Testing

These are experimental features.
Please do not bother Engineered Software with questions.

WARNING!

These features, which will appear in the next version of WildTools, are being provided for you to test at this time, however if anyone creates a problem for Engineered Software by bothering them with questions or technical support, then this testing capability will disappear.

 

Win-Win and the Software Bidness
One of the realities of the software business is that new features in a shipping version of software can create just as much of a problem for a software company as a bug. If you create a new feature, then users will call to demand a new copy of the software, even if they don't need the feature. So please understand that it's important for Engineered Software that every copy of WildTools has the exact same feature-set. And it does.

On the other hand, if it were up to me, I'd like to advance WildTools every day, and I've always thought it was a shame that the software business is a business -- think about how much better it would be if it were a national sport, and the person who did the best job got all the accolades and rewards.

They say in business, and in life, you should always try for a win-win situation, and that's what we have here. All copies of the shipping version of WildTools have the exact same feature set. However, there are also little 'switches' in WildTools to turn on new features for testing. Normally, only beta testers see these things, but now you are going to be able to turn these features on for testing, but I want to repeat the warning given above: If anyone creates a problem for Engineered Software by bothering them with questions or technical support, then this testing capability will disappear.

Okay? So let's all behave ourselves.

Alfred Scott

 

Test Tool
This tool appears in the first row of tools in the NewTools palette. It is not a drawing tool at all, but simply a way of providing a dialog box for you to make a few choices. In the dialog, you may choose from the following:

Executive Summary
Click on the Test Everything button.
Do not select Derek's Custom Joints.
Click on OK and go to work.
For a complete description read the notes below and the WildTools 8.04 Release Notes.

Turn on North Arrow Tool and Sun Shadows to test sun shadows.

Turn on Surface Texture Tool to test this new tool, which is installed in the Dimension Tools palette.

Turn on Z Delete Tool which is installed in TopoTools.

Turn on Tool Setups to test the implementations of tool setups described below

 

Setups have been added to the following tools.

For all of these tools, you can reset a setup to match the current settings in the tool’s dialog.  To do this, select the setup you wish to reset from the setup menu, then press and hold the Option key as you release the mouse.  This setup will then be changed to match the current setting of the dialog.

Nuts & Bolts Pallette
Screw, Threaded Rod and Anchor Bolt tools. 

WildTools
Cloud, Offset Line, Grid Line, Section Line, Wavy Line, Marker, Linear Patterning, Area Patterning and Needle tools.  The Needle tool setup includes the attributes: color, pen size, hatching, etc..

Doors & Windows
Added setups for Door, Window, Plan Title and Detail Title tools. 

Composite Wall Tools
Added setups for all of these tools.

SketchTools
Added setups for all of these tools. 

  

Turn on Test Join tool to use a new method of joining objects. This allows you to join many, many objects in a single operation. Don't bother with Derek's Custom Joins. You really don't want to use this bit of custom programming.

Turn on Test Screen Effects to test a huge number of new screen displays while using the tools. Just turn this on and then use the tools. You'll see all the new stuff. All of this is documented in the WildTools 8.04 Release Notes.

Turn on Test Stretch tool to use the new tool installed in the same row as the Linear Repeat tool, Linear Duplicate tool, etc. This tool lets you scale and rotate selected objects around a single point. It works like the Rotate tool but with scaling as well.

Turn on Test 3D Dimension Tool to use the Dimensioning Tool in the WildTools 3D palette. Be sure to try the Option key as you use the tool if you aren't getting what you expected.

Turn on Test Wild Zoom In and Wild Normal Size to use these two miscellaneous commands.

Turn on Test Tool Dialog Display Accuracy. Again, all of this is documented in the WildTools 8.04 Release Notes.

Accelerated Scroll Wheel Zooming is now built into WildTools 8.03.