AC11 no "Trace & Reference" palette

[Anonymous]

I loaded AC11 and there is no option in the Palettes for either the "Trace and Reference" or "Check Markers" tools. I went into the keyboard commands and found Trace and Reference but even when I hit the command nothing happens, nothing pops up. This is so odd because in my other office I've been using AC11 all year. I've never seen this happen.

I'm running it on an Intel Mac, but that's what I use both at home and at the other office.

[Anonymous]

Check your Work Environment settings. It may be set to emulate AC10, therefore commands and menus new in AC11 would not appear.

[Anonymous]

that did it! thank you! When I installed it asked if I wanted my AC10 work environment settings brought over and I said yes. I changed it to the standard palette and it all showed up. What an odd thing to remove features. Thanks again!

[TomWaltz]

dwyss wrote:
that did it! thank you! When I installed it asked if I wanted my AC10 work environment settings brought over and I said yes. I changed it to the standard palette and it all showed up. What an odd thing to remove features. Thanks again!

I really hate that install option. It's the "You don't REALLY want to use the new features, do you?" button.

[David Shorter]

Again Tom I'm 100% with you. Why would you have a button which actually HIDES the new features? Perhaps Graphisoft can tell us why?

[David Maudlin]

David:

I have carried my Work Environment forward from version to version, which is the most productive strategy for me, then added new features as I need and understand them. The drastic redesign of the standard Work Environment that Graphisoft introduced (with version 8?, 9?, I don't remember) didn't help, particularly as I don't upgrade all projects when a new version arrives (yearly now), so that going back and forth between 2 or 3 versions with differing Work Environments was just impossible (I tried this once). I think the warning is enough for those who wish to continue with their familiar Work Environment.

David

[Karl Ottenstein]

I hate the import option as well, since many users blindly use it. Like David Maudlin, I've also migrated my work environment forward from version to version, though.

When I first work with a new version, I use the standard work environment for initial testing / learning (or at least review) of all new features. Then, I import my prior version WE and customize it based on how I've seen GS manage the new features.

Something that was very frustrating about this migration in some prior versions - I think it was 11? - is that the "new commands" that are supposed to be listed in blue, so that you KNOW they are new and might consider adding them to your WE - included the new commands of the prior version as well. Made it painful to wade through.

Thankfully, in 12, the 'All new commands in alphabetical order' indeed lists only commands new to 12, making it much easier to update WE from 11. (Those skipping a version will have more of a challenge.) I usually go through the list of new commands, All commands by theme (to find where each blue/new command fits according to GS), and sometimes the standard menu scheme, again to see GS's intent to see if I agree or not.

Generally, I put things where GS recommends, so that it matches the help file/etc, but the 3DS Import, just makes no sense in the Design > Design Extras menu and I put it in the File > Libraries and Objects menu.

Cheers,
Karl

[David Shorter]

Without wishing to prolong this discussion I think that the simple solution would be to make the OTHER option the default, so that the user has to make a conscious decision to bring the old environment through to the new version rather than clicking through the defaults and ending up with none of the new commands. This is a simple solution which would cure 99% of the issues surrounding the migration from the previous version.

[Anonymous]

Where is the setting in the work environment to get the new menues to load. I have a work enviroment from AC10 and I am trying to get AC12 running.

Thanks
John

[Anonymous]

camp20 wrote:
Where is the setting in the work environment to get the new menues to load. I have a work enviroment from AC10 and I am trying to get AC12 running.

Hi John,

I'd recommend starting with the default AC12 work environment and manually rearranging it in a similar way to how you had it AC10. Any new commands introduced in both AC11 and AC12 should then be roughly in the right place, or at least you can see where they should be!

Even though new commands for each release are highlighted in blue, you would also have to locate the new-in-AC11 commands manually which could be a pain.

It might help to have AC10 and AC12 open at the same time, then you can manually compare and adjust each menu and palette without having to have a photographic memory.

Hope that helps.