Render Mode and Symbol Editing

[Rob87]

Hi there,

 

I have an older file - my library - which grew over time.

 

I created a 3D symbol in a new file and copied it to the library file.

 

What I noticed:

When I edit 3D of the symbol in the library file - I cannot change the render mode, the dropdown is grayed.

When I edit 3D of the symbol in the new file - I can change the render mode.

 

I checked the document settings and set the identical, didn't help.

Is there a (document) setting, which disables the renderer?

Why is it possible in one file and in another it isn't?

 

 

Thank you!

[Tom W.]

It looks like in the older file you are editing the symbol from a Sheet Layer whereas in the newer file you're editing it from a Design Layer. You really want to be in a Design Layer when editing a 3D symbol.

[mjm]

19 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

It looks like in the older file you are editing the symbol from a Sheet Layer whereas in the newer file you're editing it from a Design Layer. You really want to be in a Design Layer when editing a 3D symbol.

It['s breathtaking to me that I have to EXIT SL, then enter DL, THEN enter symbol edit mode if I don't want things to go haywire.

Backing out to DL then Symbol Edit mode is extremely frustrating.

[Tom W.]

It's definitely frustrating + regularly catches me out. Be great if like when you edit the Design Layer from a VP, editing a symbol from a Sheet Layer automatically took you to the design layer then returned you to SL once you've finished...

[Rob87]

33 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

It looks like in the older file you are editing the symbol from a Sheet Layer whereas in the newer file you're editing it from a Design Layer. You really want to be in a Design Layer when editing a 3D symbol.

No, both time I edited directly from RM!

 

Editing in DL takes longer - place symbol -edit - delete symbol. Also I attach records to the symbol in the RM (which must be edited in the RM). Seems complicated to me to do the one thing in the RM but the other must be done in DL.

[Tom W.]

1 minute ago, Rob87 said:

No, both time I edited directly from RM!

 

Yes but you can access the RM from either a DL or a SL + from your screenshot it definitely looks like you were on a SL rather than a DL:

[Rob87]

15 hours ago, Tom W. said:

 

Yes but you can access the RM from either a DL or a SL + from your screenshot it definitely looks like you were on a SL rather than a DL:

well, thank you @Tom W.! Nobody ever told me this would make a difference. You are totally right, I was on a sheet layer.

 

There should be a glossary about "don't do that when.." and "this will not work because"

 

Best way would be mouse-over-annotations on - in my case - the grayed render dropdown saying "you must enter the symbol def out of an design layer" - or something like that.

[line-weight]

Well, I'd never realised this either - it has never occurred to me that it would make a difference whether you're in a SL or DL when you access something from the RM. And why would it?

 

It probably explains many cases where I've got confused about what's going on when I'm trying to edit a hybrid symbol definition.

 

 

[Tom W.]

Was raised some time ago but doesn't look like it gained much traction (the one vote was me just now!):

 

@Benson Shaw makes the same point as I did earlier: feels like we should be able to temporarily go to the DL whilst editing the symbol then return to SL once finished.

[mjm]

7 hours ago, line-weight said:

Well, I'd never realised this either - it has never occurred to me that it would make a difference whether you're in a SL or DL when you access something from the RM. And why would it?

 

It probably explains many cases where I've got confused about what's going on when I'm trying to edit a hybrid symbol definition.

And trying to symbol edit from SL is just a disaster.

 

 

This issue has been driving me insane for years. IMO, when I enter symbol edit mode, no matter DL or SL or RM, they should all 1-click me to symbol edit mode.

Edited November 16, 2023 by mjm