Sunday, July 11, 2010

Proper Properties Palette

I have to admit that I'm quite happy with the Properties Palette. During a period of time that I can't claim to have been part of or witness thereof I was a bit less happy with it. I no longer find myself closing it accidentally and like the ready access to information. I have settled on putting it over at the right side of the UI, like this.


What about you? Anyone like it stacked above the Project Browser? I just didn't like them both getting squashed. For Revit MEP it does compete with the default location of the System Browser, which I prefer at the bottom of the UI. Since most of my work involves people using the stock deployment I don't spend much time customizing my UI or setup because that puts me in a different environment than the students. I do prefer the "light" style over the "dark". I also prefer the QAT below the ribbon so I can see more of the title bar.

Speaking of students and different environments, one item that proves a bit confusing at times is the way the UI squashes panels and tools on the ribbon when the resolution is coarser than fine. This means that my projected screen often has a slightly different presentation than the student computers...leading to confusion when telling them to click here or there...etc. Fun fun!

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Yep I use the layout you have shown in the picture - but it certainly helps if you have a big wide monitor.

Revit Implementation said...

Hey Steve, I drag the properties pallette and the project browser onto another monitor. It frees up a lot of "drawing space" . Ditto on the QAT below the ribbon.

Cheers

Mike

Daniel said...

it helps having 2 monitors.
Btw, love the permanent properties palette


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3094235/Clipboard-1.jpg

Aaron Maller said...

I keep the Properties on the left side, up against (next to) the Project Browser. Im actually playing around with the Browser on the right side (as an option), but i dont mind the right justtifed workspace at all.

Reason being: All of the buttons that initiate need of the Type selector are left side of screen. Wall, Door, Component, Window, etc. Then the type selector is alllllll the way across the monitor.

But in training so far, my "non symmetrical" tendancy has not sat well with the Design Core, hehehe.

Ben said...

I use in in the same position as you have it in the picture. I tried with it on the left with the project browser but scrolling for information ended up taking too much time. Two monitors definitely help.

Unknown said...

I posted how to change the location to the right side in the registry on AUGI @ http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=121164. We are now doing this for all new installs of Revit 2011 via a registry file. This way all new users get it on the right.

Elisa said...

I hadn't tried your setup. I have a 30" screen and I inherited a smaller 19" so I keep the default setup if I'm only working on the 30". When I use both I keep both palettes on the smaller monitor. I like being able to have at least 4 views open when using with the smaller monitor.

Brady Fox said...

I did not like how much 'real-estate' the persistant properties palette took until I realized it the same was as in autocad. +1 toggles it off and on. I just leave it floating and use the handy toggle (until I can get a second monitor)... so far I have never seen this shortcut documented.

Brady Fox said...

CONTROL + 1.... sorry about that.

Ben MAy said...

Working with two monitors I prefer the project browswer first on the second monitor and then the properties immeaditly on the edge of the screen

The only problem I have is when I toggle to a 2010 session without minimising 2011 which will show the 2011 browser (confusing at first!)

Still very dissapointed with the modeless properties affecting the multiple selection of sheets and being able to apply changes to parameters for multiple sheets. And the issue is still not fixed in the web update. I have a few large projects in 2011 and we are having to modify each sheets properties for author etc one by one

Unknown said...

Hey Ben, could you use a Drawing List that 'groups' sheets by some property, to more quickly edit sheet properties?

Your problem sounds similar to my post link here