ARES Commander 2023 - Release Notes

ARES, Commander, 2023, Release Notes

R
Written by Rodrigo Leiria
Updated over a week ago

LAST UPDATE: 2023 SP2 (22.3.1.4100)

You can download the last update from here.

Build No. 22.3.1.4100 (SP3.1) - Released 17/01/2023

  • Blocks and Data extraction:

    • Datalink add wrong character when was importing cells with currency format.

    • Cells in percentage format was imported as decimals using DataLink feature.

  • Annotations:

    • When a new row or column was inserted break the cells with formulas.

    • Some specific TTF font was able to apply to texts.

    • Table cell value was display extra decimal digits.

    • Table cells format was following the length unit format from drawing.

    • In place editor was not adjusting the size when double click by end ruler.

  • User Interface:

    • Warning message about "Proxy server settings" was display without proxy configurations.

  • License:

    • Drawing Compare command wasn't working with Network license.

  • Application stability improvements: On this release many areas was improved to avoid unexpected behaviors that lead on close the application.

    If you are facing issues that are crashing the application, please use the Crash Report tool to let us know about and if possible it's always good write on comments steps to reproduce the problem.

Build No. 22.3.1.4085 (SP3) - Released 24/11/2022

  • Main enhancements:

    • Improvement on command MAKEFLATSNAPSHOT - the command will allow users to better customize the foreground and hidden lines style and color, as well as show tangent edges.

    • New command FLATTEN - the new command is helpful to set the Z coordinate from entities that user selected to zero.

    • Enhancements for non rectangular viewports - the current version a better way to manipulate non rectangular viewports, making possible edit the viewport geometry with grips or Properties palette and add support on commands like stretch, rotate or trim.

  • Open and Save:

    • When help was open the user couldn't close the files.

  • Print, export and sheets:

    • Entities on hidden layers were exported to stereolithography (stl).

    • Improvements to reduce time when selecting paper size for system printers.

    • New variable PDFSHX that determines if shx font texts are added as comments on PDF files.

    • OLE Entities weren't printed out using "Adobe PDF" printer.

    • Print preview is bad when print with Adobe and paper is "Tabloid".

    • Some Hindi TTF fonts were not printed out correctly.

    • Viewports with masks weren't displaying the content when overlapping other viewports.

  • Geometry draw and modification:

    • The ALIGN command was not considering the pre-selected entities.

    • Boundary couldn't not be recognized for some polylines shapes.

    • Command COPY performance improvements.

    • Option "Polyline" was not "fillet" first and last corner when they overlapped.

    • The GETDISTANCE command was not showing the measure in real time.

    • Area and Perimeter was wrong when hatch entity has text over.

    • Match Properties break the associativity for Hatches.

    • Match Properties was producing wrong results from source ISO pattern hatch type.

    • The hatch was not displayed after changing its origin.

    • The MARKLENGTHS command had slow performance when run over ellipse entities.

    • The copy of mirrored associative circular pattern was displayed in reversed order.

    • Command PATTERNHHATCH was not working on external references.

    • The command DISCARDDUPLICATES received a Tolerance option to better consider entities match.

    • Improvements on TRIM and EXTEND commands specially when no boundary is set.

  • Blocks and Data extraction:

    • Constraints are removed when creating a block.

    • The attributes position changed after edit the value on custom blocks.

    • Attribute height change to 1 when justification is aligned.

  • Annotations:

    • Application crash on using REDO in simple note.

    • Text entity kept selected after cancelling the edit.

    • Table cell formula was not evaluated when "Copy/Paste" the calculated value in another cell.

    • The table cell "precision" was not available on Property palette to be edited.

    • When the sheet background is white the table text was not visible on the edit cell.

    • Some TTF texts were not displayed under the font list on Style dialog.

  • Graphic System:

    • EXTEND command was not working on entities on large coordinates.

    • The original closed polyline was high-lighted when the copied polyline was selected.

    • Zoom extent didn't work with cloud points.

    • Improvements on zoom window results for sheet viewports.

    • Performance improvements to display graphics after use of the PAN command.

  • User interface:

    • CONVERTCONSTRAINT command was added on the ribbon tab "Constraints".

    • Docked palette follows the size of undock palettes when reopen the application.

    • Enhancements on command-line widget to follow Dark style.

