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Locking project browser & properties dialog boxes

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Message 1 of 21
bvanallen
13921 Views, 20 Replies

Locking project browser & properties dialog boxes

Is there any way to lock the project browser and/or properties dialog boxes? I'm using MEP 2012 and saw this question back in version 8 (with no answer). Has it been addressed yet?

 

I'm constantly opening up downloaded families to edit/improve them and when I do revit re-arranges my project browser & properties boxes (I have them stacked on the side of my wide screen monitor). This re-arranging will also occur in main project I have opened, and gets really annoying constantly having to put the sizing back to the way it was.

20 REPLIES 20
Message 2 of 21
thombrady
in reply to: bvanallen

No, I do not know but if you figure it out please post as I was wondering the same thing. Maybe something for the wish list..

Message 3 of 21
CoreyDaun
in reply to: bvanallen

I haven't had this issue. By chance, are your permissions to your C:\ drive restricted?

It sounds like it might be failing to save to some configuration file or something.

Corey D.                                                                                                                  ADSK_Logo_EE_2013.png    AutoCAD 2014 User  Revit 2014 User
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Message 4 of 21
bvanallen
in reply to: bvanallen

Cadastrophe,

 

No, I have admin priveldges on my C drive. The configuration will stay the same as long as I stay in my own local project and don't open any other families.

 

It seems like the dialog box positions are being defined on a file-to-file basis but changes to the positining in one will also affect other opened projects/famailies too- it's confusing. Example; I have the properties/project browser stacked with a 50/50 split in my project which will stay that way even after closing & re-opening just that project. Now, open a new family you've never been in before (I'm often having to change downloaded families from ceiling based to face based, replace unecessary extrusion detailing with model lines, add conduit connectors, etc). The project browser will now be all the way at the bottom. Stretech this back up to 50/50 then ctrl-tab back to the project. The dialog box configuration will have also been changed (shifted all the way down too) and will need to be strecthed back again. Except now when you ctrl-tab back to the family it's configuration has been shifted up too!!! It's so annoying, I can't win. I need to find a way to lock the properties/project browser dialog boxes in place, where I define them at, so they will stop changing all of the time.

Message 5 of 21
CoreyDaun
in reply to: bvanallen

On my box here, I typically keep them both stretched at 100% height on a secondary monitor. I stacked them at 50% vertically on the second monitor and then 50% vertically on my primary monitor and I do not have the described problem. I open families constantly in the same way you do. Never had an issue with the location of these palettes. Who knows, maybe I don't have that problem because by monitor is facing eastward...

 

My next suggestion was going to be to open Revit with the "Run as administrator" option, as see if that helps. But I'm out of my element here.

Corey D.                                                                                                                  ADSK_Logo_EE_2013.png    AutoCAD 2014 User  Revit 2014 User
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Message 6 of 21
bvanallen
in reply to: CoreyDaun

I tried seperating them at 100% and tried stacking them on my primary monitor (my secondary monitor is my main revit screen) and opened up other famalies. In both cases they stayed where they were. 

 

On the off chance it has something to do with my main revit window actually being on my secondary monitor I tried putting it on my (smaller) primary screen. With everything as I wanted it I tried opening a new family and presto- they stayed the same as you would expect.

 

It seems the problem I'm experiencing is from having revit opened on a secondary screen & having the dialog boxes on the same secondary screen as well. Can you duplicate this, it might help autodesk fix it?

 

FYI, my primary screen is smaller & more squared (which I use for email, internal networking, and other office programs all running side-by side). It has a lower resolution & screen size than my secondary, wide screen, monitor which is better for dedicating to revit (and cad). This hasn't caused any other problems before but maybe Revit is getting thrown off by it? (oh, and both of my monitors face north too)

Message 7 of 21
CoreyDaun
in reply to: bvanallen

Negative. Switched Revit to secondary, closed/reopened, performed same tests, and the palettes remained in their rightful place. Are you running Revit maximized? Try toggling that and see what happens...

 

My monitors are identical.

Corey D.                                                                                                                  ADSK_Logo_EE_2013.png    AutoCAD 2014 User  Revit 2014 User
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Message 8 of 21
bvanallen
in reply to: CoreyDaun

Darn it. Yes, I have revit maximized. I tried toggeling my window to restore-down, then stretched the window's edge back to be nearly the full size again. Even at that setting my 50/50 split will not stay.

 

It seems the only real difference you & I have is that my primary screen is smaller than my secondary screen. Perhaps revit is looking at just the primary screen's resolution to determine the layout on the secondary. If both are the same then there's no problem. If not, then well....

 

I guess the next thing for me to try would be to get a better monitor for my primary (that matches my secondary's resolution), and see if that fixes it. That might be a problem though. I'm stuck with my old monitor because they didn't want to spring for more than the one new monitor I did get. I'll see what I can do but I don't suppose you have an old smaller monitor laying around that you could try and duplicate my problem on do you?

 

Of course, a better fix would be for autodesk to impliment a lock location option in revit (like they have for cad toolbars). 

