Important Note – These are descriptions to changes implemented in WoodWorks Shearwalls for version 9.1 and may not reflect current behavior.
Because Windows 7 and Windows Vista operating systems do not allow write access to the Program Files folders to those users who are not running the program as Administrator, making it impossible for them to save changes to the stud material database, the hold-down database, settings, and standard walls, these files are now placed in a new location by WoodWorks.
It was also necessary for those users who were not administrators on their computers to enter a keycode each time the program was run.
These restrictions were more severe on Windows 7 than Vista.
The program now stores the support files for the program in the following folders
Windows 7/Vista:
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\WoodWorks\CWC\USA\9\
Windows XP
C:\Documents and Settings\[username\]Local Settings\Application Data\WoodWorks\CWC\USA\9\
The program also saves the files to the following folders:
Windows 7
C:\ProgramData\WoodWorks\CWC\USA\9\
Windows XP
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\WoodWorks\CWC\USA\9\
These are repositories for the files to be copied to each new users’s data folders when they first use the program. This allows a system administrator to install the program, but others to use it without restrictions.
A more complicated set of procedures for network installations is described in the Read Me files for each program.
For Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems, those users who do not have administrator privleges can experience a crash when running a project that has previously been designed, Shearwalls will crash.
Deleting or renaming the log file in the project folder prevented the crash.
The program now places the temporary file that it uses to construct the log file in the folder designated by Windows for program data, preventing the crash.
Occasionally, the program would hang indefinitely or crash when the design button was invoked. The known instances of this problem have been corrected.
The OSB property in the Wall Input View did not save to file. Even If checked, saved files would always show an unchecked OSB checkbox when reopened. This property is now saved.
In Wall Input view, if gypsum sheathing with more than one choice of thickness is selected as the material for the exterior surface, the choice of "unknown" was unavailable from the drop down list of thicknesses to chose from.
Now, "unknown" is available, unless there are structural wood materials on the other side of the wall.
The label on the group box in the wall input form surrounding the wall materials often showed a building level other than the one you had selected to modify the materials on. It now shows the correct level.
The default hold-down in the database shipped with Sizer has been changed to HD9 from HD7. This is because the default number of studs at a wall end is 2, and HD7’s do not have design values for 3” built up studs. For this reason, the default configuration in shearwalls would take its deflection and capacity values for hold-downs from the over-rides in the hold-down settings rather than the actual hold-down.
Wherever the word dragstrut appears in Shearwalls, it has been changed to drag strut.