Doug L

Yes, the issue was that I had accidentally moved some pads so that they touched or slightly overlapped each other and that is not allowed in VW. When those pads were moved slightly apart, and then clicked Update Site Model, the contours appeared correctly. Thanks to Peter for helping to figure this out! Looking back, it also might have been better to have separate boundary objects around different parts of the site that are regraded, instead of around the whole site. That could make troubleshooting easier by isolating any area that you just editted. Of course, that would only apply to renovation type projects, not brand new sites that are entirely regraded.

Apparently Unified View was ON. When I turned it off, the site plan 2d graphics dropped down to the zero elevation in orthagonal view. The site modifiers that were stuck in plan view while in 3d view, were actually the original shapes drawn in v2010 in screen plane (as suggested by Tamsin per above). I didn't delete the original shapes in case I needed to revise the site modifiers (which seemed editable!). However, I'm still unable to get any new site modifiers to create new contours in v2012. Thanks for your help so far, I appreciate it. This is sure puzzling....

In front view, I see a plan view of the modifiers plus the site model in front view at around elevation 100' which is the assumed benchmark. The modifiers objects appear to be at the correct elevations within the model.

Yes, I have checked those and Update, several times and its not working. Its strange that in 2d, the existing contours are dashed, but when I pulldown Proposed, the contours change to solid in the same locations and don't grade around the site modifiers. In 3d, the contours are all solid and also don't grade around the site modifiers when I pull down Proposed Only. I've also checked that the site boundary modifier is still there and in the OIP it is Apply to Proposed...

And brand new site modifiers (objects from polygons, hardscapes) are also having no effect on the site model.

I have now upgraded to Landmark 2012. But now the new contours are no longer showing up both in 2d and in 3d. I havn't changed anything else. The hardscapes are still pad modifiers. The site model is set to use modifiers on all layers. I've clicked update site model. What needs to be set up in 2012?

Thanks Tamsin, that resolved the issue for pads. It didn't work for hardscape slabs, but did work for hardscape pads and thats fine. Might be time to upgrade to 2012 if there are other time-saving improvements related to site modeling.

What prevents site modifiers from creating and showing new proposed contours in 2D plan view and 3D orthogonal view? I built a site model with spot elevations and the existing contours show up in 2D and 3D views. I've tried all of the following: Pads, slabs, texture beds, and 3d hardscape objects Site modifier tool 2d tools and converting the objects to site modifiers Drew a site modifier boundary around them Clicked the site model's Update button Deleted the site model and recreated it Tried various classes and layers for the site modifiers, although a prior forum help topic said these don't matter Site modifier's Object Info is set to Proposed Site model's Object Info is set to show Proposed and Contours for both 2D and 3D Is there a setting somewhere else that needs to be checked? The documentation doesn't seem to mention anything else. Thanks.

Thanks Jonathan. That helps for question 1. Yes, there are over 200 elevation points of existing site objects. Importing a spreadsheet of coordinate points was another option since Z is calculated from laser elevations, but I don't have X and Y. The referenced viewport contains existing site linework (no contours), so I'm able to snap stake objects and manually set their Z elevation.

After watching Eric Gilbey's and Tamsin Slatter's Site Modeling - Removing the Mystery webinar, I've decided to try it for a new design project. I've inserted a few stake objects with Z elevations from field laser level measurements and have the following questions: 1. Does it matter what class and design layer I use for the stake objects? Other design layers include my main design layer and another that contains a viewport which references in another VW file that contains the imported Autocad site plan file from client. When I setup the VW file, it created a Site-DTM-Modifier class but the docs says that is for site modifiers only. 2. I've created a site model, viewed it in orthagonal view, but the results look unfinished. Do I also need to "connect the dots" by drawing 3d lines between the stake objects to see the edges? Or draw 3d rectangles and extrude them downward for each sloped landing and steps? Basically draw all existing edges or objects in 3d so that they are visible in the 3d topo? This seems time consuming. 3. What about for existing soil grades around the building? Should I draw a 3d polyine of the building outline, set the finish floor elevation, extrude it downward into the ground, insert the soil grade stake objects at the building wall, and connect the stake objects by drawing 3d lines to show the existing soil surface at the face of the existing building wall? Is this the recommended approach?

