HighDesign R8 Release Notes

Version: 2024.1 Status: released

New features, changes & improvements

  1. Overall speed and refresh optimizations for up to 2x performance improvements.
  2. New Table tool (SE/Pro) with support for title, headers, merged rows, functions, cell and table formatting, Excel and CSV data link.
  3. Schedules (Pro): a new project item that extracts information from the project and displays the data in table form. Schedules are live as each row is linked to the element and changes on the schedule are reflected on the element and vice-versa. Data can be defined by property filters, grouped, sorted, and displayed with totals and counts.
  4. Symbols: added new visual symbol browser.
  5. Symbol settings panel, library: a single click now selects the library item, a double-click applies the item to the selection.
  6. Symbol settings panel, library: added “Apply” menu item to the current item’s pop-up menu.
  7. Symbols now retain the original layers used the symbol was created. This allows to hide symbol elements by switching on and off their layer.
  8. Symbols: the resources used during the creation of the symbol, such as line-types, hatches and layers, are now added to the project when the symbol is first inserted.
  9. Symbols: improved support for sub-symbols contained inside the main symbol.
  10. Symbols: added new “Select All Instances” command on the pop-up menu of the Symbol Settings window.
  11. Symbols: project symbols can now be deleted when the last instance has been removed from the project.
  12. Documentation: completely revised and expanded.
  13. Redesigned the layout of tool settings panels to be narrower and use less screen space.
  14. Updated most tool and command icons for better clarity.
  15. Reorganized the Project menu and moved the Group commands to the Drawing menu.
  16. Project Units Settings: added volume units.
  17. Walls and columns: added Height parameter.
  18. Walls and columns: added fields for base area, side surface and volume in Object Info.
  19. Doors and Windows: added parameters for sill height and opening height.
  20. Doors and Windows: new on-screen controls to flip the opening direction and side.
  21. Columns can now be selected with a click inside.
  22. Hidden wall openings, for example windows placed on a hidden layer, are now rendered as rough openings.
  23. Added pop-up notifications for confirmation of operations like Export Image, publish to PDF and similar.
  24. Improved support for full screen.
  25. Improved UI on Windows.
  26. HighDesign is now a one-package application for all three editions. There is no longer a separate download for HighDesign LT.
  27. Groups now retain the original layers of the member objects so that switching off a layer hides the elements as expected, even when inside a group.
  28. The main toolbox can now be scrolled when the layout is set to one column and the visible buttons do not fit the available height.
  29. Multiple linear dimensions now offer new Baseline mode in addition to Continued.
  30. DXF/DWG: improved support for hatches with spline boundaries.
  31. DXF/DWG: added support for Table entities.
  32. Print: removed checkbox for generic printer output on macOS as no longer necessary.
  33. Improved export of images with transparent background.
  34. Texts can now be edited directly with a click over the object.
  35. Project Browser: added new contextual menu.
  36. Project Browser now remembers the state of each group.
  37. General Settings: removed the option to not include symbols in the documents as it is now on by default and required.
  38. Publish to PDF no longer automatically opens the exported file and shows instead the notification that allows to reveal the file in the Finder/File Explorer.
  39. HighDesign LT: the Print options now include the ability to print construction objects and grids.
  40. Autoscrolling now behaves more consistently, is easier to activate, supports the accelerator key (Alt) and shows a visual feedback when active.
  41. Edit Group workspace: increased margin between the group items and the dashed group bounding box.
  42. Arcs: added mid-point handle for easier snapping and resizing.
  43. Find Objects panel: improved layout and added support for Cmd/Ctrl- W command to close the window.
  44. The Tool Settings window can now be moved to a different location on screen.
  45. Miscellaneous speed improvements on data loading and user interface items.
  46. Viewport: when selected, a new on-screen button allows quick access to the viewport’s settings panels.

