Archicad help menu - a waste of space!

[Anonymous]

Why is there an Archicad Help menu? It really could do with a major overhaul. The only way to get any real info on how to do something is to ask one of my fellow workers.

I have been trying to find info about transparency for images when in plan (as an overlay) I cannot find anything. Type in transparency or images and there is not much there.

Right click over the word transparency and you get.... (have a look at the attachment).

Utterly pointless.

Sincerely,

Roolio

[TomWaltz]

Roolio wrote:
Why is there an Archicad Help menu? It really could do with a major overhaul. The only way to get any real info on how to do something is to ask one of my fellow workers.

I have been trying to find info about transparency for images when in plan (as an overlay) I cannot find anything. Type in transparency or images and there is not much there.

Right click over the word transparency and you get.... (have a look at the attachment).

Utterly pointless.

Sincerely,

Roolio

You're not referring to the help menu (which is found at the top of the screen next to extras. You're referring to Tool Tips.

You're right about them, some tool tips are useles and some are entire paragraphs.

[Anonymous]

Tom,

I am referring to both, as I have attempted to find out about transparency in the 'help menu' and there is virtually no information about it with regards to images transparency in the plan window or using the 'tool tips' which are badly written at best.

Roolio

[Anonymous]

I agree.

Occasionally - when I can't work out how to do something, I look up 'HELP', find out only what I already knew, and then resort to this site.

For example: last week I wanted to rotate an object 10 degrees relative to its current position. There must be an easy way to do this - but help was simply no help.

Anyone happen to know the answer?

[Gerald Hoffman]

Keith wrote:
For example: last week I wanted to rotate an object 10 degrees relative to its current position. There must be an easy way to do this - but help was simply no help.
Anyone happen to know the answer?

This is probably the wrong place to answer your question but you might not see it otherwise. As far as I know there is no elegant way to do this but the way I do it is to decide on the point of rotation, select the object, chose rotate command, pick the point of rotation and then another point or edge that is parallel to your starting angle. Next hit the 'a' key and change the angle in the box to the desired number. If it is 10deg it is only a matter of inserting your cursor and changing 1 number. Hit the enter key and your done.

Cheers,

[TomWaltz]

Or if it's a library object, just change the rotaton parameter by 10 degree.

[Barry Kelly]

Keith wrote:
I agree.

Occasionally - when I can't work out how to do something, I look up 'HELP', find out only what I already knew, and then resort to this site.

For example: last week I wanted to rotate an object 10 degrees relative to its current position. There must be an easy way to do this - but help was simply no help.

Anyone happen to know the answer?

Not really the place to answer but .....

Select object.
Choose rotate.
Pick rotation point and then second pont for reference line (can be anywhere).
Now the important thing is not to move the mouse from this second point.
Type "A" and type in desired angle then type "+" (or "-") and ENTER.
Done.

Barry.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Guys.

But why doesn't 'HELP' tell you that? Seems like pretty basic stuff to me.

[Barry Kelly]

Keith wrote:
Thanks, Guys.

But why doesn't 'HELP' tell you that? Seems like pretty basic stuff to me.

Its there - you just have to find it.

Chapter 5 > Drafting and Editing Techniques > Drawing Constraints and Snap Points > Entering Numeric Coordinates

But finding it is another matter.
I'm still fond of the paper manuals.

Barry.

[Anonymous]

Not under 'rotation', though - and your bit about not moving the mouse isn't there. That's essentially what I was doing wrong as I thought you had to 'guide' the rotation in the direction you want it to go.

I agree with you about paper manuals. You can flick through them until you get a 'feel' for being in the right area. Searches in 'Help' can yield some very funny results! (search engines clearly don't understand plain English!)