Mark Taylor
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Everything posted by Mark Taylor
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How do I cut, trim, or subtract a 2D group?
Mark Taylor replied to Mark Taylor's topic in General Discussion
Yes! Thank you, it works. -
I am using strut channel for a project. Strut is a standard structural member that generally comes in 10' lengths. It can be cut to use for a variety of needs. It has holes in it. 1. I would like to draw some circles on a rectangle and then subtract the circles so that I can see something through the holes. That would represent the strut channel and the slotted holes that are punched through it. 2. I would like to draw the strut as if its been cut with a saw. I created a group out of a rectangle and then placed some circles on top to represent the holes. If I were actually cutting the strut I would cut perhaps right through a hole and have two pieces. This has to be possible but I can't figure it out or don't know what the operation is really called. Thanks!
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Why can't Vectorworks walk?
Mark Taylor posted a question in Wishlist - Feature and Content Requests
Vectorworks is like a fighter jet that can't land. Once it runs out of fuel and winds up on the ground we are all in big trouble. It can't get back into the air. As an experience it just can't do normal things. I had to initialize my computer. That means reinstalling software. Vectorworks is nowhere to be found. Why can't I simply download 2015 with Renderworks as I had before, perhaps from a simple download page on the website, and then enter my codes? Why am I here at all? Why do I have to jump through hoops to get what is already mine? Why do I have to reinvent my user interface every, every, every time? Why is this not in the cloud in my "account"? Yes, I know I can move files around, cutting and pasting. But why? My job is to design landscaping not landscape design software. Why is there no "account"? Why are there a Service Select, Cloud Services, and Student portal? Why not have a single account system with a user type that opens to whatever services those particular users might have? I had a Service Select account, but then let it go. Yes, I got the upgrades. But I spend so much time trying to manhandle the whole thing that the upgrades mean nothing to me. I just want to draw some lines, work with a few symbols and databases, and print stuff. I have resorted to very often just scribbling some lines on paper and handing it to my clients in the moment. They often say, "Ooh, nice, let's do that!" That's not always possible with larger commercial projects so I continue to slog through. But it is slogging. Every time I have to start over it's like pushing the fighter jet with my body into the air. Once it's in the air Vectorworks is a pretty good flyer. But, man, it sucks getting it up there. Please take the user experience interface away from the engineers and hand it over to marketing. Not for 2020. Not next year. Now. 1. Central portal with downloads, purchases and codes, forum, user settings. One place. Only. Now. Obvious? Thanks. -
With the help of various posting friends, I have made a quantum leap in understanding and using custom Title Blocks. Now I am working with viewports. Sheet layers include a Sheet Number and a Sheet Title. Viewports have a Drawing Title. How is the Drawing Title useful?
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Automation with the Sheet Number and Sheet Title seems to be working. In the video, which seems outdated, the presenter explains that this is a feature of Designer only. However, I have Landmark 2015 and I was able to choose "Use Automatic Drawing Coordination" in the Document Preferences and use the _SN and _SD record field suffixes. So far, so good. I do have a question about it. Take a look at the screenshot. The Edit Title Block popup has 3 tabs: Project, Sheet, and General. The General tab contains the specific sheet data for the Sheet Title (which I have named View) and Sheet Number (which I have named Sheet). Does anyone know why this sheet specific data is in the General tab and not the Sheet tab?
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That seems to be the last piece of information I needed. I have attached an image of the Title Block. 1. The top set is the design 2. The 2nd row is the symbol 3. And the last is the functioning Sheet Border with the Custom Title Block I tried going to the other extreme first where every part was based on a class style. That didn't work. Then I tried your suggestion and eliminated all forced class styles and then I finally got synchronicity. It took awhile to get here. Days. So frustrating. I think it's overly complicated but I seem to be moving to new steps now. A huge thank you to all who encouraged, helped, and informed! I'll let you all know if the automated parts work as expected.
