Kevin McAllister
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Posts posted by Kevin McAllister
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I think you will find the fill is there. In Top/Plan any 3D object will show up as wire frame. Switch to a 3D view and render in OpenGL to see the surface.
KM
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Interesting, I can get both profiles and paths to work in VW 2013. I do have to flip the crown molding profile to get it oriented the right way. Perhaps VW2012 is having trouble because of the orientation. If you try and create self intersecting geometry the Extrude Along Path will fail.
I'd be cautious about using Convert to Lines in this process. It is creating a lot of extra points in the profiles (double click on the profile to edit it and you will see all the extra points) which will slow down the file a lot.
Do you know about the Extract Tool (Shift L)? It is a good way to get 2D shapes from 3D objects. Make sure that Create Planar Objects is checked in the tool's preferences to create 2D shapes.
I'm sure you also know that objects don't need to be NURBS curves to be used with Extrude Along Path. Your room shapes could just be polygons or polylines as can your molding profiles.
Kevin
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After experimenting with your first file, I can suggest a couple of things to try -
- the two curves you are trying to combine are different degrees (look in the OIP, one is degree 2 and one is degree 3). They need to be the same degree to combine.
- once they are the same degree, you can combine them using Compose in the Modify menu.
- even when combined they don't want to create a surface. There is something about the geometry that is preventing it. If you choose Rebuild NURBS from the Model>3D Powerpack menu it is possible to correct, but some of the geometry smooths out. Try adding more points as part of the Rebuild.
What software is generating the original NURBS curves? Likely not Autocad based on past experience. There may be a better import format to use.
Kevin
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Duplicate array is not logical or predictable in 3D. The only tool that's worse is Move by Points which really defies logic.
VW has become less and less intuitive. As I try out more and more 3D modellers I discover how dysfunctional the 3D interface has become in recent versions.
Kevin
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You should be able to set the default arrow for the Leader Line tool by choosing the preferences button on the mode bar and changing it there (the icon looks like a wrench and pencil).
If you have your marker style set to "By Class" in the Attributes palette then that may be overriding the default you are setting with the tool.
Kevin
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Bruce are you combining rendering modes in a sheet layer viewport when you see the curve issue, or is it generally?
If its in general try setting Vectorworks Preferences>3D Tab>3D Conversion Res to high or very high.
I've found layer plane objects can look pixelated when combining rendering modes (ie. hidden line + final quality render works) in sheet layer viewports.
Kevin
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Any guidance VW can take from Cinema 4D is a step in the right direrction. Even the Cinema 4D R14 snaps are better than VW.
Kevin
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I like your related idea a lot - assigned insertion points.
(My daily battle is with the insertion points of the Drawing Label. I like my Drawing Labels centered in a Viewport but once they're created their default insertion point is off to one side.)
Kevin
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Mike,
That's really interesting. I didn't know that. It means Grant can sort of do what he was asking for if he converts his solid to a mesh.
I must admit the approach is a little obscure and half implemented. Why wouldn't it be done with the reshape tool? And why doesn't the cursor change to the standard move point shape. Its almost like an afterthought.
But cool none the less.
Kevin
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Right now, when you open an older VW file in a new version it says "This file was created with an older version of Vectorworks....".
I would like it to say "This file was created by Vectorworks XXXX....." and actually tell me what version of VW created the file. So simple and very helpful if you need to regularly send files back to the originator in a collaborative process.
Kevin
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I like this idea. I often centre groups using the centre point in the OIP so adding a point too would be even better.
KM
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Miguel,
I discovered something quite interesting in my experiment where I converted my simple extruded rectangle into a mesh. When you double click to edit the mesh it actually edits like a group containing 6 3D polygons. So ultimately you can't pull a corner like you would a regular mesh. Unexpected.
AndiACD,
There is only one reshape tool in newer version, the 2D and 3D tools were combined (in VW2012 I believe).
Kevin
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No. You currently can't edit solids in that way. Nor is there anything you can convert it to that acts they way you want.
If Convert to 3D polygons worked the way it should it would create a polygon mesh where the edges and points were joined (like in Cinema 4D). Instead it creates 6 individual polygons, so when you pull on a corner, you only deform one polygon.
Ironically I can take an object into Cinema 4D, deform it, export it and bring it back and make it a solid in VW.....
Kevin
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Hold down Alt or Option (Mac) while dragging your marquee. Anything it crosses will be selected.
KM
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What Peter is suggesting sort of works until you forget to switch in the correct order.
I agree with this wish, Vectorworks should know what's going on with the screen size and adjust automatically. Cinema 4D is much better in this regard.
Kevin
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If you're running Renderworks, everything is important as it sees extra RAM and multiple cores.
For every day work in the design layers, the graphics card is important for OpenGL. As long as the graphics card has at least 1GB of video RAM you're probably good as most Apple graphics cards at that level are pretty powerful.
And eventually Vectorworks will be 64bit and multi core aware (there was an interview with NV and its supposed to appear in VW2013 or VW2014, clearly they missed VW2013).
Kevin
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Grant,
I actually think that the 3D environment is being crippled by treating 3D working planes differently than the Screen Plane. I want to do everything I can do (same tools, same snaps) on the screen plane on a 3D working plane.
Kevin
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Hi Peter,
Thanks for the advice. I'm glad to know I'm not alone. I have filed some bugs myself but sometimes its really hard to understand whether its "working as intended", a "work in progress"" or if its a bug. "Working as intended" has become hard to discern and often not that logical in the last few versions.
I know that I've literally made and edited thousands of extrudes so it can be time consuming when things don't behave as hoped for.
Kevin
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While I'm at it, why doesn't shift constrain to horizontal / vertical when working on the "extrude #1" plane. So dumb and non functional.
KM
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Ugh. The Layer Plane / Screen Plane mess. Please fix the mode for editing in extrudes. By definition, there is only one plane when editing in an extrude, even if you are viewing the extruded shape in a 3D view. All traditional tools and snaps should work as expected. Its so frustrating not to be able to draw a couple of guide shapes and use the paint bucket mode of the polygon tool to create a shape.
Frankly, everything that works on the screen plane (tools and snaps) should work EXACTLY the same on any other plane.... regardless of whether you are looking at the plane straight on or in perspective. Why is this so hard?
Kevin
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Nope. They are added and deleted as a group.
KM
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Tom,
Try turning the Ceiling-Main class on. It will turn on the lines I think you are talking about. By changing the class line style you can make it any type of line you'd like.
Ironically, in my business, colleagues are always asking how to turn those lines off. Our industry standard for a floor plan is different from yours....
Kevin
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Hi Christiaan,
Here is a Menu Plugin script I made that does what you want. I added it to my workspace at the top of the right click context menu. It switches to un-cropped perspective and renders in OpenGL.
Kevin
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I wouldn't mind if it were automatic. Maybe they should have made it a new kind of symbol so they can phase out the old type.
Frankly backward / legacy compatibility is overrated. They should just choose an older version, continue to support it and sell it to the 2D folk. Then they can move on with the new versions. The choice is going to become learn new things in Vectorworks or learn the competitor's software if all the legacy stuff stunts forward development....
Kevin
Arrow Head
in General Discussion
Posted
I didn't even know the Leader Line Simple tool existed. I can see the appeal. It essentially generates a pair of lines. It seems to use whatever marker is active in the Attributes palette.
I thought it might be customizable as many older tools are but I couldn't even find it in the Vectorscript Plug In Editor list. Someone else here may know how to find it but may be hard coded into the software.
KM