topic Re: Tracker in 10 in Modeling

Tracker in 10

David Collins — Tue, 30 May 2006 06:04:22 GMT

quoting from a thread on the new align tool

Matthew wrote:
.... But I still haven't given up the control and coordinates palettes, and I not sure that I will any time soon. They still do things that I haven't found substitutes for in the guidelines and tracker.

I'm puzzling over this myself. I thought the point of the tracker was to eliminate the coordinate box. I'm for anything that reduces the stuff on the screen to a minimum. I've found shortcuts for most of the other things on the coordinate box, but it seems the only way to switch from absolute to relative coordinates in the tracker is to go deep into Work Environment menus and uncheck a box. That's a deal killer for me. So I've kept the coordinate box, but then why have the tracker? Is there a shortcut I'm missing here?

Re: Tracker in 10

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2006 06:24:38 GMT

AFAIK you are right. The tracker is still not a full replacement for the coordinates palette. If it really could do all the same things only easier, I would be happy to switch, but as I said I'm keeping the coordinates palette for now. What I'm not sure of yet is whether the two can peacefully coexist.

Re: Tracker in 10

David Maudlin — Tue, 30 May 2006 13:56:02 GMT

David wrote:
I thought the point of the tracker was to eliminate the coordinate box.

David:

I have kept both. I still use the Coordinates palettes for checking measurements by moving the origin (the Measure tool didn't seem to simplify this function). With the Tracker, I like being able to see the X, Y, A and R information where I am working on screen, rather than looking down to the Coordinates palettes as I type in dimensions. And since I have also kept the Control palette, having both in line at the bottom of the screen doesn't give up much real estate.

My 2 cents.

David

Re: Tracker in 10

Chazz — Tue, 30 May 2006 17:16:00 GMT

Agreed. Both are useful and neither replaces the other. I find this software almost unusable on a single screen. I use AC on my laptop a little but it's not a place I'd want to do serious work.

Re: Tracker in 10

David Collins — Tue, 30 May 2006 17:26:01 GMT

David wrote:
but it seems the only way to switch from absolute to relative coordinates in the tracker is to go deep into Work Environment menus

FWIW, I've just found a keyboard shortcut that toggles the tracker between absolute and relative coordinates. In the keyboard shortcuts menu, put the available commands in alphabetical order and look for "Relative coordinates in tracker."

Re: Tracker in 10

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2006 20:31:18 GMT

David wrote:
FWIW, I've just found a keyboard shortcut that toggles the tracker between absolute and relative coordinates. In the keyboard shortcuts menu, put the available commands in alphabetical order and look for "Relative coordinates in tracker."

......or you could have just told everyone what it was.....

(p.s. I don't know, 10 arrives June 12 here).

Re: Tracker in 10

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2006 20:45:36 GMT

s2art wrote:
David wrote:
FWIW, I've just found a keyboard shortcut that toggles the tracker between absolute and relative coordinates. In the keyboard shortcuts menu, put the available commands in alphabetical order and look for "Relative coordinates in tracker."
......or you could have just told everyone what it was.....

(p.s. I don't know, 10 arrives June 12 here).

It doesn't have one by default. You have to do it yourself.

Re: Tracker in 10

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2006 21:57:41 GMT

Sorry, thought that when he said he "found" one, it was existing, not that he created it himself.

Re: Tracker in 10

Anonymous — Wed, 31 May 2006 04:47:31 GMT

Matthew wrote:
AFAIK you are right. The tracker is still not a full replacement for the coordinates palette. If it really could do all the same things only easier, I would be happy to switch, but as I said I'm keeping the coordinates palette for now. What I'm not sure of yet is whether the two can peacefully coexist.

I had some funny issues when using surveyor units and the tracker was incorrectly entering the angles. I had to physically click in the coordinates box to get the angles entered correctly. I need to do some mores testing to see if it is a persistent problem...

Re: Tracker in 10

SeaGeoff — Wed, 31 May 2006 20:29:25 GMT

For me the sweet spot is keeping both open and setting them to be complimentary. Set the tracker options to be relative, no direct input (evil!), no labels (smaller), and on for editing only (not always on, which is annoying). Do not select the coordinate shortcuts prefer tracker option, so x,y,r,a go to the coordinates box as always. Set the Coordinates box to Absolute. Now both relative and absolute values can be used at any time. Use the traditional shortcuts to enter absolute (coordinate box) values, use the Tab key to enter relative (tracker) values.