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I would like help understanding the resource browser
Mark Taylor replied to Mark Taylor's topic in General Discussion
Ah, yes, thank you. This helps me to understand the symbols and how and where they can be modified. And, I see that creating a separate file with a personal "catalog" of resources is helpful too. That way I would be able to simplify the tool set that I would use over and over. Thanks for the clarification. -
Strange numbers for Pages in Page Setup
Mark Taylor replied to Mark Taylor's topic in General Discussion
If I use Adobe PDF as my printer then I get results that more or less make sense. I can choose Arch B 12x18 paper and only one vertical and one horizontal pages. Perhaps my printer is part of the problem. However, if I could design to the sheet and ditch the margins I could make this work on any printer. -
Strange numbers for Pages in Page Setup
Mark Taylor replied to Mark Taylor's topic in General Discussion
I can't get this to work. I very, very simply want to snap the sheet border to the actual sheet. It is, afterall, a SHEET border, not a MARGIN border. My sheet border is custom designed for the sheet not the margin. I'm using Arch B 12x18 paper and if I choose borderless printing I can no longer choose a custom size. However, borderless does solve the problem for the standard 8-1/2" x 11" paper. Is there a way to get this aligned in a rational way? I don't mind having the print area displayed, but I sure don't want it to have any control. -
I would like help understanding the resource browser
Mark Taylor replied to Mark Taylor's topic in General Discussion
Hey! I really appreciate your answers. They are helping me to learn this system more. I especially got a lot out of your answer to #7! Mark -
Hi Allan, This is very generous of you. Thank you. Here is the file. It shows the paper, the raw symbol with all the correct text formatting, and the sheet border based on that symbol but with the formatting messed up. I don't know why. Thanks again for your help.
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Kizza, thanks! No, all the text items are in one class without any text attributes. However, I think I found part of the problem. I was trying to fix the editing problems in the symbol editor, which didn't work. Then, I pasted another instance of the symbol in the drawing, converted it to a group, then ungrouped the elements. I noticed that the text items that were not settable were never assigned a text style in the first place. Another software glitch. I'm almost ready to ditch the automated title blocks in favor of a manual system that I can control with fewer days lost. However, I like the idea of it. The execution is still developing, in my opinion. I want to get back to design. Pencil and paper looks pretty good again! I'm going to work with it some more because I am stubborn. Thanks again,
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I'm trying to comprehend the organization of the resource tools. Please clarify my vague understanding of drawing organization. In some kind of order... 1. Start with a template. 2. Templates include things like --A) classes, layers, sheet layers, views --B) perhaps some symbols --C) other specifics (grid, units, etc.) 3. I create an original drawing using universal tools 4. I add symbols which are in a library 5. I use active tools like a sheet border which is a symbol with a record Questions: 1. Are the symbols universal, meaning if I edit the symbol does it update everywhere I have used it? 2. Does it make a copy of it and convert it into a drawing item stored in the drawing? 3. How are the records handled? Is it as above where a unique record is stored attached to the drawing? Or is it separate? 4. How do I know what symbols are being used in my drawing? 5. If I used a symbol and then erased it from the drawing does it still show up as a resource attached to this drawing? 6. Is there a problem with deleting symbols from the resource browser if they are not being used? 7. Am I missing something? Thank you,
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A new problem: I can now use the custom Title Block that I created. However, the text is all wrong. The Font is different, the weight is different, and the size is different for all of my text labels and fields. The text doesn't fit anymore and looks bad. Any ideas about what happened? Is there a resource problem here? Thanks,
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While creating a Title Block, I am running into a challenge with Text Styles. There is one particular block of text that doesn't take a style like I think it should. When choosing the style I want (one among several that I created) there are two noticeable problems: --1. It flashes for a moment and then reverts to "" --2. It resizes the text to something smaller even though there is a text size in the style. --3. Choosing other styles produces text "smallering", but will retain the style in the Text Style field. Someday, I hope to actually use Vectorworks for drawing.
