WhoCanDo

This is what I have so far if anyone else wants it.. procedure Layer_Visability; label 1, 2; const DialogWidth = 300; DialogTextBoxHeight = 30; var WorkLayer : string; i, Event, ItemID, LayerCount : integer; sx1, sy1, sx2, sy2 : real; dx1, dy1, dx2, dy2 : real; h : handle; LayerName : array [1..100] of string; begin { Record all layer names } LayerCount := NumLayers; h := FLayer; LayerName [LayerCount] := GetLName (h); for i := LayerCount -1 downto 1 do begin h := NextLayer (h); LayerName := GetLName (h); end; { Create Dialog } GetScreen (sx1, sy1, sx2, sy2); dx1 := sx2 / 2 - DialogWidth / 2; dy1 := sy2 / 2 - (LayerCount / 2 + 5) * DialogTextBoxHeight; dx2 := dx1 + DialogWidth; dy2 := sy2 / 2 + (LayerCount / 2) * DialogTextBoxHeight; if (dy1 < 0) then { if the dialog box is too long } Goto 1; { Begin Dialog } BeginDialog (1, 1, dx1, dy1, dx2, dy2); AddButton ('OK', 1, 1, (dx2 - dx1) / 2 - 102, dy2 - dy1 - 45, (dx2 - dx1) / 2 - 34, dy2 - dy1 - 15); AddButton ('Cancel', 2, 1, (dx2 - dx1) / 2 + 34, dy2 - dy1 - 45, (dx2 - dx1) / 2 + 102, dy2 - dy1 - 15); AddField ('LAYER VISABILITY', 3, 1, (dx2 - dx1) / 2 - 70, DialogTextBoxHeight, (dx2 - dx1) / 2 + 70, DialogTextBoxHeight * 2); AddField ('Choose layers to be unsnapable.', 4, 1, 20, DialogTextBoxHeight * 2, DialogWidth - 20, DialogTextBoxHeight * 3); ItemID := 4; for i := 1 to LayerCount do begin ItemID := ItemID + 1; AddButton (LayerName , ItemID, 2, 40, DialogTextBoxHeight * (ItemID - 2), DialogWidth - 20, DialogTextBoxHeight * (ItemID - 1)); end; EndDialog; { Start Dialog } GetDialog (1); repeat DialogEvent (Event); if (Event > 4) then SetItem (Event, not (ItemSel (Event))); until (Event = 1) or (Event = 2); { OK or Cancel } WorkLayer := GetLName (Actlayer); { Change selected events } if (Event = 1) then { OK } begin for i := 5 to LayerCount + 4 do if (ItemSel (i) = True) then begin Layer (LayerName [i - 4]); DoMenuTextByName ('Standard Views', 2); end else begin Layer (LayerName [i - 4]); DoMenuTextByName ('Standard Views', 1); end end; { End Dialog } ClrDialog; { Return to working layer } Layer (WorkLayer); ReDrawAll; Goto 2; 1: AlertCritical ('Too many layers.', 'A second column may be necessary.'); 2: end; run (Layer_Visability);

Thanks Ray, but I want multiple layers unpickable so a macro will be the best for me instead of going to each layer and changing it to top view.

Sorry, this didn't work the first time but it does now: DoMenuTextByName ('Standard Views',2); Thanks

Great, I didn't think of that. So after a quick look though the VS help I cannont find a procedure to change layer current view. Is there a command I can write a macro with?

Thanks Mike, I do mean unsnappable. My current approach to this is to make scale of the layers I want to see but not snap to 0.0001 greater so they don't appear different but dissables snapping. This means I can work on and snap to the other 4 or 5 layers without accidently picking up the snap points on the support layers.

I would like to see greyed made unpickable or another layer option to do this. I am often workings on multiple layers and want to see support or design layers but not be able to pick things on them. One example is when I have a floor outline that I wish to manufacture in smaller segments. I need to know where the support structure is and work on the other layers without selecting objects on the support layer.

I would not have thought that a macro starting when opening a drawing if it is called "procedure AutoOpen;" would be related to a command line opperation. In Excel, a macro called "Sub Workbook_Open()" is executed without question if it exists.

I would like to see an AutoOpen macro procedure that starts automatically when a drawing is first opened. There are some things I have always wanted to set when I start a drawing that don't save when creating a template sheet. My drawings nearly always start with a title block macro so why not auto start it. If the title block exists then the macro code can check first before running and end if not required. Excel has one so why doesn't VW?

Not here either. I always print from VW. What other method are you refering too brudgers? If I print this drawing to a pdf printer (I don't have pdf export) it takes just as long since it is the VW spooling that creates the time waste.