    • Improvements to display entities on a light color background.

    • MENULOAD command dialog couldn't be resized.

    • The command-line widget can't be set to white when running on Dark Style.

  • BIM Features:

    • After change to "All Entities" what's displayed on the graphical area does not match with the filter on BIM Navigator.

    • Labels will be inserted following the CCS alignment.

    • Numeric properties from BIM Entities following LUNITS, LUPREC and BIMUNITSLENGTH.

    • Section and Elevation callouts were inserted on the wrong scale.

    • Space elements from Revit will be displayed in a different category.

    • The labels placed on the drawing went in the background after "Refresh all".

    • Viewport created by the "Place on Sheet" command should be expanded to include annotations.

  • Cloud and commenting:

    • Application crashed on deleting the entity after cancelling the comment thread.

    • The application crash after delete a voice record on Linux version.

  • API and Customization:

    • DCL couldn't be loaded with relative paths.

    • S:Startup function is not executed after loading all LISP files.

  • Help improvements:

    • Contextual help for MEASUREGEOMETRY command was not working.

  • Application stability improvements:

    On this release many areas was improved to avoid unexpected behaviors that lead on close the application, below a summary:

    • Commands: View, LayerMerge, XRef Palette, Hyperlinks, Hatch, Design Resources, Spline, Scale

    • Cloud Storage / Commenting (PictureNotes)

    • GS / Previews: Selection Highlight, Overlapping Entities, Graphics System

    • Core: Input Point Manager

    • BIM

    • Constraints

    • UI Ribbon / Styles

    • ACIS (Revolve)

    • Export

    • Startup / Exit

    • Sheet Set Manager

    • Drawing Compare

    • Block Editor

    • Threading

Build No. 22.2.1.3103 (SP2) - Released 12/09/2022

  • Main enhancements:

    • Block Library - The Block Library is a cloud based feature and it can be accessed through a new palette that allows users to create and organize their own library and store their personal blocks. And as cloud features can be accessed from different devices as well share blocks with other users.

    • Open and Save dialog - The Common file dialog introduced on ARES Commander 2023 to open and save commands will receive improvements that allow performing operations like on system dialog, for example, to create new folders, rename or delete files and folders. The “File name” field will have the possibility to search by files in the current folder by typing and have integrated a recent open or save file list.

    • Data Link Manager - With last improvements the EXTRACTDATA command support linking to external spreadsheet.

  • Open and Save:

    • Added an option to open as read-only or select the encoding on recent implement Common file dialog.

    • Added the options to create a new file without template, but set the Metric or Imperial system.

    • Common file dialog received improvements to better approach MacOS.

    • File type filter was not working on Recent tab from Common file dialog.

    • The "Last Modified" column was not sorting correctly Files and Folders.

    • The Refresh button was not working in one click.

  • Print, export and sheets:

    • Help topic was not open when click on "Help" button from "Page Layout" dialog.

    • Images were mirrored when output to DWF format.

    • Improve the way handle the custom paper sizes.

    • In drawing with TTF fonts the PDF out is missing some entities on MacOS.

    • OLE Entity (spreadsheet) was printed out even out of viewport.

    • The layer export option was disable for multi-sheet PDF.

    • The print preview displayed wrong paper orientation for system printers.

    • Publish using Page Layout Override failed in Chinese version.

  • Geometry draw or modification:

    • On FILLET command holding the Shift key it make the previous corner sharp.

    • Hatch display and position was fixed for specific cases.

    • Hatches with particular patterns were incorrectly change by MIRROR command.

    • The PROPERTYPAINTER command couldn't select as destination hatch entities with solid parttern.

    • Polyline boundaries was not associated with hatch entity when edited.


  • Blocks and Data extraction:

    • In some cases block attributes values wasn't exported using Data Extraction funcions.

    • Unable copy and paste tables created by Data Extraction.

    • Some block attributes with annotative settings were not display.

    • Fixed lineweight display issues on blocks with circles or hatches in huge coordinate values.

  • Annotations:

    • Application hang sometimes editing text with columns.

    • Baseline and Continue dimensions was not following the source dimension.

    • In some the text height was changed using the copy and paste.

    • Revision Cloud lose the width when edit via grips.

    • Some dimension texts was not display correct.

    • The background overlap the text when editing.

