can't edit stl export parameters

[grants2]

The parameter table on export is greyed out on export stl. Trying to edit from the home page system options/interoperability/stl is also greyed out. All the choices are red circle/slashed

I've exported a number of stl's for 3d printing without any problems. Now they are totally unusable garbage angles/blocks etc. No changes I know of to create this problem.

Need some help as Alibre is currently useless.

Alibre Design™ Expert
Alibre Design Version: 2018.0.1 64-bit [Build 19033]

 

[DavidJ]

You have to check the check box to be able to use each of the available parameters, then the 'custom' box if you want values other than those offered by the slider.

 

[grants2]

The problem is nothing can be checked in the window. Check boxes included. My post was a bit misleading in that this problem exists only on a new PC. I released the license to the old PC and everything works fine. On the new PC the STL export doesn't work properly and can't be configured per initial post. Same version Alibre, different Lenovo X1's.

 

[DavidJ]

If some aspect of the user interface isn't behaving correctly, or is not visible, try re-setting user profile from link on Utilities Tab of Home Window.

 

[paulr]

Hi, just resurrecting this thread as I'm having exactly the same problem. STL options are all greyed out, settings are stuck on low so all my exports are of minecraft quality. I'm using version 2017.1, and I don't see any Utilities Tab on my Home Window, so don't know if I can reset my user profile. Any suggestions?

 

[DavidJ]

Make sure to try dragging the slider, or check 'custom' box for manual entry.

Your user profile can typically be found in hidden folder
C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Roaming\Alibre Design\

In that folder you should see a sub-folder that will be named either with your user name, a slight variation on your user name, or default user. In that sub folder your 'User.NET.profile' is held. Make sure Alibre is closed when you delete the profile.

 

[paulr]

Thanks for the swift reply. Deleting my user profile worked.

Here's what the output dialog looked like before, to clear up any doubt that it was misbehaving. Notice the 'custom' checkboxes are greyed out, along with everything else.

 

[DavidJ]

Then delete your user profile - a new default one will be created when you next launch Alibre.

 

[simonb65]

delete your user profile

Can you please ask the Alibre dev team WHY this issue hasn't been addressed. Users should not need to do this at all, and especially not as regularly as the reports of this issue on the forum!
If the profile needs to be reset between version updates due to changes in the underlying user data structure, then it should be done as part of the installer/upgrader in a controlled manner and not left until the user encounters unexplained issues.
I've never had these issues with other applications and I've never written an application that has these issues .. it just needs fixing.

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Then delete your user profile - a new default one will be created when you next launch Alibre.

An :answer: that I find ridiculous as I have a large list of Hot Keys that have to be "recreated" each time my User Profile has to be "re-created." -- Lew

 

[DavidJ]

Simon - I have raised this some time ago. Regardless of you point about upgrades (when structure might sometimes change), there does seem to be a vulnerability to corruption of the profile (which can provoke all kinds of odd behaviour) even when the structure hasn't changed.

I don't know enough about the structure of the profile to offer any further comment.

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

I think that long ago (a decade maybe) I suggested having an ability to export and import settings and individual custom toolbars for backup and sharing.
Keyboard shortcuts should also have that export and import ability.

I will make this suggestion in the current Alibre support system.

[EDIT] I expanded the idea when I posted it to support
This should be possible for settings at the user profile level and for the settings for part/assembly/other Alibre files defaults.

The user should be able to check boxes for which settings, individual custom toolbars, and keyboard shortcuts to export.

The user should be able to see what settings, individual custom toolbars, and keyboard shortcuts are in the file before it is imported and decline specific settings, individual custom toolbars, and keyboard shortcut if they see fit.
[/EDIT]

Further figuring out what keyboard shortcuts are assigned is overly complex. It requires expanding all of the sections just to see what is different between each mode. There is no easy method to use for reference. There should be one. I started making an AutoHotkey tool to export all currently set keyboard shortcuts to a list for printing but a build in "Export to PDF" button would be much better. I will make this suggestion as well.

 

[simonb65]

Along with @NateLiqGrav 's suggestions (especially the ability to backup/restore), maybe the user profile data needs modifying to include a checksum (CRC) to validate that the data integrity within it is correct. It could flag corruption of the data at startup and offer to restore from the last backup! Still needs the bug that corrupts it fixing. Just wonder why Alibre uses a user profile file and not the registry like most other applications? The registry has a builtin feature to rollback to the last known good state in the event of issues.