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Can you post the exact text of the alert or an image? At what point do you get the error? When you start the command it asks you to either select an object or press enter to type a value. Do you get this far? If so, do you select an object?
Anyway, the more detail you provide the better. This information might help pinpoint what is causing this.
Regards,
Pat Murnen
Pat Murnen
Principal Content Developer
Product Development – AutoCAD Product Line Group
Autodesk, Inc.
Are you both working on the exact same project at the same time?
If so, this is not a good idea as ACADE has not been set up for that and if you change something on a dwg that affects the dwg your co-worker is working on, it will not update that change. Then there is the situation where you make a change and then he makes a change that negates your change.
I would suggest that if you need two or more people to work on a multi panel board, that each person works only on one panel and have each panel in a mini project on their own.
Besides the problems with changes not propagating through open dwgs and such, If the scratch database is being utilised by one person, it may lock out the second person.
Regards Brad
>
Brad Coleman, Electrical Draftsman
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Thanks guys. Brad we are not working on the project at the same time. Pat the images are attached. It's not an error but it gets stuck on "reading project database file...." after I type it or select the Component Tag. I wait and nothing seems to happen but if my coworker does it on his computer, the surfing tool will find the components tags instantaneously. Mine stopped working from one day to the next. I eventually stop the search and do it manually. Why would it work on one computer and not the other?
RBN
Since I can't reproduce this it is hard to know what might cause this. Are you using dual monitors? I have seen cases where dialogs came up but were not visible on either monitor and the user thought it was locked but the invisible dialog was just waiting for the user. To see if the dialog is just hiding off the screen somewhere you can press Alt+spacebar and then M and then an arrow key. Then move your mouse around to see if the dialog is attached to it to move.
If that doesn't do it, try this following (uppercase means type at the command line)
1. LOGFILEON
2. AEONLISPDEBUG
3. run the surf command as you normally would, esc out if that is what you do to get out of it.
4. AEOFFLISPDEBUG
5. LOGFILEOFF
6. LOGFILENAME
Post the log file here that is listed on the command line after step #6. I can look at it and hopefully it will provide some clues.
Regards,
Pat Murnen
Pat Murnen
Principal Content Developer
Product Development – AutoCAD Product Line Group
Autodesk, Inc.
I am afraid that wasn't much help as it looks exactly like mine which works fine. You selected on a child component it looks like and it appears that the dialog came up by the log file. When you tried the Alt+Spacebar then M did you press an arrow key after that? The reason I thought this might be the problem is because this is one of the few dialogs that "remembers" its location even after existing and restarting AutoCAD Electrical. So if you ever had a dual monitor or your screen resolution changed it could be off-screen.
Do you have all available service packs installed? It looks like service pack 2 for 2013 had a fix for this off-screen issue.
The only other idea I had was to try a Repair on the install. If none of this works I will have to see if anyone else here has any ideas.
Regards,
Pat Murnen
Pat Murnen
Principal Content Developer
Product Development – AutoCAD Product Line Group
Autodesk, Inc.
Thank goodness because I was out of ideas!
I would suggest installing service pack 2 since there is a fix in there for this among other fixes. You can find it at
Regards,
Pat Murnen
Pat Murnen
Principal Content Developer
Product Development – AutoCAD Product Line Group
Autodesk, Inc.
Hi, I am having the exact same issue.
What I have attempted:
- ALT+Space BAR, followed by letter "m" then either a right or left arrow key. - nothing happens.
- Disconnecting the second monitor, currently only using 1 monitor
- I'm using surfer with the AEGS tutorial file, so the links are not broken
- Log file created, pasted below the following images
Program I am using:
I'm using AutoCAD Electrical 2012, it is up to date since the service pack 1 update confirms it when I tried to apply it.
Process, and error I am recieving.
Log file:
Command: AEONLISPDEBUG
Command trace ON
Command:
Command: AESURF
AutoCAD Electrical Surfer
IN:wd_mdb_create_ifreqd
OUT:wd_mdb_create_ifreqd
IN:wd_surf_picknew
Select tag for "Surfer" trace (or <Enter> to type it):
IN:wd_surf_drill_deeper
OUT:wd_surf_drill_deeper
IN:wd_sed_is_it_schem_or_pnl
IN:wd_sed_get_comp_attr
IN/OUT:wd_4_selsort
OUT:wd_sed_get_comp_attr
OUT:wd_sed_is_it_schem_or_pnl=4
IN:wd_surf_getrefs
IN:wd_surfa_getcmprefs
IN:wd_mdb_create_ifreqd
OUT:wd_mdb_create_ifreqd
reading project database file . . .
reading project database file . . .
IN/OUT:wd_4_selsort
OUT:wd_surfa_getcmprefs
IN:wd_surf_writeout
OUT:wd_surf_writeout
IN:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
wd_1a_gn_getenv WD_LASTSURF=nil
OUT:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
IN:wd_surf_dsplst
OUT:wd_surf_dsplst
IN:wd_surf_pickdlg
IN:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
wd_1a_gn_getenv WD_LASTSURF=nil
OUT:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
IN:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
wd_1a_gn_getenv WD_LASTSURF=nil
OUT:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
IN:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
wd_1a_gn_getenv WD_LASTSURF=nil
OUT:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
IN:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
wd_1a_gn_getenv WD_LASTSURF=nil
OUT:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
IN:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
wd_1a_gn_getenv WD_LASTSURF=nil
OUT:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
IN:wd_surf_writeout
OUT:wd_surf_writeout
IN:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
wd_1a_gn_getenv WD_LASTSURF=nil
OUT:wd_surf_write_lastsurf_tmpfile
IN:wd_surf_script
OUT:wd_surf_script
OUT:wd_surf_pickdlg
IN/OUT:ace_store_gbl_values
OUT:wd_surf_getrefs
OUT:wd_surf_picknew
Command: AEOFFLISPDEBUG
Command trace OFF
Command:
Command: LOGFILEOFF
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
The Alt+Space bar had to do with the dialog box being off screen. That doesn't appear to be your issue since the screen capture you posted shows the dialog.
I am not an expert on the errors that are shown in the Project Database Service so may need to do a little digging. But, the one you are getting seems to indicate a serious problem with the product in general, not just the surfer. Do other commands that reference the project work, like reports or wire numbering or retagging?
Has this ever worked for you and it stopped working? I am wondering if there is something wrong with the your installso am looking for a little more background before I suggest any solutions. What version of Windows are you on?
Regards,
Pat Murnen
Pat Murnen
Principal Content Developer
Product Development – AutoCAD Product Line Group
Autodesk, Inc.
Hi controlsgirl,
It looks like there were a number of different issues in this post. One issue was a dual monitor situation where the dialog was there just unseen. Another issue was related to the SDI system variable. I assume neither of those fixes applied to your situation?
One thing you can do is turn on an AutoCAD Electrical debugger and the AutoCAD log file, create the log and post it here. There might be clues on what is happening. To do this follow these steps (uppercase means type in in the command line of AutoCAD Electrical).
1. AEONLISPDEBUG
2. LOGFILEON
3. do the steps to reproduce the problem
4. LOGFILEOFF
5. AEOFFLISPDEBUG
6. LOGFILENAME
Then upload the log file indicated in step 6.
Regards,
Pat Murnen
Pat Murnen
Principal Content Developer
Product Development – AutoCAD Product Line Group
Autodesk, Inc.
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