Topic: figure prefix database

[drizzt]

It is my understanding that the figure prefix database will use the description of points, along with other database settings, to create "figures". I was thinking I could take the survey data and have it draw up just about everything from breaklines to buildings and fences. But, if it is drawing them in 3D, then my linetypes will not show up. So, I am thinking that the only use for this feature is to create the breaklines of surfaces.

What do you use this feature for? Is it effective?

[mjfarrell]

The figures linetypes function has been broken now since it's original introduction...thank everyone that pays their subscription fees

however one can set it draw them 'flattened' to 2d and STILL not have them show up correctly either...

let me verify that with 2011 real quick...stand by for edit to this post.

[mjfarrell]

they ONLY obey the figure style IF yu set them AFTER the import operation

which as you now know is NOT how it should function. 2dor 3d

maybe someday they will listen to their customers and fix some of these 'little' issue I keep carping about.

OR

folks will STOP buying into the marketing scam that is the subscription program

[drizzt]

K, seems to me the only use for this function is drawing breaklines that you will not dispay on final production then!

Thanks!

[sinc]

We use it to draw all lines.

Then, toward the end of processing a survey, I might select all fence and utility lines, explode them to 3D polylines, convert the result to 2D polylines, and turn on linetype generation.  That generally works OK, since we typically do not consider fence or utility lines to be breaklines.

But I also have the Sincpac-C3D, with its Extract2d command, which can extract flattened polylines from Survey Figures.  It can then place the flattened linework on a different layer, or move the Survey Figure to a different layer and leave the flattened linework in its place.  (Which reminds me...  I still need to add an option to that command to automatically turn on Linetype Generation on the flattened linework...)

[mjfarrell]

I still instruct people in my classes to use figures for line creation.
I am just sure that they understand that the application is broken in that regard and have them contact their dealer about the issue.

Where is that James Wedding guy?  Are you listening?  When are they going to fix this? 

[Jeff H]

Where is that James Wedding guy? 

Texas
http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=public_profile&account_id=99584

Are you listening? 

Obviously not

When are they going to fix this? 

Never

[sinc]

When are they going to fix this? 

Never

Last year, Autodesk said they were looking at linetype problems and were asking for feedback.  So they may actually be working on a solution.

Of course, you never know until you get the next release (or the release after that, or the one after that...)

[mjfarrell]

This is me NOT holding my breath. 

Mostly because I can't stop laughing when I read Jeff's response.     

[Wedding]

Where is that James Wedding guy? 

Texas
http://au.autodesk.com/?nd=public_profile&account_id=99584

Texas is right, and since it's not exactly clear, my role as CE Tech Specialist falls within in the sales organization, not the engineering one. So, while I am actually listening, I'm only somewhat able to do much about it.

You guys would actually me much more effective than me in making change if you communicated with the development team via venus like Beta, Support Requests, and AU. AU is HUGE, especially for speakers like Mike that can leverage their role to get time with Product Managers. What you do with that opportunity is really up to you.

[mjfarrell]

James,

I did get a small chance to discuss one particular issue with a Product manager (name escapes me at the moment) while at AU.
Sadly this particular person was completely clueless about the lack of interoperability of MAP and the Civil 3D objects, and the fact that one can not create anything with civil 3D and have MAP be able to query those objects.  His lack of knowledge or understanding of how this impacted the users of C3D was more than a little frustrating.
Why not send me some names and contact information via PM or my email address so that I can at least start swimming upstream in the right channel?  

I also find you position "I'm in sales" a little odd, given some of your previous statements regarding people filing a support request and having them include WEDDING in there.  Or are those statements no longer valid, as you are only associated with 'sales' of the product?

[Wedding]

I also find you position "I'm in sales" a little odd, given some of your previous statements regarding people filing a support request and having them include WEDDING in there.  Or are those statements no longer valid, as you are only associated with 'sales' of the product?

My ability to keep an eye on an issue, versus my ability to push for product changes is subtly different. On the support request, that was a specific piece of the application where I had unique knowledge on the subject, and am one of the influencers with regards to change within that scope.

On more general issues, a wave of customer requests, with backing reasoning, is more influential than me making a suggestion to the development team. It's just the nature of humanity. We all have jobs to do, and while I certainly advocate for certain things (and believe me, I included the Map/Civil inquiry on an internal rant just this week,) there are certain levers that have more strength with division than a member of the sales team yelling for features. Again, you as a speaker are one of those. Brian as a VAR partner is one of those, Beta testers are one of those. A single point of pressure rarely moves a ship as large as Autodesk.

[drizzt]

Sinc,

I considered doing the copy figure, explode, convert to 2dpolyline also. The problem there is that you loose curve data. Although, if I can't get the company to foot the bill for Sincpak, I may go this route anyway, re-creating curves on an as needed basis.

Thanks all for you opinions and help with this.

Wedding---- huge fan of the Mastering series!

[sinc]

Although, if I can't get the company to foot the bill for Sincpak, I may go this route anyway, re-creating curves on an as needed basis.

Too bad...  There are a lot of commands in the SP, any one of which can save you so much time that it pays for the purchase price of the product the first time you use it.

You may want to keep pushing the issue, and let them know each time you spend an hour or more doing a task that the SP can do in seconds.  Eventually, they might see that they are being penny-wise but pound-foolish...   

[drizzt]

Sinc,

when sincpak converts figures to polylines, does it keep curve data in tact (sp?).