Suggestion for Preserving User Generated Auto-Scan lists across VCDS software updates

   #1  

PanEuropean

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VCDS is a great piece of software. One of the nicest features is that a user who has very minimal computer skills can create their own auto-scan controller list by simply copying the provided line for the vehicle type and pasting it at the very top of the Auto-Scan text file.

I have done this (created a custom auto-scan file) for my 2004 NAR version Phaeton. I took the existing auto-scan line for the 3D vehicle, and deleted all the controllers that were never offered in North America - about half a dozen controllers. It works great, and saves a lot of time when carrying out scans.

Except...

Every time a new release of VCDS is offered, my carefully and lovingly crafted 'personalized auto-scan line of text' gets banished, and replaced with the latest version of the Ross-Tech 'worldwide' auto-scan list. This means I have to go digging in the guts of the computer, find the 'AutoScan-old' file, copy my personalized line, open the new AutoScan file, and paste it in there. I ought to be good at this by now, because I must have done this 20 times in the past 10 years.

So, I have a suggestion: Perhaps you could create a new text file called 'Autoscans Customized'. Put a paragraph of text in that file explaining that the users should put their custom autoscan lists in that file, instead of in the Ross-Tech provided AutoScan file. Then, when the application is launched, have the application look at both the Ross-Tech provided autoscan text file, and the user modified 'Autoscans Customized' text file, and load lines from both files (naturally, any user-created lines would go at the top of the list within the AutoScan page of the application, and there would be a horizontal bar separating user created lines from the default Ross-Tech lines.

Doing that would save the users the aggravation of having to go and copy their personalized autoscans into the new file every time there is a software update for VCDS released.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Michael
 
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Uwe

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Implemented in Beta 12.10 about a year and a half ago.

* Support for MyAutoScan.txt file.
This allows users to put their own car definitions in a separate file which won't overwritten when VCDS is updated. User defined scans will appear at the top of the drop-down chassis selection list on the Auto-Scan screen.

-Uwe-
 
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PanEuropean

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Duh... How did I miss that? Was it mentioned in the release notes?

Perhaps it might be helpful for us older folks :) if you include a blank "MyAutoScan.txt" file in the folder with the "AutoScan.txt" file, and include a commented-out paragraph at the top of that blank "MyAutoScan.txt" file that explains to the user how they can take advantage of this feature.

Michael
 
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Uwe

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Duh... How did I miss that? Was it mentioned in the release notes?
No, it was included in the "improvements" section above the release notes. ;)

However, it seems we never included on the relevant page of the product manual.

Perhaps it might be helpful for us older folks if you include a blank "MyAutoScan.txt" file in the folder with the "AutoScan.txt" file, and include a commented-out paragraph at the top of that blank "MyAutoScan.txt" file that explains to the user how they can take advantage of this feature.
Good idea, but first I have to figure out how to do that without overwriting any MyAutoScan.txt file that a user may have already created. ;)

-Uwe-
 
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PanEuropean

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Hi Uwe:

That's easy (I think): If there is no "MyAutoScan.txt" text file present in the existing installation at the time of software upgrade, or if the installation is a new, clean installation (no previous installation of VCDS detected), you get the installer to place a "MyAutoScan.txt" text file in the appropriate place (same folder as the AutoScan.txt file), and that "MyAutoScan.txt" text file should contain a paragraph of commented-out explanation up at the top of the document explaining how to use the MyAutoScan feature.

On the other hand, if the installer detects the presence of a "MyAutoScan.txt" text file when doing a software upgrade, you can take that as prima facie proof that the user knows all about the MyAutoScan feature, because they are using that feature (or, perhaps, they don't know anything about it at all, but the file referred to in the paragraph above was automatically installed during a prior installation). Therefore, if a "MyAutoScan.txt" text file already exists, the installer should not touch it or install the boilerplate "MyAutoScan.txt" text file.

Does that make sense? Keep in mind I am not a computer person... but I do specialize in man-machine interface and human factors design for aircraft.

Michael
 
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Sebastian

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I believe that is exactly how it has been implemented at this point. :)
 
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