    • The diameter symbol is not display with correct font.

    • After edit some cells with formulas the value was not display.

  • User Interface:

    • When edit a dimension some fields were display that value is wrong with red background on Contextual Ribbon.

    • Enhancements to better support DCL dialogs on dark mode.

    • The command MEASUREGEOM received a toolbar.

    • The palettes width was not keep when the application is reopen.

    • Lasso selection cycle option wasn't working with space bar key.

    • After run AREABOUNDARY command application return the wrong last entity.

    • Block entities were highlight when the cursor is not over it.

    • "Center" ESnap clip was show hovering the cursor mouse over a linear entity.

    • Some splines were not display in smoothly way.

    • The SPLIT command using the option multiple was not displaying the cross red symbol on intersection.

  • BIM Features:

    • Add entity to dimension chain was not working.

    • After reopening a 2D drawing the elevation and callouts are display in wrong direction.

    • Application crash when run "Create plan drawing"

    • Fixed issues to control elements visibility on BIM Navigator.

    • Just after open a BIM Drawing the undo was causing model unload and view disappears.

    • Labels are show incorrect when IFC source file is different from inches.

    • Numeric properties on BIM entities display measure unit Properties palette.

    • Scale value on callouts was display in the decimal when set to use Architectural type.

    • The performance to work (zoom, pan, orbit) with BIM Models now are smooth.

  • Cloud and Commenting:

    • Application crash if exit markup command without place the picture.

    • Comments add for one document appears on the other document after switch via drawing tabs.

    • Improvements on commenting palette to reduce blank space.

    • It was not possible save locally images attached to comments.

    • On Cloud Storage Save button didn't have icon.

  • Help improvements:

    • Annotation Monitor wasn't display the help topic in German language.

    • Improvements related to print command topics on Linux.

  • External References:

    • A blank image was inserted when select the option "Paintbrush picture" in the command INSERTOBJECT.

    • On External Reference palette the file name was truncate when contains point in the name.

  • Application stability improvements:

    On this release many areas was improved to avoid unexpected behaviors that lead on close the application, below a summary:

    • MeasureGeometry (Special cases on Angle calculations)

    • DataExtraction improvements

    • Contextual Ribbons

    • Notes & Table Improvements

    • Print Improvements (BatchPrint, Cut Geometry, Printer specific issues, Mirrored output on DWF)

    • Graphics System (Draw Order, Disappear Entities, Hatch Display)

    • Improvements for esnaps & zoom in drawings with specific linetypes

    • Comments and Markups

Build No. 22.1.1.2087 (SP1.1) - Released 25/07/2022

  • Print, export and sheets:

    • Fixed the issue related to BATCHPRINT with system printers where nothing is print out.

  • Application stability improvements:

    On this release many areas was improved to avoid unexpected behaviors that lead on close the application, below a summary:

    • General issues on Graphics Area as rendering, cursor handling or caching

    • Print out

    • UI updates

    • BIM features: selecting callouts

Build No. 22.1.1.2073 (SP1) - Released 07/06/2022

  • Open and Save:

    • Improvements to open files with specific Architectural entities.

    • The RECOVER command was improved to make possible display entities in a specific drawing.

    • Fixed crash when closing all documents.

  • Print, export and sheets:

    • The BATCHPRINT received improvements to print specific files, fixed the issues that shitfed to left print output, don't print transparencies when set on page layout selected.

    • Fixed the issue on Sheet Set Manager where the stamp wasn't printed on the "Publish" function.

    • Viewports created on other dwg editors are displayed on the wrong scale.

  • Geometry draw or modification:

    • New command MEASUREGEOMETRY available.

    • When Move or Copy entities unwanted circles are displayed.

    • Application hangs using Shift Key to unselect entities on TRIM command.

    • Command ALIGN doesn't provide the right result in some scenarios.

    • Application closes when the hatch command starts with a mouse over a XLine.

    • Entities with constraints crash the application on command ARRAY.

  • Blocks and Data extraction:

    • The -INSERT command was always replacing the block when used in a LISP expression.

    • It was not possible to extract attributes from blocks with multileader.

    • Field text does not follow the height defined in active text style.

  • Annotations:

    • Application crash on modify "Overall Scale" on Multileaders.

    • Cell Table height increases when editing cells with date type.

