ACAD 2017 Stealing Focus (please make it STOP!)

[Anonymous]

Count me in as frustrated & annoyed at the way AutoCAD steals focus while opening multiple drawings.

I have a beefy machine with 3 moniteors, so I multi-task like crazy. I often need to open up several drawings in one window while continuing to work in another application. This takes a while, and each time another drawing is opened, Autocad steals the window focus. This often happens while I'm typing, which slows down my work in the other application and causes AutoCAD to stop opening the set of drawings. I have to switch to the Autocad window, delete the text and then go back to my other application. This is a real pain, and very poor practice by the developers. At the very least, they could make this a system variable that could be turned off.

Anyway.. enough of my soapbox. I've found a registry setting that supposedly fixes this. 'ForegroundLockTimeout'.. has anyone else tried this? Are there other side effects that I should be aware of before attempting this setting?

[pendean]

@ hans.verbeekN2CPE Start a new thread, not a "me too" rant, explain your situation in more detail, explain under what circumstances this happens, elaborate on whether you are using background plotting/publishing or not, let everyone know your exact AutoCAD version as listed in ABOUT command, your OS, what other programs are affected or focus being stolen from, what you use for a mouse and mouse driver, your video card/driver, and see what other suggest.

Or start at message #1 in the thread you are posting in, read through it, then every other message all the way down, experiment and try suggestions posted.

This is a self-help forum, if you need or want Autodesk Support then open and log into your Autodesk Account here https://manage.autodesk.com/home/
Find and click on the ? icon, and start a support ticket.

HTH

[RobDraw]

My day is fine.

I think it's a sad day when you have to be using your computer to be productive.

It's funny how people react when I point out the obvious. They get all personal on me. Shooting the messenger, so to speak.

[hencoop]

@pendean There are, counting yours, 41 posts to this thread since 2016.  They include comments from @john.vellek of Autodesk who posted the FIRST reply.  The forums are specifically recommended by Autodesk as the place to get support precisely because folks like John monitor them. The prior posts thoroughly cover EVERYTHING you have just  criticized @hans.verbeekN2CPE for not asking or providing.  This issue is a LONG standing problem that has not been fixed and cannot be eliminated.  Most replies are from folks who are as frustrated with this issue as the OP.  The rest are suggested work-arounds.  The posts that are NOT needed here are those criticizing others for not reading the thread... especially when you clearly have not read it either.

[hencoop]

@RobDraw Some of us are paid to do things that require use of their computer.  To not be using their computer is to not be doing what they are paid for.  I understand that it may be possible to identify non-computer things that can be done that are still productive; however, it may not be possible as well.

[pendean]

@hencoop John Vellek quit a few years back, no one has replaced him. And he was unique.

>>>..There are, counting yours, 41 posts to this thread since 2016...<<<
So? this is a self help forum, aka help yourself. Look and explore and find out what you need to find out. Yourself.

>>>... recommended by Autodesk as the place to get support...<<<
Getting support: yes. Asking Autodesk to change AutoCAD? No.
For that, you go here https://manage.autodesk.com/home/

I have been helping out in Autodesk User forums since they were on CompuServe in the 1990s, and at my engagement level around here today when I write no one from AutoCAD shows up here looking for random single-user posts for program changes/tips in 1million posts forums I tend to know what I am writing about.

Sorry to burst your bubble. Now reread this post for things you can do https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/acad-2017-stealing-focus-please-make-it-stop/m-p/102948...

HTH

[RobDraw]

If printing does prevent you from being productive as highly doubtful as it is, management should provide a separate computer for printing or the option to use someone's who can be productive without a computer.

Demanding a fix from a company that you have no influence over shows a lack of initiative on your part. Earn your pay and come up with a solution to keep you gainfully employed while you plot. It's not that difficult.

[hencoop]

@RobDraw Other's circumstances will never equal your experience and vision.  It is a bit naïve to assume they are... and you are NOT naïve so something else must be driving your opinions in this thread.  You know as well as anyone that AutoCAD users have a lot of influence over Autodesk's choices when they are deciding how to improve their products.

I have adopted your response to this problem... I do something else when I'm publishing.  It is usually a bit less productive than I would like but what other choice do I have.  You should know that it cannot be classified as a "solution"  to this problem as the problem still exists. 

Assuming that I or any other person who has read this thread and posted a reply here has not developed a strategy to mitigate this problem is not in keeping with your experience and history on these forums.

My strategy to mitigate this problem is to have just one plot configuration, the DWG to PDF plotter is the ONLY one I use.  Publishing/Plotting to a PDF is by far the fastest at finishing the publish task.  While AutoCAD is creating the PDF I do whatever non-computer thing I can to still earn my pay.

Subsequent printing of the PDF can be done as many times as needed to any physical plotter/printer on our network by anyone on our network.  Printing PDF's NEVER steals focus as it it completing the job of putting AutoCAD's output on paper... because it is independent of AutoCAD.  (idk about MS Edge, I use Adobe Acrobat to print PDF's... Microsoft's continuously setting itself as the default PDF app status is a whole other thread).

A new PDF is only required if the drawings have been edited since the PDF was created. 

The short story is AutoCAD Focus Stealing is a continuing problem that I hope Autodesk will someday address.

[RobDraw]

My responses are driven by logic, common sense, experience, and established best practices.

Larger printing tasks have been time killers since I started printing, no matter the job. Most places that do large jobs that I've worked at have a computer that was mostly used for printing large jobs not only from AutoCAD but other programs as well.

It shouldn't be that difficult to find something to do. I often do a page flip while I am plotting. That can take as long, or longer, as the plot job. Then there's checking the plotter to make sure it's plotting. Oh yeah, there could be binding, stamping, and/or packing up the job for delivery.

I feel sorry for you if you can't be productive unless you are at your computer but if that's your job, it is the way it is. Some jobs are better than others, I guess.

[Anonymous]

Yes, your job is probably better. Thank you for feeling sorry for us. I'm a
CADD Tech that is most often under the gun to produce multiple plan sets in
almost unreasonable timelines. That's my job. I do like it and I don't feel
sorry for myself. My work day consists of at least 90% of my time in
AutoCAD or Civil3D. I like it that way. I don't find it productive to find
less priority, filler work to stay "productive" when I have higher priority
tasks I need to get done ASAP. I accepted focus being stolen some time ago
and just deal with it. Many times I have thought about getting another
workstation just so I can keep working on what needs to be done while my
other workstation is tied up with publishing.

[hencoop]

@RobDraw , @pendean  I am not going to get into a pissing contest with either of you.  By and large your posts have been a great help to the community... just not so much this time since "just deal with it" is what everyone is already doing.  You would probably do better to let people vent on this without demeaning them for whatever they appear to be doing besides what you have told them to do.

@pendean, It was Newsgroups we participated in in the very early 1990's.  Those were fun days that eventually led to the creation of forums with moderators and requiring login access 😉

[RobDraw]

---

@hencoop wrote:

@RobDraw ,  I am not going to get into a pissing contest with you.  You would probably do better to let people vent on this.

---

I can't disagree with you more. I'm not pissing. Also, this forum is not a place for venting. it's a place for solutions. You don't have to agree but getting all agro about the obvious solutions doesn't look good on you.

[dcausey]

Why is this marked as a solution?

[RobDraw]

Because the OP saw fit to mark it as such.