X-solids missing

barbara spannagel

I'm missing the X-solid functions. Is there another tool for history based modeling?
Thanks for your ideas.
Barbara

Gary Adams

 V14: Read the release notes.

Scott McKenzie

X-Solids has been retired as of V14, it's functionality has been replaced with reworked and new features in the software.

From the release notes: "X-SOLIDS removed: new functionality has been added to replace functionality offered by X-solid, the history based X-solids modeling is retired."

Which can be found here: http://www.bricsys.com/common/releasenotes.jsp?i=3373

I may be incorrect, somebody with more experience with X-solids and the new 3D features will correct me if I am wrong, but I think the intent was to discontinue X-Solids and replace the functionality of that system by the use of 3D and 2D constraints.  As for the hardware, it is available on the Library tab of the Mechanical Browser.

barbara spannagel

I read the release notes but I just couldn't believe it.
History based modeling was one of our main reasons to switch from AutoCAD to BricsCAD.
But obviously there is no alternative to direct modeling anymore.
Anyway thanks for your response.

Jim Canale

 Where is the hardware?  For that matter, where is the sheet metal?  We purchased the Platinum version of V13 with a 1 year subscription.  I just installed V14, and there are no sheet metal menus and no hardware.   

Roy Klein Gebbinck

@ Jim:
If you have installed V14 with the default V14 CUI you should have the menus 'Mechanical' and 'Sheet Metal'. You can try using the 'Revert to defaults...' option of the _CUSTOMIZE command.

Scott McKenzie

 Hi Jim:

I noticed that when I initially installed V14 on my system that had V13 installed, the menus and customizations were copied from V13 and because of that I did not have the new Sheet Metal menu, or the updated Mechanical Browser.  To fix the problem, I used the CUSTOMIZE command, while on the Menus tab, I clicked the File button and chose "Load Main CUI File..."

Along with the missing menus, I also experienced very slow menu operation.  After making the CUI change, I still cannot access the hardware, however, in the Mechanical Browser I can now see the Library tab but there is no content for the browser - all drop downs are empty...

Jim Canale

Isn't there any way to add the sheet metal features without screwing up my customizations?  (Took me a long time to setup, and I like it just the way it is.)   I would have thought if the sheet metal tools were installed, I would see them on the right side of customization menus.  But I can't find any mention of sheet  metal under the pulldown menus or in available toolbars.  

Roy Klein Gebbinck

@ Jim:
Pulldown menus and toolbars are all part of a .cui file. If you are not using the default V14 .cui file you are obviously not going to find stuff that is available is that file. It seems you have made the 'classic' error of not keeping your customizations in a separate additional .cui file.
Maybe this helps:
http://forum.bricsys.com/discussion/20190

Bruce Fillmore

Roy,

Just for clarity sake, you might add that this would be the proper approach no matter what CAD program is in use.  It is not any thing limited to Bricscad,  as you point out all menu changes should be in a seperate CUI or MNU file that can then be added to any default CUI or MNU file.  Personally I like working with MNU files (much easier).

Bruce

Jim Canale

 For years now, whether I was working in Autocad or BricsCAD, I have been modifying the default customization file and saving it to another name.   Are you saying I am doing that wrong?  Am I allowed to have more than one active customization file?  If so, how?   

In this case, I had an active installation of V13 with customized toolbars.  I installed V14 separately.  The installation grabbed and used my modified customization file.    When I opened the customization menu, I expected to see the new sheet metal tools on the pane at the right, but they were absent until  I loaded the default customization file for V14.  At that point I lost the customizations I created in V13.      

So I guess I do not understand what I am doing with customizations.  At least it is not intuitive to me.

Louis_Verdonck

 @Jim

Apart from the main cui file you can create one or more so called 'partial cui' files, which are loaded on top of the main cui. Because the main cui file might change with every update or major upgrade, it is recommended to do all customization in the partial cui's, which will be left untouched with an update and can be copied manually when upgrading (e.g. from V13 to V14).

Jim Canale

Thank you Louis.  Now I think I understand at last.

Jim C.