Refedit toolbar wondered away

Joe Dunfee

 Since I started using a 2nd monitor that is rotated, there has been a number of issues with any undocked toolbars or windows. 

All windows, such as the Layers window, open so that the top of it is beyond the edge of the screen.  Interestingly, by stretching one of the lower boundaries, the upper boundary will pop back into view on the screen. Apparently, it has some sort of function to bring it back onto the screen, that gets triggered if you re-size it.

However, I have one persistent problem that does not fix itself.  My Refedit window has apparently wondered off somewhere unseen.  I can't find a way to get it back without wiping out my existing user profile.  On another thread, the "Workspace" command was mentioned...

"To fix, run CUI and on the Workspace tab select the 'Properties' palette for you current work space. In the details area change the state of the palette to one of the docked option. This will bring it back onto your screen. "

I can select the 2D workspace, that I am currently in. But the Refedit window is not one of the toolbars under that listing. I can find the Refedit individual icons on the list on the right side.  But, I cannot figure out any way to use this to reset the Refedit window. And, again, I really don't want to have to reset absolutely everything to the factory defaults.

In general, the Windows operating system has had problems with wayward windows from the beginning.  So, I don't necessarily blame BricsCAD. But, I sure wish BricsCAD could find a real solution to this problem that probably affects everyone at some point in time.  In particular, there are some windows that are internal to BriscCAD, such as the drawing explorer window.  If it were something external to BricsCAD, I could use the MS Windows "arrange windows" function to get it back.  But, things like the drawing explorer is not available to that function. So, such objects should be managed by BricsCAD. They need to provide a way to bring them back onto the screen.  

I think such a proposed new feature in BricsCAD should work this way;  A dialog box opens that lists all open toolbars, dialog boxes, or other potentially wayward objects. Then, a button causes that object to become attached to the end of the mouse, so the user can click where they want it.  An obvious issue may be that the "Find windows" screen has to always appear where it can be found, and not go wondering off screen itself!

Any ideas on bringing my Refedit window back home from its vacation off-screen?

-Joe

Robt Deans

@Joe Dunfee:

Any ideas on bringing my Refedit window back home from its vacation off-screen?

-Joe

Does the Refedit window appear correctly if you load a different User Profile?

Joe Dunfee

I should have mentioned that I am on version 14.  The workspace tab is there.  But, perhaps the functionality is more limited than in later versions.

I just tried another failed technique.  I customized the toolbars, and found the Refedit toolbar.  I set it to docked to the left, but that didn't reveal it.  The the right, the top, and the bottom, and then finally back to floating.  None revealed it.  I also tried editing the xVal and yVal settings, in hopes that somehow referred to the position, but no noticeable effect.  There also does not seem to be any reference to what these settings do in the help files.

A temporary fix was to create a new tool bar, and add the individual Refedit commands to it.

-Joe

martin@enco.us

I would edit the registry to fix this.  Search for BRICSCAD_TB.RefEdit, then change the value to SHOW FLOATING 100 40.  There may be several locations. 

Joe Dunfee

I should have mentioned that I am on version 14.  The workspace tab is there.  But, perhaps the functionality is more limited than in later versions.

I just tried another failed technique.  I customized the toolbars, and found the Refedit toolbar.  I set it to docked to the left, but that didn't reveal it.  The the right, the top, and the bottom, and then finally back to floating.  None revealed it.  I also tried editing the xVal and yVal settings, in hopes that somehow referred to the position, but no noticeable effect.  There also does not seem to be any reference to what these settings do in the help files.

A temporary fix was to create a new tool bar, and add the individual Refedit commands to it.

-Joe

Roy Klein Gebbinck

If you edit those toolbar values in the _Customize dialog (Position, Visible, Xval, Yval etc.) only the .cui file will change. The values stored in the registry take precedence.

I actually think that your Refedit toolbar is docked and that undocking other toolbars to the left or above it will make it visible (works on Windows). A test involving a toolbar with a position that was manipulated through the Registry shows that a floating toolbar is always (re)positioned so that it is visible.

The 'Revert to defaults...' button of the _Customize dialog will reset the position of all toolbars to the values stored in the default.cui in the UserDataCache folder (C:\Program Files\Bricsys\BricsCAD V14 en_US\UserDataCache\Support\en_US\default.cui). But then you will lose all your customizations. Unless, of course, you have customized that .cui file...

Joe Dunfee

 Thanks for the suggestion Roy, but setting the RegEdit toolbar to be docked on the left, and then undocking the two existing tool bars that were already there did not reveal it.  I also tried on the right, where I normally have the properties window. But, again it was not revealed.

