To the eCabinet Systems Development Team

[Al Navas]

Recent threads on the forum have highlighted that the file structure to access cabinets or assemblies does not allow the user to specify directories into which to save cabinets and assemblies. When I first started using the program this was very confusing, until I realized that ONLY (?) jobs (that is, *.esj files) can be saved pretty much anywhere on disk drive(s) accessible to the operating system.

I have stated in the past in previous posts that there must be very good reason why this is so. But recent threads have again brought up this topic. So, a few questions, to clarify and make it easier to understand the reasons for the limitations/restrictions with file locations.

Questions:

1. Is the file structure pretty much cast in stone, or can we expect some changes in either version 5.2, or in version 6?

2. In version 5.1 - Build 4, can we as users make any changes to the ecabinets.ini file to make it possible to store *.hsf and *.esa files anywhere the user chooses?

3. Are the restrictions stored in the Access data bases, or hard coded somewhere else, and not accessible to users?

4. If the user does have access to make changes, in which file do we have to make the changes?

Thanks for your help. I look forward to the replies.


Al

[Larry Epplin]

Hi Al. The reason the cabinet, assembly, door, drawer front, and display object files can only be saved to a location designated by eCabinet Systems is due to the selection dialog. The strategy was to allow the software to handle the file locations for the user so that the selections would be the representative jpeg of the item. We plan to change this restriction due to user requests. We hope this will be accomplished by version 6. However, priorities throughout the software development could possibly change this time. Until this is changed there is no way to alter these locations. They are fixed by design and not located in any external file. We are sorry for the inconveniences this may cause and greatly appreciate your patience.

[Michael Yeargain]

Just make it a file higharchy when it's changed...


Please...

[Al Navas]

...The strategy was to allow the software to handle the file locations for the user so that the selections would be the representative jpeg of the item...

Thanks, Larry.

I wonder if, in the future release in which the file hierarchy can be handled in ways similar to Windows, as an example, it would be possible to allow either a larger *.jpg, or a higher-resolution image? As it stands right now, it is almost impossible to tell what some things are, when seeing a post with the regular *.jpg image that accompanies *.hsf and *.esa files.

... We plan to change this restriction due to user requests. We hope this will be accomplished by version 6. However, priorities throughout the software development could possibly change this time....

This is good news, Larry. I am sure most of us don't mind the wait, since we know that a change IS coming. For sure, other items have higher priority.

Do you have any idea what the new format will look like? For example, will this be similar to the Windows Explorer format, with full freedom to specify directories and drives to store all types of files? I hope it is. Otherwise, you are allowed to invoke the Fifth... .

...Until this is changed there is no way to alter these locations. They are fixed by design and not located in any external file. We are sorry for the inconveniences this may cause and greatly appreciate your patience.

Oh, it was not an inconvenience, until I realized what I had to do. Just for kicks, I wonder how many will feel that the change is not warranted , since it IS change...

Thanks for taking the time to respond, Larry. I am sure others also appreciate knowing that the file structure is going to change.


Al