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"And in case you didn't know, VW needs to be restarted so that your Title Block library file can load properly." Ah... I didn't know this. That seems to be yet another example of programmers putting the remainder of the programming on the end user. That's kind of like doing a hand sketch and putting it in a folder in a filing cabinet. And then, I can't use it until I close the drawer. At least I can find it now. Thanks,
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The Vectorworks Title Blocks drawing contains, I think, 9 Title Blocks, and in the User Title Blocks drawing, there are now 2, including my custom Title Block. When I use the sheet border tool, and choose a Title Block, there are 18 choices. I don't know where these come from or how to change the source.
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4) I saved the title block as a drawing file as well as have tried to add it to the Standard Title Block file. 7b) I can find the various Title Block drawings in the User Library as well as the Software Library. I try to import the Title Block from the "Default" folder in the "Import Title Block" pop-up after clicking "Title Block" from the Object Info Browser. My Title Block is not there, and there is a large collection of Title Blocks that I cannot find anywhere in the files. None of the "Standard Title Blocks" drawings that I can find contain very many Title Blocks. Any ideas? Thank you for your reply,
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I am trying to follow this video (http://kbase.vectorworks.net/questions/457/Custom+Title+Block) about creating a custom title block. No date on it. Wow, that's frustrating. I don't know if the video is current or from 4 years ago. I don't even know what version of VW it is. Whatever it is, the procedure is not working for me. I have done the following steps: 1. Draw and format the title block 2. Create record 3. Create fields in the record 4. Create symbol 5. Reposition to 0,0 6. Link text to record After this, it breaks down. The instructions in the video are: 7. Open the Standard Title Blocks drawing --A) THIS IS NOT IN MY USER FILES --B) I find it in the VW program files --C) I GET A READ ONLY PROBLEM AND AN OPTION TO CREATE A NEW FILE 8. Add the symbol to the new Title Blocks drawing 9. Save the new Title Blocks drawing 10. Open a new drawing and add a sheet border 11. With the Sheet Border active, click Title Block in the Resource Browser 12. Look for the new Title Block (IT'S NOWHERE TO BE FOUND) I hope I'm being clear. 1. Am I doing something wrong? 2. Is there a different procedure with the 2015 version? 3. Once this is working, is there a way to use the Symbol in reverse to create another Title Block Thanks,
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Strange numbers for Pages in Page Setup
Mark Taylor replied to Mark Taylor's topic in General Discussion
Thanks, this seems to be working. -
Strange numbers for Pages in Page Setup
Mark Taylor replied to Mark Taylor's topic in General Discussion
Here is a confusing piece of data. If I choose "Page Setup" from editing a sheet layer then the "Pages" entry is indeed 1 horizontal 1 vertical As I would expect. Why? -
My page in Vectorworks is set to 12X18 (ArchB). My paper on my printer is set to 12x18. In "Page Setup" under "Pages" there are: 1.0178 horizontal 1.0229 vertical Why would these be anything except 1? Thanks,
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Every time I reload a computer with Vectorworks or install a new version I'm faced with dealing with my preferences. It is a clunky system to copy them to another file and then later copy them back. Also, if the newer versions change something then there are some discrepancies between them and Vectorworks chooses some unknown defaults. I would like to have my user settings and preferences in my account in the cloud. That way, they are forever where they should be - ACCESSIBLE. Cool! Thanks,
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How do I efficiently deal with Vectorworks Preferences
Mark Taylor replied to Mark Taylor's topic in Site Design
Yes, perhaps a solution would be cloud/account based rather than on my computer. I'll put in a feature request. -
How do I efficiently deal with Vectorworks Preferences
Mark Taylor replied to Mark Taylor's topic in Site Design
So here I am with newly installed Vectorworks 2015 and I still can't figure out how to deal with the preferences. It takes some effort to set up the preferences the way I like them. As soon as there is any kind of new install, whether the same version on a replaced computer or a new version, my preferences are destroyed. How should this be handled? Thanks,