Instances to Skip (Help system RANT)

[MikeHalloran]

SW2009.4.1

Created an extruded solid (of a radial wire in a fan guard) and an axis.
Made a circular array of the solid around the axis.
Went back to pick "Instances to Skip"

The help file says the pointer changes to a hand when you hover over an instance.
IT DOESN'T.

For the longest time, I was zoomed in too close to the axis to notice that what really happens is that a pink dot appears at the centroid of the body.

Hover over that and the instance number appears nearby.
Click the pink dot and the instance number appears in the skip select box, and the instance disappears.

Just one small example of how the help pages are out of phase with the product.
If it was free or cheap, I wouldn't complain about that.
Since SW is very much not free, I expect more.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[ctopher]

Just tried it without issues.
Can you show a screenshot?

Chris
SolidWorks 09, CATIA V5
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Chris ... did the cursor change when hovering over the instance or just when over the pink dot?

Like Mike, my cursor changes only when hovered over the pink dot, which is not what the Help files state.

 

[ctopher]

Mine changes only when hovered over the pink dot.

Chris
SolidWorks 09, CATIA V5
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[MikeHalloran]

Which would be fine, if the help file even mentioned a pink dot, much less that you have to be zoomed out enough to see the centroid of the instance in order to see the pink dot.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[ScottHeiden]

Mike:

Don't expect Solidworks Help to fully explain how a lot of things work; important steps are omitted in the step-by-step instructions for several commands and other instructions are ambiguous in meaning. This problem's existed for a long time.

The best thing to do is use your reseller's tech support to find out what step wasn't documented and get them to file a report with Solidworks detailing what's missing from the help instructions. It's frustrating but it seems to be the only way to get things corrected.

 

[MikeHalloran]

My VAR's tech guy is right now putting in a request to change the help to say you have to hover over the pink dot at the centroid of the instance, or something like that.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

The Help files for SW2010 will be accessible online.

https://forum.solidworks.com/commun..._training/blog/2009/08/27/solidworks-web-help

One major benefit will be the ability to make comments about the Help file directly to the the "Documentation Team".

 

[MikeHalloran]

The abuse ought to shut that down pretty quickly.



On another note of software writer smartness, I've just been battling with an Ubuntu installation. All the help files are online. ... which is great, except that I was trying to get help because the network wasn't, and still isn't, letting it ftp from the outside world. So it's as if there were local help files, but they were empty. Real useful.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[MikeHalloran]

... and I have a case file, SR# or something.

My VAR's response is great... but nowhere near E-T.

Thanks, guys.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA