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Command Manager

Question asked by Gerald Davis on Feb 19, 2009
Latest reply on Feb 23, 2009 by Kelvin Lamport

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It strikes me as odd that PDMWorks isn't on the Office Products tab. Toolbox, Photoworks, 3D Instant Web made it.

I move components with the mouse (a lot). I'm pleased that no menu selection is required for that. Why is Rotate buried under Move in the Command Manager?

I keep searching for the option that allows me to set the top level entry for a "flyout" menu.

Even better, I'd like the flyout to remember the last one I used.

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Jim Wilkinson Feb 21, 2009 2:08 AM
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Hi Gerald,

Gerald Davis wrote:

It strikes me as odd that PDMWorks isn't on the Office Products tab. Toolbox, Photoworks, 3D Instant Web made it.

On this one, we don't put a button in the SolidWorks Office flyout/toolbar to turn the Workgroup PDM add-in on/off because generally people either want it on or off and don't want to toggle it during a session. In fact, administrators want to try to make sure people are using the PDM so prefer not to give it a level of visibility that makes it easy to disable. As for the 4 Workgroup PDM buttons that are on that toolbar (login, logout, Check In, and options), login and logout are not used often as buttons since again, users usually leave the add-in turned on and it asks you to login when you startup (and you rarely logout). You can also login through the vault view in the task pane. The most common button used is Check In and instead of burying that under the Office Products tab, we have defaulted it to be present on the top menu bar next to the Save button so it has a higher level of visibility. Are you not seeing it there? If not, perhaps it is because you ran versions of SolidWorks 2008 during beta and we had not yet defined it there. It wasn't until later that we put it on there by default (and we don't change the toolbar setup later since we can't tell what the user has customized).

I move components with the mouse (a lot). I'm pleased that no menu selection is required for that. Why is Rotate buried under Move in the Command Manager?

You can also rotate components without a menu selection. Similar to left mouse button dragging a component to move it, you can right mouse button drag a component to rotate it.

I hope this helps,
Jim
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- Gerald Davis @ Jim Wilkinson on Feb 23, 2009 12:31 AM
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  Jim Wilkinson wrote:
  
  On this one, we don't put a button in the SolidWorks Office flyout/toolbar to turn the Workgroup PDM add-in on/off because generally people either want it on or off and don't want to toggle it during a session.
  
  Jim -
  For those of me who visit a variety of workplaces, more convenience rather than less is a blessing. When my laptop and I are mousing in a shop (without a vault, for example) we want to unload add-ins that are idle. When we arrive at a location with a vault (or if we need PhotoWorks, etc) we would like to effortlessly enable the required add-in(s).
  
  I understand that you write software for a larger audience than just the fabulous Gerald Davis. I will nontheless persist in my suggesting that the interface be designed for the convenience of the user (whoever it may be) and the corresponding workflow (whatever it may be).
  
  The UI need not be designed by democracy where the majority of poll respondents rule. Rather, let the UI pay attention to the individual and remember what the user prefers.
  
  Of course there are installations that would benefit from a "policy manager" to mitigate the vagaries and whims of transient CadJockeys by locking many of the options that I am urging you to cast in code.
  
  I represent the entire staff of my company of one and we unanimously feel that the SW UI could improve.
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  - Jim Wilkinson @ Gerald Davis on Feb 23, 2009 12:40 AM
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    Hi Gerald,
    
    In the case of being offsite, can you not just not login to the vault? Is there a reason why you want to completely unload the add-in? Is it for memory savings or other?
    
    I also want to fully understand what you are looking for here. Is it to have a button that loads/unloads the PDMWorks add-in rather than having to go to the add-in dialog to do it?
    
    Thanks,
    Jim
    
    P.S. I'm glad you, me, and others think the UI could be improved. Otherwise, I would be out of a job
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    - Gerald Davis @ Jim Wilkinson on Feb 23, 2009 3:44 PM
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      Jim Wilkinson wrote:
      
      ... why you want to completely unload the add-in? Is it for memory savings or other?
      
      Since 1998 I've had discussions with numerous AE's about how to improve the stability of my CAD system. One of the consistent pieces of advice is to unload unneeded add-ins.
      
      The Office Tool Bar looks like an incomplete tool for managing the state of add-ins. I'd like to see it finished and implemented in a consistent manner (ie manage the install state of all available add-ins that I drop into it).
      
      Yes, there is a way to click on menu buttons to toggle the state of add-ins. Just as there is a way to change the color of a component or to add a texture.
      
      My yapping is about the need to hold my elbows together and hop in small circles in order to get the UI to understand what I want.
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Kelvin Lamport Feb 23, 2009 12:47 AM
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Could a macro be made and then a key assigned to toggle the Vault's active state?
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Kelvin Lamport Feb 23, 2009 3:59 PM
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Do you have any videos of your "rain dance"? That would really brighten the Monday morning blues. LOL
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