Staying consistent with default prompts

[Anonymous]

on some instances where you can grab surface information, the default will be (Dtm) and others it will be(Surface). as far as i know, both are striving for the same goal, so why not have them both asking for the same prompt. preferrably (Surface) seeing how you are going to a surface. -- T4 LDD 2002

[Anonymous]

Hi, LDD uses the terms 'dtm', 'tin' and 'surface' interchangeably. Actually, if you prefer 'surface', it should be 'Terrain Surface', because we also have volume surfaces; composite surfaces; grid surfaces; profile surfaces; xsection surfaces, including strip surfaces, existing ground surfaces, and subsurfaces; template surfaces, including normal surfaces, subgrade surfaces, top surfaces, and datum surfaces; subassembly shoulder surfaces; surface slopes; pond surfaces; multiple surfaces on/off that work with a few of the above selected surfaces; then there is the 3d autocad surfaces: 2d solid surfaces; 3dface surfaces; 3d object surfaces like pyramid surfaces and wedge surfaces; revolved surfaces; tabulated surfaces; ruled surfaces; and edge surfaces; lets not forget surface tessellation under shademode and textured surfaces under rendering. The terms 'breaklines' and 'faults' are still inter-mixed; and even though Autocad changed from 'entities' to 'objects' in R14, LDD still requests you to select 'entities'. Search to find an, old but related thread in the LDD Wishes NG, entitled 'LDD Vernacular and the User Interface', started June 16, 2001, which contains many more examples of the confusing UI. The bottom line is that we will not ever see the inconsistent terminology woven through LDD addressed. Your best hope is for the Civil 3D developers to be aware of the importance of planning for and establishing a clear and consistent UI vocabulary throughout that product. sc "T4" wrote in message news:409f9d15$1_2@newsprd01... > on some instances where you can grab surface information, the default will > be (Dtm) and others it will be(Surface). as far as i know, both are striving > for the same goal, so why not have them both asking for the same prompt. > preferrably (Surface) seeing how you are going to a surface. > -- > T4 > LDD 2002 > >

[Anonymous]

Hi Steve, Bearing in mind that the software is used in non-land based applications to build TINs representing all sorts of other data, the only generic term can be TIN. The difficulty with "TIN" is that the terminology is far less likely to be a part of a user's normal knowledge set than "Surface" or "DTM". A couple of examples of other uses are: Electro-potential at the surface of a re-inforced concrete wall. Surfaces for jewellery design Gross rainfall from a rainfall event Arising from the early software written for Civil/Survey in Australia the most common terminology (particularly with Surveyors) here is "Contour" as in: "Can it create contours?" "Does it contour?" "Contourable data" -- Laurie Comerford CADApps www.cadapps.com.au "Steve Cannon" wrote in message news:409fab80$1_1@newsprd01... > Hi, > > LDD uses the terms 'dtm', 'tin' and 'surface' interchangeably. Actually, if > you prefer 'surface', it should be 'Terrain Surface', because we also have > volume surfaces; composite surfaces; grid surfaces; profile surfaces; > xsection surfaces, including strip surfaces, existing ground surfaces, and > subsurfaces; template surfaces, including normal surfaces, subgrade > surfaces, top surfaces, and datum surfaces; subassembly shoulder surfaces; > surface slopes; pond surfaces; multiple surfaces on/off that work with a few > of the above selected surfaces; then there is the 3d autocad surfaces: 2d > solid surfaces; 3dface surfaces; 3d object surfaces like pyramid surfaces > and wedge surfaces; revolved surfaces; tabulated surfaces; ruled surfaces; > and edge surfaces; lets not forget surface tessellation under shademode and > textured surfaces under rendering. > > The terms 'breaklines' and 'faults' are still inter-mixed; and even though > Autocad changed from 'entities' to 'objects' in R14, LDD still requests you > to select 'entities'. > > Search to find an, old but related thread in the LDD Wishes NG, entitled > 'LDD Vernacular and the User Interface', started June 16, 2001, which > contains many more examples of the confusing UI. The bottom line is that we > will not ever see the inconsistent terminology woven through LDD addressed. > Your best hope is for the Civil 3D developers to be aware of the importance > of planning for and establishing a clear and consistent UI vocabulary > throughout that product. > > sc > > > > "T4" wrote in message news:409f9d15$1_2@newsprd01... > > on some instances where you can grab surface information, the default will > > be (Dtm) and others it will be(Surface). as far as i know, both are > striving > > for the same goal, so why not have them both asking for the same prompt. > > preferrably (Surface) seeing how you are going to a surface. > > -- > > T4 > > LDD 2002 > > > > > >

