Topic Title

[Mark F. Madura]

English Distance Menu
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DataCAD's distance menu displays 14 values by default. You can edit C:\DataCAD 16\Support Files\Program Defaults\DCADWIN.DIS to customize these values, up to a maximum of 17 values.

The contents of this text file is...

0
0
16
32
96
128
192
256
384
512
768
1536
3072
4608
7680
-1

The first zero and the last -1 indicate the beginning and end of the value list, defined in 32nds of an inch which is DataCAD's base unit value.

I'd like to 'grab' the three spots that are typically available for a 'Custom' option that would allow you to add named distances on a per-drawing basis such as First Floor: 0'-0", Second Floor: 9'-0", etc.

This means you would no longer have all 17 slots available for your default distance list.

Please cast your vote, Yay: I want Custom, or Nay: Keep all 17 distance values.

Thank You,

MFM

We load distance files based on the project type. Common stick framing lumber sizes, commercial building min. distances, steel shop drawing metal thickness, etc. It would be nice if every distance could have a name. This kind of gets me thinking that maybe the program default files like the distance file (scale, angles etc.) should have embed options like the color palette and the external files would be used to load defaults into the drawing? Would help avoid issues when a distance file is not available. Would also like to see more distances available by having Scroll Frwd/Back buttons. Sorry Mark, I know it wasn't exactly what you asked an opinion for, but think it might fit under Yay: I want custom

Yay!

I can't think why we would need to name a distance. So, I vote to keep as many distances on the list as possible.

The distance (scale, angle) lists are already customizable per drawing once the default list is loaded into a file (the default needs to be 17 lines long to take advantage of the last 3 spaces of the list while in a file). I so rarely use the distance menu anymore; however, I could see the advantages in named distances, especially in the using offset and might actually start again. But I don't see naming only 3 as being handy - how do I choose? (If I understand Mark's explanation correctly). If all of them can be named/renamed, then I say "yay". (otherwise, I go with the flow)

Assuming, a 'number' alone can be used as a name, the list can look essentially the same for those who don't want any names whether 3 or all are customizable.

I vote "yay" for custom. I have custom named distances and angles for lots of years.

The difficulty I have found is that if I use a certain custom angle file and the angles conflict with the angle file I might have used to set up the default drawing that I used to start a new drawing from, then some of the text angles and other angles in the default file go whacky because the default angle file differs from the other custom angle file I might want to use for that drawing.

We have a couple of custom distance files which we commonly use and they use all 17 available distances. We have been using these for a long time and while it may be time to re-look at them, I don't think we are in favor of losing any. So I would vote nay.