2012 Offset command offsets structural member other direction

[jshimkus]

Im using MEP and in MEP2010 the Offset command worked fine on my structural members, offsetting to the direction I picked.

In MEP2012 the offset command now offsets the same structural member to the opposite side of the point I pick.

The structural member is rolled 180 and the way I can correct this offset issue is to roll the SM back to 0, then the offset command offsets to the correct side.

Is there a new setting or something in 2012 that will get the offset command behaving the way it did in 2010 where it does not care about the objects properties and just offsets it correctly?

[Joshua.Benoist]

I was not able to recreate the behavior described.

To resolve your support request, we need additional information from you.

Send us a sample file.  It will help to check settings as well as giving us some more context.

We need to reproduce the issue.  It will help to see your workflow,  the behavior, and where to look for this issue.  There is a free video recorder called www.jingproject.com.  Please make us a video of the issue.  Jing automatically uploads the video to a website called www.Screencast.com, for free.  Jing places a link to the video onto your computers clipboard.  Simply paste that link into a reply to this post and we can then watch it from here.

[jshimkus]

Joshua,

The sample files are attached.

Thank you

[jshimkus]

Joshua,

Have you had a chance to look at the files I attached yet?

[David_W_Koch]

Not sure how much help this is, as I do not have access to ACA 2012, but I looked at your drawing file in ACA 2010, and the OFFSET command worked as expected on both beams in the file.

[Anonymous]

It happens in my ACA 2012 as per CommCorps post as described.

I.E. beam offsets wrong way on the 180 degrees setting.

But I've never actually used offset before on SM.

Normally always copy@ or array with lisp routine for number/spacing/exact

Always learning ........

[David_W_Koch]

I do see the problem in ACA 2011, however.  Very strange.

[Joshua.Benoist]

Are you using the MEP.cuix file or the Acad.cuix file?  To determine that, type CUI at the command line.  There will be a drop down at the top.  Drop that down and look at the various loaded cuix files.  If Acad.cuix appears in the list, then you may be using the Core Acad version of the OFFSET command that does not work with Architecture and MEP objects.  The OFFSET command that is built into MEP.cuix works with our objects.  When users load the Acad.cuix as a main or as a partial, it has the potential to overwrite the Architectural or MEP version of the Core AutoCAD commands that work with our Architectural and MEP objects.

[jshimkus]

Joshua,

Thank you for looking at this but I do not appear to have the vanilla Acad.cuix loaded (see attached).

I do have the MEP.cuix loaded plus my custom cuix.

Any other ideas?

[Joshua.Benoist]

How was the Commodore.cuix made?  Was there a 3rd party app?  Was the Commodore.cuix made starting from a blank cuix or from an Acad.cuix?

[jshimkus]

Its been awhile so I dont remember how I made it but it has a lot of extra stuff in it so I should remake it.

However, even when I cuiunload the commodore.cuix and restart MEP the offset still offsets that SM to the opposite side.

I attached another capture of my cui so you can see what I have loaded now.

I noticed an "Extended offset" command in the Express tools, would that one cause a problem?

[Joshua.Benoist]

No.  The Express Tools would not change anything.  Is your UCS set to WCS?  How about PICKFIRST setting?

[jshimkus]

You are correct about the express tools, I unloaded that also so I only have MEP.cuix loaded and it still offsets wrong.

Yes, my UCS is set to WCS and my pickfirst is set to 1.

Did the SM's in the file I sent offset ok on your end?

[Joshua.Benoist]

It offsets just fine on my end.

[jshimkus]

I did a new install on a machine and started MEP with the default shortcut, "AutoCAD MEP 2012 (US Imperial)", so NO customization.

Added SM's with "member" > "add" using the only style available (standard), rolled one 180 and left the other at 0.

The member rolled 180 still offsets to the opposite side, the 0 roll one offsets correctly.

Any more ideas?

[David_W_Koch]

I was working in ACA 2010 and 2011, with the ACA.cuix as the main customization file.  I do not load the ACAD.cuix in any way.  I was not aware that the OFFSET command was redefined in ACA.  It is not in ACA 2010 (ACA.mnl file); I do not have access to ACA 2011 at the moment to check that version's MNL file.

[Joshua.Benoist]

The commands are seemless, you would not know they were different.  The only difference is that our command also works with the Architecture and MEP objects.  Same command line command tho.

Now that you mention that you rotate the structural member, and then offset, that makes sense.  Our objects have an internal coordinate system.  That can get turned around. It happens with duct as duct twists and elbows around.  So the offset command sounds like it is getting backwards when the members are rotated first.

[David_W_Koch]

My guess would have been that the pick point was being applied to the object without being translated between the current UCS and the Object Coordinate System.  The point here is that in ACA 2010, the OFFSET command worked as expected, even when the structural member beam had a Roll of 180.  Something changed in ACA 2011, and that version did not do the expected when the Roll is 180.

[jshimkus]

Joshua,

I said in the very first post that the SM was rolled 180.

How do we correct this so the offset works correctly again?

[Joshua.Benoist]

I'll work with development to address it.

Joshua