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form•Z 8.6 Update Released


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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 5 weeks later...

version 8.6.3.1 build 10163

The interface is quite borked now, far worse than previous 8.6 builds and worse than any of the 8.5 builds I have used.

I am running Win7 pro 64 with Aero on (required for other software such as Affinity Photo)

The application window opens with bits of the interface over both screens with elements difficult to select as they go off screen.

Pallets inside the palette dock do not respond correctly. I cannot, for example, select materials or the menu items in the material palette.

However, the palette behaves correctly when dragged out of the palette dock. This behaviour is consistent with every palette when in the dock.

So yet another update to FormZ is unusable and again I have to revert back to 8.5x

FormZ's interface has been terrible for a very long time, every time I open the application the interface looks like it has been kicked across my desk.

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  • 4 weeks later...

version 8.6.3.1 build 10163

I've got an incredibly choppy/jerky viewport in win10 using GTX 1070? It's making work very difficult anyone else had similiar issues and been able to fix it?

If not what is the best way to get back to version 8.5?

I have to say i'm finding Form z getting worse with every update rather than better.

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2 hours ago, sjj said:

version 8.6.3.1 build 10163

I've got an incredibly choppy/jerky viewport in win10 using GTX 1070? It's making work very difficult anyone else had similiar issues and been able to fix it?

If not what is the best way to get back to version 8.5?

I have to say i'm finding Form z getting worse with every update rather than better.

Working fine here on GTX 1070 and GTX 1080ti

Make sure you have the latest drivers from Nvidia installed.  Reboot.

In FormZ preferences, make sure you enable 'Use Advanced OpenGL'

If you're still having issues, try renaming your FormZ preferences folder to rebuild it.  You must enable SHOW HIDDEN FILES.  Make sure FormZ is closed before you do this.

Location - C:/Users/(Your Username)/AppData/Roaming/autodessys

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On 10/19/2018 at 6:05 PM, Justin Montoya said:

Working fine here on GTX 1070 and GTX 1080ti

Make sure you have the latest drivers from Nvidia installed.  Reboot.

In FormZ preferences, make sure you enable 'Use Advanced OpenGL'

If you're still having issues, try renaming your FormZ preferences folder to rebuild it.  You must enable SHOW HIDDEN FILES.  Make sure FormZ is closed before you do this.

Location - C:/Users/(Your Username)/AppData/Roaming/autodessys

I've actually managed to narrow the problem down to some weird interference issue with my 3d connexion devices. I suspect the drivers.

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On 10/19/2018 at 6:05 PM, Justin Montoya said:

Working fine here on GTX 1070 and GTX 1080ti

Make sure you have the latest drivers from Nvidia installed.  Reboot.

In FormZ preferences, make sure you enable 'Use Advanced OpenGL'

If you're still having issues, try renaming your FormZ preferences folder to rebuild it.  You must enable SHOW HIDDEN FILES.  Make sure FormZ is closed before you do this.

Location - C:/Users/(Your Username)/AppData/Roaming/autodessys

Justin could i just as the specs of your machine?

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sjj-

I custom built my machine by hand about a year ago after spending the last 10 years or so working primarily on Mac workstations.  When Apple stopped making professional machines with NVIDIA GPUs, I started to look for other options.  I'd be using Linux if Adobe Creative Cloud and FormZ were available there.  But since that's never likely to happen, Windows 10 has been a great way back into the Windows world.  It's much more Unix and MacOS like than previous versions, and it's great having every app you could ever want available.  Anyways, here's my computer's specs:

AMD 1950x 16 core CPU with Noctua air cooler running at 4.0ghz on all 16 cores
32gb 3200 quad channel ram
GTX 1080ti as main GPU for fastest OpenGL based Shaded work and Shaded Full rendering
(2) additional GTX 1070s for faster VRay rendering
1TB NVME SSD 
Several 2TB external USB 3.0 drives for backups

