Topic Title

When updating a view, have the most currently used view be shown since this is most likely the one being updated.

Add a toggle that allows the placement and display of smart wall name tags. Ideally, these would be the name of the smart wall created, but allowing it to be edited or abbreviated and placed on screen. One of our current projects has a high number of custom internal stud wall types and wall finishes and visually it gets hard to determine what wall is which type. We have currently manually created a text-with-knockout-and-border as a wall name tag but this is open to human error given the complexity of the walls and layout. Having the actual smart wall generate its own editable name tag would remove the potential for errors whilst providing a clear reference to each wall type used. The Node Markers toggle already gives unique wall numbering so it could be adapted from this?
Developing this further could see the smart doors and windows also have their own editable reference tags which are linked to a door and window schedule.

Allow the ability to view a layer in elevation using the Layer/View Layer command. Presently, DataCAD only displays a plan view even if the screen view is in elevation.

Improve the viewing navigation so models don't go walkabout and add-

1. Center View - places the eye point central to the model. Good for trying to get inside a space without distorting the perspective to do it,

2. Camera Presets - whilst in a view, scroll through typical camera lens preset values similar to Set Perspective (28mm, 35mm etc.),

Add to the Status Panel the current Pen Style settings.

I love the way Tab works when renaming a layer in the Layer Manager - and I wish that when I was changing color of a layer in the LM, that hitting Tab would similarly let me then change the color of the next layer.

Also, if we have Linetype by layer, it would be great to have a column in the LM showing the linetype for each layer - and maybe a pulldown to change it?

I love the way Tab works when renaming a layer in the Layer Manager - and I wish that when I was changing color of a layer in the LM, that hitting Tab would similarly let me then change the color of the next layer.

Also, if we have Linetype by layer, it would be great to have a column in the LM showing the linetype for each layer - and maybe a pulldown to change it?

Both make sense to me.

We've been furthering our view-dependent symbols for smart entities such as doors and have noticed some glitches that hopefully can be fixed in future updates:

1. If using the standard parametric doors (no symbols applied) additional wishlist enhancements would be to add the ability to turn on/off door handles and integrate a 2D plan view in the DTM showing real time changes, (this could be located under the Display / Rendering Attributes area in a new field?). This would allow any settings that are changed to be seen straight away rather than closing the DTM to see the changes in the drawing, then having to reopen it to make further changes,

2. If the Use Symbol is ticked (checked) for 2D in the Door Tab then the actual manufacturer door frame, door and door handle(s) can be included allowing more accurate and detailed drawings. If these are further broken into view-dependent layers then a lot of info can be included in a smart door and it works great on drawings at various scales,

3. The problem comes when -

a) changing the door swing from inside to outside and vice-versa - there's no response and the door remains in its same position, (swapping the hinge from left to right works okay),

b) changing the door swing angle in 2D doesn't work either most likely because the door + frame are 1 symbol. Creating separate symbols for multiple door swing angles would be too time consuming and slow when wanting to quickly change a door swing,

door swing inside to outside and vice versa not working

door swing angle not working

inserting a smart door with 2D symbol is hit and miss as far as being able to set the direction of the door swing. In this example the door would only face one direction whereas in other instances it would dynamically flip to the opposite side of the wall as the mouse is moved around allowing it to be inserted facing the opposition swing direction.

4. An improvement to make this workable may be to add an additional tick box on the Door Tab 2D allowing users to save their own door frame symbols separate from the door symbols. Ideally, the symbol could require specific layers such as:

a) door layer with point of rotation to be used with the door swing tab allowing it to be dynamically and numerically changed to a different door swing angle,

b) door swing layer, allowing it to be turn on/off,

c) door handle layer(s), allowing on/off for each side of the door,

d) door frame layer,

e) or, add another tab Door Symbol which if ticked, overrides the other settings and allows the 2D door to be defined as a symbol (with layers and sub-symbols) so it behaves similar to the standard parametric doors but can include greater user control on the linework and what is displayed?

5. Another option could be if the Use Door Frame Symbol is ticked, then it turns off the standard rectangle used to display the 2D door frame and displays the 2D symbol instead retaining the standard parametric door, door swing and ability to adjust the door display using the current tools (which all work)?

6. Add the ability to ctrl-right mouse click on a smart door to include Edit Symbol (or Edit Door) which opens the symbol browser for that door symbol. Presently, the actual door symbol has to be inserted in the drawing as a symbol (not smart door) to use the menu to edit its settings,

3. The problem comes when...

Your scale file changes

....don't want to go there - that's a whole new thread....

Some enhancement wishlist items for smart walls:

1. Add additional wall lines - the existing 4 is somewhat limiting,

2. Add A Display Mode setting that allows a single wall type to quickly switch between a colour fill or hatch (mainly used for presentation drawings) to more specific documentation hatching/linetypes (used for construction drawings). Presently, multiple wall types have to be created, and in most instances, the same type of wall can be displayed/printed in different ways depending on the type of drawing being issued; sketch, concept, CD's etc. This currently requires entire plans to used the Search and Replace feature to change the wall definition types from say solid fill to CD-wall-type-ABC when changing from concept to DD and CD. Rather than having to replace the walls it would be beneficial to simply toggle a change of display for the wall type(s) in question. This would require each wall type to have the ability to store multiple display types (line only, line + fill, line + hatch etc.) then a user can simply pick the display option for that smart wall type allowing the same wall to be displayed/printed in a number of styles.

3. Add the ability to move the right side of the menu in the wall type list of the WTM so longer names can be more easily viewed,

4. Have the Search and Replace menu remember its last state, ie. if the menu has been stretched to increase the input fields, when it is reopened have the menu remember the large size it was adjusted to rather than default back to the reduced size menu, (....same for all menus that allow user adjustment - have the menu's recall the last setting),

Also, when Identifying a door or window, include additional information in the readout such as door opening width, sill height and window opening width.

We've a number of scenarios on documentation sheets where Locksize has been turned on for text labels to certain areas/rooms. This allows these text labels to be readable on the main floor plans (1:100 series) then using either self-xrefs and/or clipcubes of selected rooms, 1:20 and 1:10 series detailed fitout drawings can be done using the same text labels which automatically adjust their text size to the 1:10/20 plot sheets. This all works fine. What we also have are some intermediate 1:50 plans which show all the text labels, some with Locksize and some without, and obviously they're shown at different scales. Ideally, on some plans we'd like the Locksize not to be active so the text is displayed at a consistent size on selected drawings.

Wishlist - add the ability to define what scales the Locksize text is active on. This could be similar to how the scale dependent symbols work with a menu allowing user input to define the scales applied, except in this instance it relates to text. A user could then set the Locksize to only apply to 1:20, 1:10, 1:5 scales with other plot scales retaining the original text size.

We've a number of projects which have screens of xrefs which show up in the Xref Manager often showing a path\filename\(number) against the xrefs making it difficult at times to readily look for a particular xref.

Wishlist 1 - add a Search filter allowing the xref list to be displayed alphabetically, numerically or by searching using a filter similar to the Layer filter where a user can type a letter(s) with a wildcard (*) to complete the search. This would only search the filenames loaded and ignore the paths.

Wishlist 2 - add horizontal lines to separate each xref file loaded to make it easier to read and identify the various files loaded,

Wishlist 3 - allow the XFM to stay open whilst working in DataCAD similar to the LM,

We've a number of projects which have screens of xrefs which show up in the Xref Manager often showing a path\filename\(number) against the xrefs making it difficult at times to readily look for a particular xref.

You can give descriptive names to your xrefs by highlighting them in the list and hitting F2 or right clicking on them and picking rename.