PCadd7 Demo re-writes PCadd6 Custom Tool Palettes

Issue

Launching the PowerCADD 7 Demo on a machine with PowerCADD v6 already installed modifies the Custom Tool Palette resources. The Custom Tool Palettes originally created in PowerCADD v6 will not load the next time you launch PowerCADD v6.

Affects

• Mac OS^? X Tiger
• PowerCADD v6 (any version)
• PowerCADD v7.00 Demo as described here
• PowerCADD v7.00 Shipping version

Description

Launching the PowerCADD v7 Demo or PowerCADD v7 Shipping version re-writes Custom Tool Palettes such that they can not be opened in PowerCADD v6. This condition may also be true for other resources such as Custom Color Palettes, Dictionaries DWG^? Templates, Gradient Templates and Data Templates which are also stored in the PowerCADD Preferences folder but we have not tested those specific additional conditions. The PowerCADD v6 Key commands file is not affected as a copy of that resource is made when PowerCADD v7 Demo or Shipping is first launched.

To See the Condition

In PowerCADD v6 and PowerCADD v7 Demo or Shipping, do this:

1. Launch PowerCADD v6make a new custom tool palette
2. Quit PowerCADD v6
3. launch PowerCADD v7 Demo
4. Observe: In PowerCADD v7 Demo the custom tool palette created in step (1) appears in the Windows menu and can be opened and displayed normally.
5. This is Correct behavior
6. Quit PowerCADD v7 Demo
7. Launch PowerCADD v6
8. Observe: In PowerCADD v6 the original custom tool palette created in step (1) will not appear in the Windows menu and cannot be opened and displayed normally.
9. This is incorrect behavior. The Custom Tool Palette has been modified by the launching of the PowerCADD v7 Demo and cannot be displayed

What To Do

PowerCADD v6 users should follow the following procedure to backup their PowerCADD Preferences before running the PowerCADD v7 Demo or PowerCADD v7 Shipping versions:

To backup your PowerCADD v6 Preferences, do this:

1. open your User Folder > Library Folder > Preferences folder > PowerCADD folder
2. make a copy of all the information in the PowerCADD folder noted in (1) and keep it in a safe place (your Desktop would suffice or some other logical location)

Backing up the entire PowerCADD folder will keep a copy of all your PowerCADD Preferences described earlier, including your Custom Tool Palettes. With that backup safe, you can now use the PowerCADD v7 Demo.

To restore your PowerCADD v6 Custom Tool Palettes or other Preferences, do this:

1. Quit the PowerCADD v7 Demo
2. open your User Folder > Library Folder > Preferences folder > PowerCADD folder
3. use the backup copy of our PowerCADD Preferences folder described earlier to replace the item described in step (1).
4. Launch PowerCADD v6 for production use as you would normally

Note: We're recommending backing up the entier PowerCADD Preferences folder as a simply and effective safe guard. It is easier and safer to backup all the resource files and know their safe verses backing up only selected resources and hoping the other ones are safe.

Another option: create a unique user ID in Mac OS X to run the demo in. This creates a distinct set of preferences for that use and protects your PowerCADD v6 palettes.

If you have already seen this problem and can't load your Custom Tool Palettes in PowerCADD v6, do this:

1. Restore your Custom Tool Palettes from a backup copy
• or
2. Recreate the Custom Tool Palettes from scratch in PowerCADD v6

We realize that item (2) above isn't the most convenient process but it's currently the only method we're aware of, other than restoring from a backup, which fully corrects the problem. If we find any additional information or work around we'll post them here.

We still recommend PowerCADD v6 users download the PowerCADD v7 Demo to evaluate it as part of the upgrade decision making process, or use it get a leg up on it prior to your shipping version arriving.

The issue has been reported to Engineered Software for action.

We hope that helps
caddpower.com

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