HighDesign R5.3 Release Notes

New Features, Changes & Improvements

  1. Dimensions: added new label position Top/Left so that the label is always placed above and to the left of the line (as per ISO 129).
  2. Text: added box-sizing options: fixed size, fit height, fit content. When flexible height is active, the height of the box adjusts to the number of lines of text. This allows easier and quicker editing of text boxes. The auto-fit option has been merged into this new feature.
  3. Text Style toolbar: added pop-up menu for the insertion of special characters.
  4. Grid: added snap to grid subdivisions.
  5. Symbols: added the ability to define custom insertion points.
  6. Object Info now remembers the collapsed state of each panel.
  7. Object Info: improved layout properties and info panels.
  8. Detail sheet: viewports created from details now show the underlay on the layout.
  9. Viewports: added Snap Inside option to allow snapping to the elements contained in the viewport.
  10. Project Window: added the Insert Image icon to the main toolbar, in the Drafting group.
  11. Images: internally redesigned the way images are handled. Image objects now contain a reference to the actual image that is stored as a project resource, thus making it possible to resize and rotate the image object without loss of quality, and making all modifications completely reversible at any time.
  12. Image Inspector: removed the “Print Size” fields; added an Information button that shows information about the original image; added a “Restore Original Values” button that returns tha image object to the original dimensions and resolution.
  13. Images can now display the border if set from the general stroke colour menu.
  14. Revised the mechanism for handling auto-saved files recovered from disk. When recovery files are detected, the Welcome window includes an “Autosaved” tab with a list of the files. The files continue to be available for recovery for the duration of the current session, leaving time to the user to decide when to review them.
  15. Welcome Window: the Quit button now requires two clicks to actually exit the application. This was implemented as a safety measure.
  16. DXF/DWG now includes IMAGE entity support (import only).
  17. The Point Coordinates panel in Object Info now provides transformation options for symbols and images: when editing a vertex coordinates, you can decide whether to stretch or move the object by that vertex.
  18. The “cross” cursors are now larger on Mac.
  19. The Bezier Path tool now supports click-drag to define the tangents of the current point.
  20. Points of a Bezier paths can now be edited through a pop-up menu, which includes Add, Delete and Make Sharp/Smooth.
  21. Improved the construction and editing of spline curves.
  22. Improved accuracy of snap to grid nodes.

Fixes

  • Snap to intersections no longer interferes with object snap when snapping objects placed above hatches or filled regions.
  • When deleting a sheet, the option to move its content to another sheet did not work.
  • Dimensions: label angle “Aligned, readable” is now set correctly.
  • Doors: the Axis line option was not saved.
  • Doors: swing angles, axis line and other construction items are drawn with hairline.
  • Text: right-to-left fonts now are aligned properly.
  • Text: the text direction setting is now correctly applied to selected text objects.
  • Text: the input box now resizes correctly and the text no longer scrolls upwards out of view.
  • Resizing the window now correctly updates the heights of sidebar panels.
  • Entering in full screen mode correctly updates the heights of sidebar panels.
  • Viewports: resizing a viewport no longer shifts the contained drawing.
  • Object info now updates the Name property of the current sheet after this has been edited.
  • Fixed German and French localizations of the Window and Door option panels.
  • Print preview now correctly adjusts to the user-defined print scale.
  • Changing scale to a detail sheet no longer shifts the drawn content apart from the underlay.
  • Crop Image: improved the visibility of the crop rectangle.
  • Photogrammetry: fixed minor glitche in the Setup panel.
  • Fixed situation where input fields could retain focus when disabled, leading to random crashes.
  • Copy and Paste of groups containing walls and openings now works correctly.
  • Fixed command Paste of groups containing symbols.
  • Fixed the rendering of the insulation layer in compound walls on retina displays.
  • Fixed the Explode Underlay command for detail sheets.
  • DXF/DWG import erroneously discarted some blocks.
  • The Layout Information panel in Object Info could stop allowing edits in certain conditions.
  • The Calendar popup in the Layot Object Info panel now uses the system theme colours.
  • The Open File dialog used to load images now lists an “All Supported Types” element so that all compatible image types can be seen in directory listings (Windows only).
  • The scroll wheel did not work properly on popup menus.
  • Fixed the alignment of icons and headings when the drawing tool bar is arranged on two columns.
  • Windows: under some conditions, DWG conversion would not start properly.
  • The Copy Attributes command now sets the proper tool method.
  • Splines: improved snap precision on the curve profile; restored the Cancel Last Point widget (the “X” icon“) and the popup menu to add or delete a control point.
  • Shortcuts panel: it is now possible to remove a keyboard shortcut from a menu item by setting an empty key.
  • Publish to PDF: drafting sheets are now exported in reverse order to match the page ordering of PDF documents.
  • The guided tour on Windows no longer hides the main window interface.