That's strange, thought I tried that already, but now sending it to the back now works! (This was for default symbol ornamental tree 06). Thanks Ozzie!

Some tree symbols allow you to see base sheet linework underneath. Other trees totally hide everything. What controls the visibility? Doesn't appear to be anything in Edit Plant Definition or Object Info. Mass Overlap Plants is off. Thanks.

Thanks Ozzie and Tamsin. These are default VW symbols, didn't edit or change them, but yes, when I select a tree canopy fill class object and send it to the back, it does show up when Mass Overlapping plants is On. However, with evergreen conifer trees, the canopy is made up of 3 separate concentric polygons, like contours, and only one of them shows up at a time, whichever is sent to the back! Which results in a doughnut tree symbol (or doughnut hole)! So when setting up plants, it seems best to leave Mass Overlapping plants OFF, and only turn it ON when specifically needed as an outline for that plant only, which may be useful on occasion. Or just control the class visibilities for the whole file.

Its possible, but there are several steps. If your plant list is a VW worksheet that uses the plant database: 1. Double click the work sheet to open it up. 2. Click the small downward pointing arrow in the work sheet title bar and select Database Headers. 3. Click on the row that has a hollow diamond symbol in the row column. 4. (note if you have your plant list organized and sorted by type of plants, you will need to do this for each row type that has the diamond symbol). 5. In the worksheet header bar, drag the symbol that looks like a bar graph. There are 2 of them, descending and ascending. 6. Drag the ascending symbol over whichever column you wanted sorted first. You can also drag more symbols for secondary sorts 7. After you have down this for each plant type, click the small downward pointing arrow again and deselect Database Headers (so that they don't print).

Thanks Ozzie, doing great. When I do that, and go to Edit / 2D Graphics, the interior line work (and color fills) shows up there. But after closing the edit screen, it goes away. Also, when you mouse over the 2 different trees, a square bounding box appears around the Sequoia, but not around the Western Red Cedar. Might be a clue....attached is a sample file that shows this.... Just noticed that in Edit / Definition / Render, when I uncheck Mass Overlapping Plants, the interior fill becomes visible! Is this a feature, or a bug, that overlapped massed plants don't contain any interior linework or fills? Thanks again.

What causes the interior linework of plant symbols to disappear when Enable 2D Rendering is checked on in the Object Info palette? (sorry, I think this question has been asked before, but Search does not find any). This is very strange: I have 2 different trees, Sequoia and Western Red Cedar, both on the same class and layer, and both use a copy of the same tree symbol from the resource browser, but are different size diameters. When 2D Rendering is OFF for each tree, the interior symbol linework is there. When 2D Rendering is ON for each tree (to display shadows), the interior linework is only there for the Sequoia.

For each plant that is a result of your searches, check the box "Favorites." Then when you do a search for Favorites, all the various types of plants will be there. This essentially creates your master list which you can export to VW.

You can use the built-in Vectorworks Landmark Plant Database, assuming you are using Landmark. (You should post your software and hardware specs in your on-line profile). The database stores up to 3 image per plant and has a web feature which gathers Google internet web photos of plants. Simply drag and drop them into the database (onto the page of a selected plant). Once they are in your database, simply drag and drop them in to a sheet layer. They are screen resolution images and their original image size varies but print in color up to 1.75" x 2.25" just fine. Havn't tried importing my existing digital photos in the database, maybe someone else has.

Thanks Eric. That worked. Just forgot to open up the viewport's edit crop first. Its strange that you can change the solid square shape (pen style) to None BEFORE opening the viewport's edit crop, but it doesn't do anything. To avoid confusion, perhaps the pen style (and fill style and line style) should be grayed out when you single click on a viewport to avoid confusion. Or describe the correct steps in future versions of the documentation (didn't find it there).