    • Extra decimals displayed in the cell that sum values from other cells.

    • The cell format is changed when copy/paste the table in another drawing.

  • Graphics System:

    • Closed polylines with global width do not display correct join.

    • Drawing parts wasn't correctly displayed in the shade move.

    • The spline entities were incorrectly displayed with LINEWEIGHT turn-on.

    • Some entities disappear according to the zoom and pan.

  • User Interface:

    • In some cases the input box is not near the current mouse position.

    • The workspace names weren't translated on save workspace dialog.

    • Window selection with shift key is not working.

  • BIM Features:

    • This release supports import Rooms created on Revit models.

    • The Import process was improved to increase performance and support IFC and Revit that had some problems to be imported on previous releases, the same improvements are valid for the "Reload" function.

    • Refresh functions were fixed to preserve filters and current view on BIM Drawings, other wrong behavior fixed on after refresh was displayed again some dimension chains deleted.

    • BIM Drawings was improved to display walls with round shape and for now on should only allow unique names.

    • The issue with editing the "Properties" tab on Dimension Style when accessed via the "Edit Dimension Style" button was fixed.

  • Cloud and Commenting:

    • If the application crashes with a file opened from cloud storage the next time file is opened as read-only.

  • API and Customization:

    • LISP Function tblobjname fixed.

    • Plug-In inherited from IExtensionApplication display message unresolved assemblies.

  • Help improvements:

    • Fixed Japanese translations for some topics (i.e. filletedges, editsolid, loft).

    • Shortcut Ctrl+4 for SSM is not present on "Keyboard Shortcuts".

    • The topic about "Additional format" from Fields was improved to reflect the current UI.

  • Application stability improvements:

    On this release many areas was improved to avoid unexpected behaviors that lead on close the application, below a summary:

    • Match Properties

    • Mass Properties (ACIS)

    • DataLink

    • BIM features: to import models or create 2D drawings

    • Cloud Storage and Commenting

    • Print out and Print preview

    • Viewport with Annotation scales

    • General issues on Graphics Area as rendering, cursor handling or caching

    • UI: Dimension Style and Color boxes

Build No. 22.0.1.1150 (SP0.1) - Release 05/05/2022

Fixes:

Stability improvements - fixed crashes on critical areas to improve application stability during general use.

Build No. 22.0.1.1119 (SP0) - Release 01/04/2022

  • Contextual Ribbon Tabs - The ARES Commander user interface is now enhanced with contextual ribbons that are displayed when you select specific entities in the graphics area, or when you use certain commands for creating new entities.
    ARES Commander offers contextual tabs for the following operations:

    • Creating and editing hatches

    • Editing table cells

    • Editing PDF and DGN underlay

    • Editing images and external references

    • Editing annotation entities, dimensions, leaders, multileader, and tolerance symbols.

  • Data Link Manager - Lets you link a table created within a drawing to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or a CSV file.

  • Cycling Selection - Lets you selectively specify entities that are close to or on top of other entities.

  • View Navigator - The View Navigator is a two ring widget displayed by default in the top-right corner of the graphics area. The View Navigator lets you switch between standard and isometric views of your model with a single click.

  • Drawing Sheet Sets:

    • PackAndGo - From the Sheet Set Manager palette, you can create a package from an entire drawing sheet set or subset, or from a single drawing sheet.

    • Drawing Sheet List Table - A drawing sheet list table displays as hyperlinks the titles of all drawing sheets from the drawing sheet set. You can create a table of contents inside the drawing listing all subset sheets.

    • Publish PDF, DWF and DWFx - To improve the ways Sheet Set Manager can export the drawings was to introduce the support to DWF and DWFx, that are format files highly compressed if compared to DWG files and easy to transmit on the internet. And the well known PDF format can be used to export Sheet Set drawings, making it a neutral format easy to share with users that don’t have access to a DWG editor.

  • Split Multiple Entities - Split command enhancements. The Multiple option lets you select multiple entities and break them at their intersection points with cutting lines. No gaps are created and the split segments remain on the drawing.

  • New command AlignX - Aligns a set of specified entities according to the first selected one.

  • Annotation Monitor - As the project evolves, changes may cause the loss of the associativity between Dimensions and their related entities. The Annotation Monitor lets you identify dimensions that have lost their associativity with related entities.