I've tried several combinations before and just tried some again. With all unchecked it takes 48 sec to spool. With raster/left checked it takes 15 sec but the layer that I need that is obviously causing the problem is not printed and the rest of the drawing is washed out but readable. I think I will have to try a workaround. Since the layer with the dotted lines is full of lines well outside of the print area (if the layer scale is smale) then maybe I could try and get my formatting macro to drawn only the lines I need to see. I guess this one is now in the hands of VW to undo what they did between VW2009 SP4 and VW2010 inc SP1 Regards

I only have Fundementals which doesn't come with pdf export so I have always used pdf995 as a printer. If there are no other suggestions then you should try this. I have had no problems with line weights, etc. If you don't buy it then it finishes with an add which, if you hit esc., will disappear. You get use to it. It's really cheap if you do want to buy it. The full suite allows you to combine printed pages into one file on the go and you can edit pages out of the file again if you wish. www.pdf995.com

VW2010 print dialog has changed. VW2009 had Enable special processing for bitmaps Print patterns Rasterize print output all of which I have unchecked and VW2010 has Print patters - unchecked Rasterize print output - unchecked Update visable - checked Reset plugins - checked but checking Rasterize makes printing quicker but not a good quality

Since the hardware and the OS have not changed between versions then logically it can only be VW2010 that changed. However, my printer is a Kyocera FS-6950DN which is an A3 laser printer running in PCL 6 mode and I've been using for 2yrs. Windows is XP SP3 and is on the same PC that I have been using for 2yrs. The problem is not the file because yesterday I needed to print 40 drawings so I exported them to VW2009 and printed them all in 15 min including the export time. This would have taken 30 min in VW2010 without the export time. The problem is not the printer because it works fine with VW12 & VW2009. The time lag is in spooling the file from VW2010 ("Now printing page 1 of 1") which takes upto 45 sec. After the spool file is created then it can take as long as it likes because I then have VW back to print the next file. The drawing consists of an A3 basic line border and 2D outline drawing with dimensions and this can be printed within seconds because it doesn't have one vital layer visable. The layer that I change to when printing contains a grid of dotted lines in pairs of 5mm at 30mm spacings. This layer is set to print at 50% opacity.

I have reported this as a bug but I really need a work-around until it is fixed. In VW12 & VW2009 I can print one of my standard drawings in 5 - 7 sec but in VW2010, the same drawing takes 30 - 50 sec This would not be a great problem if I was only printing one a day but I am printing upto 100 per day so that's over an hour of my day printing. Printing to .pdf takes just as long. I was going to write a script to export the file to VW2009 but there is no DoMenuByText ('Export to Vectorworks 2009 File...',0) and I can't add a keyboard shortcut to that menu item. Has anyone else noticed a big difference and can anyone offer any other ideas?

Your printer is capable of 1200 dpi, are you printing at 600 dpi or greater on the printer settings? or Can't remember VW8 that well but I think it still has "Document Preferences". Try changing your printing resolution there. It's default is 72 dpi. Try 300 dpi.

Actually I was refering to the plotting tollerance not the size of the plot later in the day. As you rightly say Ray, the paper will change with the humidity. I would just like to know who has a cheap & reliable AO or 42" plotter they can suggest to buy new. I guess the other question I should ask is which brand or model should I stay clear of but I can probably get that answer from this forum and the issues being discussed. I am only plotting difficult outlines of 2D patterns that can't be easily & quickly draw/manufactured by our factory.

Hi, I've searched for good plotters but everone obviously is here because they have problems. Can anyone suggest a good low cost 42" plotter. I am only printing polygon outlines of our product when it is too difficult to dimension. It must be accurate to +1, -1mm over the width.

Hey Benson A bad video card would have been my guess but since VW12 and VW2010 and VW2010 SP1 work without problems then it must be just VW2009 that is the culprit since I have all these versions on the same PC.

I have installed VW2010 SP1 update and exported a drawing for the first time using this version. My worksheet which is visable on a layer of my drawing and contains a bill of materials for items on the drawing looks fine when viewing and printing to printer or pdf but when I export to .dwg the hidden lines of items not on my drawing are visable in the Autocad file. I have tried several options from the export menu and get the same thing each time. Does anyone else experience this?

It still doesn't work with VW2010 SP1. It's lucky Oyvind came up with a bandaid solution.

Yes I do see the same. 5hr ago I coincidently posted this: http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=131165#Post131165

Hi All, I am much happier with the graphics in VW2010 compared to VW2009. In VW2009, as I moved objects, zoomed, etc. the lines would move. And example is when dimensioning on the first click the object side line moves and the second point is not visually lined up any more but of course is really. VW2010 does not have this problem.

Shaun, It has been mention is serveral topics but some of the long termers that if something works, don't fix it. If you like 2008 then don't change. My latest change was from VW12 to 2010 because of the newest features that I like but I wouldn't have changed otherwise. Regards

I didn't realy want to mess with my system to I have tried it on a different computer. It still doesn't work so I have reported it as a bug.

Minor mod. to close the polygon. procedure Rectangular_Polygon; var x1,y1,x2,y2 : real; begin DSelectAll; GetPt (x1,y1); GetPtL (x1,y1,x2,y2); ClosePoly; Poly (x1,y1,x2,y1,x2,y2,x1,y2,x1,y1); end; run (Rectangular_Polygon);