AutoCAD - Command Line refuses to stay docked/locked

[hencoop]

Hello all,

There was a discussion earlier about AutoCAD pallets changing size for which a solution was accepted (here): https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/why-do-side-docked-palettes-change-height-between-sessi... 

That solution does not solve this problem.

There is only one solution I've found that keeps everything exactly as intended, but only AFTER the governing .xml file is edited and then made read-only (the solution discussion is here): https://resources.imaginit.com/support-blog/command-line-will-not-stay-docked 

This solution has one major downside.  ALL of the things that should be written to this .xml file can no longer be written to it because the file is read-only, e.g., recent file lists become static/stagnant (both .dst and .dwg).  That's a problem.

Does anyone have a clue to why the <CommandLineControl Workspace="<your workspace name>"> tag is either not written or written incorrectly to the .xml file (%appdata%\Autodesk\<your product version and year (i.e. AutoCAD 2020, C3D 2018, etc)>\R##.#\enu\Support\Profiles\<Profile Name from Options box>)?

It seems that if the cause of that failure/error were identified we could eliminate this docking problem.

[The subject line of this post has been edited for better findability by @handjonathan Original: Command Line refuses to stay docked/locked ]

[pendean]

Is your commandline docked?
Or a float-y?

My docked commandline in R2021 (and R2022, R2020, R2019, R2018, R2017 etc.) haven't budged or resized in decades: perhaps I am not doing the way you are, or the location you are? Can you share a screencast video?

[hencoop]

Well, I did not expect AutoCAD to crash when I closed it while Screencast was recording... but it did.  Nevertheless, I got what you wanted to see!  The condition after restarting AutoCAD had ALL locked still, but the SSM was brought out of the stack on the right and the commandline was floated again.  I had to unlock everything to put them back where they were.  The screencast is here:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/screencast/26fc4ff5-ce91-42b9-acc6-4452e34f3391 

[pendean]

Hard to follow, but OK. Note I have no access to C3D, or its profiles, but in AutoCAD I cannot replicate your issue easily, but my startup does not include an external profile.

You do have a floating commandline, your major issue I suspect: why not dock it? Or float it on a second monitor? It takes up so much real-estate on your screen I see no reason why not to dock it.

LOCKUI alone may not be enough regardless: did you actively save your workspace with WSSAVE command after sizing it and floating it where you want it to be? Toggle LOCKUI off before saving your workspace, lock it afterwards. repeat for each and every workspace you have.

Since you are C3D user you will also need to ensure your loading C3D Profile(s) is not doing anything to replace your startups: are you on n enterprise CUI as well by chance? Then I suspect you are out of luck doing anything personal with your setup.

TIA

[hencoop]

@pendean Thank you for taking the time to look into this problem.  It has been thoroughly investigated before and the ONLY solution I found is to manually edit the controlling .xml file and then make it read-only (as described in the linked article).  Here are the pertinent facts you asked about:

1. The Command Line status begins and ends my sessions "Docked" and "Locked".
2. WSSAVE is applied to the "Civil 3D" Workspace which is also associated with the <<C3D Imperial>> Profile (I believe).
3. There was no custom profile in use.
4. The profile specified in the startup is <<C3D Imperial>> which is both my current profile and the default profile created by Autodesk for Civil 3D OTB.
5. Workspace Settings has "Automatically save workspace changes" selected.
6. I only recently selected all of the LOCKUI options... to no avail. (means it was set after the docking and WSSAVE happened).
7. There is no Enterprise CUI.
8. All I wanted to know is this: Does anyone have a clue to why the correct docked command line location is NOT written to the .xml file (%appdata%\Autodesk\<your product version and year (i.e. AutoCAD 2020, C3D 2018, etc)>\R##.#\enu\Support\Profiles\<Profile Name from Options box>)?

I do think I'm out of luck.

[hencoop]

Correction/clarification: The locks all stay put.

The undocking is intermittent and irregular.  I may go for a while and then it happens.  It may happen the very next session.  Another associated event is that the size and sometimes position of my SSM will change even though it is locked.  It always gets a little taller or else it is moved out of a stack and put to the left of it... docked.

Making the .xml read only fixes this as well, but the trade-off of not having an up to date recent file list (and other static things I haven't recognized yet) makes it not worth doing.

[pendean]

Got it, I'm intrigued how terminology differs between us though. Like

>>>...The Command Line status begins and ends my sessions "Docked" and "Locked"....<<<

Not docked, but it is locked in the first image according to the recording. Unless C3D looks that different from plain AutoCAD 2021 (where you are posting). Which is it? Using plain AutoCAD 2021.1.1 R154.0.0. full time here, win10Pro.

 

A test (can't tell if you've done it yet): Log in as an all new user with full admin rights on your PC, and test the problem: does it go away? But this time actually dock your commandline.

EDIT: as you know there is no fix for "intermittent" sadly. You and everyone else must be able to repeat on demand for a true fix.

SSM is docked on the side for me here, also not seeing resizing issues

TIA

[hencoop]

Here are the conditions I see - labeled.  The first image is how I have things set (how I wish they would stay).

The second image is how my SSM gets relocated (when it isn't just made taller than in the first image... and shortening the Properties window).  I've also dragged the floating Command Line so that it is clearly not docked.

The third image is just to show the SSM clearly undocked.

[pendean]

Thanks for all of that.

This is not "docked", just floating there: its not a semantics game, it's just what Autodesk has chosen to not call what you are doing as "docked".

Did you try the sequence of events to use with saving workspaces that I noted in an earlier post? You said you used it, but I want being a lot more specific about ho to use it.
And never assume "automatic save" is doing anything anywhere, always be deliberate about using WSSAVE.