Resolved Issues

  • Windows: the input fields did not activate correctly.
  • Colour palettes panel: fixed the colour modes buttons.
  • Text input on macOS now shows the insertion cursor with the right colour.
  • Printing at very high resolutions (>600) could produce an internal error.
  • Fixed internal error that occurred when snapping to certain types of openings.
  • Photogrammetry: fixed the handles used to position and resize the known measurements.
  • Activating a Project View did not always restore the proper visibility of sheets.
  • Home view: improved the project previews with the light theme.
  • Walls with irregular profile could produce an internal error.
  • Object Info: fixed layout errors.
  • Fixed internal error in linear dimensions.
  • Fixed layout errors in some windows on HighDesign LT.
  • Fixed the Hatch Scale field on the Hatch settings panel.
  • The duplicate command no longer applies the default style to the duplicate object.
  • DWG/DXF: old Polyline entities were not imported.
  • Fixed error in license validation.
  • A number of functions could occasionally show a spinning wheel cursor on macOS.
  • Editing measure lines did not work correctly.
  • Scaling a text object did not update its frame.
  • The panels on the Edit Style window did not scroll correctly.
  • Snap to grid now returns the correct node coordinates even when using the Arrow tool.
  • Fixed the height of pop-up menus.
  • Detail areas: fixed functionality of the object pop-up menu.
  • Saving as an older HighDesign Project file format did not work correctly.
  • HighDesign LT: updated the informative text on the Choose Sheet dialog that opens when loading a SE/Pro project.
  • DXF/DWG: fixed support for solid fills.
  • DXF/DWG: opening a drawing with the Open command did not update the document name.
  • DXF/DWG: fixed export of linear dimension styles.
  • DXF/DWG: fixed scale of imported dashed line types.
  • New Symbol/Edit Symbol toolbar: the check for availability of the symbol name is performed when the Save button is pressed instead of while typing.
  • Symbols: custom insertion points now work correctly.
  • Symbols: the New Symbol from Selection command now updates the current selection in the Edit Symbol workspace.
  • The Rotate by Angle tool could cause unexpected results when clicking on the canvas.
  • Walls: fixed coordinates after a scale change.
  • Doors and Windows settings panels: fixed the position and size of some controls.
  • Groups: the dimension fields on Object Info did not conform to the proportional resizing option.
  • Printing: on Windows, the print settings are now correctly saved and loaded.
  • Fixed circular arcs in symbols and elliptical arcs.
  • Fixed snap to elliptical arcs.
  • Fixed bounds of rotated arcs.
  • Symbols that contained filled hatches with transparency did not reset their internal transparency.
  • Mac PDF: fixed ovals.
  • Mac PDF: fixed filled rectangles.
  • Opening older projects would sometimes show a blank area of the project instead of the properly zoomed drawing.
  • Windows: fixed appearance of selected tabs on light theme.
  • Windows: fixed the appearance of the Tool Settings window.
  • Radial menu: fixed occasional malfunction when the sub-menu was open.
  • Fixed the mechanism that updates the interface and available commands after an upgrade.
  • Publish to PDF: the “current view” command did not isolate the current sheet.
  • Styles: improved editing and duplicate.
  • PDF: fixed insulation line and improved performance.
  • Closing the Grid settings panel now closes the Colors panel as well.
  • It is now possible to save a resource file with a ’ character in the name.
  • The Convert to Polyline command could occasionally add arcs with inverted convexity.
  • Offset: implemented new algorithm for Polylines.
  • Polyline: now checks for duplicate vertices when loaded.
  • Edit Group workspace: the context opacity is set to the correct value from the current defaults.
  • The Move command applied to polylines could produce bad coordinates of arc centers.
  • Submenus now open at their correct location on Windows with high-resolution displays.
  • Fixed internal error that could occur when archiving a backup copy of a saved file.
  • Dimensions: fixed the orientation of the label highlight when the object is selected.
  • Dimensions: radial dimensions now show the correct mouse cursor when editing.
  • Radial dimensions: editing did not work as expected.
  • Angular Dimensions: fixed attachment point of label.
  • Text label: double-pressing Enter after insertion did not apply the correct angle.
  • Fixed live theme switching in several windows.
  • Fixed size and position of several windows on smaller screen resolutions.
  • Title blocks: fixed data entry by double-click on the title block fields.

See also