Closing Drawing instead of closing block editor - woops

[ntellery]

Am I the only poor sucker who has closed the drawing (without saving) instead of closing the block editor after abandoning an edit to find I've just lost my last 3 hours of work?

Am I the only one who thinks this is a REALLY REALLY BAD design decision to expose the close drawing cross (top Right) inside the block editor?  At the very least, an extra warning that I am not saying "NO DONT SAVE BLOCK EDIT" but "NO I AM AN IDIOT THAT INTENTIONALLY CLOSES THE WHOLE DRAWING FROM THE BLOCK EDITOR".

sigh !!

Is there a logical reason why this option is exposed inside the block editor or is it just bad design?

[rkmcswain]

What version? I'm looking at 2015 at the moment and both the [close application] "X" and the [close document] "X" are in the same place regardless if the block editor is open or closed.

Having said that, there is a huge bug where if you are in the block editor, and you make changes to the block definition and click "Save Block", then "Close Block Editor", the block editor AND the drawing closes, without saving your changes to the DWG file.

Did you really lose 3 hours? No autosave? No Qsaves for 3 hours?
When you mistakenly clicked the close drawing "X", did it not prompt you to save? If not, that might be the same bug as above.

[ntellery]

It's been the same for every version since block editor that I can
remember. I haven't seen any bug. I just think it's bad design. When you
are doing things quickly and asks you if you want to save and you say no
without realizing it's referring to the drawing not the block. Who reads
every notice on detail when it s repeated so often! I was surprised it
saved nothing. Auto save only works if you save at the end. I did think I
had a habit of manually saving as well, cnftrl-s, but maybe not.

[pendean]

"... are doing things quickly..."
That's just Operator Error: we all do that mistake every now and then. We all know the fix 😉

But losing 3-hours of work is sad and easily avoidable and can't be blamed on a bug or software design.

[ntellery]

Thanks Dean for a not unusual unhelpful reply. I think it’s most definitely a design fault and should be fixed. User error is part of life. Imagine if cars were not designed to cater for user error? An important part of any design brief is to ‘idiot proof’ process or in this case software. That I made a mistake doesn’t make up for the stupidity in this case of the interface. Why does the close drawing X need to be visible whilst editing blocks? (Our brain automatically reaches for the ‘close process’ ‘button). It doesn’t and should be removed when the Block Editor is in use.

[rkmcswain]

I can understand your point regarding the application/document "X" button, although I don't necessarily agree with it. However Dean's last sentence is factual and any argument to the contrary just comes off as silly. Not saving a file for 3 hours and hoping or assuming the application is going to bail you out is just asking for trouble. Software design issues or bugs aside, what about hardware or power failures?

Back to the original problem; Posting about it here is not going to get Autodesk to change anything. Submit product feedback here or over at the Augi wish list for best results.

[ntellery]

My intention posting here was
1. to first check whether others have the same issue and
2. to see if there was a valid reason for the X in the block editor.
if feedback was affirming my thoughts I am intending to log an issue.

My point of stating 3hrs is to note how deadly this fault can be.
My autosave is set to 10mins yet if you work for 3 hrs and then close your drawing (albeit here accidently) none of those saves nor any backup are ‘saved’. It all reverts to the original.
Critically you haven’t offered any reason at all for the X in the block editor which suggests that it is out of place and shouldn’t be displayed during this block editing phase.

I WILL have to review my control S habit and ensure it’s reinstated. But that doesn’t stop me complaining about poor software design. It’s not the first time I’ve done this.

[3wood]

I might come across the same issue. It was a lesson for me and now I am very careful when I close the block editor.

[rkmcswain]

ntellery wrote:
My autosave is set to 10mins yet if you work for 3 hrs and then close your drawing (albeit here accidently) none of those saves nor any backup are ‘saved’. It all reverts to the original.

For future readers of this thread, you are correct regarding that autosave files are deleted upon a successful exit of AutoCAD. The Autosave feature in many applications actually writes to the file in the editor, but AutoCAD does not work this way. AutoCAD writes a copy of the file (at it's current state in the editor) to the %temp% folder, the file in the editor is never "auto" saved. So technically there is no reverting to an original.

What I have referred several people to do is to configure their autosave folder so that they have Write access, but not Delete access. Doing this prevents the autosave files from being removed when AutoCAD closes. You just have to maintain the folder so it doesn't fill up over time.

[fj40]

I have to agree. This is one of the easiest fixes. That Autodesk STILL has not fixed both issues is extraordinary.

1. Provide a pop up window confirming that you are closing the entire drawing, and not closing out of block editor. This is a very common error and the geniuses at Autodesk thought that it was a good idea to put the button to close the editor in the ribbon, which is sometimes completely hidden by the stupid pop up windows that come up from time to time.

2. The fact that you are working in a file, anything past 30 min should get a pop up window warning you that you have not yet saved. We have ALL done this and it is infuriating when it happens.

Software that is this expensive to rent should have better engineering.

[RobDraw]

Your ideas about product improvement would get better traction elsewhere. This is a user help forum.

[fj40]

well, any suggestions as to where to post?

Not too hopeful they Autodesk will care but happy to post elsewhere...

[RobDraw]

Sorry, I don't know.