Are you able to start C3D without the profile loading? As a test only, just curious myself, here is how 

1. Make a copy then Right-click the Windows shortcut normally used to launch C3D and click Properties.
2. Under the Shortcut tab, look at the Target field for a /p parameter. The name after /p is the profile the shortcut loads.
3. Remove everything from /p onwards (and any blank space before that). Save and close.

Did you try the new user OS login test yet? Always revealing.

I cannot replicate your SSM issue on either side. Sorry. Not sure how to trigger it over here, even when I moved it from left to right side. BUT I do not have toolbars there either. I did dock some there, still not able to replicate the double-stack you show. Weird indeed.

Did you test C3D 2022 by chance? It has some updates that need installing first.

I suspect you will need to start a support ticket with Autodesk at some point, explore this link

How to contact Autodesk support

HTH

[hencoop]

If that's true, what do you call the circumstance where the Command Line does not have a fixed text history window as it does (green text in a fixed box) in what I have labeled DOCKED", in other words, the text history (a stack of individual lines of text - magenta) floats for a short time above the very obviously floating Command Line?  That is demonstrably different than what I have labeled "DOCKED".  Also, if that isn't docked, I have more problems... my command line CANNOT be docked at all as these are the ONLY two display options I have for the Command line: floating-1 and floating-2

[hencoop]

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you.  Here is my Command Line very clearly docked at the top of my screen (the earlier image is docked at the bottom of the screen):

[ВeekeeCZ]

---

@pendean wrote:

Got it, I'm intrigued how terminology differs between us though. Like

>>>...The Command Line status begins and ends my sessions "Docked" and "Locked"....<<<

Not docked, but it is locked in the first image according to the recording. Unless C3D looks that different from plain AutoCAD 2021 (where you are posting). Which is it? Using plain AutoCAD 2021.1.1 R154.0.0. full time here, win10Pro.

 

...

It's docked - like the old-fashioned style. It looks a bit weird with toolbars that are shortened...but it's the way it is.

I was fighting with C3D command line too...  now I'm using "anchored" cmd to the lower-left corner with a couple of lines. It's kinda stable.

[hencoop]

@pendean I'm happy to agree it's just semantics.  My issue involves my command line switching from the appearance at the bottom of the screen to the other distinctly different appearance all while it is locked at the bottom of the screen.  I verified that it is locked there by reason that it cannot be moved until "Docked Windows" is unlocked.

[hencoop]

@ВeekeeCZ, @pendean 

Every now and then I learn something new.  This is one of them.

It is NOT possible to "Dock" the command line even though it is a "window".  Other windows have an "allow docking" option.  The command line does not.  I just discovered that I can expand the command history window regardless of whether the command line is "anchored" to the bottom, top, or floating in the middle (mine has subdued green text).  When the command history window is expanded, the temporary magenta history lines are replaced by it.

What I am seeing is AutoCAD changing it from "Anchored" at the bottom to "Not Anchored"... still at the bottom.  The difference in appearance is that when "Anchored" it spans the width of the drawing area, is anchored to the right and left edges and shows the few lines of command history I had set; and, when this is unexplainably altered by AutoCAD, it is NOT anchored to either edge of the drawing area and there are NO lines of command history shown.

I will try to remember to use "Anchored" to describe my locked location from now on.  Specifically, @pendean, my apologies, you are correct.  My command line has never been docked. 

[hencoop]

Correction: In my OP I incorrectly said the file to edit and then write lock is an XML file.  The file is actually named Profile.aws which is NOT an XML file (although it's contents are similar).  https://resources.imaginit.com/support-blog/command-line-will-not-stay-docked. correctly explains this.

[hencoop]

@pendean 

It just gets more confusing for me.  According to Autodesk, the command line can be docked (I don't know how), anchored, or floating.

[pendean]

@hencoop Did you get a chance to reach out to Autodesk Support through your account page yet?

[hencoop]

I have reached out.  I have not heard back yet.

[hencoop]

@pendean I got a response from Autodesk.

They made a few recommendations including this link: About Positioning the Command Window 

It states that the docked command window will span the application window.  I closed the other docked palettes I had opened (ToolSpace, Properties, Sheet Set Manager) and successfully docked the Command line at the bottom as they had shown it on the linked page.  Then, I reopened those docked palettes as before.  The command window auto-adjusted to spanning only the space between the other docked palettes.  Apparently, that IS actually the correct docked position when other docked palettes are open.  Again, I learned something new.

Also, they show the anchored appearance the same as floating (does not span the app) except that  its bottom or top edge touches the edge of the drawing display.

So far, their suggestions have not solved the problem... I'm still investigating.

[hencoop]

I have discovered a way to force this to happen... and perhaps, the source of my problem.  These steps will consistently reproduce the problem on my machine:

(Make sure Workspace Settings has the radio button selected for "Automatically save workspace changes")

1. Set SDI=0
2. Dock the Command Line
3. Close AutoCAD
4. Open AutoCAD (the Command Line should still be docked)
5. Set SDI=1 (then do some work or not, doesn't matter)
6. Close AutoCAD
7. Open AutoCAD (The Command Line should now be floating, not docked)
8. Dock the Command Line
9. Set SDI=0 (then do some work or not, doesn't matter)
10. Close AutoCAD
11. Open AutoCAD (the Command Line should still be docked)

I have confirmed that the docked Command Line is undocked only after AutoCAD has been opened while SDI=0 and SDI is then set to 1 and AutoCAD is closed.  Upon reopening AutoCAD, the Command Line will ALWAYS be undocked.  Switching from SDI=1 to SDI=0 does not have this effect.  Only switching from SDI=0 to SDI=1 has this effect.  Between forcing this to happen, I opened AutoCAD without changing the SDI setting 5 or 6 times in a row for both SDI=0 and SDI=1 and the docked Command Line stayed docked each time.