Document Launching

[Dane]

I have the latest VW update installed on my Mac G4 450 but VectorWorks will not launch by doubling clicking a VW file on my desktop...I used to be able to do this in previous versions. Now it gives the message... can't find application program. Any ideas?

Dane

[rcarch]

Dane-

I have had a similar problem since I updated to the latest version of VW. I find that it is not consistent, and rebuilding the desktop and/or PRAM zaps do not seem to fix the problem. I dont think its a problem with the G4 since I use a PowerComputing PC132 w/ a G3 upgrade card. Try to open a file in the app, then save it and then try to open it from the desktop. I find that this may corrects the problem occassionally.

rich carroll

carrollarchitects

[Gabhan]

I have experienced similar problems on two other Macs. In one case double clicking on a VectorWorks document opens up MiniCAD. I've found I can only open documents from within the program itself.

Gabhan

[MikeB]

Over the past few upgrades I have had the same problem on a beige G3's and a G4. Rebuilding the Desktop has always sovled the problem for me. We have 14 Macs in the office. Some experience this and some don't, I agree there is no consistancy to why this happens, but again we have found that rebuilding the desktop seem to solve the problem for us.

Good Luck

[Guest]

Hi all,

Just to chime in on this, make sure that there are no previous versions of MiniCad on your machine, remove all preferences, trash the programs and reinstall... then rebuild the desktop. I did encounter a strange and bizarre situation where older versions of 5 and 6 would not release the association to VectorWorks. Once removed, the desktop rebuilt fine.

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Brian O

Nemetschek North America

Technical Support Specialist

[Guest]

One more thing, if it is an earlier version causing the problem, please let us know so that we can find what is causing the problem.

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Brian O

Nemetschek North America

Technical Support Specialist

[broesler]

I'll chime in also.

Within the last two weeks, if I try to launch a VW document directly by double-clicking, it trys to launch MiniCad. I've been a Blueprint/Minicad/VW user for a long time, so this is a new problem having nothing to do with newly installed software. It has run fine, until now.

This problem started (I think) after I loaded onto a new external Firewire 45gb hard drive all of my Zip(s) archive, for re-sorting and then off-loading to CD. That same 45gb drive contains my currently active project folders but not my System and Applications folders which reside on a separate internal drive (Mac 450mh G3, 9.0.3).

Weirder yet, for the first day or so of this haunting, it tried to launch Blueprint.

There were old Blueprint and MiniCad documents in the archive. During the transfer, I had reloaded Blueprint and/or MiniCad from old floppies and had used them to open the archive drawings and re-save them in VW format.

Blueprint and MiniCad and all associated files including preferences were then trashed and the computer shut-down and restarted and the desktops of both hard drives rebuilt.(And many times since).

Now, whenever I launch a VW document from the desktop (when VW is not running) it tries to launch MiniCad. I cancel the MiniCad serial number window and trash the newly created MiniCad preferences file.

I now always open VW direcly via an Apple Menu alias. I can then open any VW document directly from the Desktop by double-cliking.

Now for the really weired part.

I use Photoshop 5.0 also.

I noticed last night that if I double-click on a Photoshop document to open it when Photoshop is not open, it tries to launch Photoshop 4.0. ???

Same problem, different application.

I haven't investigated the Photoshop problem but it looks like a possible System problem rather than Application-specific .

Before the Photoshop problem, I thought having launced Blueprint and/or MiniCad while the newer VW preferences file was in the System folder may have somehow corrupted the VW preferences file.

I had therefore, completely de-installed Blueprint, MiniCad,VW, all preferences, etc., everything I could find. Trashed it, shut down, and restarted.

Then I did a complete new install of VW, RW, and Architect from the CD's. Strange thing is, when I launced VW for the 1st time it started right up using the normal VW splash screen with my serial numbers listed. Where did it get that info? I trashed everthing!

Weird!

And still, if I double-click on a VW document icon it will try to open MiniCad (if VW is not running).

If a clean install won't work, what will?

I have yet to remove all the archived documents from the hard drive to see if that matters. If not, what then - reformatting?

Interesting that others are having this same problem. I thought (and it may still be) that it was something I had done regarding the archive. But how about that Photoshop problem, I can't wait!!

[broesler]

Follow-up to my recent lengthy post.

Though I thought I had trashed all copies of Blueprint and MiniCad - I was wrong.

Trashing all prior versions cured the problem.

For Engineering:

I created a new VW 8.5.2 document, saved, closed, and quit.

VW is not running at this point.

Double-clicking on the new document icon caused MiniCad to attempt to launch instead of VW.

System and VW folders are on an internal hard-drive. The new VW document and older MiniCad folder were on a separate external hard-drive.

Identical problem and circumstances with opening Photoshop image. Seems like a Mac problem, not VW.

Bottom line: trash all former versions of any software for which you use a newer version.

[PeterT]

O.K., I too must jump in on this one.

In our office, different machines launch either VectorWorks or MiniCad in different situations. Two of our Macs (let's call them Mac A, and Mac B) are both beige G3's running OS 9.0.4, and loaded with both MiniCad 7.0.3 and VectorWorks 8.5.2. We have strong reasons for keeping both applications on our machines concurrently.

Here is what happens on Mac A:

1. If no applications are loaded, double clicking on either a VW or MC document will launch VectorWorks to open the file.

2. If both MiniCad and VectorWorks are loaded, double clicking on either a VW or MC document will try to open the file in MiniCad.

3. If only one of the two applications is loaded, double clicking on either a VW or MC document will try to open the file in the application that is running.

Mac B is the opposite:

1. If no applications are loaded, double clicking on either a VW or MC document will launch MiniCad to try to open the file.

2. If both MiniCad and VectorWorks are loaded, double clicking on either a VW or MC document will open the file in VectorWorks.

3. If only one of the two applications is loaded, double clicking on either a VW or MC document will try to open the file in the application that is running.

It seems to me that when I double click a MiniCad document it ought to open in MiniCad, and when I double click a VectorWorks document it ought to open in VectorWorks, and it ought to do this no matter which application is running and no matter which machine I am on.

To work around this we keep aliases of both applications on our desktops and launch documents by dragging them to the appropriate alias. This works fine, it's just a bit of a hassle.

[Guest]

All these experiences may seem mysterious, but they all conform to the way that Finder searches for an application. Apple has a tech note that describes the process here:

http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n17713

Notice that the Finder selects an application to launch based on several factors, including where each copy is stored, which has the newest entry in the desktop database, and whether a version is already running.

Notice also that none of the factors involved have anything to do with VectorWorks, nor is there anything that VectorWorks (or any other application) can do about the situation.

Keeping aliases to each version of the app in question and opening files by dropping them on the version you prefer may be a good solution if you need to keep several versions of an app on your machine at the same time. Or, simply understanding the search rules that the Finder uses may be enough to help you devise a workable solution. For example, if you keep all your MiniCAD 6 files on one volume with the MiniCAD 6 application, and all your VectorWorks files on anther volume together with the VectorWorks application, you should be able to double-click on any of your files and open them with the app you'd expect (provided that one app or the other isn't already running when you do it).

Caleb Strockbine

caleb@nemetschek.net