Another notable difference is the way coordinate lock works. For example, opt-r locks the length of a new wall to the r field value. But hitting the little target in the Tracker places a guide line.

Re: Tracker in 10

Link — Wed, 31 May 2006 22:42:02 GMT

I had some funny issues when using surveyor units and the tracker was incorrectly entering the angles. I had to physically click in the coordinates box to get the angles entered correctly. I need to do some mores testing to see if it is a persistent problem...

Not sure if it's the same thing, but there's a problem in that if you hit A to enter the Angle setting, then want to hit D for distance, you will start entering degrees as part of the angle instead. I guess the trick is to use R to get to Distance, but it's a bit wishy-washy.

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Tracker in 10

David Collins — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 07:09:32 GMT

Well, I tried, god knows I tried, but I've finally decided to reinstate the coordinate box and relegate the tracker to my rarely needed toolbar of cheap tricks. It just wasn't working out.

Now... about those guidelines. At first I thought it was cool that the ArchiCAD screen looked like the guy from "A Beautiful Mind" working out a mathematics problem. But, the thrill is gone. I want you back, control box. Can you ever forgive me?

Re: Tracker in 10

Rod Jurich — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 09:55:25 GMT

David wrote:
Well, I tried, god knows I tried, but I've finally decided to reinstate the coordinate box and relegate the tracker to my rarely needed toolbar of cheap tricks. It just wasn't working out.

Now... about those guidelines. At first I thought it was cool that the ArchiCAD screen looked like the guy from "A Beautiful Mind" working out a mathematics problem. But, the thrill is gone. I want you back, control box. Can you ever forgive me?

Well put, totally agree although my coordinate box never left the screen.
New toys for new users!!

Re: Tracker in 10

__archiben — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 22:31:58 GMT

David wrote:
cheap tricks.

Rod wrote:
New toys for new users!!

amen. all flash and no bang. let's hope that graphisoft now develop the 'pro' tracker - effectively the co-ordinate box on wheels - with relative/absolute toggles and containing only cartesian and polar co-ordinate value names along with object editable parameters when necessary. no "length this way", "length that way", "distance" values etc . .

David wrote:
Now... about those guidelines. At first I thought it was cool that the ArchiCAD screen looked like the guy from "A Beautiful Mind" working out a mathematics problem. But, the thrill is gone. I want you back, control box. Can you ever forgive me?

i think guide lines are about the only useful new addition to the archicad on-screen experience in 10 - and only then occasionally! i have them set to show only after 100 seconds (the max value) but have a single key shortcut to activate them when I want them. there's something funny (bug?) going on with the 'display next guide line group' command when used this way, but i can sort of get it to do what i want . . .

the guys in the office have turned it all off (with no influence from me graphisoft! where's that bottle of something strong? ) because they miss the user angle constraint too much.

pre-selection highlight? don't even get me started . . .

~/archiben

Re: Tracker in 10

James Murray — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 13:44:32 GMT

~/archiben wrote:
archicad on-screen experience in 10

On: Guides, tracker (on-demand, + unless it's bugging me), Coordinate box, Control box, surface selection highlight.

Off: Preselection , contour selection highlight , info tag , measure tool .

Re: Tracker in 10

TomWaltz — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 14:22:00 GMT

I thought Tracker was useless the first time I saw it. I played with it, tried it, forced myself to use it.... and I eventually decided I was right to begin with and turned it off.

I always show it to people when teaching AC10 and try to show its features. I have yet to see anyone use it.

Re: Tracker in 10

Brad Elliott — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 15:49:46 GMT

Ben,
How did they get the user angle constraint back? I miss it so...

But I do like the pre-selection highlight. I'm afraid to get you started though.

I had the tracker on but during a Graphisoft recommended reset had it accidently default to off and didn't miss it for days. I never did turn it back on. Any supporters out there?

James, Other than pre-selection highlight my settings are the same as yours.

Re: Tracker in 10

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 18:19:20 GMT

I cannot work without tracker!
Every thing must be tracked, in x and in y.
Tracker is very nice tool.

Re: Tracker in 10

TomWaltz — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 18:26:21 GMT

The coordinate box does the same thing.

Re: Tracker in 10

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 19:13:14 GMT

If I calculate with my calculator, I dont need to see up and down.
I see directly the numbers what I tipe, and exactly there where I draw.
This ist right function of tracker.