Vectorworks Help System

[PeterT]

When using the Vectorworks Help, I find it very frustrating that if I navigate the help to a particular help topic, then return to my drawing to test the the topic on a drawing, then return to the help by either selecting it again from the help menu at the top of the page or clicking the help icon in the Mac OS dock, The help system RESETS TO THE WELCOME PAGE, and I have to navigate to the topic I was looking at all over again.

I do not know of any other application that does this. When you click on a background application in the dock it should come to the front of the other windows, but remain in the same view you were in when you last left it.

Since the help system search engine is so bad in the first place, it is very cumbersome to have to find your topic all over again.

The only work around is to slide all the front windows out of the way and click on the open help window in the background, then it does not reset, but this is not very practical if you have several other windows open.

[CipesDesign]

Many have complained about Adobe Air, which is the default viewer for the help files. I agree that it's really annoying. There is a fairly simple solution. On the VW's install disk is a plain old PDF Help file which I prefer. You can keep it open (or in the dock)...

[Kevin McAllister]

Yes this is maddening. I've bug submitted this in the past. There is a work around (isn't there one for everything associated with Vectorworks). You can click the back button in Adobe Air and it will take you back to where you were....

I hate that Adobe Air wants to update itself essentially every time you launch it....

Kevin

[PeterT]

I hate that Adobe Air wants to update itself essentially every time you launch it....

Yes, I forgot to mention that. I have never seen any application that updates itself as much as Adobe Air. I would say at least 5 out 10 times that I open the Help it notifies me of an update... of course, I will not mind the update that fixes the display refresh issue.

[Benson Shaw]

For Mac OS, use the Expose' feature. It's the F3 key or the key labeled with 3 little rectangles surrounded by a bigger one. It tiles all the open and docked windows. I think there is a similar Windows OS feature.

Press F3 - all the windows temporarily resize and tile.

Hover over the one you want to bring forward - it highlights.

Then either click or press F3 again.

-B

[PeterT]

Thanks guys,

Both good work around tips, the Back Button, or using Expose (F9 on my Mac), but still work arounds.

I am so used to clicking on the icon in the dock to switch apps, I will probably use the Back button in Adobe Air as I can still do it the way I do it with just one extra click.

I remember the days when Adobe catered to the Mac OS and was invaluable. Now I find most Adobe Apps cumbersome and clumsy at best. Just my opinion.

[AndiACD]

I remember the days when Adobe catered to the Mac OS and was invaluable. Now I find most Adobe Apps cumbersome and clumsy at best.

Not just you Peter and not only Adobe . . . . .

[Guest BillV]

I have to agree with your comments re Help System. Calling it a help system is something of a misnomer given the way it functions and also its content.

I have been on at Jonathan Pickup for some time to improve searching for data on his site - it was very difficult to find exactly what you wanted. He has finally done this. For subscribers he has introduced a searchable data base (keywords and tags) which makes finding the relevant pdf's and videos so much easier.

[bc]

Does anyone suppose there is a connection between the proprietary use of Adobe Air and VW's ability to generate batch PDF's?

[Miguel Barrera]

I gather this is a Mac specific problem with Adobe Air because it does not happen on Windows. When I switch between the two apps, Air is still on the same page. Air also has an index section where you can search for keywords, which is how I use it most of the time.

BTW, VW's ability to produce any pdf's is limited to what Adobe offers in its Software Development Kit (SDK).