V 2017 : Nice hidden Improvements, not mentioned or overlooked easily

[zoomer]

In V 2017 I see some Improvements that weren't mentioned anywhere, that solve nasty problems.


1. Starting V in docked palettes mode without a file (OS X)

V 2017 does no more start with floating overlapping palettes when "start with blank file" deactivated.
As I don't want to open V with a blank file at each start, that will annoy asking for saving after some minutes,
I prefer to open V without any new file.
This had the risk of of loosing your docked palette positions when you finally open a file.
Therefore I started V by a double click on a file in Finder only.
Second, if you use OS X Spaces, a click on the V dock icon would not bring you to the space assigned to V,
as long as there is no file open. Mission Control was needed.

Now V 2017 starts with a complete App Window and final palette docking.
For the first time it is possible to securely start V from the dock icon again or even jump back to the V OS X Space*
with one click. For me that is great.

 

*Edit :
Switch to Space works great but it seems not to activate the App:.
So when you Menu > File > open, you are still in active Finder App.

Edited September 18, 2016 by zoomer

[zoomer]

2. Drag Tool Improvement

It was mentioned in the complete feature list but easily overseen.
Drag Tool had 2 problems in the past and was hard to use.
1. in usual "Single Object Interactive Scaling Mode" you easily come into unwanted scaling mode
when you try to grab at a highlight point. You sometimes can avoid that by grabbing "near" those
points, but that will only work if no other objects are near.
2. If there are other overlapping objects it was even hard to pick the object to drag, unwanted objects
were preferred because the were more in front or had a filling.

Both problems are now solved by the option to select the object first ant that it gets priority.
You will darg the wanted object only in any case + you can grab it a bit beside its anchors and prevent
scaling when you want to drag only.
For me that is a big step ahead for one of the most often used tools.

[zoomer]

And as I see :

3. Transparency Support in PNG Images
 

 

[Dieter @ DWorks]

yes, and so many others, level bounding for symbols, etc.... I was really surprised to see all these things they didn't mention, VW is on a good path again. Isn't there a list with ALL improvements and new things?

I really hope for a continuous release of new features to know these improvements instead of one big one each year. (or one big one for the BIG sales stuff, and updates for all those smaller things)

Edited September 19, 2016 by Dieter @ DWorks

[mike m oz]

Help has a New Features list

[markdd]

6 hours ago, Dieter @ DWorks said:

yes, and so many others, level bounding for symbols, etc.... I was really surprised to see all these things they didn't mention, VW is on a good path again. Isn't there a list with ALL improvements and new things?

I really hope for a continuous release of new features to know these improvements instead of one big one each year. (or one big one for the BIG sales stuff, and updates for all those smaller things)

The tighter bounding of symbols is really nice. I completely agree, it would be great if small, wished-for improvements could come with each service pack leaving the "splashier" stuff for the annual upgrade.

mark

Edited September 19, 2016 by markdd
auto-correct!

[zoomer]

6 hours ago, Dieter @ DWorks said:

I really hope for a continuous release of new features to know these improvements instead of one big one each year. (or one big one for the BIG sales stuff, and updates for all those smaller things)

 

2 hours ago, markdd said:

I completely agree, it would be great if small, wished-for improvements could come with each service pack leaving the "splasher" stuff for the annual upgrade.

mark

 

Yes, please.

[PVA - Admin]

A continuous release is what I personally would prefer as well. Not only does it then give constant benefits over the course of a year but it makes educating users about the new features much easier, since there is less for new items to get lost in.

[Tom Klaber]

5 minutes ago, JimW said:

A continuous release is what I personally would prefer as well. Not only does it then give constant benefits over the course of a year but it makes educating users about the new features much easier, since there is less for new items to get lost in.

 

It also makes the value proposition of service select clear.  

SaaS is the way of the Future.  VW can pretend thatVW is committed to the old ownership model - but we all know - sooner or later - VW too will fall.  If the software was better with improvements and new features every other month - it would make more conceptual sense to move to a subscription.

[PVA - Admin]

The hybrid I would like to see is Subscription-then-ownership, so at whatever point you wish to get off the ride, the updates simply stop coming and the software keeps working as it did as of the last update you had a subscription for.

[markdd]

That makes a lot of sense.