  • Smart Calculator Palette - The Smart Calculator now displays in a side palette, allowing you to perform calculations and edit the drawing at the same time.

  • Dark-Style dialogs boxes - All dialog boxes support the dark-style interface.

  • Open and Save file dialog boxes - Let you navigate through your local drives and your Cloud Storage accounts.

  • Unified Sharing and Permissions Dialog - The look and feel of the Permissions dialog box have been updated; the changes include new button alignments and resizing.

  • BIM Features:

    • BIMSection - Each drawing created from the same BIM model is stored in a separate .dwg file. Drawings and labels display rooms and spaces properties that are already defined in the BIM model (for example, the name or the area).

    • PackAndGo - You can create a package from an all files related to a BIM project.

    • Unify Materials - When adjacent entities, such as two walls, have the same material, the hatch representing the material is displayed as one entity.

    • Multi-Component Walls (IFC only) - Now, the Material Mapper provides support for multi-component walls. Whenever the BIM object is a multi-component wall, it will be represented with its different layers and you can assign a different style for each material (for example, the insulation with one specific hatch, and the bricks with another).

    • Rooms and spaces - Rooms and spaces are an important part of detailed plans. Now, drawings and labels display rooms and spaces properties that are already defined in the BIM model (for example, the name or the area).

    • Revit 2022 File Format Support - With support for the Revit 2022 file format, ARES Commander 2023 enables users to create BIM drawings from the latest RVT files.

  • New system variables:

    • ANNOMONITOR - Turns on and off the Annotation Monitor.

    • SELECTIONCYCLING - Controls the display of the cycling selection stack icon and the list for selecting overlapping entities.

    • DISPLAYVCUBE2D - Controls the View Navigator's display when the 2D Wireframe ShadeView mode is used.

    • DISPLAYVCUBE3D - Controls the View Navigator's display when the a 3D ShadeView mode is used.

    • NAVVCUBEDISPLAY - Controls the View Navigator tool display in the graphics area according to the current Shade View mode.

    • NAVVCUBELOCATION - Specifies the corner in which the View Navigator displays in the graphics area.

    • NAVVCUBEOPACITY - Specifies the level of opacity for the View Navigator when inactive.

    • PROPOBJLIMIT - Limits the number of entities that can be changed at one time with the Properties palette.

Download links from previous Service Packs on 2023 version:

Windows Installers

macOS Installers

Linux Installers

System Requirements

Windows OS

Minimum

  • 64-bit version: Microsoft® Windows® 8.1, Windows 10, or Windows 11 (with latest Updates and Service Packs)

  • Intel® Core™ 2 Duo, or AMD® Athlon™ X2 Dual-Core processor

  • 1.5 GB free hard disk space depending on accessory applications installed

  • 4 GB RAM

  • 3D Graphics accelerator card with OpenGL version 1.4

  • Display with 1280 x 768 pixels resolution

  • Mouse

Recommended

  • 64-bit version: Microsoft Windows 11 (with latest Updates and Service Packs)

  • Intel® Core™ i5 processor, AMD Athlon/Phenom™ X4 processor, or better.

  • 1.5 GB free hard disk space depending on accessory applications installed

  • 8 GB RAM

  • 3D Graphics accelerator card with OpenGL version 3.2 or better

  • Full HD monitor

  • Wheel mouse, or 3D mouse

MacOS

  • macOS v10.14 (Mojave), v10.15 (Catalina), or v11.0 (Big Sur)

  • Mac® with Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor or better

  • 4 GB of RAM (8 GB or more recommended)

  • 1.5 GB of available hard-disk space for installation

  • 3D Graphics accelerator card with OpenGL version 1.4 (OpenGL version 3.2 or better recommended)

  • Display with 1280 x 768 pixels resolution, or better

  • Mouse

LINUX

  • Ubuntu® 18.04 LTS and 20.04 LTS, Fedora® 33

  • Intel® Core™ 2 Duo, AMD® Athlon™ X2 Dual-Core processor, or better

  • 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended)

  • 1.5 GB of available hard-disk space for installation

  • 3D Graphics accelerator card with OpenGL version 1.4 (OpenGL version 3.2 or better recommended)

  • Display with 1280 x 768 pixels resolution, or better

  • Mouse (Wheel mouse recommended)

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