[Anonymous]

Hi Laurie, The UI terminology should match the vernacular of the profession for which the tool is written, which is in this case is civil/survey. Other professions and applications that want to adapt the tool for their own uses, are on their own, and should not expect the vocabulary to be universal. If AutoDesk was to write the interface so that it related to all disciplines, it would be a disservice to its core civil/survey users. Australian adaptation is a whole other issue. If there is enough of an Australian civil/survey database, it almost seems like it would be in the best interest of AutoDesk to produce an Australian version, much like the French and Spanish versions. I know Cad Apps addresses some of the terminology translations, but there is only so much you can do without getting into the core code of the interface and re-working the Help files. With the seemingly future plans for AutoDesk out-sourcing, maybe we will all have to re-learn the civil/survey vernacular of India. :) sc "Laurie Comerford" wrote in message news:409fe779_3@newsprd01... > Hi Steve, > > Bearing in mind that the software is used in non-land based applications to > build TINs representing all sorts of other data, the only generic term can > be TIN. The difficulty with "TIN" is that the terminology is far less > likely to be a part of a user's normal knowledge set than "Surface" or > "DTM". > A couple of examples of other uses are: > Electro-potential at the surface of a re-inforced concrete wall. > Surfaces for jewellery design > Gross rainfall from a rainfall event > > Arising from the early software written for Civil/Survey in Australia the > most common terminology (particularly with Surveyors) here is "Contour" as > in: > "Can it create contours?" > "Does it contour?" > "Contourable data" > > -- > >

[Anonymous]

Hi, I agree with your comments, my post was merely to show the difficulty of doing otherwise. At one stage when we were making a song and dance about terminology, Autodesk provided us with the wherewithal to make the changes - all 1.7Gb of it. As we didn't have a "C" compiler, let alone a "C" programmer it was as useful as an encyclopedia in Arabic would be to George W Bush. -- Regards Laurie Comerford www.cadapps.com.au "Steve Cannon" wrote in message news:409ffcf0$1_3@newsprd01... > Hi Laurie, > > The UI terminology should match the vernacular of the profession for which > the tool is written, which is in this case is civil/survey. Other > professions and applications that want to adapt the tool for their own uses, > are on their own, and should not expect the vocabulary to be universal. If > AutoDesk was to write the interface so that it related to all disciplines, > it would be a disservice to its core civil/survey users. > > Australian adaptation is a whole other issue. If there is enough of an > Australian civil/survey database, it almost seems like it would be in the > best interest of AutoDesk to produce an Australian version, much like the > French and Spanish versions. I know Cad Apps addresses some of the > terminology translations, but there is only so much you can do without > getting into the core code of the interface and re-working the Help files. > > With the seemingly future plans for AutoDesk out-sourcing, maybe we will all > have to re-learn the civil/survey vernacular of India. :) > > sc > > "Laurie Comerford" wrote in message > news:409fe779_3@newsprd01... > > Hi Steve, > > > > Bearing in mind that the software is used in non-land based applications > to > > build TINs representing all sorts of other data, the only generic term can > > be TIN. The difficulty with "TIN" is that the terminology is far less > > likely to be a part of a user's normal knowledge set than "Surface" or > > "DTM". > > A couple of examples of other uses are: > > Electro-potential at the surface of a re-inforced concrete wall. > > Surfaces for jewellery design > > Gross rainfall from a rainfall event > > > > Arising from the early software written for Civil/Survey in Australia the > > most common terminology (particularly with Surveyors) here is "Contour" as > > in: > > "Can it create contours?" > > "Does it contour?" > > "Contourable data" > > > > -- > > > > > >

[Anonymous]

How true. I already had the "pleasure" of dealing with Dell's out-sourcing of tech support to India. Don't think my company will be dealing with Dell in the future. Hope Autodesk rethinks it. Snippet: "Steve Cannon" wrote in message news:409ffcf0$1_3@newsprd01... > > With the seemingly future plans for AutoDesk out-sourcing, maybe we will all > have to re-learn the civil/survey vernacular of India. 🙂

[Anonymous]

"Laurie Comerford" wrote in message news:409fe779_3@newsprd01... > Bearing in mind that the software is used in non-land based applications to > build TINs representing all sorts of other data, the only generic term can > be TIN. The difficulty with "TIN" is that the terminology is far less > likely to be a part of a user's normal knowledge set than "Surface" or > "DTM". Part of the trouble, these days: Users should know what a Triangulated Irregular Network is and how information (contours, volumes, etc.) is derived from them. TIN would be my vote, but I'd settle for consistency, whatever their preference would be.