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On 10/26/2018 at 10:11 AM, Justin Montoya said:

sjj-

I custom built my machine by hand about a year ago after spending the last 10 years or so working primarily on Mac workstations.  When Apple stopped making professional machines with NVIDIA GPUs, I started to look for other options.  I'd be using Linux if Adobe Creative Cloud and FormZ were available there.  But since that's never likely to happen, Windows 10 has been a great way back into the Windows world.  It's much more Unix and MacOS like than previous versions, and it's great having every app you could ever want available.  Anyways, here's my computer's specs:

AMD 1950x 16 core CPU with Noctua air cooler running at 4.0ghz on all 16 cores
32gb 3200 quad channel ram
GTX 1080ti as main GPU for fastest OpenGL based Shaded work and Shaded Full rendering
(2) additional GTX 1070s for faster VRay rendering
1TB NVME SSD 
Several 2TB external USB 3.0 drives for backups

Justin,

You mention you use 2 additional GTX 1070S for faster VRay renderings. My boss is thinking of buying an expensive rendering machine for Vray. I've tried rendering using a single video card GTX 1070, by the machine crashes. I suppose you need more than 1? If so how many would you recommend? Also, is it simply a matter of enabling GPU rendering under the rendering options?

Please let me know.

Allan.

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Allan,

You should have no problems rendering with a single GTX 1070 and Hybrid mode as well.  After enabling 'Use GPU', Make sure you do NOT check 'Interactive'.   That interactive mode is meant for quick previews of rapid changes, but in reality it tends to crash and cause other problems resulting in a computer restart in my experience.  A better way to Use GPU and have fast previews is to simply reduce the Render Output size in the Vray settings palette, and make your changes.  Once you are happy with the changes, go back and change the Render Output size back to you final desired image size.

It's worth noting that there are 2 different rendering engines provided with VRay for FormZ.  When enabling 'Use GPU', you activate the newer 'RT' engine.  Unfortunately most of the other VRay installations calls these engines 'VRay Adv' and VRay RT 'Real Time'.  However, those names do not really apply any longer as the engines have evolved and the RT engine is perfectly capable of Production work.  I think that is why VRay for FormZ only calls it 'Use GPU'.  Also, there are a few things the RT engine can't quite do yet that the original VRay engine can.  More info:

http://www.formz.com/products/vray/V-Ray_Documentation/index.htm#t=V-Ray_Settings.htm

https://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/VRAY3MAX/V-Ray+RT+Supported+Features

If you have any additional VRay for FormZ questions, you can ask them over at the VRay for FormZ forum - https://docs.chaosgroup.com/display/VRAY3MAX/V-Ray+RT+Supported+Features

 

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On 9/26/2018 at 11:36 AM, bbuxton said:

version 8.6.3.1 build 10163

The interface is quite borked now, far worse than previous 8.6 builds and worse than any of the 8.5 builds I have used.

I am running Win7 pro 64 with Aero on (required for other software such as Affinity Photo)

The application window opens with bits of the interface over both screens with elements difficult to select as they go off screen.

Pallets inside the palette dock do not respond correctly. I cannot, for example, select materials or the menu items in the material palette.

However, the palette behaves correctly when dragged out of the palette dock. This behaviour is consistent with every palette when in the dock.

So yet another update to FormZ is unusable and again I have to revert back to 8.5x

FormZ's interface has been terrible for a very long time, every time I open the application the interface looks like it has been kicked across my desk.

 

More than a month later... I assume this issue is just affecting me. Additionally I tried with Aero off and the issue still persists.

So again Docked Palettes are not working if I pull a palette out of the Tool Dock or Palette Dock then behaviour returns to normal.

FormZ 8.6.3.1 is almost unusable like this. 

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Bbuxton,

You should try resetting your preferences folder.

You can completely reset the formZ Preferences by Quitting formZ and renaming the autodessys: formZ 8.0 folder. (Just add an X to the end of the name of the folder.) 

On Windows, this is located in C:\users\[USER]\AppData\Roaming\ 

(Note that [USER] is the name with which you log onto your computer, and if you don't see the App Data folder, you can show this by going to the Windows Explorer: Tools Menu: Folder Options: View Tab -- and choosing Show Hidden Files, and clicking OK.) 

