Is there a pdf manual for VWs Architect 12?

[Jason Turley]

Is there a pdf manual for VWs Architect 12?

Thanks

Jason

[Christiaan]

As per:

http://techboard.nemetschek.net/ubbthrea...=true#Post53172

/Vectorworks/12.0.1/VWHelp/Additional Documentation/VSLanguageGuide_12.pdf

[propstuff]

Christiaan,

that is for VectorScript.

But a PDF version of the Manual came on my "Upgrade Companion" disk I think.

[G_Hannigan]

My Upgrade Companion disk has 2 PDF's - Fundamentals & Design Series Manuals.

George

[Christiaan]

Whoops, sorry for bad info. Not sure how I managed that.

[Guest]

The help system is available using html and a browser. It is not in PDF form. You can access the user's guide by going to the help menu from within VW and selecting Help.

[propstuff]

Hi Katie,

I suspect the reason that he specifiacally asked for a PDF is because the Java based help is so comprehensively awfull to use. :-(

[Guest]

What is awful about using it opposed to using a PDF ?

[propstuff]

OK, it's not completely awful ;-)

There are a couple of problems.

The first are nothing to do with NNA, and that is the Java bug in Safari, and the Windows "protection" that blocks Java content. sheesh >:-(

The main problem (for me) is navigation. In the old PDF version if you were on a page you new (from the index) where you were in the body of the text. In the new one, after clicking Related Topics a few times you can end up ....somewhere.

The "Show in Contents" button that returns a "the current page could not be found in the table of contents" message is not helpful. (Internet Explorer on Windows XP2)

Even if that button did work, you still have to click it for each page.

The Back and Forward navigation buttons are a good thing I suppose but I'd still like to be able to scroll.

I'm probably just old and set in my ways. {:-?

cheers,

N.

Edited August 22, 2006 by propstuff

[alanmac]

As I use mainly 10.5 which has the old pdf help manual I didn't take on board this change, as purely by chance I've not looked at help in the office version of VW 11.5, if that's changed to this new method I don't know.

Apart from people like Nicholas and myself who prefer the older pdf manual, surely (and I don't know if it is), it would be easier from NNA's point of view to produce a manual that only requires to be compliant with one program - Acrobat Reader, freely available.

The method used by NNA now requires you to ensure it works with Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, Opera etc. and is if my memory serves me correct, not without the odd hiccup.

Does this not involve more time in development and testing than making it pdf based?

Alan

[StudentUser_18]

Hey, I think i can help you out there, Jason. I think you should be able to reach the PDF file, but I'm not sure it is the one you're looking for. Here's how you get to it:

1. Go under "My Computer"

2. Open up "Program Files"

3. Open the "VectorWorks 12.0.0" file

4. Go under "VWHelp"

5. Then go under "Additional Documentation"

6. Then go under "Tutorial Files"

...and you should see a PDF that you can open.

Hope it's what you're looking for! :grin:

[Michael_Eschenbach]

SU18,

I looked up what you suggested, and those are all html files... (internet style)... what he is looking for, I believe, is a total file for the help section, created and accessible in the .pdf format. It is much easier to do searches in and find information.

I agree that as far as I am concerned, html help files may be the wave of the future, but I believe it to be a Tsunami, and almost unsurfable.

best of luck

[G_Hannigan]

Jason,

The PDF versions of the manuals are on the Upgrade Companion CD that came with VW 12.

George

[td4stage]

For what it's worth, I liked the old PDF help system MUCH better! The JS blocking in IE is maddening!

Pat

[LarryAZ]

I have a version 12 "Design Series User's Guide" in pdf. I'm not sure where I got it but I use it all the time. Preview is very fast and much easier to search in.

[mike m oz]

I'll vote for PDF over the browser version any day!