set default version of VW?

[Kristen]

If I wanted to temporarily set my mac (OS9) to open all VW files in VW8 instead of VW9, how would I do that? I remember that I was given a choice when installing 9 of whether that would be the default version. How do I override that choice?

[jan15]

Excellent question. And the same problem exists in Windows.

Ordinarily you can specify which program file opens data files with a particular filename extension, by using the File Types tab in Folder Options. But you can't associate .mcd files with a different version of VectorWorks.

Every time I've tried to do that I've gummed up the system so thoroughly that I had to uninstall both versions and then purge the registry before re-installing.

[Guest]

Macs and PCs differ in this dept.

Macs will automatically open files with the latest installed version of the application when double clicking on a file.

PC's allow you to set whether you want an application to be the default application. There is a prompt that shows up when you first launch VW asking you if you want to associate all file types with this version of VW - Yes or No with a checkmark box "Do not Show me this again"

If you select Yes and checkmark DO not show.., then that version of VW will default as the application VW files open and you will not be notified for that again.

THe only way to get it back is to reinstall VW.

On a MAC - since the process is different, the only way to get VW 8 to be the default application is to reinstall it. Of course, when you want VW 9 to be the default application, you will need to reinstall VW 9 (or completely remove VW 8 from the computer).

Of course, this only happens if the files are still VW 8 files.

If the files have been converted to VW 9, the files will always need to be opened in VW9.

You can export a file as a VW 8 files in the File>Export menu.

If you save these vw8 files and double click on them WITHOUT resetting the default application, they will open in VW 9 and be converted.

If you don't want to install and have VW 8 files you need to open, the best way is to either drag them over a shortcut/alias on the desktop or go to File Open from within VW 8 and open the files.

*VW 8 cannot open VW 9 files. As stated above, they need to be exported as VW 8 files from VW 9.

[PeterT]

Actually, there is a way to control which version of VectorWorks opens a file in OS 9... sort of.

Which version of VW opens a file depends on which version(s) of VW are currently running on your Mac, and the behavior is different depending on which application is launched.

For example, if neither application is running and you double click a version 8 file, it will open in version 9.

But, if both version 8 and 9 are running on your Mac , the file will open in version 8. In fact, when both versions are running, if you double click a version 9 file, it will try to open it in version 8, and you will get the unrecognizable file dialog.

Also, if only version 8 is running on the Mac, a double clicked file will open in 8, and if only version 9 is running it will open in 9.

In a nutshell, if you want files to open in 8, make sure only version 8, or both 8 and 9 are running. If you want files to open in 9, make sure neither version, or only version 9 is running.

If you can't deal with all this, or don't have enough Ram to leave both applications running, then just put alias' of both applications on your desktop, and drag and drop files to open them.

By the way, one nice thing about OS X is you can now assign what application opens a file in the "open with:" tab of the get info window in the finder, so all this goes away.

Hope this helps,

PeterT

[Kristen]

Thanks for the tip -- if I just open VW8 before trying to open files from the desktop, that works the way I want it to.

[Skidee]

I think in Windows, you can associate the file to open with any program by right clicking on the file, and selecting "Open with..." This will take you to the program selection box. Click the little box in the lower left hand corner that asks if you want to use this program to open the file all the time otherwise, it will revert to the default program to open it the next time.

Then click "Browse", find the program that will open the file, and double click it.

That should do it. If not you can always use "regedit" and manually change it! Not for the weak of heart!

[jan15]

Thanks, Skidee. It does look like Regedit would work, though I haven't actually tried it yet. If it doesn't work it'll probably mean removing, purging and reinstalling.

But it looks like the program file that normally opens all .MCD files is specified as the Data for this key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\mcd_auto_file\shell\open\command

Anyone at NNA want to confirm this?

[ 04-19-2003, 01:00 AM: Message edited by: jan15 ]

[jan15]

April 18:

No answer yet from NNA, but I just had occaision to try the Registry editing described above, and it doesn't work.

Changing the program file spec in the cited Registry key doesn't cause the specified program to automatically boot up and open an .MCD file when the .MCD file is double-clicked. It just starts to boot up and then automatically shuts down without opening the drawing file and without any error message.

Unfortunately, I didn't think to try the easier method Skidee mentioned (right-click, "Open With...", "Browse", and "Always use this program to open these files").

I used Katie's method (remove, re-install, then check "Associate all file types with this version of VectorWorks" on the pop-up dialogue box). That worked.

[Guest]

My way is the NNA way to get that to open .. if you have previously selected "No" at the startup and closed that dialog box. (PC only)

Actually, there are several keys in the registry that set this. I don't suggest going in and tinkering with one registry sting. If you are going to play in the registry, it's better to just delete all of the registry keys associated with VW and start everything over.

THe only thing this resets is your name, company name, serial number and of course - file association.

[jan15]

I couldn't get the "Open with" method to work. The selected version of VectorWorks started to boot, but never opened the double-clicked file, and then it shut down. Luckily, I was able to use the same "Open with" option to restore the original version of VectorWorks to be the default version.

But in general that "Open with" is a nice feature of Windows, which I didn't know about before. Sometimes a program that's being installed changes those file-type associations without asking (and sometimes it asks but I'm not really prepared to answer). "Open with" is a very easy way to change that association, and it worked for all file types I tried it with except .MCD files.

Windows 2000pro on one machine I tried had that "Open with" option when right-clicking on a file, but Windows 98se on another machine didn't have it, not when right-clicking, and not when shift-right-clicking (though some people report that the latter works for them). I was able to add "Open with" to the Windows 98se right-click-on-filename context menu by editing the registry, using instructions found at http://www.activewin.com/tips/reg/menus_2.shtml The instructions there are clear and easy to follow, except that I think they would be clearer with quotes around "shell", "openas", and "command".

Once I got the "Open with" feature to work, I found that not all programs are listed in its dialogue box (for example, only one version of VectorWorks was listed there). But there's a button labelled "Other" which allows selection of any program file by browsing through the directories.

[bonose]

I've had VW/A 9.x (Mac) installed for quite some time and recently installed VW/A 10.1. Now, when trying to open VW 10 files from the desktop, VW 9 opens and I get the "This file is an unrecognized file...". The only solution I know is to open the VW 10 program first, and then open the file. This is an awfully cumbersome process, but I still need (intermittent) access to my VW9 files requiring the VW9 program to remain installed.

[bonose]

I've had VW/A 9.x (Mac) installed for quite some time and recently installed VW/A 10.1. Now, when trying to open VW 10 files from the desktop, VW 9 opens and I get the "This file is an unrecognized file...". The only solution I know is to open the VW 10 program first, and then open the file. This is an awfully cumbersome process, but I still need (intermittent) access to my VW9 files requiring the VW9 program to remain installed.

[jan15]

bonose, Why not just un-install version 9?

Version 10 will open v9 or v10 files (at least on Windows machines), and will even "export" a v9 file if you want to keep that format.

[bonose]

I have active project files in v.9 and experience poor results translating from v. 9x to 10.1: changing fonts/sizes of characters attached to certain objects/symbols, requiring total replacement. This means either spending several weeks correcting the translation glitches or continuing with v.9. I'll probably end up returning the v 10.1 since 9 has been fine and I haven't yet seen significant improvements with 10.

[Guest]

Did you reinstall VW 9 or move VW 9 to a different folder AFTER installing VW 10?