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rankoromane
Posts: 66
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 Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:26 am Post subject: Templates |
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I believe templates are a very powerful tool for creating DB data but I cannot get them to work very well. I now have the version 1.2 and my previous activity templates and schedule templates moved into the "airport terminals" category. It was possible to change the category of the activity templates but not the schedule templates. Also my own HVAC templates are in the locked "stock" directory now. Then the option to copy templates has also dissappeared. However, even in the previous version when I tried to use this option mostly it did not work. I was able to change the name of locked templates and then try to copy them but all it did was overwrite the locked template.
Can you not make the templates like windows explorer files that can just be cut, copied and pasted wherever you want. Also it would be useful if they were not hidden in the system so that if you want to share them with others you can do so easily. My other suggestion would be to have separate sections for user templates which come up by default. Most designs just do not exactly fit any predefined template. There will always be something you want to change. So it is useful to have all those base templates to start from in order to create your own. At the moment the template lists are too long and cumbersome. What do other users think? |
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Andy Tindale
Posts: 1148
Location: Stroud |
| Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you for your well thought out comments on DesignBuilder templates and components. Before I cover the points you make I should say some of the problems are specifically related to the beta release 1.2 and will be resolved before the release. We are still at early stages in the development of the DesignBuilder databases. Starting with version 1.2 we will start supplying international data suitable for use in particular countries and this will require further improvements to the components and templates system. Also, for this reason in version 1.2 the default option is to only show 'general and local' data to avoid users seeing data for every single country.
| Quote: | | my previous activity templates and schedule templates moved into the "airport terminals" category |
We are aware of this issue - it arises because the categories have been completely reworked in version 1.2 and, while we will do our best to automate data translation, there may still be some manual translation work for users with their own data libraries.
| Quote: | | It was possible to change the category of the activity templates but not the schedule templates |
Schedule templates categories can be changed starting with DesignBuilder release 1.2.0.032 beta.
| Quote: | | Also my own HVAC templates are in the locked "stock" directory now. |
The next release will have the stock folder unlocked.
| Quote: | | Then the option to copy templates has also dissappeared. |
...Because the stock folder is locked
| Quote: | | I was able to change the name of locked templates and then try to copy them but all it did was overwrite the locked template. |
I doubt you were able to actually change any data for locked templates - even the name - they are locked for a good reason - to prevent users from changing the data because DesignBuilder requires that these templates remain unmodified. One solution to this problem of locked templates being unavailable for copying would be for individual data items to be locked rather than whole folders being locked. This would allow us to mix locked system and user data in the same folders and it would also allow locked system data to be copied (cloned) using the existing mechanism.
| Quote: | | Can you not make the templates like windows explorer files that can just be cut, copied and pasted wherever you want. |
We will certainly aim to make data manipulation much more intuitive and consider your idea when we start work on this.
| Quote: | | Also it would be useful if they were not hidden in the system so that if you want to share them with others you can do so easily |
Your templates can be exported in native .dat format which allows it to be imported on other computers. This mechanism is still fairly basic in the sense that it is not straightforward to say export constructions together with materials and then import this data on another computer keeping material references intact. We will be making it more flexible in the near future to allow data to be more easily shared.
| Quote: | | My other suggestion would be to have separate sections for user templates which come up by default...At the moment the template lists are too long and cumbersome |
We have attempted to achieve something like this by colouring user data in red. Perhaps it would be better if the data was listed (in red) at the top of the lists rather than at the bottom?
We will also be introducing further filters, one of which could be to only show user data.
| Quote: | | What do other users think? |
Please contribute to this discussion thread if you have any thoughts on how to improve DesignBuilder templates and components 
Regards,
Andy |
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Andy Tindale
Posts: 1148
Location: Stroud |
| Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:16 pm Post subject: |
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The next version of DesignBuilder version 1.2 will not use locked folders any more but all data supplied by DesignBuilder will be locked and you will be able to copy it, and any other data freely.
Andy |
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rankoromane
Posts: 66
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| Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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| I am having a great deal of trouble importing library components into my model. It does not import everything and in addition DB keeps crashing when I try to do this. It has not imported my holiday files from the library components. |
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Andy Tindale
Posts: 1148
Location: Stroud |
| Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:02 am Post subject: |
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When you use the 'Import library components to model' command you will need to manually refresh the navigator list to see any new components imported using the gree 'refresh list' toolbar button above the Navigator list. Does this explain your missing holkiday files?
In the next release this will be done automatically.
I can't reproduce the crashes - but will keep trying.
Andy |
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rankoromane
Posts: 66
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| Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 1:48 pm Post subject: |
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| I have managed to get the holiday files. What happens if you are a using a particular material or construction from the component library, import it into your model and then you update it in the component library and reimport? Does it just overwrite? That is what I was doing and I was wondering whether that was causing the instability. |
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Andy Tindale
Posts: 1148
Location: Stroud |
| Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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When DesignBuilder imports library components to the model it checks for any existing records having the same Id. If the name is the same as well then it just overwrites the model data with the new library data. If the name is different then it creates a new model component.
I have found a couple more bugs today which will have caused problems when importing library component data to the model. These bugs are fixed now and will be included in release 1.2.0.034 and later.
Thank you for your persistence
Regards,
Andy |
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rankoromane
Posts: 66
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| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 10:08 am Post subject: |
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| In case you haven't caught this bug yet. I have set up my own holidays in a particular model but when I copy to library components it copies the names over but the list of holidays dissappears (using DB v1.2.0.32) So now I have to recreate my holidays in the component library. Or is there a way round this. I thought of exporting the DAT files from the model but this is not an option in the model. |
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Andy Tindale
Posts: 1148
Location: Stroud |
| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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This was fixed in version 1.2.0.034.
Andy |
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rankoromane
Posts: 66
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| Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | This was fixed in version 1.2.0.034. |
I have downloaded this version and now I cannot copy my own holiday schedules to the library components at all. It tells me they have been copied to library data but when I close the model and look in the component libraries on the DB opening screen component tab there is nothing there. |
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Andy Tindale
Posts: 1148
Location: Stroud |
| Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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This should have been fixed in version 1.2.0.041.
Andy |
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