BIG NEWS: We're upgrading

[CADTutor]

Announcement

 

Hi All,

 

The CADTutor forum will be closed over next weekend - 18th and 19th August 2018 - while we move to a new platform. All the threads and user accounts currently on the forum will be migrated and you will be able to continue using the forum as normal once it reopens.

 

 

FAQs

 

Why is this necessary?

The current forum software is now pretty old and relies on some legacy software to keep it going. That software is no longer supported and this poses a potential security issue.

 

What is the new platform?

The forum will be moving to a platform known as Invision Community. It's a thoroughly modern forum with all the things you'd expect from a contemporary platform such as drag'n'drop file uploads, social media integration and a cool reputation system. You can check out all the bells and whistles here: https://invisioncommunity.com/

 

Why not upgrade to a newer version of vBulletin?

Unfortunately, vBulletin has failed to keep up with modern requirements and even the latest version is looking pretty dated. Also, we have some plans for the future of CADTutor that can only easily be achieved with Invision Community.

 

Will all my stuff be migrated to the new platform?

Yes, just about everything will make the change. However, we've made the decision to remove any content more than 10 years old, so if you've been around for that long, you will likely see a fall in your post count.

 

How long has this forum been going?

Ages! We moved to vBulletin on 3rd September 2006, almost 12 years ago. Before that we were using phpBB for around 4 years and before that we were using YaBB (that surely no one will remember). All-in all I guess the forum has been around in one form or another for about 17 years.

 

 

If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please let me know.

 

 

P.S. No more double line spacing between paragraphs. Yay!

[steven-g]

Hopefully, it won't be the disaster that the last 2 Forum changes where on the Autodesk forums, I've personally given up on using that site, but that's another story. Besides that good luck, I hope it all goes well, and I look forward to seeing the version. Do you plan on making any changes to the layout or is that going to stay as it is now?

Any chance of getting a section dedicated to Bricscad it really is coming along in leaps and bounds.

[CADTutor]

I'm hoping this one won't be a disaster and I'm fairly confident it'll be fine.

 

 

Yep. if you think a Bricscad forum would be popular, I'm all for it. Let's do something when the new platform is up and running - we probably need to do some reorganising anyway.

[BIGAL]

Maybe a Library code area you can post but must get say 10 likes in 30 days or else its removed. No hard coded solutions bit like http://www.Lee-mac etc. Cadalyst had this with posted suggestions one a month and proud to say had 1 published.

[lrm]

I hope you are retaining the What's New summary with all the information it includes in its 4 columns. I find it very helpful for scanning recent posts and determining topics for which I may be able to provide some help.

 

I am looking forward to a simplified process for uploading images and files.

 

Thank you for providing this service.

 

Lee

[nukecad]

ICS is generaly a good forum hosting software.

 

I does have its glitches, mainly in administrative tasks, and mainly following one of their regular updates.

The post/PM editors can also go wonky at times, especially with links and attachments.

But that's why VB was stable, no updates.

 

One thing for members to note is that Invision usually has a circular mask for member avatars rather than a rectangular one, which can crop your existing avatar so you may need to change it.

[CADTutor]

There's an even better version of "recent posts" on the new platform, it's called Activity Streams and it's really impressive - I think you'll love it once you see how it works

 

Uploading files is simple drag'n'drop.

[CADTutor]

@Nukecad IPS version 4 seems pretty stable as far as I can tell. I haven't experienced any problems but, of course, I haven't been able to stress-test it yet.

 

 

Good point about the circular avatars. Most seem to work fine as is but I'm guessing most will want to change them anyway.

[tzframpton]

Yep. if you think a Bricscad forum would be popular, I'm all for it. Let's do something when the new platform is up and running - we probably need to do some reorganising anyway.

If it's all the same to you, I think a fresh look at other items would be good, too. We do have the Revit boards, but there are plenty of other categories. For instance, Revit falls under the "BIM" umbrella, which includes other software. Here's a for instance:

 

1. BIM

____i. Authoring

________a. Revit

________b. BricsCAD BIM

________c. ArchiCAD

________d. Tekla

___ii. Coordination

________a. Navisworks

________b. Revizto

________c. Synchro

________d. Tekla BIMsight

__iii. Laser Technology

________a. ReCap 360

________b. Trimble Systems

___iv. Collaboration

________a. Assemble Systems

________b. Bluebeam

________c. Atlas

____v. Customization

________a. Dynamo

________b. API

 

This is just off the top of my head. Trying to show something simple to see if this forum can gain the internet market share back with other CAD related industries. Personally I feel a similar list above would have been good to have been added years back but I didn't get good reactions at all with several members.