Message 9 of 21
CoreyDaun
in reply to: bvanallen

Played with resolution of my secondary monitor a little bit, and they still didn't move. I have an old secondary lying around, but it would have to wait 'til later for me to play around with it.

 

Can you swap you primary and secondary monitors to test this?

 

Corey D.                                                                                                                  ADSK_Logo_EE_2013.png    AutoCAD 2014 User  Revit 2014 User
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⁞|⁞ Please use Mark Solutions!.Accept as Solution and Give Kudos!Give Kudos as appropriate to further enhance these forums. Thank you!
Message 10 of 21
bvanallen
in reply to: CoreyDaun

I was just thinking the same thing but I can't. In short, I need to replace a VGA cable with a DVI one, which we are currently out of. 

 

I think it may be a moot point though as another guy in our office has the same setup as I do. We tried duplicating my problem on his machine but it doesn't happen to him either. I'm now wondering if I have a bad install and would need to do a repair (though this is really just an annoyance, trying a repair could potentially cause actual problems I'd rather avoid completely).

Message 11 of 21
arcitek
in reply to: bvanallen

I hate to dredge up an older post but this said solved and it is not.  I am running Revit 2014 and I use dual screens.  I am about fed up with my properties and project browser constantly moving everytime I open up revit as well as switching between the project file and the family editor.  I work with 3ds studio max and Autocad Architecture and these issues do not exist, even when moving between multiple machines wth multiple screen configurations.  Is there not a fix for this already?

Message 12 of 21
bvanallen
in reply to: arcitek

This issue never did get resolved in my 2012- I just accepted giving up and accepting the flaw as the solution. However; after installing 2014 on my machine the windows do seem to stay where I put them now. They still aren't "locked into place" though- sorry.

Message 13 of 21
arcitek
in reply to: bvanallen

Yeah, I kind of figured.  I am going to do a 50/50 dock of the panels on the right side and use my second screen for something else.  I just can't believe this is an issue with two monitor setups being so common now in the design and graphics industry.  Other bugs I can usually work around without too much inconvenience but this was getting ridiculous with me jumping between the family editor and project window many times a day.

 

I also noticed that on my office setup, this is not an issue.  The dual monitors are exactly identical where the monitors at home are slightly, I mean SLIGHTLY different.  As mentioned in this post, this is probably some of the problem.  It is still no excuse and technically not a viable solution though as my other software from Adobe and Autodesk work find with locked palettes no matter what the set up is.  I am not about to go out and spend another 500+ dollars on a matching monitor for the home computer after just paying for 4 subscription seats of the Building Design Suite.

Message 14 of 21
bvanallen
in reply to: arcitek

If you read my old posts then you know I am running wiht a DVI monitor and VGA monitor. I should also mention the monitors are different sizes and therefore have different resolutions to make them look the same. My primary monitor is the small one which I use for my Outlook email and all of my pop-up & property windows. I use the second, larger, monitor for my main reviet work area.

Message 15 of 21
arcitek
in reply to: arcitek

I did read the old posts and I had seen where you wrote this.  However, sitting in front of me are two standard monitors and one has a DVI cable and the other a VGA cable.  Things are perfectly fine.

 

At home, I am running two DVI cables but the monitors are jsut slightly different, both of them pretty high end graphic monitors.  Although I do not agree with the rationale, it is most likely the difference of monitors.  I don't agree with it as a solution becasue Revit is the only software that seems to have the problem.

Message 16 of 21
DGriesenauer8787
in reply to: arcitek

I was looking for a another problem when I stumbled across this forum post.

I also used to have problems with the properties/project browser windows trying to move back to screen 1 whenever I switched between families/projects.

The way I fixed it was that I went into my video card control center (I am using a FirePro, so mine was the AMD FirePro Control Center), and I turned off "Enable Dialog Repositioning". If you're using the same video card as I am, you can find that property under HydraVision -> Desktop Manager -> Dialog Control

 

Hope this helps!

Message 17 of 21

Just looking back at this. I can't believe Revit STILL doesn't allow an option to lock a window into place! This is so simple, I mean....really Autodesk, what's going on over there? 

 

FYI, my windows don't randomly move around any more, but it would still be nice to have them locked so I don't accidentally move, combine, or close them. Oh, and my office uses pentium processors with a nvidia video cards so no luck locking them via the video card I guess.

Message 18 of 21
bvm76
in reply to: bvanallen

I also have the same issue. I just replaced my old graphics card with AMD FirePro 5900 (previous card was GTX 660Ti). I dont have any problem with my old card. No matter where I put my project browser (main or secondary) it will stay. I always wanted my PB to be on my secondary monitor but it keeps on going back to my main screen whenever I open Revit or edit a family.

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Message 19 of 21

I had a similar problem. I solved it by "restoring down" the Revit window, then moving the project browser and Properties to the desired location, then maximizing the window again.

Message 20 of 21
KyleR13
in reply to: bvanallen

Revit 2022 and this is still an issue.  Would be nice to have this fixed.

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