Archicad - master only

[Rod Jurich]

Greetings all,
Is anyboby able to shed light on the recent automatic creation of a layer called -

Archicad - master only.

It has occured only since latest hotfix 966.
No matter how many times you delete/change name it reappears next time you open layer window.
It always appears below the default Archicad layer.

[Barry Kelly]

s2art wrote:
This is what the 'Master only layer" notice says...

ArchiCAD – Master Only Layer
The ‘ ArchiCAD – Master Only’ Layer is a special layer that is created by the
Cadimage Update All Add-on. This is a layer that is shown when you switch to a
Master Layout and hidden when you change to any other view.
This allows you to add guide lines or place holders to the master layout without them
appearing on all of the layouts. The Cadimage Key Notes tool allows you to place a
placeholder schedule on this layer with the parameter settings and position for schedules
to be placed onto the layouts, and the new Cadimage Revision Manger tool also uses
this layer so you can add placeholders for revision information.
Unfortunately the first version of this tool was a little overzealous with updating the layer
settings making it impossible to have anything but a custom layer set as this layer was
always being updated.
The new version of Cadimage Update All has this fixed so that it will no longer affect the
layer combinations.
However you do need to make sure that this layer is hidden for your layer combinations.
This will always be the case unless you have saved the layer combination whilst on a
Master Layout.

Thanks Stuart.
Just checked again and the websites are now working - weren't for the last two days though!
Thanks,
Barry.

[owen]

Geoff wrote:
I take it your have by now discovered this is a Cadimage problem. I encourage all users of their (generally excellent) products to email and encourage them not only to fix this but refrain from solutions that automatically create layers, fills, anything. This is a disruptive practise that must end. Surely there are other ways for them to achieve their goals.

Here here ... why can't they work with the GS defaults.

Rod wrote:
Some of their parts are quite clever but with hidden scripts and the generic way some present it makes it impossible to modify any of their parts for local conditions.

Yes I have just discovered their hidden scripts with their Key Notes tool. I thought this, along with a few other products had great potential for our office but when testing I could not get the labels nor schedules to appear in our office standard format. Fairly minor things which I thought i could fix myself but no ... none of the objects are editable due to hidden scripts.

Now i understand companies wanting to protect their investment but i don't think they should be worried about the scripts for their labels and schedule objects ... the real investment is in the engine driving it all (API?). I'm no programmer and I wouldn't have a clue about how that works. What I do know is its far far cheaper for us to buy it than spend my time working it out or even ripping off someone elses code (there's no point unless you understand how it works).

I've been too busy to contact them about this yet, but unless they are either willing to release the scripts for the labeling/scheduling objects, or customise them to our requirements there is no chance of us buying 40-odd licenses of this product as it cannot meet our documentation standards. I assume a similar policy is in place with their other tools/objects we would be interested in (particularly the Revision Manager which I have yet to see).

[Rod Jurich]

owen wrote:

Yes I have just discovered their hidden scripts with their Key Notes tool. I thought this, along with a few other products had great potential for our office but
/ ...................not editable due to hidden scripts.

Now i understand companies wanting to protect their investment but /...........................

/........ there is no chance of us buying 40-odd licenses of this product as it cannot meet our documentation standards.

Spot on Owen.

The number of GDL competent people would not amount to any large number who may wish to "pirate" their scripts. It isn't as if they were in the M$ league. Most, if not all, of us who wish to tweak parts aren't really interested in anything but.

And although they now allow a trial period the scripts could be released after licenses are bought.

The simple fact that they lock their scripts will prevent me, and others from purchacing any more of their rather fine products. They cannot expect to be all things to all people.

[Barry Kelly]

Rod wrote:
The simple fact that they lock their scripts will prevent me, and others from purchacing any more of their rather fine products. They cannot expect to be all things to all people.

There has been discussions about this here before.
I agree if you are purchasing a product it is nice (essential) to be able to tweak it to suit your specific needs.
After all they are only GDL scripts and the actual language itself is no secret.
Of course it is wrong to distribute another person's (companies) code to others.

It's not hard for anyone to open their locked scripts if they really want to.
It has been explained on this forum previously.

Barry.

[owen]

This is true ... like TextEdit. So whats the point really