Kevin McAllister

I have had this happen before. My understanding was it was a memory issue. As an experiment, I would try reducing the sheet layer resolution and see if it works then. I remember deleting an rebuilding my viewport to fix it when it happened to me. Kevin

Have you tried outputting it as a PDF first and then printing the PDF? (Export PDF is your best option if you are running a design series version of Vectorworks, but Print>Save PDF will also work). To attach at file you need to select full screen Reply instead of Quick Reply. Kevin

What rendering mode are you using? It looks like wireframe mode given that the stairs and truss are also not solid. Try View>Rendering>OpenGL Perhaps add your version of Vectorworks and some details about your computer to your signature. Kevin

Mitchell, I think what you're trying to do is possible in Vectorworks, but there may be a better way to approach it. The work I did on this - http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2625618.bin?size=620x400 especially its centre crystal, is very much what you're trying to do (the finished shape has a lot of variation in the material surfaces, but the original templates were planar). Adding/Subtracting can do some of the work, but its not the best method. Does your shape always fail at the same place? It may really be an error. I would try a method using Nurbs or 3D polygons. Because your shapes are mostly triangles, it is actually easy to build this way. For each intersection, place a 3D loci and move it up or down in 3D space using 3D move (Modify>Move>Move 3D) depending on how you want the surface to go. Using either the 3D Polygon tool or the Nurbs Curve tool (set your curve degree to 1 in the preference from the mode bar), carefully connect your points making each triangle individually. Be very careful with any surfaces that have more than 3 points as they will probably twist, even if you can't see it. If you make all the surfaces carefully, making sure the points snap, you can combine them into a solid if needed, using Model>3D Powerpack>Stitch and Trim Surfaces. You can also use the work you've already done by selecting your objects and choosing Modify>Convert>Convert to Nurbs. If you don't start fresh, look closely to see if you can discover what is causing your error. Which version of Vectorworks are you using? I would suggest adding a signature that details your computer and Vectorworks info. I did my original work in Vectorworks 2009. It should be much easier to achieve in a newer version. I'll be curious to see how you make out. Kevin

Another teaser about text - I hope we get proper formatting for bulleted lists, where all the lines after the first indent correctly..... Kevin

Looks like a good step forward. I would assume you could select all the circles and push/pull them together. I would love to see some bigger changes to the UI. Things that keep your focus in the drawing/3D model. As an example, how about the mode bar options for a tool showing up below the heads up display, allowing you to cycle through them with a single key..... sorta like I mocked up below for the polyline tool.... I am looking forward to taking VW 2011 for a spin! Kevin

How the fonts behave is defined by the pen attributes settings. From the manual - Current their attributes must be set to "By Class" in the original symbol since they are taking on the setting of the Border element. Kevin

Alan, You can draw 3D lines using the Nurbs Curve tool, with the curve degree set to 1 in the mode bar, and with the 3D polygon tool. The advantage to the Nurbs curves option is you can combine them using Modify>Compose into a single path for use with the Extrude Along Path command. You'll find that 3D lines imported from Autocad come in as one of these forms. Kevin

Angie, I wrote about one way to correct this here - http://techboard.nemetschek.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=144140#Post144140 If you set the smoothing angle, it will clean up your hidden line drawing. Kevin

Orso, Thanks for this! It greatly improves the workflow and testing. I am looking forward to learning more about Vectorscript as I work with it. Kevin

Cinema 4D just became the new Renderworks... which should simplify all of this. http://www.nemetschek.net/cinema/ KM

Full Autocad announced for the Mac platform as well as a companion application for iOS devices. http://www.macworld.com/article/153761/2010/08/autodesk.html?lsrc=rss_main KM

Laura, What version of Vectorworks are you using? Do you have Renderworks installed? If the command is greyed out in the menu, it probably means that Renderworks is not installed. Mike, just to clarify, I believe you can only make an image prop from an image file (the file dialog opens when you choose the menu command), not from an existing resource like a texture. Kevin

Hello Orso, Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I appreciate the link to this new resource. It looks like a valuable addition to the others. I would never state this lightly, but it is an accurate account of my experience. All have the errors I found were forwarded on to tech support as I found them. They were - The icon size for PIOs is incorrectly labelled as 24 x 18 in the Adobe Air manual. The correct size is 26 x 20. I know this because Vectorworks gave me an error message when I tried using one at the first size. The Num2StrF function does not return "1'-11 1/2"" as shown in the example in the Vectorscript Function Reference (the HTML file found in the Vectorworks 2010 folder). It actually returns "1'11.45" that has no dash between the feet and inches and a decimal value. I know this because I built a script using only this information and the text function and that is what it returned. In this example from the Adobe Air manual below entitled "Setting Parameter Values from Scripts", the second 'Space Width' actually needs to be 'Space_Width' or the value does not get passed. This was discovered by trial and error. This last one is not necessarily an error, but more incomplete information. Some types of PIOs generate a Parameter base on user input (ie. LineLength for a Linear Object). The manual is clear that these cannot be deleted. I was experimenting and accidentally changed its name. Because I was consistent in both the Parameter definition box and my script, the script worked, but it had lost the initial value generated by user input and instead was defaulting to the default value in the Parameter box. So by changing the original Parameter's name, I had essentially created a new Parameter. The original one still existed behind the scenes, but no longer showed up in the Parameter box. When I changed the name back in the Parameter box, it reassumed the original Parameter information. I guess I was just having a day of discovery.... Kevin

