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Modeling
About Archicad's design tools, element connections, modeling concepts, etc.

Work Environments -AC17

Tom Krowka
Booster
Am about to open AC17. If I import work environments from AC 16 (toolbars especially) will I have the AC 17 menus. I recall from previous updates that work environments have to be recreated each version. Has this ever been resolved?

Thanks tom
Tom Krowka Architect
Windows 11, AC Version 26
Thomas@wkarchwk.com
www.walshkrowka.com
12 REPLIES 12
Rick Thompson
Expert
You can, but you don't need to. You should however add the new commands/menus etc you would be using. You can list all the new functions in alphabetical order so you don't miss any. I always add to my WE rather than start over. A lot easier for me.
Rick Thompson
Mac Sonoma AC 26
http://www.thompsonplans.com
Mac M2 studio w/ display
Tom Krowka
Booster
The way I understand the process is that if you import the old work environment, AC uses the old version menus and you don't have access to the new features in AC 17. In other words, you don't full functionality of AC 17.
Tom Krowka Architect
Windows 11, AC Version 26
Thomas@wkarchwk.com
www.walshkrowka.com
Rick Thompson
Expert
That is correct, but I find it easier to manually add the new features rather than rebuild from scratch. There are actually a few inconsistencies in the current WE that want allow you to add a few things I use. Go figure. They know them as bugs, but they are very low on the priority list. An example is the Element listing functions. You can't add the screen shot attached currently the way it was in past. I always find the WE messed up to some point every release.

I am not at all saying this way is best for everyone, I don't know, but for me is is far easier than rebuilding the whole thing from scratch, but my set up is nothing like the standard supplied structures, your milage my differ:)
Rick Thompson
Mac Sonoma AC 26
http://www.thompsonplans.com
Mac M2 studio w/ display
Anonymous
Not applicable
I wish they would just separate the menus from the toolbars in the WE. I never customize the menus but do like custom toolbars. This creates a completely unnecessary hassle for me on every upgrade which due to the nature of my work I don't always bother to fix to my satisfaction. GRRRRR.
Tom Krowka
Booster
Exactly!
Tom Krowka Architect
Windows 11, AC Version 26
Thomas@wkarchwk.com
www.walshkrowka.com
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
+1 to Matthew's comment (separate toolbars from menus)
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
Eduardo Rolon
Moderator
+1
Eduardo Rolón AIA NCARB
AC27 US/INT -> AC08

Macbook Pro M1 Max 64GB ram, OS X 10.XX latest
another Moderator

Stress Co_
Advisor
Matthew wrote:
I wish they would just separate the menus from the toolbars in the WE.
+1... If this were a Wish, I'd vote essential (having just redone my toolbars in AC17).
Marc Corney, Architect
Red Canoe Architecture, P. A.

Mac OS 10.15.7 (Catalina) //// Mac OS 14.2.1 (Sonoma)
Processor: 3.6 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9 //// Apple M2 Max
Memory: 48 GB 2667 MHz DDR4 //// 32 GB
Graphics: Radeon Pro 580X 8GB //// 12C CPU, 30C GPU
ArchiCAD 25 (5010 USA Full) //// ArchiCAD 27 (4030 USA Full)
Barry Kelly
Moderator
When a new version arrives I open two copies.
One with the out of the box standard Work Environment and one with my customised WE from the previous version.
Then I go through and compare the two adding new features to my custom WE that I think I might use.
Also check through all of the new commands as previously mentioned.
Then save this as a new customise 17 WE.

My custom WE doesn't differ hugely from the standard one so this work pretty well.
If there is a big difference you might want to just look at the new commands and add what you need.

It is easiest if you can have two machines running side by side or I guess two monitors would work as well.
One screen works fine - just a lot of back and forth from one to the other program.
Minimising and arranging the dialogue boxes on screen can help the process on a single screen.
Barry.
One of the forum moderators.
Versions 6.5 to 27
Dell XPS- i7-6700 @ 3.4Ghz, 16GB ram, GeForce GTX 960 (2GB), Windows 10
Lenovo Thinkpad - i7-1270P 2.20 GHz, 32GB RAM, Nvidia T550, Windows 11
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