddle with this earlier . . .

archiCAD actually makes a temporary html file and stores it in

/private/tmp/501/TemporaryItems/ShourtcutLayout.htm

so . . . first thing that springs to mind is that you cannot write to the /private/tmp/ directory. i often find that this is one of the directories that consistantly needs its permissions repairing whenever i run disk utility.

try that and let us know . . . ?

HTH
~/archiben

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

__archiben — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 08:30:23 GMT

to add to this . .

by chosing "View Source" in your browser when you've actually got it on screen, you can copy and paste the code into a text editor. from there you're free to create an html document that you can access at anytime from the Help menu by creating a URL file . . .

of course the danger is that you update your keyboard shortcuts but forget to update the html file. and i guess that it really only cuts down on a couple of clicks doing it this way. but somebody may find it useful.

maybe graphisoft could write a Help menu command that actually does create the shortcut layout from the current set . . . ?

anyways. off to lie down. all this thinking is playing havoc with my time on the beach . . .

~/archiben

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

__archiben — Mon, 01 Nov 2004 04:40:29 GMT

and to clarify one of my earlier posts up there . . .

setting the default browser from within archiCAD used to be done in the work environment: preferences: "Web Options". i say used to be done because it was there through most of the beta period, but now no longer exists.

i actually believe this is better because archiCAD finally uses the system default browser instead of limiting to a choice between IE and netscape.

however! if you look through the help files, this option apparently still exists! the screenshot is from a PC, so maybe there has been no change on this for PC users? graphisoft?

~/archiben

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

SeaGeoff — Mon, 01 Nov 2004 14:45:50 GMT

Dude you've been busy on that hammock

Here's what I know so far:
As Ben pointed out, when the button in WE is pressed files are created and placed in HD/private/tmp/501/TemporaryItems. (These folders and files are normally invisible but can be seen by searching for invisible items.) Three files are required for the system to work, ShortcutLayout.htm, ShortcutLayout.xml, ShortcutLayout.xslt. The last two appear to be created by ArchiCAD itself, the first by XslTransformer.jar, found in the ArchiCAD application folder. It's this file, ShortcutLayout.htm that is displayed in your browser. After it's created it can be opened directly (if you can find it). And it is this file I was missing.

I reinstalled ArchiCAD, choosing a typical installation, fearing some customization was to blame. That's not it. In fact my investigation revealed that ArchiCAD can run with it's install folder stripped of everything save the Lib files. Next i suspected XslTransformer.jar was some how corrupted, or it was a permission error, but so far haven't figured it out. I had one ArchiCAD installtion that worked right along side another that didn't. And at one point my new, working installation went south and developed the same bug. Now I'm on my third install and it seems to be holding for the moment. Still a mystery.

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

Djordje — Mon, 01 Nov 2004 19:00:30 GMT

Geoff wrote:
Dude you've been busy on that hammock

How is your Java?

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

Greg Kmethy — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 15:09:56 GMT

This is the full process:

1. In the temporary folder (something like HD/private/tmp/501/TemporaryItems) ArchiCAD creates the "ShortcutLayout.xml" file, which contains all the shortcuts in XML format
2. To the same temp. folder goes the "ShortcutLayout.xslt" file, which is the description of the "ShortcutLayout.xml" file
3. ArchiCAD starts "XslTransformer.jar" application, which is a Java tool by Graphisoft. This will "transform" the the two files mentioned above into the "ShortcutLayout.htm" file
4. ArchiCAD starts the system default browser (you can't set it in ArchiCAD) and opens "ShortcutLayout.htm"

These three files remain there even after you quit ArchiCAD, as you have discovered.

It seems that it it is not a java problem, since it works fine for you up till the XslTransformer.jar creates the ShortcutLayout.htm file, but the browser does not start up. Try this. In terminal, type:

touch test.htm
open test.htm

Does the test file open correctly? Is it Safari or something else?

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

SeaGeoff — Wed, 10 Nov 2004 15:49:50 GMT

gkmethy wrote:
It seems that it it is not a java problem, since it works fine for you up till the XslTransformer.jar creates the ShortcutLayout.htm file, but the browser does not start up.

I'm not so sure. In the non-working installation the .xml and .xslt files are created as usual but the ShortcutLayout.htm file is not. But when I tried moving the XslTransformer.jar file from a working install to the no-working one it did not solve the problem. Furthermore the working install has now stopped working but I'm not sure exactly when. I think it was after a restart or log-out. All of this has occurred on one machine, at home. I am checking to see if a fresh install stays good at work. I'll let you know.

