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Tool Tips for Error Messages


trashcan

Question

Rather than give you a generic error, it would be great for a tool tip to give you a suggestion. I recognize this is a lot of work but it would be very helpful.  

 

A good example is extruding a 3D polygon. If you try to extrude a 3D polygon using the Extrude command, Vectorworks could suggest "Try using Push / Pull or Tapered Extrude" 

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Most of the conversations on this forum about UI refresh have focused on graphics (i.e. icons, colors, fonts), but the written word is hugely important. Vectorworks could use an app-wide copy refresh.

 

Previous discussions have suggested renaming Classes, Design Layers, Sheet Layers to Classes, Layers, Sheets. Similarly, Renderworks Styles, Renderworks Textures, Renderworks Backgrounds are legacy terms that should be updated. Simpler terminology would be better for existing and new users.

 

Vectorworks' overuse of the slash (e.g. Symbols/Plug-In Objects) hints at larger organizational issues. What is the difference between Symbols and Plug-In Objects? If they are fundamentally the same, call them all symbols. If they are different, give them their own icons, menus, and folders.

 

Certain dialogs are counterproductive. I nearly always have to subtract solids multiple times to get the correct result because the dialog is so pathetic. Seriously, what is this trying to say? Select which object? The tooltip is not much help either. In a 3D view with intersection objects, which object is the "backmost"? This tool can be re-designed to be easier to use, or this alert could simply be re-written to be more helpful.

 

1521549361_ScreenShot2020-04-29at2_10_48PM.thumb.png.1bf6568141687c30b44068f1254db1d3.png

 

Other dialogs hint at a deeper problem. I was experimenting with site modifiers and received this dialog after editing an elevation. I had to read this several times and never understood what it was trying to say. It looks like an either-or question: Do you want an apple or an orange? Yes or No? Ultimately I had to trial-and-error my change several times to understand how it was impacting my model. This dialog could be better written, but the complexity of the alert probably indicates a more fundamental problem with the usability of the tool. I am new to site tools and they are full of undocumented quirks.

 

1611246382_ScreenShot2020-04-17at2_34_48PM.thumb.png.8c81cc65c35130b8c4af6bf2c4852c20.png

 

@trashcan, as you note, tool tips and errors could be more verbose, clear, and helpful. Rendering status disappeared with Vectoworks 2020 and plenty of other tools (including publishing sheets) make me wonder if Vectorworks is working or has crashed. These changes won't provide a sexy marketing campaign, but they will make users lives easier every day!

 

 

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