topic Re: Spell Checker on the MAC in Modeling

Spell Checker on the MAC

rgarand — Fri, 01 Oct 2004 19:22:33 GMT

Can anyone here help me with the spell checker in ArchiCAD 8.1 build 2275 on the MAC.

We do as the manual tells us...but we are not able to select the MS Spellchecker. I have done a search on the list...but came up with a few posts but no solution.

TIA

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Oct 2004 20:29:04 GMT

Try this from US Tech Support:

4/10/2003: 4.0.2 (new version) will NOT work with AC 8. Excalibur 4.0 can be found at
http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~excalibr/excaldload.html

workaround:
spellchecking on OS X works using Word Services with the native Excalibur [freeware] 4.0!

Download it from the above mentioned page, and place it where you like.

In ArchiCAD, go to Tools/Spell Checker, and choose Word Services [second choice from the bottom].

Now go to Tools/Spell Checker, and choose Open Spell Checker.

Spellchecker will now ask you to show the spellchecker. Point to the Excalibur using the browser dialog.

Spellchecker will now use Excalibur to check spelling in ArchiCAD.

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Dwight — Sat, 02 Oct 2004 00:10:00 GMT

Did you get 9 yet?

This is not a feature I use, never making spalling mistakes, but it is different in 9 - "languages and dictionaries" is grey....

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Anonymous — Sat, 02 Oct 2004 00:30:47 GMT

Got 9 yesterday. Very pretty box. Probally won't install it until next week sometime (steel-like resolve and self-control).
However, "languages and dictionaries" is greyed out in 8.1 as well but the Excalibur spalling cheeker seems to work at a basic level.
Can't add words to the dictionary, checks numbers, etc.

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

__archiben — Sat, 02 Oct 2004 08:39:58 GMT

i've had the spell-checker working just fine and dandy-oh with AC9.

for 8.1, yes, you do have to install excalibur and then i think there were a few problems getting it working OK . . .

~/archiben

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Brad Elliott — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 16:37:59 GMT

Ben,
How did you get the spell checker working with AC9?

I have word installed so started with that and got the error "can not initialize word services" I then selected system which I would actually prefer to use and I get the same error. But now after having quit the application and restarted it I can't choose between services and still get the error.

I would really love to get this working. The manual makes it sound like it should easily use the system services.

Signature soon to be corrected.

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 19:26:49 GMT

Brad wrote:
How did you get the spell checker working with AC9?

This probably isn't much help, but the spell checker in 9 works for me without any special effort. I just select it in the menu and it checks the text. Very quick and easy.

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Aussie John — Fri, 08 Oct 2004 04:40:44 GMT

not having v9 is hard to comment on spell checking but I'd like to see archicad using the System wide spell checking feature of OSX.
Control click on a suspect word to see a list of possible spellings.

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

__archiben — Fri, 08 Oct 2004 14:19:12 GMT

Brad wrote:
I have word installed so started with that and got the error "can not initialize word services" I then selected system which I would actually prefer to use and I get the same error. But now after having quit the application and restarted it I can't choose between services and still get the error.

"word" (the MS variant) and "word services" are two different things on the mac: 'word services' are the system's dictionary/etc resources that can be tapped into by any open application.

using the MS word option (which i think was available from AC8) never worked on a MAC, but as far as i'm aware used your MS word and custom dictionaries on a PC.

like matthew, there was no extra effort using it straight from the menu. it uses the system dictionary just fine.

unfortunately for aussie john it doesn't have the full word service with regard to spelling correction with the right-click. we'd all have wobbly red lines all over our screen, eh?

~/archiben

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Brad Elliott — Fri, 08 Oct 2004 17:54:23 GMT

Drat! I guess I'll try deleting preferences and if that doesn't work a reinstall.

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Oct 2004 20:27:25 GMT

In case this issue has not been solved...
I found that the menu items "Word Services" and "System" under the "Tools/Spell Checker" menu did not appear in the menu scheme shipped with the US version of ArchiCAD. So on my Mac I was not presented with the option to switch my spell checker setup causing the dreaded "can not initialize word services" error.
You have to go to "Work Environment" and add these items to your menu scheme. See attached screen shot.
Hope this helps.

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Brad Elliott — Thu, 04 Nov 2004 17:27:16 GMT

Thanks for the tip however I still don't get those options. Here is my image.

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Nov 2004 17:41:28 GMT

Yeah this dialog is unnecessarily complex.
Try this:
On the right hand column called "Build or edit this menu", double click on "Tools" and then on "Spell Checker". This will show your three current spelling menu items.
On the left column called "Application commands and menus" the pull down menu should have more options available, change to "All commands by theme".
Expand "14 Add-Ons" and then "Spell Check" and then "Spell Checker".
The additional menu items should be available for you to add.

Note the settings at the top of both columns on my previous image.
Hope that works. (They could have made it a little easier. I spent way too much time figuring this one out.)

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Brad Elliott — Fri, 05 Nov 2004 23:35:29 GMT

That worked. Man that must have been brutal to figure out. ArchiCAD tech support couldn't help me with this one. Thanks a lot.

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

TomWaltz — Mon, 24 Jan 2005 20:08:36 GMT

It seems as though the AC9 is using the Apple system dictionary correctly. That being the case, does that mean that users cannot "Add" words to their dictionary?

For some reason, the "Languages and Dictionaries" tab on ours is grayed out. Is there a setting I'm missing somewhere?

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Aussie John — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 10:23:39 GMT

Im sure you can add words in the window which shows the suspect word

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

TomWaltz — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 11:27:33 GMT

Nope. Clicking "Add" then running Spell check again, the same word gets flagged. 100% of the time, on every computer I tried, signed in as a dozen different users.

Re: Spell Checker on the MAC

Aussie John — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:18:40 GMT

You are right Tom looks like you need to add words in another application (eg safari)