Try this. In terminal, type:

touch test.htm
open test.htm

Does the test file open correctly? Is it Safari or something else?

This works fine.

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

Greg Kmethy — Wed, 10 Nov 2004 18:19:17 GMT

Open up console. What does it log when you try to create the shortcut list? Is there anything like "Executing java -cp ........" ?

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

SeaGeoff — Thu, 11 Nov 2004 02:41:34 GMT

Here is the text pasted from Console:

===== Wed Nov 10 2004 ===== 18:37:56 US/Pacific =====
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: graphisoft/bendeguz/XslTransformer

Hope that helps.

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

Greg Kmethy — Fri, 12 Nov 2004 17:24:16 GMT

That's exactly what you get if XslTransformer.jar is missing or not accessible. I know you checked it before, but it still seems to be the case. It might be a silly idea, but what if I attach mine here. Try it. Maybe we'll witness a miracle.

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

SeaGeoff — Sat, 13 Nov 2004 03:09:13 GMT

Sorry no miracle. Same sad fate. Weird thing is that it works for a while if I re-install ArchiCAD, then something poisons it. And I checked and I have the same problem at work, also under OS 10.3.6.

Thanks for looking into it.

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

__archiben — Sat, 13 Nov 2004 07:57:38 GMT

Geoff wrote:
Sorry no miracle. Same sad fate. Weird thing is that it works for a while if I re-install ArchiCAD, then something poisons it.

mate - are you on the latest java update? are you repairing your permissions? it all worked OK here (before i had my archiCAD drought )

when i do any major installing i run 'cocktail' in pilot mode: logs, caches, prebinding, you-name-it. and then i repair permissions using 'disk utility', restarting after each. it still sounds to me as though you're using an app (or an app/installer you've used) is preventing your access to the /tmp/ folders . . .

(just a thought: do you have any scheduled/automatic backup software kicking in at any time?)

~/archiben

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

SeaGeoff — Sat, 13 Nov 2004 11:02:32 GMT

~/archiben wrote:
mate - are you on the latest java update? are you repairing your permissions? it all worked OK here (before i had my archiCAD drought

Sorry about the loss dude, very harsh.

I try to keep things up to snuff software update and permission wise and I tried running all the utilities, restarting etc. when I discovered the problem.

Here's my Java info:

Java 1.3.1 Plugin Settings:

Version: 2.0.0
Last Modified: 2003-10-17 18:55:36 -0700
Location: /Applications/Utilities/Java/Java 1.3.1 Plugin Settings.app
Get Info String: 1.0.0, Copyright 2002 Apple Computer.

Java 1.4.2 Plugin Settings:

Version: 2.1.1
Last Modified: 2004-08-30 19:17:04 -0700
Location: /Applications/Utilities/Java/Java 1.4.2 Plugin Settings.app
Get Info String: 2.1.0 (for JDK 1.4.2), Copyright 2003, 2004 Apple Computer, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Java Web Start:

Version: 2.0.2
Last Modified: 2003-08-05 16:31:26 -0700
Location: /Applications/Utilities/Java/Java Web Start.app
Get Info String: Java Web Start version 1.4.2, Copyright 2003 Apple Computer.

it still sounds to me as though you're using an app (or an app/installer you've used) is preventing your access to the /tmp/ folders . . .

I hear you but I can't track it down. Other apps, including ArchiCAD are successfully writing to that folder. The two other files, the ones created by ArchiCAD are delivered there without fail.

(just a thought: do you have any scheduled/automatic backup software kicking in at any time?)

Yes, I have an app called ChronoSync performing back-ups to a FireWire hard drive. Could that be it? How would that screw things up?

Re: Printing keyboard shortcuts from AC 9

Laszlo Nagy — Mon, 15 Nov 2004 09:42:13 GMT

Maybe the problem is that you have 2 different Java versions on your computer. I had problems on Windows with this, because over the months 3 different Java plug-ins (1.4.0, 1.4.1, 1.4.2) were installed and some of them didn't uninstall correctly. Because of this, they still had entries in the Registry and the whole thing got messed up. There were certain things I could not do in my browser using Java (e.g. using my Internet banking software).
After I removed all references and entries to all Java versions but the latest, it started working fine.