3dconnection Toolbar position

ad016 · Post by **ad016** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:19 am

Hi, can anyone help with an AutoCAD problem please?
I cannot get the 3dconnection toolbar to stay where I want it. I move it and it stays put during the current AutoCAD session. The next time I open AutoCAD it has moved back to it's original position. Not a life-threatening situation I know, but very annoying nevertheless.
If anyone has any advice or comments I would be most grateful.

Thanks.
Drew

Windows XP sp2
AutoCAD 2008
Space Traveler (driver 6.4.4)

Post by **ngomes** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:00 am

Hi ad016,

Unfortunately, we cannot fix this. There is a limitation in the AutoCAD API that forces the toolbar to dock always on the same position.

In this cases, we advise our customers to send a change/enhancement request to the application editor. If possible, please post here their response. If your request is accepted, you should receive a tracking number. We would be interested in the information to follow-up with Autodesk.

ad016 · Post by **ad016** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:51 am

Hi,

Thanks for the reply, I have put the problem to Autodesk and await their response. I'll post the result here for you to see.

Drew

ad016 · Post by **ad016** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:06 am

Hi,
Here is the reply from Autodesk:

"Hi Andrew,
I don't have this driver or space mouse, so I am not sure how the interface works.
Is it not possible to create your own Toolbar, calling it say~ Andrew and then copying the commands from the 3D toolbar to your New Toolbar, this Toolbar should stay in the correct position.

Best Regards,
Jon Dean
Autodesk Support Team"

My answer:

"Hi Jon,
Thank you for your quick reply. I shall try your suggestion this afternoon. This does however leave a small annoyance: If I switch off the 3dconnection toolbar it doesn

Dee Stringer · Post by **Dee Stringer** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 5:41 am

Hello ad016,

I have a space pilot and have been able to make the 3dConnexion toolbar stay exactly where I wanted it to. I can't tell you exactly what I did to accomplish this but it was during a time that I was setting up a new Workspace in my 2d enviornment for Autocad 2008.
With that being said it seems that the reply you received from ngomes about the Autocad API being the problem seems to possibly be incorrect since I have been able to position the Toolbar where I wanted it. I'm not sure if the Space traveler is the same but I would think it would be very similar.
I seem to get a sense from reading along in this forum that 90 percent of the problems we're encountering all keep being blamed on software vendors not making their products work with the 3Dconnexion devices as opposed to Logitech genuinely trying to find a solution for the situations being posed to them.
On the other hand you might consider yourself lucky that you got the response you did from Logitech since I have had a post requesting help with a 3dsMax issue for over 2 days now with no reponse as to what could be causing the problems. Hope I have been a bit of help.

Post by **ngomes** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:08 am

Hi ad016,

I looked up some more information on this issue and this is what Autodesk API support had to say when we reported the problem:

"[...]
Thanks for letting us know about this behaviour.

Sorry that we cannot address your need immediately as it requires development work from our engineering team. We have logged this issue/wishlist as Change Request number 910545. We recommend that you make a note of this number for future reference. To check the status of this Change Request, please quote this number in a new Case submission and we will provide you with a status update. Change Request numbers should not be confused with Case Ids (as quoted in the subject line of emails from DevHelp) - they are assigned independently and have no direct relationship.

If you would like to provide a business case towards implementing this Change Request, please append it to this current case and we will forward it to our development team. Your providing a business case can increase the urgency of your request with our engineering team. Please provide as much information as possible, including the impact of this issue on your application, the number of users affected, and the expected revenue impact for both you and Autodesk. And thank you for your patience! We know waiting for a future software fix can be frustrating at times.
[...]"

Note the reference to "business case". We read this as them asking us how may customers of 3Dconnexion and Autodesk want to have the problem fixed.

As such, we recommend our customers to send a note to Autodesk requesting them a fix for "Change Request number 910545" to be implemented soon.

We appreciate if you post here what is their response to your request.

Post by **ngomes** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:14 am

Hi Dee Stringer,

I seem to get a sense from reading along in this forum that 90 percent of the problems we're encountering all keep being blamed on software vendors not making their products work with the 3Dconnexion devices as opposed to Logitech genuinely trying to find a solution for the situations being posed to them.

