VW 2019 -- BEWARE Upgrade

[donlb55]

I've been using VW since it was MiniCAD 4+ and this is the most buggy version yet. Current issues (I had to revert to VW 2018 to ensure the integrity of my project files):

1. Tiles used in annotation layer of Sheet Layer Viewports disappeared (upon update to VW 2019); had to manually select each tiled polygon and change setting to "use layer mapping" in order to see the tile. It appeared when zooming in and out, but not during static views.
2. Symbols with nested classes (I do healthcare design where many of the symbols that I place have various classes (eg equipment, power, plumbing, etc) to show aspects of the symbol depending on sheet (Equipment Plan, Power Plan, Plumbing Plan, etc). This is BROKEN in VW 2019 (but essential to maintain the integrity of my existing project files).
3. In Section Viewports (on Sheet Layers) the "merge cross sections" is BROKEN and my foundation layer is not showing as the poched class per the Section VP settings.

If VW wanted me to be a Beta Tester, they should have asked. If you have projects that were started in VW 2018 (or before), I would suggest that you do NOT upgrade until VW has worked out the kinks. For me, there is too much liability and fee at risk when an update either removes or corrupts the information that a diligent design professional has carefully crafted in his/her Construction Documents. THIS VERSION CANNOT BE TRUSTED in it's current form. Upgrade at your own risk (I'm waiting for first service pack). Sad.

[Tim C.]

Hi Don,

 

Would it be possible to get a test file that shows the second problem you mentioned (symbol class error)? We've done some testing on our end but haven't been able to duplicate these, so it looks like they may only happen in specific cases. Thanks for your help.

 

Best Regards,

 

Tim Connors

Senior QA Specialist

[donlb55]

Tim C. -- I uploaded the file with the "nested" classes within a symbol yesterday. Check with the VW SS Tech Support folks or get back to me if you can't find the file. -- Thanks

[Tim C.]

Thanks Don I was able to track down the file. 

 

Could you point-out a specific viewport and class in this file where you're seeing the problem? I did a comparison between 2018 and 2019 and couldn't find any differences in the Top/Plan viewports, but I could be missing something...

 

Thanks again,

 

Tim

[willofmaine]

I've had a couple of problems with section viewports. 

 

One is that I wasn't getting a single, continuous fill for the cut plane.  Turns out there's a new setting in the OIP, "Detail Level," that needs to be set to "Low."  Otherwise, in the "Medium" and "High" settings, wall and slab components are shown. 

 

Another issue, which I think is a bug, is that if the viewport's section line has a jog, the cut plane fill may partially or entirely disappear... 

Maybe you're encountering one or both of those issues...

[donlb55]

Will -- only one of my section viewports (in which the poche/fill was missing) had a jog in the section line, so that doesn't explain the others not being filled. I'm back on 2018, but will try the OIP detail settings to see if that makes a difference. Thanks for your input. Hope Nemetschek can get these bugs addressed ASAP.

[donlb55]

Will -- opened file in VW 2019, changed OIP settings to "high" -- no change in section fills (still blank). Waiting for that first service pack to see if VW folks can address these issues.

[jnr]

Hey don, you think this is bad, do you remember version 9? I think it was worse!

 

That said, this one is pretty bad. Weird crap happening to me with graphics all over the place. Detail viewports fubar, zooming in and out items in annotations appear/disappear. Time to regen viewports is waaay slower, sheet views go haywire after about an hour (restart, restart, restart).  So much for improved graphics...And oh yeah, can't forget the random vaporzing crashings..

 

All users should demand a free upgrade (which works) as a small token for the abject loss of revenue we all suffer because the company cannot seem to get its act together when it comes to STABILTY. This 12 month developement cycle is STUPID. It seems to take 11 months to get a release stable to then only open pandora's box all over again. 

 

All users need to get out their pitchforks, or maybe we need to switch programs...

[sbarnett]

I have to agree with this also

 

2019 Spotlight is not usable for me. This is by far the worst release I have seen. 

 

The Instrument Summary Tool Crashes to Desktop every time I try and use the tool which makes generating paperwork impossible.

Bug has been submitted and verified.

 

How does clicking the button on a Tool Crashing Program make it through Beta?

 

They really need to step up the Beta Program to Wider Group. Because the Current release is in Terrible condition for a release that was advertised as a quality of life improvement release.

 

I Participate in Closed Alpha's and have had to Sign NDA's contracts to be included there is no reason VW could not do something similar if they are worried about features being spoken about too early.

 

But the Test Group needs to be larger and use a wider selection of Real world Files to identify the issues.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 21, 2018 by sbarnett
Replaced Snarky comment with something more productive.

[Tim C.]

On 9/20/2018 at 11:26 AM, jnr said:

Detail viewports fubar, zooming in and out items in annotations appear/disappear.

@jnr we're trying to track down these bugs you mentioned but haven't been able to reproduce using our own files. Would it be possible to get a test file that shows the problems so we can work towards a fix? Thanks for your help!

[Jim Smith]

I've not updated to 2019 yet but this has caused me a more than a little hesitation. Over the years we have learnt to rarely convert a project to a new version of the software. I currently have VW 16, 17 & 18 projects  active and don't batch convert because; if it can go wrong, it will. The next project we are about to start is a small interior reno so I'll see if I run into some of these issues in a new clean container. 

