ArchiCAD 19 Issue with Coordinate Inputs for Polylines

[Anonymous]

Haven't seen this grievance aired yet... When extending a polyline through coordinate input and you input a value to extend the polyline length say an additional 2'-0" for example, the polyline defaults to 2'-0" overall length rather than the original length plus the 2'-0". This is a bug that came up in ArchiCAD 15 — see http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=37010&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0 and was solved through subsequent Hotfix.

As a work around you used to be able to set the User Origin to the end of the polyline and input a radius dimension to extend the polyline the additional distance but this doesn't appear to work either. Interim solution is to deconstruct the polyline thru Linework Consolidation to a regular line segment, or draw additional construction / guidelines to take advantage of the Adjust command. Both are highly inconvenient.

[Barry Kelly]

I am not seeing this problem - maybe it is a Mac thing?

When I drag the end node of a polyline the user origin automatically snaps to the end point I am dragging from so the distance in the tracker is set from that point.
Doesn't matter if I am moving the node or adding a new segment.
Even if I turn the tracker off and use the radius in the co-ordinates palette that radius is measured from the end of the polyline.

Barry.

[Anonymous]

It could also be what buttons I am pushing too — I just discovered something curious. If I hold down the 'Shift' key, which on my computer keeps the line snapped orthogonally to axis I have the issue. If I release the 'Shift' key, set the User Origin to the end of the line, and then freely enter an increment distance without holding down the 'Shift' key it works fine! Of course when I do the exact same sequence of commands on a line next to a polyline I get different results.

Re: Tracker input — I typically keep mine hidden but I turned it on and found the same rules apply above as to my Coordinates palette.

I will really have to retrain myself not to hold down the 'Shift' key if this is the only solution. Holding the 'Shift' key is a common CAD drafting habit to make sure your line is snapping to ortho and not straying ever so slightly off into netherspace at a skewed angle. I know the guidelines and constraints kind of help do the same thing with the magnetic-like snapping feature but I have real problems trusting this. Anyone else with me here?

[Bill]

Dirty Goat,

Have you tried toggling the Absolute/Relative button in the Coordinates Palette? When I do so, it switches back and forth between the two conditions you describe.

Hope that helps,

Bill

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Bill. I'm scared of the Absolute/Relative buttons because I never learned how the two buttons are supposed to work with each other. Once I get the settings the way I want I don't mess with success!

However, your suggestion did make a difference. By toggling both Absolute/Relative buttons to the off position in the Coordinates Palette I was able to stretch the polyline a set increment in the fashion I have been accustomed to. Unfortunately though this toggled off mode has now reversed the input settings for all other linear elements such as lines, walls, beams, and splines — once again adjusting the overall length of these to the new input value. Shouldn't polylines be on the same wavelength as all their other one-dimensional friends? Or why did it suddenly decide to go rogue?

Even weirder I just noticed that the polyline responds differently to the inputs depending on which end node you try to adjust! This is a simple polyline segment with no curves, no intermediate nodes, or other fancy maneuvers. What gives?

[Katalin Borszeki]

Hi all,
The phenomenon mentioned by DirtyGoat is "by design" program mechanics. The stretching of single elements, like a line, a single wall or beam is displayed with their whole length, while the pet palette displays the stretching length
in case of polylines or a series of walls/beams OR series of lines.
Note! Both cases above are true if you do not hold down the SHIFT key. If you hold the SHIFT the function is switched.
Tx

[Anonymous]

I can retrain myself with the SHIFT key if this is the way the program is designed. However, are polylines really supposed to be on an opposite absolute/relative mode from their other linear brethren such as lines, walls, beams, and splines? That is throwing me off a bit. Also, the SHIFT key trick only appears to switch the function on one node of a polyline segment while the opposite end does not respond.

I just updated to the ArchiCAD 19, 4013 build today.