Powerdraft 14.2 (clean install, no old files reused), Windows 10 64bit (current update).
Quite often I have to make some measurements in a drawing and enter the values in another software, be it for tenders or structural analysis. I usually use the "draw line" or "draw circle" commands as I can perform simple mathematic operations when I have to scale down the measurement. From CE10 on the keyboard shortcuts wouldn't work right away when I returned from the other software (normally switching windows with ALT+TAB). I always have to click on "refresh drawing" before I can use the keyboard shortcuts. In CE10 this happened with every fourth/fifth drawing, in CE14.2 with every single drawing. Sometimes the shortcuts (defined in the funckey-file) won't even work until I have clicked on the tool in the tasks window. Was there any change in CE14.2 concerning this behaviour?
Just wondering if this is in relation to Accudraw Shortcuts or Position Mapping, or both? Had this previously been reported? I have tested what I believe you are describing with the Alt+Tab switching between windows but cannot replicate this. Maybe you could supply a simple video capture of this operation.
RegardsAndrew BellTechnical SupportBentley Systems
I have assigned ALT+F1 to place smartline and ALT+F2 to place circle icon. So when I switch back from another application via ALT+TAB and hit ALT+F1 right away Powerdraft doesn't neither recognise it nor shows any error message. I just have to click on the "update view" icon (brush) and then everything works as usual.
I'll try to make a video capture when this occurs again, just have to make sure I don't share any confidetial information. It doesn't happen all the time. I haven't found any specific files or apps to be the culprits yet. Sometimes it's after coming back from Firefox, MS Office, iTWO - whatever I use on my computer.
Andrew, I tried to record a video with Screencast-O-Matic (a free service) but whenever I load it the phenomenon in Powerdraft is gone... I'm afraid I can't provide video evidence.
By the way: my colleagues told me their Powerdraft and Microstation behave the same.
I believe the issue your experiencing is related to the 'Input Focus'.
In your preferences do you have Look and Feel > Auto-Focus Tool Settings Window checked and if so what happens if you disable this?
https://communities.bentley.com/products/microstation/w/microstation__wiki/15939/auto-focus-tool-settings
In addition when in MicroStation or PowerDraft, before you Alt Tab where is the input Focus? If at 'Home' is all, OK compared to say if set to 'Accudraw'. ( This I believe is different behaviour to earlier versions - I compared with V8i SS10 )
Regards
Carl Myhill
Technical Support Engineer
Bentley Systems
Thanks for your answer. The Auto-Focus isn't enabled, though.
I have never paid attention to where the input focus is before I switched applications. I'll try to remember when this happens next time.
Actually I believe this behaviour wasn't always there in CE 10, it might have begun with some Windows 10 update.