 

I tend to agree with the 12 month "new" version criticism; it often takes much of that time to get a handle on what's new, in time for it to change, not to mention that I need to keep at least a few versions of VW active to manage projects so as to not enter a world of pain.  

Edited September 26, 2018 by Jim Smith

[sbarnett]

The issue for me is related to the Custom Lighting symbols I have created. as soon as I import one of my custom symbols into a new 2019 file the instrument summary tool crashes to desktop.

 

So if I want to keep my current Document Style I have to use 2018  or Generate Summary by hand.

 

Support says they hope to have the issue fixed in SP1

 

[willofmaine]

On 9/21/2018 at 8:32 AM, sbarnett said:

They really need to step up the Beta Program to Wider Group.

 

But the Test Group needs to be larger and use a wider selection of Real world Files to identify the issues.

 

I don't know... I think they've succeeded admirably in enlisting the widest group possible with the best real-world files for Beta testing... their entire customer base.  All of us users.  After at least 20, maybe 30 hours with VW 2019, only about 10 of which were billable, I'm back to VW 2018.  Excessive crashing was the final straw (and this with a brand new, fresh project; luckily I didn't convert any projects over from 2018). 

[mjm]

I lasted about 4 hours with 2019. Once I loaded some plugins and VW 2019 began crashing, I lost interest immediately, as work needs to get done.

Somebody let me know when it's safe to use please, otherwise it'll be more like March before I look seriously at this again. I am considering uninstalling it, so don't have to keep closing it after inadvertently opening it with my 2018 files.

[willofmaine]

3 minutes ago, mjm said:

I am considering uninstalling it, so don't have to keep closing it after inadvertently opening it with my 2018 files.

 

You should be able to prevent this without uninstalling.  In the Finder, right-click on one of your 2018 files, select "Get Info," and then adjust "Open With" so that VW 2018 is the default for all of your .vwx files.

[mjm]

9 minutes ago, willofmaine said:

 

You should be able to prevent this without uninstalling.  In the Finder, right-click on one of your 2018 files, select "Get Info," and then adjust "Open With" so that VW 2018 is the default for all of your .vwx files.

TYVM @willofmaine. The Irritation-O-Meter has gone down several notches this morning.

Now if I could rid myself of that pesky notice that VW 2019 is available…

Edited September 26, 2018 by mjm
still somewhat irritated…

[willofmaine]

Glad I could help calm the Irritation-O-Meter!

[mjm]

√

[Andy Broomell]

I've had surprisingly few crashes (yay!); however, I have found a handful of reproducible bugs. One was within a minute of trying 2019 for the first time.

 

Nothing has been catastrophic to the point where 2019 is unusable (knock on wood), but I can't help feeling like we're acting as beta testers for paid software, which is a little cringey. But I do love the improvements that were made this year!

 

Hopefully Vectorworks expands their beta testing group in the future, and/or devotes more resources to resolving bugs that are found by the beta testers before releasing the software to the public. 

[Judy Cosgrove]

I am using 2019 with Mac OS high Sierra... .I have had trouble with panning and zooming in viewports. It was creating ghost images. Pat Stanford suggested I change my graphics preferences which I did. That seems to have solved the problem. 

I will heed the warning NOT to upgrade to MOJAVE just yet.

[willofmaine]

2 hours ago, mjm said:

Now if I could rid myself of that pesky notice that VW 2019 is available…

 

Hmm... I don't get that message.  Try going to Vectorworks Preferences > Session > Check for Updates (near the bottom) and make sure that "Never" is selected.

[mjm]

Once again @willofmaine, my thanks!

 

[Wesley Burrows]

I've actually had a mildly pleasant experience with 2019 thus far.   I wasn't planning on using it right now,  but out of sheer desperation with the complete failure that is 2018 SP4,  I tried it and so far I haven't had nearly the number of beachballs per hour as 2018.     Switching sheet layers is stupid slow though,   30 seconds or something.     And the "new" to braceworks Structural Member tool doesn't work.   I'm sure there are other things.   Time will tell...

[Jim Smith]

I installed late today & have started a new file using a batch convert of our template. Early days, but it seems to boot a lot faster & no issues yet other than the boomerang doesn't seem to work and zooming seems a little odd. I'll restart in the AM and see more in the coming days.

[Jeff Bonny]

2018 had been working fine on a late 2013 iMac running Sierra. 2019 on the same machine running Mojave is not usable. With Mojave 2018 is also now too slow to be practical. I wish Apple would let you roll back without wiping your hard drive but with jobs to finish asap I guess a fresh start is where I'm at. Simple 2D drawing works well to get the immediate work done but text entry on design layers and in viewports is beyond painfully....20-30 seconds per character. Drawings aren't much good if they aren't annotated. I won't even bother trying to render anything or use Braceworks with this setup.

 

It did kick my butt to order the iMac Pro I've been hemming and hawing on. While I'm sure ultimately it will be a good machine some of my problems must lie with 2019 bugs and/or compatibility problems with Mojave. Like many others I'm of the strong opinion that new versions and updates should come when they're ready not when a page falls off the calendar. That said a bug fix/Mojave compatibility update can't come quickly enough.

[Daimon]

I lasted one day, major rendering issues, cached the first render, then repeated the same screen for all views, changed every setting under the sun - still no joy. Numerous crash. Compared to 2018 which was brilliant from day 1.