Help with erm... help?

[SAFeSTeR]

I remember when I used to press F1, AutoCAD would launch the help files stored locally on my PC. Now I am using a newer version all I get with F1 is the online help. These online help files are no way as good as the old method which used to give concepts, examples and better explanations of the commands and the options or settings for them. For example, when you need an explanation of how a setting value (like 0, 1 or 2) influences a command. I have not found this with the online help, all I ever get is a link to a pdf to search through.

 

So in my last attempt with this pdf, I searched a command and got 25 results, the weird thing is that almost every single instance of the results gave EXACTLY the same answer, but not 1 of them explained what values were available to change. FYI, I searched 'PICKFIRST'.

 

So, my question is this: is there anyway I can get the 'old' help files again or is there anywhere I can get access to better help files?

 

I'm using AutoCAD LT 2011.

[dbroada]

I can't help with your specific problem but if I press F1 (on an installation of AutoCAD 2011 Electrical) I get the old fasioned help files, said to be acad_aug.chm

 

my Help & Misc|Help Location on the options|files tab points to "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Acade 2011\help\acad171.chm". Does your point to the correct place?

[designerstuart]

i typed PICKFIRST into the search box top right hand side, looked down to the command reference section, selected PICKFIRST, and got this. any good?

[Dadgad]

Use the SYSVDLG command instead.

That would be specifically for system variable information.

[SAFeSTeR]

my Help & Misc|Help Location on the options|files tab points to "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Acade 2011\help\acad171.chm". Does your point to the correct place?

I have 2 locations set in mine, 1 is for a locally stored .html file, the other is for the online help. So i obviously do have locally stored help. I copied the link into my browser and hey presto, it works! I was unsure how to access the local ones until I saw designerstuarts reply.

 

 

i typed PICKFIRST into the search box top right hand side, looked down to the command reference section, selected PICKFIRST, and got this. any good?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]36113[/ATTACH]

I didn't know about this before now. Although I did find a solution thanks to dbroada's reply, this is obviously the intended way to access the local help only mine is presented differently.

 

 

Use the SYSVDLG command instead.

That would be specifically for system variable information.

Tried this before I posted and it does not work on my version of CAD

 

Many thanks all for your help

[dbroada]

Glad you're sorted.

 

SYSVDLG was an express tool so I guess you don't have it available on LT.

[SLW210]

For future reference, online help can be deselected in _OPTIONS>SYSTEM>Help

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]36114[/ATTACH]

[SAFeSTeR]

Thanks SKW210, now I've deselected it and the local help pops up when I press F1

[fostertom]

All good info. In Adesk Architecture 2013 30 day trial, I too was getting unhelpful Help, as Safester describes, which apparently is online Help.

 

I deselected as SLW210 said, pressed Help>Help and (first time) got message that there was no offline help file, so I downloaded it and saw that it had saved itself as folder C:\Autodesk\AutoCAD_Architecture_Help_2013_English_Win_64_32bit.html.

 

Options>Files>Help location gives C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD ACA 2013 Help\English\Help\index.html.

 

Clicking Help>Help a second time I got a different Help - vast unstructured list of Search hits. Which one of the two Help files that I now have offline, is that?

 

Options>Files>Help location>Browse won't accept the newly downloaded folder's location, so looks like I can't view the newly downloaded Help file.

 

Now, clicking Help>Help a third and subsequent times, I just get the (apparently) online help, regardless of whether I select or deselect as SLW210 suggests.

 

At no time have I seen the well structured kind of Help I'm familiar with from Acad 2006.

 

Help!

[SLW210]

In 2011 help opens at C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2011\Help\landing.html

 

Options>Files>Help location gives C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2011\Help\index.html as shown in yours.

 

I believe the version you have downloaded is not what you want, follow the path given by Options>Files>Help in Windows Explorer and see if index.html is there.

 

If not maybe someone with 2013 can chime in.

Edited July 26, 2012 by SLW210

[Dadgad]

This is not the architectural desktop, but 2013 vanilla ....

[fostertom]

I believe the version you have downloaded is not what you want

Why do you say that? C:\Autodesk\AutoCAD_Architecture_Help_2013_English _Win_64_32bit.html is what comes when I click Help>Download offline Help>Documentation>Release 2013.

I wonder why it installed to C:\Autocad\ instead of to the normal Help location;

why Options>Files>Help refuses to accept a browse to its location;

and whether it's different Help file from C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD ACA 2013 Help\English\Help\index.html

 

follow the path given by Options>Files>Help in Windows Explorer and see if index.html is there

It is - at least there's a file calledd index, described as Ffox html document (I must see how to set Explorer to display file extensions).

 

Dadgad, that what I've got.

 

Ok - what now?

[SLW210]

Open Help and see where it is opening....

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]36173[/ATTACH]

[fostertom]

Ah I got it - in Options>Files>Help and...>Help Location I've now browsed to the index.html file - OK.

 

So now on clicking Help>Help I get that Help I described above, that is an unfriendly listing of hundreds of search hits, no structure. When you follow a search hit, the resulting 'article' is identical with the same-name one in online Help.

 

Does this mean that the online help is same as the offline/downloadable ones in two different pathnames, and that there's no nicely structured Help available, like in Acad 2006? Isn't this where the original poster came in?

[fostertom]

SYSVDLG was an express tool so I guess you don't have it available on LT.

Not in Architecture 2013 either - it sounded good.

[SLW210]

What happens when you hit the F1 key?

 

Can you provide a screen shot of what you get for Help?

[fostertom]

Nothing happens! Even when I have various entities or commands selected.

[SLW210]

Sounds like you need to run a repair or reinstall.