topic Re: Length Label updating intermittantly. in Documentation

Length Label updating intermittantly.

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 13:56:46 GMT

I've just been playing around with automatic labelling. It is not something I've really looked at before so I may have missed something! I'm also using AC11 with the latest patch.

I've labelled a beam created using the beam tool, with the beam label set to show X,Y and Z dimensions. It displays fine when I first set it. The problems occur if I stretch the length - it doesn't always update properly!

This probably happens over 50% of the time, and could be a big problem if you don't spot it. Interestingly this only occurs if you resize the beam in the same axis. If you stretch it so it forms an angle, it updates correctly. The label will also update correctly if you modify the labels position slightly on plan. Neither of these solutions qualify the usage as 'automatic'!

Hopefully the image below will illustrate the problem. The top beam is the original length and displays correctly. The middle one has been stretched but has not updated . The bottom one randomly decided to update after half a dozen resizes!

I have also had a play with this in AC12 and it seems to work correctly for some reason, so maybe it's AC11 specific. The code looks identical. Hopefully I'm doing something wrong as this could be really useful otherwise!

Does this work correctly for other people?

Re: Length Label updating intermittantly.

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 02:40:51 GMT

I get similar behavior to you, Peter. When I stretch the beam the label does not update. If I stretch twice, then undo once, it does update, however.

AC 11 also.

Peculiar.

Re: Length Label updating intermittantly.

Erika Epstein — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 02:48:36 GMT

OK. I'll bite. Where did you get the BEAM Label?
Is this only in the international library?

Re: Length Label updating intermittantly.

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 02:58:13 GMT

These are the default labels in the INT library. I will attach the beam label to my next post if you would like to try it!

Re: Length Label updating intermittantly.

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:02:12 GMT

Beam label attached.

Cheers!

And thanks for checking S2art. It is strange behavior indeed!

Re: Length Label updating intermittantly.

Erika Epstein — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:12:23 GMT

Thanks Peter.
Amazing; I can be jealous of tool that doesn't YET work properly.

Re: Length Label updating intermittently.

Link — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:18:10 GMT

The label updates perfectly for me here (AC12 2523 INT FULL), but I don't get the arrow.

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Length Label updating intermittently.

Anonymous — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:12:18 GMT

Link wrote:
The label updates perfectly for me here (AC12 2523 INT FULL), but I don't get the arrow.

Cheers,
Link.

The equivalent AC12 label works in 12 for me as well, so it seems this is AC11 behavior only.

To get the arrow to appear I had to uncheck 'use symbol arrow' in the symbol label settings!

Re: Length Label updating intermittently.

Link — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:26:50 GMT

Peter wrote:
The equivalent AC12 label works in 12 for me as well, so it seems this is AC11 behavior only.

Yes, I should have been more clear and said that your marker works fine for me in AC12, so it must be an AC11 issue, exclusively.

Peter wrote:
To get the arrow to appear I had to uncheck 'use symbol arrow' in the symbol label settings!

Shows how much I use that!

The Reference Guide does say this about the 'Use Symbol Arrow' checkbox:

Use the checkboxes to display the Symbol Label with its own internal color and/or arrow. Leave the boxes unchecked to use the color and arrowhead preferences defined in the Pointer panel.

So it does kinda make sense in a GS kind of way.

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Length Label updating intermittently.

Laszlo Nagy — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:09:30 GMT

Link wrote:
The Reference Guide does say this about the 'Use Symbol Arrow' checkbox:

Use the checkboxes to display the Symbol Label with its own internal color and/or arrow. Leave the boxes unchecked to use the color and arrowhead preferences defined in the Pointer panel.

So it does kinda make sense in a GS kind of way.

Cheers,
Link.

Yes, it is not clear enough. Actually, you can create your own Symbol Label in GDL which can be anything and is not necessarily an arrow. Then you can control with the symbol arrow checkbox whether to use the arrow put there by AC or the arrow or whatever else you defined in the script of the Label. The color checkbox lets you decide whether you want to use the color defined for the Label in the Settings Dialog or you want to define colors for you symbol arrow in the 2D Script of the Label and apply that. This is similar to what is available in the Object Dialogs.

I will let the guys at GS Publishing Department know about this.

Re: Length Label updating intermittently.

Link — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:40:38 GMT

laszlonagy wrote:
Yes, it is not clear enough. Actually, you can create your own Symbol Label in GDL which can be anything and is not necessarily an arrow. Then you can control with the symbol arrow checkbox whether to use the arrow put there by AC or the arrow or whatever else you defined in the script of the Label. The color checkbox lets you decide whether you want to use the color defined for the Label in the Settings Dialog or you want to define colors for you symbol arrow in the 2D Script of the Label and apply that. This is similar to what is available in the Object Dialogs.

Yeah, thanks for clearing that up Laci!

BTW Whenever I take a quick glance at your avatar, I see a python around your neck. Bad memories of a Thai wildlife 'sanctuary'.

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Length Label updating intermittently.

Laszlo Nagy — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:43:10 GMT

Link wrote:
Yeah, thanks for clearing that up Laci!

BTW Whenever I glance at you avatar, I see a python around your neck. Bad memories of a Thai wildlife 'sanctuary'.

Cheers,
Link.

You are welcome.

Well, sorry, I cannot much help about that snake thing.
I can only assure you it is not one.
Let us suppose it is the trunk of a nice baby elephant.
By the way, it is my winter jacket, it was cold when the picture was taken.

Re: Length Label updating intermittently.

Link — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:54:13 GMT

laszlonagy wrote:
Well, sorry, I cannot much help about that snake thing.
I can only assure you it is not one.
Let us suppose it is the trunk of a nice baby elephant.
By the way, it is my winter jacket, it was cold when the picture was taken.

I have a more fond memory of petting a baby elephant on the streets of Bangkok, so I'll stick with that.

And I have a jacket just like it from my time in Idaho. Maybe the python thing comes from finding a 6 footer in my dining room not so long ago (I have picture to prove it!). Anyway, I'll try and get over it!

Sorry to digress.

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Length Label updating intermittently.

Erika Epstein — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:29:51 GMT

Link wrote:
BTW Whenever I take a quick glance at your avatar, I see a python around your neck. Bad memories of a Thai wildlife 'sanctuary'.

Cheers,
Link.

I always think he has an astronaut suit on; the collar looks like its ready to accept the bubble-helmet.