Does anyone actually use the Task Manager?

[Richard T]

If so, can someone please enlighten me as to how you fit it into your workflow?

Thanks!

[Richard T]

Bump ...

So noone uses it? Even if you don't has anyone ever considered using it and if not, why?

[Christiaan]

I'm interested in the question, just don't have an answer.

[Travis]

I used it once. . .got so confused, I was eventually lost. I much prefer to develop templates that contain the "80%-stuff" and then add as req'd for a specific project.

It's difficult for me to envision an office environment that would benefit consistently from Task Manager: you'd almost have to tailor your work-flow to match TM, rather than the other way round. My 2?!

Good luck,

[islandmon]

Thank you Mr. Tolman ... my sentiments exactamundo ...

[Richard T]

Thanks guys, input much appreciated. I would have to agree with Travis that as it stands, without the ability to completely customize, one would not be able to use one's current workflow.

I'm happy with using templates for classes etc, just thinking for a multi-user office how do you get people to use the right classes for object, just a matter of education/practice or what?

[Jonathan Pickup]

i never use the task manager

[Donald Wardlaw]

Um, IMHO, there's something terribly wrong with the whole idea that we need a hundred classes. TM is just a controlled way to put lipstick on a pig.

Regards,

Donald

[Guest]

The Task Manager is one way to provide office standards for drawing elements. As VectorWorks has evolved over the years, I personally think the Task Manager is not as vital as it once was.

It's also a tool for new users to draw in an organized structure without understanding layers and classes - the manager handles all the visibility and active layer/class for you.

There are many advantages to using Task Manager. And most of those advantages stem from a more familiar user setting up the tasks for the office (enter CAD manager).

I don't know too many people that use the Task Manager at this point, but in my hay day in Tech Support, it was very popular for the purposes noted above.

[gScott]

in 12.5.1<?> i went to the effort to figure it out,

customised it to suit my workflow, classes,

layers sheets etc etc...

then when 12.5.2 came out i asked on this board

whether the update would affect

my customised matrix, got no reply, and have

abandoned my attempts with it.

if it is a tool that gets wiped out with every

patch it seems a useless effort

to customise it... i don't know how many people

can use it exactly as supplied, maybe it is a

significant amount?

robert, katie, any views on whether, or how,

we should try to use this tool?

[Richard T]

... It's also a tool for new users to draw in an organized structure without understanding layers and classes - the manager handles all the visibility and active layer/class for you.

There are many advantages to using Task Manager. And most of those advantages stem from a more familiar user setting up the tasks for the office (enter CAD manager)...

Katie, these are just the advantages I can see in using it, if only it were more flexible, ie if it could be used without having had to run "Create Standard Viewports". Actually the greatest limiting factor is probably there, in that a user can create only one of a particular viewport type. In the majority of projects that we do it would be utterly impossible to use just one planting plan/viewport/sheet layer.

[Guest]

You are able to create more than one viewport type. Simply click on the "add" button as many times as needed.

[Richard T]

Yes, but you can't create more than one of the same viewport type - I can't see the point in having multiple viewport types with exactly the same settings just to be able to have multiple viewports of the same type.

[boxjoint]

Katie,

I tried to use the Task Manager once too, but found that after a while, when I tried to run the Create Standard Viewports command, it wouldn't work.

If you create or modify viewports without using the Create Standard Viewport command, does it break or confuse the Task Manager?

If so, how do you duplicate or delete viewports without causing that problem?

(it's also possible I did something else wrong. It was a while ago when I tried this and can't remember clearly the sequence of events)

Thanks.

[Guest]

That's a good question, Boxjoint. I haven't used the Task Manager for a while and cannot fairly comment on this.

I'll be able to look into this in better detail Thursday and Friday. (I'm traveling tomorrow - late wednesday and again next week and the week after)

If you don't hear from me, please don't hesitate to send a reminder email to me.

[Tom G.]

Elements of the program that are not pulling their weight should be dropped. The Task Manager has not been used by anyone I've ever spoken to or heard from for years now. The problem for a new user is that they can't know the relative helpfulness of many of the Setup processes and so potentially waste time on the Task Manager. If a tool does more harm than good, it should be removed or placed in an area where only the die-hards can find it, such as the legacy folder.

[gScott]

tguy

i have to agree with you.

to hear that katie doesn't use it

makes me think i should pack it in,

although i keep thinking it could be seriously

useful, if only it were better documented,

or easier to modify.

[Fredrik]

The example file "Alexandria_Laundry_Lofts.vwx" seems to use this and might be useful to achieve a certain level of understanding of this concept.

Not knowing how this structure is built, and trying to add classes missing to make the Task manager work, did not help in my case. (The asked for class was still asked for after being added. and the walls added in this class disappear after being made.) So I now leave my third test on Task management. Task manager did not save my time.

One should be very restrictive on adding unnecessary classes and also be very clear on how many layers to make in the class structure. Three layers might be to much (like "Wall-Ext-Masonry").

I do not get why using elevation layer when one can use viewports? Old habits from layer connections?

What about making a good documentation on use of Task management together with an example file of relative low complexity.