topic Re: Help Menu in Modeling

Help Menu

Ugljesa Janjic — Thu, 25 May 2023 15:58:36 GMT

Hello,
When I click on ArchiCAD Help menu it takes me to the Graphisoft's Help Center page instead of opening the old light blue help window (see attachment). I don't like this and don't know how to re-call it back. Does anyone know how to do this and what seems to be the problem?
Much obliged,
Ugljesa

Re: Help Menu

Karl Ottenstein — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 18:17:33 GMT

See this thread:
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=42793&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=desc

There is a workaround. In the ArchiCAD 17 application folder, there is a Help subfolder. If you open the "ArchiCAD Help.htm" file there, it will present the old, local help file. You can drag a shortcut to this file to your desktop (etc) for quicker access.

The old trick of placing a shortcut to this file in the WWWLinks folder doesn't seem to work; at least for me on 10.8, a file:// URL will not open from there...

I suspect that Graphisoft will be continuously updating the online Help Center with new content and links to videos, etc. but that this static Help may not get updated as often. Still, it seems unreasonable for GS to assume that everyone has an active, fast internet connection at all times for using the Help Center, particularly those people in parts of the world who have to pay for data usage. Accessing this in-product Help file should still be directly in the Help menu IMHO.

Cheers,
Karl

Re: Help Menu

David Maudlin — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 13:46:51 GMT

Karl:

Thanks for the tip. I agree that the in-product help should still be easily available.

David

Re: Help Menu

Laszlo Nagy — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 11:48:14 GMT

This placing of shortcut works for me.
The trick is to create an Internet Shortcut, not a normal shortcut.
The easiest way to go about it is to duplicate one of the existing shortcuts in the WWWLinks folder and modify that so that it points to the Help HTM file (and it doesn't point to the Link file, the shortcut file, that points to the HTM file).
That way it worked for me.

Re: Help Menu

Stress Co_ — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 16:12:18 GMT

laszlonagy wrote:
This placing of shortcut works for me.
The trick is to create an Internet Shortcut, not a normal shortcut.

Hi Laszlo:
Could you show us the correct text to link to the help file?
I can add the link to the menu... but it does't open the file in my browser.

Note: I'm using "Sublime Text" App to modify the link.

Re: Help Menu

Karl Ottenstein — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 17:30:05 GMT

I did what Marc did ... and the edited file is not recognized on Mac OS X. Not sure if this is an AC issue or an OS X issue. Laszlo's experience indicates that it does work for Windows.

Re: Help Menu

Ugljesa Janjic — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 00:26:02 GMT

THANK YOU ALL for the help. I placed a shortcut on my desktop and it works. You guys are right about the fact that we don't always have an internet connection available AND it is so much more direct to find an answer in this old "help booklet" than searching through a bunch of online information that is not always relevant.

Thank you again, worked for me.

Ugljesa

Re: Help Menu

Laszlo Nagy — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 06:36:40 GMT

Here is my shortcut.
The only difference I see between mine and Marc's is that mine has that "accessible" part at the end.

Re: Help Menu

Stress Co_ — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 07:49:41 GMT

Thanks Laszlo, still not working (on Mac OS).

I wish GS would have stayed consistent with previous versions,
where ArchiCAD Help linked to the "User Manual".

Put the "Help Center" Link in the WWWLinks folder (where it belongs, IMHO).

Re: Help Menu

Stress Co_ — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 05:45:45 GMT

Stress wrote:
I wish GS would have stayed consistent with previous versions, where ArchiCAD Help linked to the "User Manual".

New to AC18 is "Archicad Help Center Options".

Allows you to chose whether to have the Help (pull-down menu)> ArchiCAD Help
open the local copy of the "User Manual" or to open online "Help Center".

I've set mine to open the "User Manual" and added a "Help Center" link to the WWWLinks folder.
Gets rid of the Shortcut on the desktop.

Re: Help Menu

Karl Ottenstein — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:09:30 GMT

Stress wrote:
New to AC18 is "Archicad Help Center Options".

Great find, Marc! But, I can't seem to find where to bring up the options dialog that you show in your screenshot... Where is it hidden?

Re: Help Menu

Stress Co_ — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:21:10 GMT

Funny that. It doesn't exist anywhere until you add it.
I put it in my Help Pull down menu.

Look in Work Environment under "All new Commands".
It's listed as "Archicad Help Center Options"

Re: Help Menu

Karl Ottenstein — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 21:50:04 GMT

Stress wrote:
Funny that. It doesn't exist anywhere until you add it.
I put it in my Help Pull down menu.

Look in Work Environment under "All new Commands".
It's listed as "Archicad Help Center Options"

Man. Thanks, Marc! I had not customized my menus yet, assuming that all new commands would be in the delivered "Standard" menu scheme. Obviously not.

When I didn't see the command, I foolishly thought that it would be in the "Help" group with commands 'grouped by theme' ... but as the attached shows, for some reason GS put this command in the YouTube Channel add-on. Go figure.

Displaying just "All new commands" as you did seems the way to go for updated WE...

Thanks again!

Re: Help Menu

Stress Co_ — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 23:39:23 GMT

Karl wrote:
... but as the attached shows, for some reason GS put this command in the YouTube Channel add-on.

Seems like a mistake.
Speaking of the YouTube Channel... I get stuck at the attached screen.

Force "? ARCHICAD Help" to open in Chrome from the Help Menu??

Stress Co_ — Sat, 13 Apr 2019 03:11:35 GMT

For some reason, after migrating to Mojave, I've lost
the ability to open "? ARCHICAD Help" from the Help Menu.
In the previous OS... it wouldn't open in the Safari browser,
so I set the file to open in Chrome.

With Mojave, the file opens correctly (in Chrome) if I open the file from within
the Help folder... but from the Archicad Help menu... it keeps trying to
open in Safari and I get a "Safari Can't open the page" message.

Any thoughts?

Re: Help Menu

Karl Ottenstein — Sat, 13 Apr 2019 22:51:29 GMT

Hi Marc,

There are all kinds of file types etc that are associated with the browser, so the old Get Info method of changing the file association shown in your screenshot doesn't work...without a lot more work.

Easiest thing - if you're willing to let Chrome be your default browser, is to use the system Preferences to change the default. Screenshot attached.

Cheers,
Karl

Re: Help Menu

Stress Co_ — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 18:27:11 GMT

Thank you Karl.
That worked. The ONLY reason I've preferred Safari over
Chrome, is it's simplicity of sharing links via email.

Just found a Chrome extension that does the same.