2016 Spotlight Truss Tool Issue

[Fergy]

Previously, I'd click where I wanted the truss to start, hit 'Tab', enter length and/or angle, and truss would be created. This still works as it should for all other items that I can find. In fact, it still shows those two options when I start a truss.

The moment I hit 'Tab', the truss tool deactivates and I'm back at my selection tool.

This is maddening.

Bug, or new "Feature"?

[klinzey]

It's a bug and we are investigating a fix. You will see similar issues with several of the tools.

[Benjamin Weill]

I noticed it too with the Lighting Position tools

[MVS Alex]

It seems like many of the spotlight tools have issues in one way or another.

The Lighting Instrument Tool, when selected, refreshes the object info and navigation windows every second or so causing Vectorworks to lag terribly.

The softgoods and Truss tools have the same problem where you can't input length or angle anymore.

All of the tools no longer seem to care about what class you've currently selected when adding them to a file, they just create their own class (or in many cases classes). This being a serious issue when I have my class structure already built in my template and I have to fix every item I put in to make it fit. Or if I add a new item after I've already setup a viewport and I don't realize that it's now invisible in the viewport until I update it's class info.

[Benjamin Weill]

All of the tools no longer seem to care about what class you've currently selected when adding them to a file, they just create their own class (or in many cases classes). This being a serious issue when I have my class structure already built in my template and I have to fix every item I put in to make it fit. Or if I add a new item after I've already setup a viewport and I don't realize that it's now invisible in the viewport until I update it's class info.

This is a big issue for me also. I posted about this last night. https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=216605#Post216605

All of the lighting symbols in the VW resource files are classes, and are set to drop onto their specific classes instead of dropping on the "active class." This is a big issue for me and my workflow. I really hope VW will release new resource files where everything is back on the None class like they belong.

[bjoerka]

maybe someone can confirm this.

activate the straight truss tool

do the first click somewhere

hit the tab key to enter a value

the floating bar changes to coordinates for entering the first point.

somebody else get´s this?

Edited October 12, 2015 by bjoerka

[MVS Alex]

maybe someone can confirm this.

activate the straight truss tool

do the first click somewhere

hit the tab key to enter a value

the floating bar changes to coordinates for entering the first point.

somebody else get´s this?

If I understand what you're asking correctly, all that is correct except the last part. When you hit tab while the truss tool is active (and most of the other spotlight tools for that matter) it doesn't change to coordinates for entering the first point. Instead, it dumps out of the tool and defaults you back to the selection tool. The floating data bar is just showing you the location of the cursor on screen (the same as if you'd pressed tab with the selection tool active).

You can confirm this as an issue by activating

"Allow numeric keypad entry for instant data bar activation".

This should mean that whenever a tool is active and you press a number key, it will enter the data bar. Instead, it dumps out of the tool and goes to the view or tool associated with that number key(depending on if you pressed a number on the num pad or the keyboard).

It seems like Spotlight tools are the only ones that have this issue as well. Inserting walls or other objects work as expected.

[klinzey]

We found that all Vectorscript based tools have the keyboard issue described above. Basically the Vectorworks thinks you are activating a shortcut key rather then entering data into the floating data bar. We are investigating the issue.

[Benjamin Weill]

Along this line, I've also found that I can no longer use the arrow keys while in the middle of a command. For example how it worked in 2915 and previous was: if I were drawing a lighting position, I'd click for point A, and then arrow over - since I was zoomed in to see where the first point was - then click for point B and so-on, it worked great. Now, when I use the arrows mid-command, the using of the arrows cancels the lighting position action.

[Fergy]

Any idea on when this will be fixed? This is killing me.

And the auto-classing of plug ins is excruciatingly annoying. Whoever decided that should be flogged. Most of us have huge lists of default classes we use, and now we have to go hunting and reclass every object we create.