Rack Attach Points - D-Tools Forum

05-01-2006, 03:25 PM

I have a beautiful Middle Atlantic Ultra Quiet Fan Panel shape that I created, but it has issues, as most beautiful "shapes" do.

I started with a blank panel shape, but when I got finished with the new shape, it no longer would attach itself to a rack. I tried attach points, but they do not work for some reason.

Also, even though I grouped the final shape, it still has components (lines, arcs, etc) that attach themselves to any object that accidentally gets placed on or adjacent to it. When you then move the object, "tentacles" from the fan panel remain attached to the poor unsuspecting object, it is unable to get free, sort of like a shoe stepping in gum, you have strings from the fan panel to the object. When this happens, I either have to "control Z" back out, or delete the fan panel and re-drop.

Any help on where to find advanced shape creation info is appreciated. The microsoft site seems to just have the very basics.

Thanks

05-01-2006, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by spike

Any help on where to find advanced shape creation info is appreciated. The microsoft site seems to just have the very basics.

Thanks

Maybe the thing that Bob in Support just put in the FAQ would help. Seems like if you take a "good" shape and modify it to make it yours it should retain the properties like snapping to racks. Seems like it would anyway. If it works let us know and maybe show us a pic of your new shape.

05-02-2006, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by FSUfan

Maybe the thing that Bob in Support just put in the FAQ would help. Seems like if you take a "good" shape and modify it to make it yours it should retain the properties like snapping to racks. Seems like it would anyway. If it works let us know and maybe show us a pic of your new shape.

I originally based the shape off of an existing rack blank panel, but somehow the attach points were lost.

UQFP Pic.JPG

BlakeV · 05-09-2006, 11:55 PM

Rack shapes have very distinctive properties and are unlike most shapes. The main difference is rack shelves snap to the lower left corner of a rack and gear snaps to the upper left corner.
So, you may have, well you have, blown away the connection point.
Start with one of the Middle Atlantic shapes and go from there. If it gives you the same trouble then email me the shape and I’ll have one of our shape masters look at it.

05-10-2006, 03:32 AM

Originally Posted by BlakeV

...email me the shape and I’ll have one of our shape masters look at it.

Sweet! You guys have shape shifters over there?

05-10-2006, 03:40 AM

BTW has anyone looked at the stuff over at Netzoom? I am not sure they are all scaled and stuff, but they have a ton of products. Kinda freakin' pricey if you ask me. Anyone paying for Netzoom's kids tuition at the nice private school? Are the shapes working for you?

***Mostly curious... also lazy!

**Kevin Mikelonis** · 05-10-2006, 03:47 PM

Netzoom shapes can be used for line diagrams as they are consistent and easier to deal with than .jpgs which are tiedious to find most times and if not modified in photoshop can really look terrible and very amatuer. Beats hunting around the web to get a .jpg of a product that you want to use in your visual presentation for a project. $400 to keep from going to e-bay to copy a photo of a used CABLE TV BOX that needs to be edited for use in a line diagram presentation - I'll take that deal!

I think the price is amazingly reasonable. For a $400 annual fee, you get access to all the shapes, once you have downloaded them, they are yours forever, if you need one made, you request it they make it. The time this saves is amazing. After your year is up, you can bail out.

I know of users that have made these shapes the basis for schematic drawings rather than maintaining I/O tables for products in the mastertable and using the D-Tools wire connection reports. The schematics are sweet and more readable than the balck types that D-Tools creates, and do not need a wire connection report.

Just another of many ways to get things done.

BlakeV · 05-16-2006, 11:40 PM

More than one way to skin a grape....