Topic: Civil 3D 2007 - Bugs, Chugs and Things That Make You go 'ARGH'

[Lin-Z]

I finally have an opportunity to mess with the new features, and right off the bat I'm finding things are a bit hinkey.

Right now - Using the Civil 3D as AutoCAD setup, and I need to create a dynamic block lesson for a small seminar.  I can create regular blocks and open the editor and all is well until it's time to actually make them dynamic.  Every parameter gives me an error of "Unable to execute tool...."  The palettes that came with the install are loaded.  Am I missing something?

EDIT:  Nevermind the answer.  Apparently I'm not the one missing something; C3D is.  The handy-dandy profile they setup to make lives easier is missing a couple paths.  So it's Civil 3D as AutoCAD but not really...

[Dinosaur]

I am hearing discouraging words regarding the new Vault interface for data sharing data with 2007.  It would appear that although still technically available, data shortcuts are no longer practical if you do NOT install Vault and completely unusable if it IS installed.  In short, Vault along with its hefty SQL and other program requirements are going to be a major hit beyond your annual subscription dues.  I think I am no longer waiting for the fist service pack and hotfixes to install 2007 . . . the new target is 2008 and still stretching.

[Cannon]

I don't know the size of your firm Dino, but if you are the only one (or one of a few) working in C3D, you can use the MSDE version and go with that for now.

Vault is what we wished for, and now we're going to have to deal with it.

[Lin-Z]

Ok this one's sort of C3D related - my LDT companion/Civil Design '07  poops out in the middle of grading much like C3D '06. Just locks the program up and that's that.  Instead of moving problems out did they just push them down the food chain a little?

[Dinosaur]

Have you noticed if there is any increase in stability if the automatic surface update is not selected?  I eliminated many corridor assembly and grading problems by doing so.

[Lin-Z]

this is a very simple LDT grading exercise.  There's one simple surface and a couple shapes for practicing the grading wizard. I'm on the 3rd try, but I may just give up and go to one of the LDT 06's on the training computers.

[Dinosaur]

Is there a whacky number in one of the parameters?  Things like or something forcing a dive to "0" is the quickest way I know of to my desktop.  I still keep a shortcut to my autosave folder for whenever I forget that lesson.

[mjfarrell]

Not knowing exactly what it is that Lin-Z is doing; and failing to accomplish,
I again extend the offer to provide her with the training she really needs,
so that when a user comes to the vendor she works for they would get
better training than the autodesk materails will ever allow her to provide them with.
Nothing personal Lin-Z, it's just an observation gleaned from this and other posts
here and at Augie.  You need better training, if you are going to be training
others to use this stuff.

[Lin-Z]

Not knowing exactly what it is that Lin-Z is doing; and failing to accomplish,
I again extend the offer to provide her with the training she really needs,
so that when a user comes to the vendor she works for they would get
better training than the autodesk materails will ever allow her to provide them with.

Thank you for your concern, but the problem has been resolved.  I've just been a tad busy as of late to post the results.  The exercise was one I originally devised in LDT '06 and was simply used as a method to get novice LDT users comfortable with the layout of the LDT grading commands before moving into the more complicated exercises (After spending more time explaining where a particular menu item was located to beginners I've found this method works well with the more hands-on students).  Opening the original base drawing in LDT '07 and going through the exact same steps caused nothing but crashes and lockdowns.  It took creating the surface and footprints from scratch inside an LDT '07 drawing before they would behave properly. 

Oh and please do not speak to me in the thrid person.  As flattering as it may be to others, I am not royalty and it annoys me. *repositions crown* 

[Lin-Z]

Question: I know just-the-dark-side-of-nothing about VBA and I was wondering if there would be some plausible reason why macros written in 2006 wouldn't migrate over to 2007?  They load then they magically disappear 

[Jeff_M]

VBA uses "references" to know what programs it works with. In the case of C3D, the references are different for 2006 & 2007. And while they are different, they should still load....they just won't run or will give you errors.

What do you mean by "magically disappear"? Are they no longer loaded?

[Lin-Z]

Yeah.  They get loaded, then they don't work, then when we go back to check on them they aren't listed anymore. 

[Jeff_M]

OK, with VBAMAN load the DVB. Go to the VBAIDE, if you have more than one loaded make sure the one you want to revise is highlighted in the Project pane. Go to Tools/References, note the there will be at least 2 CivilEngineering3.0, or similar references checked. Uncheck these and scroll down to find the like named references with a 4.0 and check them. Go back to C3D, open the VBAMAN and SAVEAS to save this as a DVB with new name.....this way you can keep both versions if you still also use C3D2006.

HTH

[Lin-Z]

This is probably just me being completely lost but when I bring up the references these are the only ones checked


Are you referring to the Microsoft Forms 2.0?  and as for the 4.0 would it be the ones like Autodesk Civil Engineering Corridor 4.0 Object Library

[Jeff_M]

Uhm, heh, that could just be me ASSuME'ing that these were C3D macros. From the piccy it appears it is just a basic Acad macro.

Would you be willing/able to post one of these dvb's? If so, give a brief description of the intended use.

[Lin-Z]

Ok, sorry this took so long.  I appreciate your putting up with meeee.... I mean "helping"  a whole lot by the way

So here's the situation so far:

The macros are working... on all other computers
In the comp that's being persnickety VBALOAD says it's loaded, but it's nowhere to be found in VBARUN

Am I just missing a huge step here? or is this odd behavior?

[Jeff_M]

No, that is definitely odd behavior. After some quick searching my archives I found this problem reported just one other time......this was their solution:

The macro starts from a Module and then calls a form. The codes in the module are deleted. Don't know why and how.   It was solved by copying back the backup macro.

