v26 Multiple instances of Bricscad launching

Bob_D
Bob_D
in 2D Drafting

When opening multiple (more than 1) dwg.s from file manager, separate sessions of Bricscad are opening.

(SDI=0)

Previous versions did not exhibit this behavior.

Comments

  • Anthony Apostolaros
    Anthony Apostolaros

    That's supposed to be controlled by the Singleton command, and/or the SingletonMode variable. Maybe you should change it to the opposite of whatever it is currently. Then you might have to restart Bricscad, or maybe even re-boot the system.

  • Bob_D
    Bob_D

    Tried that too, no luck.

  • Lyubov Osina
    Lyubov Osina

    I can reproduce this behavior in V26. This problem was reported via support requests also, it's on correction now.

  • martin@enco.us
    martin@enco.us

    My vote would be to have to option to keep the separate instances. I do not want multiple drawings in a single instance of Bricscad. The last time I ran Autocad SDI could be set for one drawing per instance of Autocad. This is one place where Bricscad does not match Autocad. It should.

  • Anthony Apostolaros
    Anthony Apostolaros

    Martin, I thought there always was an option to have one drawing per instance of Bricscad. I never wanted it myself, but I once turned that feature on by accident, in an old version. And according to the Help Center it's still there, except for the bug that Lyubov says is being corrected.

  • martin@enco.us
    martin@enco.us

    Anthony,

    I had to test this. I have had a lisp function in my .MNL file for at least 10 years that overwrites the OPEN function so that it closes the currently open drawing before opening the drawing explorer so a new drawing can be selected.

    In V25 with SDI turned on and SINGLETON turned off, and without overwriting the OPEN function, if I open a file it is added to the Documents Tab and any existing open files remain on the Documents Tab. It has been many years since I ran Autocad, but what I recall is that with SDI turned on any drawing which was open would be closed so that only the newly selected file would be open in that instance of Autocad.

    My preference for having a separate instance of Bricscad is because I get phone calls. If I open another drawing in a currently running instance of Bricscad so that I can answer a client's question it is far too easy to 'close all' and lose work in the drawing I was working on before the call. Running multiple instances of Bricscad with only one drawing in each instance is a better work flow for me.

  • Anthony Apostolaros
    Anthony Apostolaros
    edited November 11

    So you agree that there's an option to allow only one .dwg file per instance of Bricscad? But you think the Open command should automatically close the file that's currently open?

    Martin Pesch's mp3DirectCut works that way, but I can't think of any other program that does. Maybe there's not much demand for it? The usual solution for a feature like that is a custom command such as the one you already have. Is your custom command inadequate in some way?

    What happens currently if you're in Singleton mode and you execute the Open command? Does it automatically start a new instance of Bricscad and open the file in that? If so, what problem does that cause?

    I never use the Open command in DirectCut. I open an mp3 file by double-clicking on it in the folder. That opens the file in a new instance of DirectCut. Would that work for you in Bricscad? I didn't understand the problem described in your last paragraph.

  • martin@enco.us
    martin@enco.us

    I think SDI = on should be one drawing per CAD instance in all cases. Clicking on a DWG file in Windows Explorer should open the file in a new instance of CAD. If SDI is on and an OPEN command is issued in an instance of CAD the program should prompt to save or abandon the existing file then open the new file. Any other configuration is, by definition, not "single document interface". If SDI = off then all DWG files should open in the sameinstance of CAD, no matter how they are selected. As I recall that's how Autocad worked 15+ years ago.

    I don't recall why Bricscad has the SINGLETON command. If SDI really meant SDI then Singleton would not be needed.

    I realize that I'm one of the few that prefers one drawing per instance. It works well for what I do.

  • Anthony Apostolaros
    Anthony Apostolaros

    SingletonMode was implemented a long time ago. Maybe in Bricscad only. I think Singleton means something else in Autocad.

    But SDI (single drawing interface) is only partly implemented in Bricscad, according to the Help Center. It works for files you open by double-clicking, but not for files you open with the Open command.

    But you have a custom version of the Open command that takes care of that, right? So what's the problem?

    Here's what Google AI says:

    There is no public data on the specific number of people who use the Single Document Interface (SDI) mode in AutoCAD. The SDI mode is a legacy feature that is maintained for backward compatibility, and the default (and Autodesk-preferred) setting is the Multiple Document Interface (MDI), which allows multiple drawings to be open in a single session.

    SDI mode is not the standard or default operating mode for modern AutoCAD versions (since around 2019 or earlier). The standard is MDI (SDI system variable set to 0), where drawings open in tabs within one AutoCAD window.

    Some users, particularly those who run specific LISP scripts, work with project-wide processing on a network, or prefer the traditional workflow of having only one drawing open at a time, still opt to enable SDI mode manually (SDI set to 1).

    Autodesk generally recommends against using SDI mode with vertical products like AutoCAD Architecture unless running scripts, as it can cause compatibility issues with features designed for MDI.

    In summary, a small, niche segment of the overall AutoCAD user base likely utilizes SDI mode, but the exact number is not publicly available.