Watched video 4 times now, wrote down steps. Went through steps for both UDP based on existing project and completely new. Sporadically will not save, have better luck with completely new UDP.

My steps:

1. right click on product, select "create UDP"

2. Go through wizard

3. from UDP library right click, edit symbol

4. Editing window pops up

5. unlock /edit/lock

6. save is greyed out, video shows you just xing out, and window popping up to ask about save. I x out, no window pops up to ask me if I want to save.

7. Symbol is not edited, but exists in my user library as the symbol that I used as a template.

8. Repeat variations on the above, starting from different tabs, exiting entire drawing and hitting save.

9. Doesn't save.

10. I start process over, not pulling product into drawing area but right clicking from the library.

11. Now I try AGAIN a product already in the drawing space.

12. This time it works.

13. Now it works. Now it doesn't. Now it does.

14. baffled.

15. Is there a switch or a button that I need to make sure I have toggled before I can save. All I can think is the lock unlock, but have tried that.

Not understanding why it won't work, and then it will, have tired this on two different computers. Dongle securely lit up before I even open program. Stardraw website still thinks I have an expired subscription, which is untrue. At a loss and need to get going. Please help. Could it be a dongle issue? I have lost an entire afternoon of work earlier, even after hitting "control s".... no warning that program is not saving.

and now it is working perfectly..., and I can't even reproduce the problem that occupied me this morning.

does signing into the program with user name and password (that I use on your website) have anything to do with this? I was using it offline on an airplane yesterday, but it should work offline, eh?

Hi Linda,

It is very strange that you're seeing this random behavior. We have not experienced, and cannot reproduce, the behavior and until we can reproduce something it is impossible to diagnose it.

In such cases it is best to ensure that all the bases are covered:

1. Ensure that your Windows installation is up to date. Even if you think it is, i.e. even if you have automatic updates turned on, check at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and install all Critical and Recommended updates.

2. Make sure you have the latest version of Stardraw Design 7 - Help | Check for updates

3. Make sure your machine is free of viruses, malware etc.

4. Make sure your hard disk is in good shape - check for errors.

We'd really like to get to the bottom of your experience but without a reproducable scenario there's not a lot we can do - at least the steps above will make sure we're working on firm ground.

On a side note I noticed that you have mentioned Unlock and suspect you may be thinking about this in the old 'AV2007' way. In the old appplication Unlock was a document state that you would invoke if you wanted to edit symbols in a drawing.

In SD7, Unlock is a cursor mode: when you use the Unlock Cursor it ignores symbol structure and group structure and allows you to select an individual object or objects that are part of the symbol/group. This way you can edit, change or delete objects inside symbols and groups in a drawing without impacting on the rest of the document.

But, when you're editing a symbol in Symbol Edit mode nothing is grouped (because you're working on the raw symbol file) so you shouldn't need to use the Unlock Cursor at all.

In answer to your second post, yes, UDPs can be edited without an internet connection. So long as the last time you signed into the application you signed in with your account ID then you will have access to your UDPs.

Kind regards,
Rob Robinson
Stardraw.com

Haven't had this problem since sitting on an airplane trying to create UDP's, I have had network connection at all other times that I have successfully created UDP's. Connection is not necessary though right?

Correct - you do not need an internet connection to create and save a UDP.

Can you describe, step by step, what you're doing and what is happening so that we can understand and attempt to duplicate your experience?

Kind regards,
Rob Robinson
Stardraw.com

ok, happening again.

See steps I posted on August 4th. It seems step five is the deciding factor here. I see I do not have to unlock the document in most cases to edit, but I wanted to edit text size on a symbol and didn't see how to get at it another way.

Hi Linda,

OK, you're in Edit Symbol mode. When you first enter this mode the Save is greyed out because you haven't made any changes.

You then say in step 5, Unlock/Edit/Unlock. What specifically are you doing in the 'Edit' step. For example:

a. Select Unlock Cursor

b. Doubleclick on a text label

c. Type in new text.

d. Save is now active (because the document recognizes that there has been a change. No change = no reason to save (and therefore Save is greyed))

If we can reliably reproduce an issue that you're experiencing we can understand and help you, but if we don't have the exact steps to reliably reproduce it, we can't see and don't understand what you mean, so there's nothing we can do.

Kind regards,
Rob Robinson
Stardraw.com

well, it isn't consistent.

For the most part I can double click on text in the editor without unlocking it, but then occasionally, and this last time after scaling an object (generic Laptop to be exact), I couldn't grab the text without unlocking, double clicking text, changing text size, save still greyed out... it occurs to me in this instance that the change in text size was not enough for the program to trigger a save.

I haven't had the big ah-hah yet on how this multifaceted program is organized, how properties attach to the products, line and layer colors, text sizes, getting closer. It would be helpful to have a 3-d schematic showing how all these bits of information go together. I bet most of your users think in schematics, since we spend so much time making them.

Good on ya for answering me Sunday night.
And yes I am still struggling with a really large project, while trying to figure out the new platform, I am getting there slowly but surely.

The next questions are going to be about the product grid and reporting, since I have had to just ignore that while trying to produce reasonable drawings in mutant hybrid style. Feel free to head me off with a really nice schematic, (or 6x9 glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one).
:-)

Hi Linda,

'after scaling an object' - had you created a group? If objects are in a group you have to ungroup or use the Unlock Cursor to get at individual objects.

We still can't reproduce what you describe with the information you've supplied. If you'd like us to investigate please supply exact, detailed steps of a reproducible scenario. Thanks.

Kind regards,
Rob Robinson
Stardraw.com

I think this is related to locking and unlocking, when group and ungroup should be used.

Noted to self.