Can't change dashboard position

[ptc-1644712]

I just installed Wildfire 5 and, as usual, the dashboard/message window location is above the graphics window. I'm a fairly old-school user, so the first thing I want to do is move the message window to below the graphics window. I went to Tools>Customize Screen, clicked the Options tab, and the only available options are for Secondary Menus (open default size or maximized) and Menu Display ("show icons" checkbox). The help file lists the same location to change the position; did PTC eliminate the option of above or below the graphics window, or am I just glitchy? Any help is greatly appreciated! Best regards, Luke Nissel

[NigelWhittingha]

I have been informed by PTC it is no longer possible to change the location of the dashboard in Wildfire 5.0. This is an intended change due to a new GUI being used in Detail mode. Therefore, the dashboard will always be above the graphics area and cannot be moved.

[ptc-1644712]

Thank you for that information. I was afraid this was coming; now I have to go and change my ways! Much appreciated.

[CBenner]

I think that goes for a lot of us who have been around for a while.

[DELETEME]

PTC, are you listening? We want the ability to customize the display the way WE, the PAYING CUSTOMER want it, not the way the programmers feel like making it. I'm dreading having to go to 5 and it's wasted screen space. Can the damn dashboard be deleted? I use mapkeys for everything.

[ptc-1434210]

PHOOEY ON GUI

[ptc-1897690]

I agree, the dashboard should stay the way it is. I think the drawing ribbon is a nice idea but with all of the new wide screen I think that something vertical would be better fitting to today’s screens.

[kfans]

I 2nd the CM's opinion regarding customization of dashbord. PTC should give due consideration to user/customers views.I m using preproduction version, I wish & hope Ptc would recncile it in regular version of WF 5.0.

[ptc-1644712]

I think I'm downgrading to 4.0 for the time being. Most of our customers are still at 4.0, and I'm not digging the new UI that much. Why does PTC insist on catering to the AutoCAD crowd? I started using Pro back in the text menu days, and thought that was extremely intuitive. Feature>create>protrusion>extrude...how much more descriptive does it get? Using number of clicks as a metric doesn't make sense, either. Total mouse movement should count as well. I find myself moving around a lot more with later versions. So far 5.0 seems rather...Meh.

[CBenner]

I don't know if I'd call it "catering" to the AutoCAD crowd. Maybe they're just listening to thier customers. Personally, I feel that anything they can do to reduce clicks is fine by me. However, I'm not thrilled that you can't place things where you want them on your screen.

[DELETEME]

"Luke Nissel" wrote:

I think I'm downgrading to 4.0 for the time being. Most of our customers are still at 4.0, and I'm not digging the new UI that much. Why does PTC insist on catering to the AutoCAD crowd? I started using Pro back in the text menu days, and thought that was extremely intuitive. Feature>create>protrusion>extrude...how much more descriptive does it get? Using number of clicks as a metric doesn't make sense, either. Total mouse movement should count as well. I find myself moving around a lot more with later versions. So far 5.0 seems rather...Meh.

[nkriel-2]

Agree totally on being able to customise the screen as the user wishes. I am actually finding most parts of the drawing ribbon quite usefull, but it could still have been packaged a bit better. We can convert the customer I suppose to the ribbon location at the top of the screen, but the default resize after a command doesn't seem to occur, wasting valuable screen space. i.e. When activating an extrude, the ribbon bar pops up under the message bar (set as 2 lines deep). When the command completes the extrude ribbon disappears but the message bar / ribbon bar leaves a wide (now 5 line deep) message bar.

[nkriel-2]

Sorry, to rant on. One more thing my users are complaining about is that with the ribbon at the top of the screen, they are all having to eleveate their monitors. Some are actually complaining of neck pains. Only the chave who lie down at their stations are not complaining. Ergonomically a persons head is usually above the top of the screen, meaning he is looking slightly down at the screen. In my "non PTC guru level of research" opinion, it makes more sense to have things you actively use, like the ribbon at the bottom of the screen, allowing minimal head movements to be made while generally modelling. Less used functions are fine on the top. I would post a model using Manikin, but we have banned the use after loosing hours of work with PTC's non save after manikin access policy. Go on PTC, Comment !!!

[ptc-496438]

I've had several complaints from users about the dashboard being upstairs and the main gripe is in situations where you want to select something from the model tree, the pop-up (down?) menus end up getting in the way.

[JosephLord]

Since starting to use ProE, I have always had the dashboard at the top, so I'm alright...

[ptc-876037]

I've been using Pro-E since release 18. My Dashboard has always been at the bottom. Now in WF5, I never notice it saying anything, it's buried between toolbars. It should be alone. I saw another post in this forum on two monitors, it would be nice to even un-attach it to a separate location, maybe on another monitor. As for the Ribbon interface, I too thought it took up way to much space for my wide screen monitor. That is until I happened to "right-click" in its background and found a pop-up menu that listed "Minimize the Ribbon". After clicking this, it only takes a minimal amount of space, just like tabs, but when you click on it, it expands to the full Ribbon until you select something then it again minimizes. Now WF5 Ribbon Interface has (by me) now been downgraded from unacceptable to a minor annoyance where that annoyance is WF5 doesn't remember my minimizing setting the next time I start it. I've looked, there is no config.pro option for this. I guess we'll have to wait 5 years to get this simple config.pro option just like the "Shade Quality" setting defaulting to 3 which now finally has a config.pro option for WF5.

[ptc-876037]

I though I'd add a little more to this statement. I believe the reason the dashboard has been moved is because the sheet numbering has been added to the bottom. This is a great feature, but I'm use to having tabs on the top. PTC should also allow you to relocate this. If the programmers actually thought about making WF5 much better they should have laid the basics for customization. If they planned in advance, it wouldn't be at all that difficult.

[DELETEME]

Think of this: If having a "dashboard" at the top of your vision is such a great idea, why are the "dashboards" in cars all AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR LINE OF SIGHT?!?! When was the last time you saw a speedo and tach up in the roof? I think the human creature is used to (and evolved to) focusing on close objects lower in our field of vision, like if we're reading a book, or watching our step when crossing rough ground, or searching for the tracks of prey (base instincts), and since the horizon is almost always in our upper field of vision when walking, driving, etc, that that's where we focus better for more distant objects. Regardless, WE the users/customers should be able to determine how our GUI is configured to suit US, not THEY the programmers or PTC management.

[MattGray]

"Luke Nissel" wrote:

I think I'm downgrading to 4.0 for the time being. Most of our customers are still at 4.0, and I'm not digging the new UI that much. Why does PTC insist on catering to the AutoCAD crowd? I started using Pro back in the text menu days, and thought that was extremely intuitive. Feature>create>protrusion>extrude...how much more descriptive does it get? Using number of clicks as a metric doesn't make sense, either. Total mouse movement should count as well. I find myself moving around a lot more with later versions. So far 5.0 seems rather...Meh.

[ggoad]

I am only now trying out 5.0 and on the initial perusal I find that I can't customize this basic of the user interface. This, needless to say, creates dread and frustration for what is to come in learning this version. Further seeing the frustration with those contributing and viewing this post makes me wonder why PTC is not listening to their customer base or at least communicating in this forum a legitimate reason not to give us the option to customize.