I actually use a custom CUI for several of my custom toolbars. And this time, resetting the user profile to an earlier good version did bring the RegEdit toolbar back, though it was on the other monitor, so I did not notice it at first.

I am puzzled how BricsCAD sometimes resets window default positions. For example, if I change BricsCAD to the main monitor, and then open the Layers dialog box, it will open on the main monitor with the program. I like that behavior.  But, if I later move the program to my 2nd monitor, it opens on the main monitor.

You said, "If you edit those toolbar values in the _Customize dialog (Position, Visible, Xval, Yval etc.) only the .cui file will change. The values stored in the registry take precedence."

But, for some reason the RegEdit toolbar does appear if I go back to an older user profile.  So, somehow the older user profile was able to override what is in the registry.

Perhaps I can somehow get things to reset if I delete the Registry key, and then use the Xval and Yval [which I am guessing is the toolbar's position] in the customize dialog. Should I delete the entire registry key, or just the data in it?

-Joe

Joe Dunfee

 I should add some more detail about my video drivers and my system, and some video problems that are independent of BricsCAD.

 I have an Nvidia Quadro FX 580. The main monitor is set to be portrait mode.  My 2ndary monitor is in horizontal mode.

When I started using portrait mode on the main monitor, I also had some issues setting my 2ndary monitor to be at its standard resolution of 1920x1080.  I ended up settling for a slightly less resolution, and scaling the desktop.  But, for some reason as I was investigating my recent issue with the RefEdit, I discovered part of my maxamized windows were off of the edge of the monitor. Then, I was able to set the 2ndary monitor to be the proper full resolution. I initially hoped that the RefEdit toolbar would be revealed when I re-scaled the desktop to show it all.  But the toolbar was not there.

-Joe

Robt Deans

@Joe Dunfee:

 ...So, somehow the older user profile was able to override what is in the registry.

Profiles do not "override" registry entries, rather different profile settings are in different registry directories.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/SOFTWARE/BRICSYS/BRICSCAD/V14x64/en_US/profiles/Default/Windows/rect/DLG_REFEDIT
You'll see under "Data" something like 2621,179,488,440 which refers to the window's position on the screen.
Under profiles, you will see your other user profiles i.e.: Default_Joe (or whatever).
Copy the data setting from a profile where window is positioned properly.
Enter (override) the data setting in the profile where you have the problem.

PS: Once everything working properly, take a screenshot of all your DLG Data settings should the problem recur.
(This issue had plagued me too for a while)

Roy Klein Gebbinck

Here is some very basic Lisp code to help you find a toolbar that is off-screen.
After loading the Lips code in the normal manner you can type:
(DockToolbar "bricscad" "ref edit")
This will dock the Ref edit toolbar at the top.
[code](defun KGA_Sys_Apply (expr varLst / ret)
  (if (not (vl-catch-all-error-p (setq ret (vl-catch-all-apply expr varLst))))
    ret
  )
)

; (DockToolbar "bricscad" "ref edit")
(defun DockToolbar (mnuNme tlbNme / mnu tlb)
  (if
    (and
      (or
        (setq mnu (KGA_Sys_Apply 'vla-item (list (vla-get-menugroups (vlax-get-acad-object)) mnuNme)))
        (prompt "\nMenu not found ")
      )
      (or
        (setq tlb (KGA_Sys_Apply 'vla-item (list (vla-get-toolbars mnu) tlbNme)))
        (prompt "\nToolbar not found ")
      )
    )
    (progn
      (vla-put-visible tlb :vlax-true)
      (vla-dock tlb actoolbardocktop)
    )
  )
  (princ)
)[/code]

Roy Klein Gebbinck

Here is a nicer tool.
Note 1: The file name must be BKG_FindToolbar.lsp.
Note 2: The file is a 'mixed mode' LSP+DCL file!

BKG_FindToolbar_Animation.gif

BKG_FindToolbar.lsp

Joe Dunfee

I think the missing information I needed in some of my prior attempts, is the understanding that each user profile has its own area in the Windows registry. 

Anyway, the BricsCAD and general LISP guru, Roy Klein Gebbinck has come to the rescue.  Thank you very much.  I will direct people to this thread here, from the other thread where this problem was discussed.

-Joe

Joe Dunfee

I think the missing information I needed in some of my prior attempts, is the understanding that each user profile has its own area in the Windows registry. 

Anyway, the BricsCAD and general LISP guru, Roy Klein Gebbinck has come to the rescue.  Thank you very much.  I will direct people to this thread here, from the other thread where this problem was discussed.

-Joe