Custom Symbol Tool Update

[test129847]

The current custom symbol tool is very hard to use and limits the user greatly. There are many places for improvement and I have noticed many other users in this forum are trying to compensate for the tool's lacking by creating their own user interface over the existing symbol tool. I think they tool needs a complete revamp in order to bring the capabilities up to a more modern feel.

Some of the areas that I have seen issues are:
- The inability to reorder groups.
- The lack of any sort of if/else type controls means you cannot handle complex situations.
- The lack of constraints in the symbol sketcher makes it harder to have flexible symbols.
- The inability to have a single variable text show up in multiple places makes using the symbols much harder.

- The over simplification of the origins for locating purposes.

[StephenW]

See https://community.ptc.com/t5/Creo-Parametric-Ideas/Update-define-drawing-symbol-user-interface/idi-p...

This has been on PTCs radar for years and years but no luck yet.

[StephenW]

Also see https://community.ptc.com/t5/System-Administration/Drawing-Symbol-Interface-UI-Improvement-functiona...

for a long "wish list"

[test129847]

Those are definitely better lists than mine. I think the most important note is that those ideas are dated 2012 and 2016 . . . 9 years and counting. It is this sort of thing that makes it hard to take, "idea posting," as a worth while endeavor. 

[StephenW]

I agee completely, its very unfortunate. I've made the comment that this is where good ideas go to die!  It's pretty harsh but has unfortunately been proven as true. In PTC's defense, there are so many good ideas that not all of them make the cut and then there are a lot of them that are so technically challenging that there is a lot of concern that implementing the change could break existing functionality.

[test129847]

I agree that it is a tough balancing act. But the great thing about software is that an updated tool can exist in parallel to the old tool. Similar to how Creo will can still have rounds that use the ProE, old interface rather than the new ribbon style. Consider many major website interfaces, such as Gmail, Yammer, etc. They typically will have an option to use the new interface or the old. This is a great idea to allow screw-ups in a new UI, while allowing work-arounds by going back to the old interface. I know Gmail has a lot of features that only exist in the old interface, so even help documents simply point the user to the old interface. That being said, I hope to never have to deal with a Windows 8 dual interface again.

In the end, this ends up being a nice discussion between people rather than anything that will be acted upon by PTC.