 

The Revit forum has been very lacking, and I've even had to redirect many people to other forums, which I have always felt is unfortunate. So far the only real activity I see on this forum is very beginner AutoCAD newcomers and LISP requests. The rest is vestige topics about this and that, but no continuous activity. Not sure if it's too late, or if an announcement of a fresh new Forum could attract new and current users. Anybody have thoughts on this?

 

-TZ

[CADTutor]

Tannar, I'd definitely be up for trying to bring more traffic by restructuring the forums and creating new areas of interest. It's really simple to create a forum but in order for it to succeed, there has to be some "seed" content to attract users. This could be in the form of quick tutorials or whatever. If you (or anyone you know) are prepared to spend some time creating attractive content for those suggested forums, that would be an ideal way to begin.

[tzframpton]

Tannar, I'd definitely be up for trying to bring more traffic by restructuring the forums and creating new areas of interest. It's really simple to create a forum but in order for it to succeed, there has to be some "seed" content to attract users. This could be in the form of quick tutorials or whatever. If you (or anyone you know) are prepared to spend some time creating attractive content for those suggested forums, that would be an ideal way to begin.

I know exactly what you're saying on how to get it to succeed. There needs to be a reason to bring the traffic in. That person is definitely not me as my time is consumed with a heavy work load.

 

Ultimately it was just a thought. Sounds like there would need to be a person or group or organization that would need to be committed to get something like this going.

 

-TZ

[rkmcswain]

Hopefully, it won't be the disaster that the last 2 Forum changes where on the Autodesk forums, I've personally given up on using that site, but that's another story.

 

The CADTutor upgrade will be successful (unlike the one at #Autodesk), because the owners and users of CADTutor genuinely care about the usability and content of the site.

[nukecad]

@Nukecad IPS version 4 seems pretty stable as far as I can tell. I haven't experienced any problems but, of course, I haven't been able to stress-test it yet.

 

 

Good point about the circular avatars. Most seem to work fine as is but I'm guessing most will want to change them anyway.

 

If you have time then it may be worth looking at a few of the posts in Feedback on the Malwarebytes forum, may give you a heads up on things they have encountered in use.

Most have been fixed but a few are ongoing.

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/forum/175-forums-announcements-feedback/

 

There are also a few on the Piriform forum, but not as many. I think they may be on a slower update ring?

Here's a thread from when Piriform changed over to Invision last year, might point up a few of the initial setting issues and help you avoid them:

https://forum.piriform.com/topic/49151-new-forum-look/

[steven-g]

The CADTutor upgrade will be successful (unlike the one at #Autodesk), because the owners and users of CADTutor genuinely care about the usability and content of the site.

That's has been obvious for years , I did post a comment and noticed an update within an hour, how long ago was the forum change at Autodesk? 3 months? and still waiting for fixes. Well not actually waiting I gave up on that site, just use it for occasional reference now.

[rkmcswain]

I gave up on that site, just use it for occasional reference now.

 

Agree, it's total garbage, the total opposite of user friendly.

Their UI/UX team really stunk this one up.

Edited August 14, 2018 by rkmcswain
edit

[ReMark]

I am totally onboard with the proposed changes coming to the CADtutor forum and eagerly look forward to their implementation. Our dedicated core of forum members we will ensure its success. I also acknowledge the hard work and dedication David has put forth to keep CADtutor viable over these many years. Thank you David.

[CADTutor]

One thing that's worth pointing out for those who use the Tapatalk app to access this forum:

 

 

After the upgrade, you will no longer be able to access this forum via the Tapatalk app. This is because you no longer require an app to easily access the forum on a mobile device. The new forum has a responsive interface, which means you get a full mobile experience simply by viewing it in any browser.

[CADTutor]

Just a quick reminder that the forums will be closed over the coming weekend. We will close at around 7.00 GMT on Saturday morning and will open again at the end of the day, or sooner, on Sunday (UK time) depending on how long the migration takes.

[tzframpton]

Just a quick reminder that the forums will be closed over the coming weekend. We will close at around 7.00 GMT on Saturday morning and will open again at the end of the day, or sooner, on Sunday (UK time) depending on how long the migration takes.

Exciting times. Can't wait to use this new software. vB is such old news I'm very much ready for a change, especially a forum software that is mobile friendly.

 

-TZ

[David Bethel]

Good Luck ! And Thanks ! for everything ! -David