3D mice are not standard devices like a normal mouse or keyboard are. Until such time that 3D mice can be used by an application as easily as regular input devices, there will have to have specific support from ISVs.

There was a time when the same was true for normal mice. Thankfully, this is no longer the case.

On the other hand you might consider yourself lucky that you got the response you did from Logitech since I have had a post requesting help with a 3dsMax issue for over 2 days now with no reponse as to what could be causing the problems. Hope I have been a bit of help.

We are sorry to have kept you waiting. We do aim to provide a speedy response and it is disappointing for when us this happens.

Dee Stringer · Post by **Dee Stringer** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:57 am

ad016,
I took another look at my Autocad 08 in regards to the toolbar issue your having. I too had the same situation as you describe. But when I created a new workspace and moved the 3Dconnexion toolbar to the position I wanted and saved that workspace it is holding its position. When the program launches the 3Dconnexion Toolbar appears in its original position for a split second then moves to the position where I placed it.
Hope the same will work for you.

Good Luck,
Dee

ad016 · Post by **ad016** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 7:28 am

Hi again,

ngomes;
Thank you for the feedback from Autodesk, I'll send in a request and let you know the result.

Dee Stringer;
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a try on Monday when I get back to work - I'm at home now, we get to finish early on a Friday!!

Drew

ad016 · Post by **ad016** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 3:13 am

Dee,
I have tried every way I can think of to modify or create a new workspace, but I still get the same result. I shall un-install the AutoCAD 2008 plug-in again and leave it at that.
Thanks again for your help.

Drew

ad016 · Post by **ad016** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 3:18 am

ngomes,
I was trying to get help from Autodesk through the Subscription Support centre and I have mentioned the "Change Request number 910545" to them. Is there another, perhaps more direct, route that I should use?

Drew

Post by **ngomes** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:47 pm

Hi ad016,

Is there another, perhaps more direct, route that I should use?

I believe not but I'm not really sure.

Post by **rstadie** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:57 am

You could use this as a workaround to get the toolbar looking as you want it:

1. Move the 3Dconnexion toolbar to where you want it
2. Save the current workspace:
Click on e.g. "2D Drafting & Annotation" -> Save Current As -> "3Dconnexion" -> Save
3. Exit AutoCAD
4. Create a file named "3Dconnexion.scr" in your AutoCAD-program-directory (e.g. C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2008\)
5. Open 3Dconnexion.scr with notepad and enter the following:

Code: Select all

wscurrent 3Dconnexion

Notice the return at the end of the line!

6. Right click on your AutoCAD 2008-link and select "Properties".
7. Change the target to "C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2008\acad.exe" -b 3Dconnexion.scr

Your AutoCAD-workspace should now have your preferred layout after starting.

ZetroGrade · Post by **ZetroGrade** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 1:35 am

rstadie wrote:You could use this as a workaround to get the toolbar looking as you want it:

1. Move the 3Dconnexion toolbar to where you want it
2. Save the current workspace:
Click on e.g. "2D Drafting & Annotation" -> Save Current As -> "3Dconnexion" -> Save
3. Exit AutoCAD
4. Create a file named "3Dconnexion.scr" in your AutoCAD-program-directory (e.g. C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2008\)
5. Open 3Dconnexion.scr with notepad and enter the following:
Code: Select all
wscurrent 3Dconnexion
Notice the return at the end of the line!

6. Right click on your AutoCAD 2008-link and select "Properties".
7. Change the target to "C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2008\acad.exe" -b 3Dconnexion.scr

Your AutoCAD-workspace should now have your preferred layout after starting.

I have tried this, since we experience the same problem with the 3Dconnexion toolbar in AutoCAD 2008, but it does not work as intended.
If I however, within AutoCAD Mechanical Desktop reload the Workspace "3DConnexion" which I saved as described above then the toolbars are reloaded and the 3DConnexion toolbar is loaded to the position of my choice, but shutting down AutoCAD and restarting it, will reset the toolbar to the default location.

Any other ideas, workarounds, suggestions?

Thanks in advance and have a nice day.

Post by **rstadie** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 1:08 pm

Hi,

it seems as your problem is located between step 4 and step 7.
Can you verify if 3Dconnexion.scr gets loaded when you start autocad? What is the path to the executable you use when starting autocad?