Is something like this possible? What displays when you type VBAIDE? It should show you the code......

[Lin-Z]

The macro can be loaded and then doesn't show up on VBARUN and VBAIDE is blank.  But when the drawing's opened on another comp even without loading the macro the entire script can be seen in VBAIDE.

This comp has had numerous reinstalls and repairs; could this be a system screw up?

[Jeff_M]

Sounds like this is an embedded macro into the drawing and macros have been disabled on that computer to prohibit viruses.

I'm drawing a blank here on how to change that setting.......OK, Type VBARUN, go to OPTIONS, uncheck the box that says "Enable Macro Virus protection". The next time a drawing is opened a dialog will come up asking to disable,enable or do not load, uncheck the box that says "show this dialog next time" (or something close to that) then select Enable Macros.

That should do it.....

[Maverick®]

 Have you thought of.....?

[Lin-Z]

Ok, the acvba.arx file is listed in appload but is all greyed out.  Should I try reloading?

[Lin-Z]

Was just coming back here to say that it won't let me do diddly 

We've done so many clean installs that I'm afraid to reccomend another 

[Lin-Z]

Just found 2 more computers that are doing the same (I'm afraid to check the 5 others in my office that have C3D/LDT 2007 loaded).  Would this count as a major AD oversight/screwup? 'Cause I'm about ready to take Maverick's advice and that's never a good sign

[Lin-Z]

OK, none of the civil software will keep a macro loaded, but my architectural will.  Can I take files from one to replace the faulty in another?  *prepares to put on mad scientist hat*

[Dinosaur]

You said earlier that macros were working on all other computers and now all of the civil app boxes are having the same problem as the first . . . Did something new get installed on all of those machines recently that may be causing this behavior?  Are they possibly networked and referencing a common application, routine or some data source that may be corrupted?

EDIT

One other thought . . . is 2006 still on the computers in question?  If so, you may try temporarily renaming ALL of the 2006 folders to get them out of any search path.  Civil 3D tends to hard code paths for lots of things.  I had to do this to get my 2005 projects to load in 2006 correctly because the assemblies had the old path embedded.  Once the program could not find the 2005 folders it went on to the 2006 files that were compatible.

[Lin-Z]

You said earlier that macros were working on all other computers and now all of the civil app boxes are having the same problem as the first . . .

Sorry was kind of hurried.  Clarification:  In his office, all but one are working.  The new malfunctioning comps are in my office.  If these problems weren't so spacey and followed a more discernable pattern I don't think I'd be so flabbergasted... hopefully 

[Dinosaur]

Civil 3D will do that to you . . . I would still take a look for some kind of embedded path for the VBA app.  Those assemblies that dealt me fits were full of VBA stuff that was not completely compatible between 2k5 and 2k6 and the same may be true for these two versions.

[Lin-Z]

I'm taking a teeny break from the situation to see if new ideas will come.  A tech request has been put in with AD, so I'll see how that goes.  Thanx, everyone, for all the help, to.  You're suggestions have kept me sane (well, as sane as I was before  ) thru all of this and I really appreciate it.

[Dinosaur]

I can't find anyone else that will admit to having this issue.  The only suggestion I got from anyone was to check your computer components for something that may be failing or that is outside of or pushing minimum specs.  I don't know if that means memory or what, but it does take a very robust machine to handle this program so I am passing the suggestion along.

[mjfarrell]

I wish Lin-z would contact me directly on this so that we could further diagnose and solve this issue.

[Lin-Z]

I wish Lin-z would contact me directly on this so that we could further diagnose and solve this issue.

You're doing that third person thing again, and no, thank you.

[Lin-Z]

Can someone see if they can duplicate this in C3D 07?  Some tutorial drawings will not keep any user defined properties for points.  I set them up, save, close, reopen and poof, they're gone.  Audits, recovers galore and still it persists.  Insert the tutorial drawings into another, add UDP's, save, close, reopen, UDP's created from scratch in the new drawing remain, incoming UDPs vanish...  It's too early for this 

[Dinosaur]

I don't have access to 2007, but it sounds like maybe an issue in saving the command changes.  Have you checked that?

[Lin-Z]

I've given my brain time to rest while I juggle 100 other just as pressing things and here I am again.  Thanx again to everyone who's offered advice.  I've (tried to) attached one of the offending DVB's.  LDT 07 apparently hates this thing and I have no idea why or what to change to make them get along (well, I could go about indescriminately checking and unchecking boxes but that'll just lead to more work down the line - look at me I'm mature  )

EDIT:  I couldn't resist!  I fiddled with it.  I unchecked the Missing AD Land 4.0 and checked AD Land 6.0. Seems to run ok, but then again Seems is usually followed by "What's that smell?" and "Is the PC supposed to emit mysterious blue smoke?"

Edir AGAIN:  Seems you guys are way too quick and I've been way too under the weather.  Problem solved.  Called the user up (Hello, Elgin) and seems he's found his way here as well to be helped out by all you wonderful people.  Just to toot my own horn I did figure it out before he told me where to look    So once again, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!  On to the next brain-number. 

[Maverick®]

I wish Lin-Z would have contacted me about this so that I could have...nevermind.

  Yes your right.  Lin-Z should have contacted someone so they could fix Lin-Z's problem so Lin-Z would be able to teach the world the correct method.

[Lin-Z]

I HOPE YOU'RE BOTH HAPPY!  I just snorted - really FRIGGY LOUD!!!   

[Slim©]

I HOPE YOU'RE BOTH HAPPY!  I just snorted - really FRIGGY LOUD!!!   

Saaweeeet!!!!!!