[Tom Klaber]

Just now, JimW said:

The hybrid I would like to see is Subscription-then-ownership, so at whatever point you wish to get off the ride, the updates simply stop coming and the software keeps working as it did as of the last update you had a subscription for.

 

That is interesting.  I like that.  Its a little complicated.  I guess it would have to come with a minimum contract - after which you can move to month to month.  There would then have to be a penalty to get back on the train if you get off.... but I like it.

[zoomer]

I would never rent a software like the Adobe Model.
I would always think I paid the rent for the last 2 months and haven't even used it.

If I paid for a software once or did an upgrade,
I see I can use it now and in the future. That feels much better for me.

For Software I use intensively and want every update anyway, I even do a subscription
for regularly upgrades.
 

That may change like it did for Max or Microstation. I stopped subscription at one time in the past
but can still use it. (Maybe it needs an old machine with old OS or a Virtual Machine to do so)

 

So I think the V model is quite flexible and satisfying, to buy or keep Vectorworks current.
It is just the strict "feature" stop between yearly releases with naming "features" including often
things that users normally see as a bug, that does not convince me totally.

[PVA - Admin]

I myself dislike the idea of "Renting" software as well. Unless the company provided such astonishingly powerful cloud hardware that running their software on that and not locally became what everyone wanted, I don't see any reason for me to want to pay a monthly fee towards something that I would never eventually own.

I can certainly see the benefits of offering a rental option as an OPTION for situations like students live in, where funds are almost nonexistent and they only need the software during a given semester or whatnot, or perhaps as a sidecar licensing system for use with summer interns and temp employees/contractors, but I dislike this as the ONLY option for using software.

I do not see us going rental-only anytime soon personally, Autodesk did it and a lot of people have left them (many then joining us) because of it.

[Patrick Fritsch]

I really like Modo (by The Foundry) upgrade concept that does not charge any extra to upgrade when I skip 2 or 3 versions. Sometimes the majority of a versions improvements are more geared towards another industry like gaming or cinema animation  and I don't see the benefit for me.

similarly in VW last version as a residential designer I have yet had a use for energos, sub-d's, and marionette. My client base profile are usually not willing to pay for such type of projects...even if their cool and useful.

[zoomer]

Modo (by Luxology) has always had the most intelligent, user friendliest upgrade, selling, licensing, ... system in the world.
Hope that the Foundry will keep that in the future.

The thought is quite simple,
Release update fees are what keep the development and business running.
If a user doesn't like to pay for 1 or 2 release updates because he doesn't like or need these new features,
but would like with the 3rd release, if he has to pay nearly the price of a new license, he will likely look at or switching to a competitor,
or simply feeling punished. So user unhappy, a risk of loosing a customer and no upgrade fees at all.
Let him update to normal conditions and you will have a happy customer who is back in the game.
It could just be that trying to force users to upgrade in any way against their will by proposing worse alternatives,
that might work in more cases and you will be more successful over a certain timeframe for a pure business point of view.

So they also offer all Upgrading Paths,
buy and own License, Release Updates, for Freelancers, Subscriptions and Rental for Companies.

[markdd]

Another improvement for OSX users is the ability to use split screen view! Seems to work well here.

 

[bc]

Hey markdd, 

Could you post a screen shot and elaborate a bit on the how to?

[zoomer]

I think dual monitor use was meant ?

At least there happen strange things when I want to drag out one of the (new) file tabs on my Mac

[PVA - Admin]

26 minutes ago, bc said:

Hey markdd, 

Could you post a screen shot and elaborate a bit on the how to?

Like so:

 

 

[Tom Klaber]

It would be cool if tool pallets themselves could have the split screen capability.  It would allow me to take better use of my second screen.

[PVA - Admin]

Just now, Tom Klaber said:

It would be cool if tool pallets themselves could have the split screen capability.  It would allow me to take better use of my second screen.

Apple won't let us yet, unfortunately.

[bc]

Thanks Jim.  Nice quickie video.  I can see the use for this now.

[zoomer]

What did I set wrong to not make that work for me 

[zoomer]

6. Mesh Selection

 

Wow, now Meshes finally selection highlight when you hover over their Geometry only !
(No more when hovering over empty parts of their whole boundary box area)
How cool is that 

Now I can finally use Meshes in VW again if needed.