Shift key doesn't constrain cursor

[Anonymous]

Problem with ArchiCad 10 on a desktop Mac, running Mojave 10.14.6. No one seems to be able to solve this problem.

ArchiCAD was working fine until last week. No new programs or other changes have been made to the desktop machine. Problems are with any .pln of any project. My laptop Mac, running the same 10.14.6, and ArchiCad 10, has no problem with any of the files.

The problem is the Shift key fails to restrain the cursor when drawing a line, wall or whatever. As a consequence, I can't start drawing a line, hold the Shift key to restrain the direction of the line, and then use the cursor to reference a distant point. The Shift key has no effect.

In addition, it is not possible to move the project origin using the key pad (Shift, Option).

I have tried resetting the "Work Environment" by importing the Work Environment from my laptop. No effect, I have also tried downloading an entirely new ArchiCad 10. But that shows the "Work Environment" of the previous systems, including that imported from my laptop. Is information stored somewhere outside of ArchiCad?

I am 77 and retired, working on small modifications to previous projects. Hence I cannot spend $$$$$$$ on the current ArchiCad systems. But I DO need to get into (and manipulate) old projects.

Can anyone help with this?

[Lingwisyer]

Were Snap Guides a thing back in AC10? Are they on? They are the only thing I can ever get any sort of axial snap to...



Ling.

[Barry Kelly]

Archicad 10 was a long time ago (15 years?).
I am not surprised it is not working on current software.

There were no 'snap guides' in 10 (Guide lines - yes), but the SHIFT key certainly did constrain the cursor.

Check your Work Environment and look for the Input Constraints.
You may have them turned off.
This image is from 24, but there should be something similar in 10 (from memory).


If that is not it then maybe it is the SHIFT key is not working.
Either a bad keyboard, or there is some other program high-jacking the SHIFT key (don't ask me what it would be).
If you drag a copy of something with CTRL+SHIFT+D keyboard shortcut - does that work?


Barry.

[Erwin Edel]

You could try running it in compatibility mode for windows 7. For this right click the archicad 10 executable and go to properties and find the compatibility tab.

I have a Dutch version of windows so can't show you any useful screen shots for this.

[runxel]

Erwin wrote:
You could try running it in compatibility mode for windows 7. For this right click the archicad 10 executable and go to properties and find the compatibility tab.

He's running mac, tho

I think you're out of luck, my friend! ...
Mac updates kill a lot of software regularly.

[Karl Ottenstein]

FNoyes,

I fired up an old laptop running MacOS 10.11.6 El Capitan and installed the ARCHICAD 10 converter package so I could see what might be the issue here. AC 10 is 32 bit so can't run on the most recent versions of MacOS.

Like Barry said, the setting is in the Work Environment, although back then that panel was called "Mouse Constraints and Methods". See attached AC 10 screenshot and be sure that the boxes are checked as shown. If they are, try both of your shift keys - there might be a physical problem with one of them since it sounds like you're using old hardware as well as old software?



If that doesn't resolve the issue on your desktop system, you may need to delete all ARCHICAD preferences from your desktop Mac (when ARCHICAD is not running) and then re-launch (preferences will be re-created).

Go to ~/Library (your user library folder) in Finder ... use the Go to Folder command.

Open the Preferences folder.

Delete all files that start with "com.graphisoft."

Restart ARCHICAD 10, check the mouse constraint settings in the Work Environment and test the shift key(s).

Karl

[Karl Ottenstein]

FNoyes wrote:
In addition, it is not possible to move the project origin using the key pad (Shift, Option).

No problem with shift-option on 10.11.6 and ARCHICAD 10. Hope none of this is Mojave, but it could be... as ARCHICAD 10 is 15 years old. The only other thing I can think of is that you have some Accessibility feature (System Preferences) turned on which is altering the way that modifier keys work (Sticky Keys for example).

Just a reminder, that lacking the shift-option keys working, the first button in the Coordinates palette has almost the same function. Click the button, the click where you want the temporary origin to be. Double clicking the button in the Coordinates Palette resets the origin to the true origin.

[Erwin Edel]

runxel wrote:

Erwin wrote:
You could try running it in compatibility mode for windows 7. For this right click the archicad 10 executable and go to properties and find the compatibility tab.

He's running mac, tho

I think you're out of luck, my friend! ...
Mac updates kill a lot of software regularly.

Yes, I read AC10 and that somehow warped to WIN10...

[David Maudlin]

Karl wrote:
No problem with shift-option on 10.11.6 and ARCHICAD 10. Hope none of this is Mojave, but it could be... as ARCHICAD 10 is 15 years old.

FWIW, I can run AC10 on my MacBook Pro running Mojave (10.14), it is 10.15 that breaks a lot of older software. I am not seeing the problems the original poster described.

David

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for looking into my shift key "problem." Unfortunately, looking carefully in all your suggestions, the problem still exists. My shift key works just fine with other programs (e.g Word), and my hardware isn't that old (late '13).

Investigating on Barry's advice to test other functions, the shift key doesn't work on any of the ArchiCad functions: Ctr + Option (setting the origin); Shift + Cmd + D (dragging a copy); Shift (to select when not in arrow tool). So something is universally disabling the shift key within ArhiCad10 (and only within ArchiCad).

I notice that, even when I open a newly downloaded version of ArchiCad 10, it still has the extra work environment "profiles" from the old ArchiCad version. In that, I had imported the profile from my working laptop version. How could this new version of ArchiCad know see the extra profile unless the profile--or a reference to it-- it being held somewhere outside of ArchiCad...in some hidden file. Following Karl's advice, I did trash all the com.graphisoft files in the ~/Library/Preferences file.

My only thought is to now completely uninstall ArchiCad10 (presumably with all its hidden files) and then reinstall. There is no "uninstall" file within the Graphisoft Application file, and simply dragging ArchiCad to the trash will likely leave some hidden files. Does anyone know of a program which will completely uninstall ArchiCad10 (or how else to go about removing it?)

Thanks again for all your previous suggestions. Great that there's such help and knowledge in this community!

Fred