topic Re: System Variables in Civil 3D Forum

System Variables

Anonymous — Tue, 10 May 2016 16:29:12 GMT

As autocad now has +500 system variables. ??????

REALLY

a good ideal would be to list all of the system variables in the help file

and give examples of what they do - so users can be more productive.

as i have looked for the variable ATTIPE in the 2014 civil 3d help and it is not there . . . .

why?

why have something and not document it?

and yes, i really do want an answer from an organic life form that is an employee with Autocad.

thanks,

Charles A. Hall, eit / designer

cad user since 1993.

Re: System Variables

rkmcswain — Tue, 10 May 2016 16:47:07 GMT

There were almost 1000 system variables a few years ago, so it's probably around that number now, certainly a lot more than 500.

The ATTIPE command is in the C3D 2014 documentation, right here.

~~All~~ most of the sysvars are documented here also.

Re: System Variables

Anonymous — Tue, 10 May 2016 17:02:22 GMT

Thank you, rkmcswain

And why is ATTIPE not in shown with the attribute text help listing?
That is the problem.
The system variables are there, someplace.
How is a user to know what system variable might be helpful to help solve a problem,
if the variable does not show up in the subject searches?

Just read the +1000 system variables?

HELP is to be helpful not a black box.
Yes, documentation of everything would be just as insane and no documentation.

Always a work in progress, toward improvement.

Cahall
Nonbeard13

Re: System Variables

rkmcswain — Tue, 10 May 2016 18:35:14 GMT

Help is terrible.

Nothing we can do about it.

End of story.

Re: System Variables

doni49 — Thu, 12 May 2016 16:21:02 GMT

Type in SYSVDLG. It will bring up a list of EVERY system variable and a relatively decent explanation of what they do.

Re: System Variables - Status changed to: Solution Provided

peterfunkautodesk — Fri, 13 May 2016 15:54:01 GMT

Changing this to "Solution Provided" because ATTIPE is in the help system, and SYSVDLG is a nice way to see all the system variables listed with help about what they do. That seemed to be the two main issues here.

The other implied comment from the thread is that there are too many system variables in AutoCAD. I agree there are lots of system variables in AutoCAD.

Regards,

Peter Funk
Sr Product Manager

Organic Life Form
Civil 3D
Autodesk, Inc.

Re: System Variables - Status changed to: Solution Provided

Anonymous — Fri, 13 May 2016 16:14:22 GMT

Mr. Funk

Yes, there are a lot of system variables, that is to be expected with such a complex program.

The problem is: Where do you find ATTIPE if you search help for attribute text?

In civil 3d 2014 Help, I cannot find any listing of the system variable when searching attribute text.
If I enter multi-line attribute text I get MText solutions and it never gets to the attribute part.

Therefore, if and only if I know to look at the system variables will I maybe find ATTIPE.
How many users will go looking for an answer there? (very few)
So, the Help is a dead end for what should be have been documented there.

YES, the system variables are documented, but not cross referenced with the commands in the general Help listing.

Thank you for your time and response

Charles A. Hall
Designer / Engineer-in-training

PS. I have been using cad since AEC software (1993) and Civil 3D help is far superior to what once was, but there is room for more improvement.
Cah (nonbeard13)

Re: System Variables

doni49 — Fri, 13 May 2016 16:19:42 GMT

I went to the 2014 help, clicked search and typed in attipe. The first listing was the ATTIPE system variable.

Re: System Variables

Anonymous — Fri, 13 May 2016 16:36:04 GMT

thank you for stating the ovious,

now, find ATTIPE under ATTRIBUTE TEXT

as that is where the normal cad user would be searching.

and if you find a reference to ATTIPE there i would lilke to see a screen shot.

thank you.

the original question was "how to create an attribute text with multiple lines of text?"

so, the normal cad user would search what?

attribute text and multiline text - agreed?

now with those two search items find ATTIPE mentioned.

my problem is - ATTIPE is not documented in the attribute text help. Why?

because it is a SYSTEM VARIABLE.

and system variables are listed seperately.

Re: System Variables

don.ireland — Fri, 13 May 2016 17:16:28 GMT

Your last comment added more detail. The first message said nothing of needing this in the ATTRIBUTE text -- just that you had looked in the C3D Help. And that's what I based my comments on.

Re: System Variables

Jeff_M — Mon, 16 May 2016 00:09:36 GMT

Charles, I don't have C3D2014 but in 2016 I searched for "multiline attribute" and got this:

That being said, I do agree that the documentation could use a LOT of work. One of the biggest things that would be of immediate benfit is making sure that all Sysvars which affect a command or object should be noted as such within each command's or object's help section.