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7 hours ago, Justin Montoya said:

Bbuxton,

You should try resetting your preferences folder.

You can completely reset the formZ Preferences by Quitting formZ and renaming the autodessys: formZ 8.0 folder. (Just add an X to the end of the name of the folder.) 

On Windows, this is located in C:\users\[USER]\AppData\Roaming\ 

(Note that [USER] is the name with which you log onto your computer, and if you don't see the App Data folder, you can show this by going to the Windows Explorer: Tools Menu: Folder Options: View Tab -- and choosing Show Hidden Files, and clicking OK.) 

Thank you, Justin,

Unfortunately, this does not fix the issue. It is a bug in this version's palettes implementation and needs to be fixed by Autodessys. The Window layout has been bad since v7 on both Windows and Mac, particularly with dual screens. I have absolutely none of these issues with  v6.3.7 but obviously having upgraded to each version since I want to be using current versions not stuck using legacy ones.

 

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Since I cannot duplicate your problem, I have to assume something is wrong with your installation.  Make sure you are not using a custom preference file under settings.  That has been problematic.  Also the custom workspaces have caused weird palette issues in the past.  Make sure that your workspaces are NOT set to save on close.  I would try reverting to only default settings and reset the workspace and delete the preferences folder as instructed earlier to get a clean default install.  

Many of us are able to use 2 and 3 screens with Formz without issues, once you avoid the custom workspaces, save on close, and the custom preference file.  It's certainly unfortunate that we have to avoid these features, but I am hopeful they will all be resolved in version 9s new design.

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42 minutes ago, Justin Montoya said:

Since I cannot duplicate your problem, I have to assume something is wrong with your installation.  Make sure you are not using a custom preference file under settings.  That has been problematic.  Also the custom workspaces have caused weird palette issues in the past.  Make sure that your workspaces are NOT set to save on close.  I would try reverting to only default settings and reset the workspace and delete the preferences folder as instructed earlier to get a clean default install.  

Many of us are able to use 2 and 3 screens with Formz without issues, once you avoid the custom workspaces, save on close, and the custom preference file.  It's certainly unfortunate that we have to avoid these features, but I am hopeful they will all be resolved in version 9s new design.

Thank you, Justin.

This particular problem is only affecting v8.6.3.1 not earlier versions. I have gone through the process of clearing out preferences etc. even though it is clearly not a preference issue. The previous builds had issues with scrolling when a tool was selected among others. While these issues do not affect everyone, I am sure they are not isolated to me or my system. For now, I will revert back to v8.5 and live without the clone functionality restored in v8.6. If I upgrade to v9 it will be for improved functionality, not in the hope that it will address bugs from the previous versions.

Edit: Yes, custom workspaces, save on close, and custom preference files have been for quite some time on my avoid list too.

Edited by bbuxton
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  • 2 weeks later...

I have tested 8.6.3.1(MacOS High Sierra) and this STEP export bug still exists (see previous bug report below)

Object names are not retained when exporting STEP files from formZ into importing to Solidworks.
This makes finding objects in complex models (in order to combine them into assemblies) very difficult.
 
It looks like the first object name is being applied to all objects in the file.
 
Also- When importing STEP from Solidworks, assembly hierarchy is not preserved (see Assembly Hierarchy test.STEP attached)
 
---- previous report-----
I tested 8.6 beta, and just downloaded 8.6 final.
 
I typically use layers to organize my models.
Then I use the LAB management tool to rename objects to match the layer names prior to exporting.
 
When importing a STEP file from formZ into Solidworks the layer names are not preserved properly.
It appears that the first object name is just repeated for all objects.
 
This was not an issue in 8.5

ObjectNameTest.fmz

Screen Shot 2018-08-28 at 8.17.11 AM.jpg

Screen Shot 2018-08-28 at 8.15.11 AM.jpg

Assembly Hierarchy Test.STEP

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  • 4 months later...

You can select "Check for Update" from the Help menu to patch you installation

or Use the link from the email you received from us with your license codes (it will always have the latest installer)

or Select "Download Archive"  from the "Techinical Support" Menu on the formZ website and choose the v8.6 page.

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