How do you prevent the line around viewports on sheet layers from plotting? In the pallete, selecting None for pen still results in a box printed around the viewport. If I create a new class and set the pen to None, same result. Nothing in the Obj Info pallette seems to control this either. Is there another way? (Separately, but related, attempting to change the viewport line to a wider line also had no effect. A work around for that was to draw a separate rectangle on top of the viewport boundaries. But when you plot with a rendering/sketch style, you end up with 2 visible lines).

How do you rotate a hatch pattern? Checking and unchecking Rotate In Wall and Rotate in Symbol in Edit Hatch had no effect. I found these web instructions: at: http://download2cf.nemetschek.net/www_misc/2010/Vectorworks%202010%20Help/Data/15_Vectorworks/07_ImageGradFills/Editing_Hatch_Fills.htm 1. Click the Attribute Mapping tool from the Basic or Visualization tool set. 2. Click on an object containing an associative hatch fill. Only one object at a time can be edited. 3. An editing object with eight handles is placed over the hatch. The hatch origin is at the lower left corner of the editing object, where the red and green lines meet. However, item #3 doesn't happen. Is this only a feature of VW 2010 and not 2009? Is there another way? Its a rectangular shaped stone pattern and I need it to align with a plaza that is not true north.

Yes. After your first search is done, in the VW database, in Browse view, then under "Naming" and "Used in Project", I assign a project number. Do this for every plant that your search found. Then, when you do a new plant search, add the same project number to each plant. When you are all done with all your search inquiries, do a search for the project number and you will have your special list. And per Judah's advice above, be sure to save / generate a new plant list so that your drawing can use the new list. I use the same project number but add a short project name to make it easier to refer to this plant list in the future. Other users may know of alternative ways to accomplish the same thing. I hope this helps.

A bug or memory problem? File is now 105 MB with 4 other consultant?s design reference layers. The plant tools started acting strange, so I quit the program and restarted it. After I selected Recalculate in the plant list report, 402 Pachysandra are now listed under Ground Covers! .......But 231 Pachysandra remain listed under Perennials! There appears to be only 402 on the planting plan (created by the landscape areas tool).

Why does data in a plant report chart not update on the drawing? A ground cover (Pachysandra terminalis) is listed in the perennial category (by default per the Landmark Plant Database), but it?s more commonly known and used as a ground cover here. I want it to be grouped in the plant report chart under Ground Covers instead of Perennials. Here is what I?ve tried: 1. In the Landmark Plant Database, Sort by ?Used in Project? 2. Find the plant, change its Category to ground cover. 3. Select File menu/Create Vectorworks Plant List. 4. In Vectorworks, select Place Plant Preferences, Edit Plant Definition. 5. Select Get Plant Data, select the Plant List for the project 6. Select Plant List Display name. Now in the Get Plant Data window, the field category is now listed as Ground Cover. 7. Double Click the Plant Report Chart. 8. Select Recalculate. However, the Category for that one plant still says Perennial. I?ve also tried to the above to edit plant comments in the Plant List Report and it doesn?t update either. This procedure used to work. One thing different this time is that custom Plant List Report I?m using has been edited to group plant categories together (trees, shrubs, groundcovers, etc). Also tried: In the Plant List Report, turn on Database Headers, copy ?shrubs? to the bottom of the list, go through the Set Criteria (Record/Plant Record, and Field Value/Category = ground cover). However, Pachysandra is still not listed under Ground Cover. Also tried: Delete the entire Plant List Report, and reimport it from the Resource Browser Still no change.

Not sure about that. But you can change the font size which essentially accomplishes the same thing: 1. Double click on the plant list to bring up the worksheet. 2. Select whichever row or column, or the upper left cell to select the whole worksheet. 3. Click the small triangle in the worksheet tool bar. 4. Select Format Cells, then Fonts, then input your size. 5. If you use a large size, you may need to adjust the row height via the same triangle menu, then Auto Fir Row Height. I typically to put the plant list on a sheet layer instead of a design layer so that the size is relative to printing. Otherwise, the plant list will be microscopically sized.