Guys,
I'm so glad this isn't just me! (In AC12)
Bier.. Yeah, I'd love to be able to put views from external .pln's into a project, but they don't display. I've seen other folks mention similar issues with PMK's, but not with hotlinks from external files ("views" - see below). After doing a lot of research on the forum this evening, I see people having a host of problems related to the layouts and how they interface with the model, external files, different file types, disappearing masters, etc. Not meaning to hijack this thread, but I'll give my litany of 'issues' with AC12...
1. Disappearing master layouts. Yep... totally random, pain to fix. Especially when I need to send PDF sets out overnight for printing in the AM. I've done ONE project on AC12. This problem is the MAIN reason I haven't done more... I CAN NOT have this type of unpredictable behavior going on, PERIOD. Apparently, it's still unresolved, right? In the meantime, I'm still using AC9 and PM 3.1.
2. I've tried placing views from external PLN's, and they don't display. It puts in the hotspots for the view (not at the right size), but there's no bounding box and no content.. no matter how I set the drawing's preview options. I wish this worked, as I like to keep my layouts seperate from my model.. like the old days... Which brings us to...
3. HUGE file size. I do high-end residential, and it's not unusual for our projects to have 40 sheets and a couple hundred details, coupled with a Tuscan style building of 8,000 SF and curly trims, guardrail pickets, corbels and Corinthian columns all over the place... and modelled pan-and-barrell tile roofs. As a matter of fact, on some houses I have a seperate layout book just for the interior design drawings... every wall of every room, every outlet plate, dentil mouldings, custom GDL doors and door hardware, everything. The buildings are modeled down to the sticks... about the only thing we don't model are the studs. In AC9, this is no problem. In 12, by the time we get to our required level of detail, the files move like mollasses. If I could deal with issue #2, that might solve the problem... seperate files for the model and the layout book. Call me a Luddite if you want, but SPEED is king... I get paid dearly... and hourly. Speed is part of what makes my shop competitive, and justifies my hourly rate. I work for four or five different principals, so they DON'T understand when problems on some other guy's project are slowing THEIR project down.
4. Snapping to the drawing in layout mode. I wish I could tell AC12 to NOT snap to the placed drawing elements in layout mode. On buildings with tile roofs, The computer is brought to it's knees searching for snap points on spanish tile roofs if I happen to brush over one with the cursor. We do all our keynote annotation in the layout book, and doing leaders is a pain when the cursor is trying to snap to everything in sight. The old Plotmaker didn't do that. Don't know why they changed that... or at least made it switchable.
5. 3D editing. I used to be able to select multiple elements and vertical stretch them all simultaneously. AC12 doesn't allow me to do that. Maybe I've got something set up incorrectly? I do about half my work in the 3D window... which, by the way, 'moves' much slower than in AC9. In AC9, my cursor never 'drags' or 'thinks to hard', if you get my meaning. In AC12, my brain quickly outruns the software.
6. And finally, the right-click screen menu. They put all the basic editing commands in a subheading called 'Move', instead of in the first page of the menu. I use the right click method all the time... it's a hard habit to break, and I'd rather not if I could just get Drag, Drag A Copy, etc. on the first page of that menu. WHY did they change this!!!???!!! OR... make it user-changeable (It's not, far as I can tell... And I tried HARD)
I'm still running AC9 / PM 3.1, but I'm concerned that I'll have problems when I move over to my new machine. It'll be Win XP, but this time 64 bit. I'm concerned about problems, especially with the PDF output... I've seen discussion here that Amyuni doesn't like 64 bit systems. I take delivery of my new machine next week... we'll see what happens. My bottom line is this... AC12 feels like bloatware. I love it's enhanced 3D output options, but other than that, it's aggravating at best. I need a NASCAR, not a Cadillac Seville. Just my observations, FWIW. I'd just assume spend the rest of my life running AC9, but that may not be an option, I know, due to incompatibility with later hardware.
Sorry to ramble... I'll watch for further developments. This whole thing really harshes my buzz... I wish I could go to 12 with a smile, but it's too slow and editing too restrictive. I'll try again on the new platform and see if I can make the leap.