Yesterday I sat down with the hope of creating my first Vectorscript PIO. I had an idea for one for a while and was curious about what could be accomplished. I thought I would write a little about my experience since I have seen so many beginners asking about Vectorscript on these forums. While I am an experienced Vectorworks user, I have only dabbled with the simple scripts generated by the Custom Selection and Custom Tool dialogs. My coding experience in general is pretty limited, having done a little HTML and CSS stuff for a Continuing Education class. So here is a bit about the process. First I looked around for some resources - - I started with the Vectorworks help system. There is lots of information there but its written in a fairly dry, technical way. - I then went to the Nemetschek website under Support>Vectorscript. A few more resources here. I downloaded a variety of example scripts from here and waded through them. Unfortunately many are not well commented, making them a bit overwhelming. I had chosen to open the example scripts in TextWrangler, the same editor I have been using for HTML, and had a very happy discovery. TextWrangler (which is free online) happened to have highlighting for Vectorscript documents. This made it so much easier to see what was going on. I?m not sure why it doesn?t get a mention on the Nemetschek website. I later discovered there is even a language update for it from here - www.vectorlab.info/index.php?title=VSS_Language_Module_for_BBedit_%26_TextWrangler Anyway, I highly recommend TextWrangler for your first Vectorscript outing, as its much more user friendly than the editor built into Vectorworks. The one other thing I would suggest you read up on in Vectorworks help is the section on Parameters for PIOs. It proved invaluable for this process. From there I decided to jump in and see what would happen. I started by saving one of the example files under a new name as a template for script structure. I couldn?t find a basic, blank template file anywhere. Sort of odd as that was one of the first things we built when programming HTML. I started commenting the file heavily to remind myself of what I was doing, and, unlike many of the examples, I made my variable names very clear (ie. marker instead of mkr) so there was no confusion in my mind as to what was what. I trimmed the code down so all I had was the basic structure and the beginnings of some functionality. The next thing I did was create a new PIO in the Vectorworks Plugin Editor (Tools>Scripts> Vectorworks Plugin Editor) within Vectorworks itself. I had debated making a copy of an open source plugin as a starting point, but it turns out you can?t change the type of an existing plug in. Starting fresh was a good experience anyway as it allowed me to further learn about Parameters. Once the PIO was created I added it to my workspace. In my case I was creating a tool, so I added it to the custom palette I had created for the example tools. Now I was able to test my script. To do this I cut and paste from TextWrangler into the Script area of my PIO. Here I would compile and look at any errors. The error system is pretty cryptic and often tends to flag the thing after the error, not the error itself. One error may appear to be many because of the way it works. I found that starting with the first error was the key. It is always easier to edit something once you have an idea of the overall structure. I must say it was very rewarding when the script drew its first line by itself! Once I had some basic functionality, I added pieces bit by bit, testing as I went until I had the full functionality I wanted. The development and testing process involved a lot of cut and paste, something that TextWrangler is good at. It allows for multiple files to be open, so you can easily grab snippets from here and there. I discovered along the way that unfortunately there are many errors in the Vectorscript documentation. This is something we as beginners should be aware of. It often can be wise to ask someone with more experience when something looks like it should work but it doesn?t. I managed to muddle through using my troubleshooting instincts, but it did add a lot of tinkering time as I did. In the end, my goal was to create a fully functional tool so I would have experienced the entire developmental process. I even took the time to add help notes, generate custom icons and encrypt the tools. It was a great taste into the power of Vectorscript and I ended up with two functional tools. I was surprised at what I achieved given my level of experience. I invested about a day overall and it was time well spent. The first tool I created was Ruler Bar. In theatre, ruler bars are often placed on a light plot to aid in placing lights. I was curious to see how it could be dynamically adjusted through the use of the OIP. The second tool I created was Artefact Label. It was inspired by another forum thread, where someone wanted to be able to label individual artefacts on a plan and include some basic information. I was curious to see if I could populate a record using data that could be entered in the OIP. I also wanted to see if I could make it maintain its size on the page when the layer scale was changed. I would recommend that most regular users of Vectorworks take Vectorscript for a spin. Kevin PS. Here are the tools I created to give you an idea of how a little knowledge can turn into something cool.....

Cool link. Thanks for sharing it. Kevin

Glad to hear I was able to help. Cheers, Kevin

So today I made my first Vectorscript PIO. I totally support better documentation and examples. What exists now is too cryptic and not designer friendly. I started by using example scripts from the website. These scripts need much more commenting within them if they are truly to be examples. I also used all the manuals available (online and in the help system). Interesting I stumbled upon an error in one of the manual examples. I only discovered it was an error after much trial and error on my part. This sort of stuff really needs to be improved upon. I also discovered no one should code in Vectorworks itsself. Better included coding tools are needed. I used a program called TextWrangler, which I also use for coding HTML. Thankfully it colour codes and cleans up some of the code, making it much easier to see what's going on. My two cents. Kevin

Ted, If you delete most of the items out of a test file, the conflict is most likely in a symbol. When you do the round trip from Vectorworks to Autocad and back, many things come back in a symbols often nested in other symbols. I suspect you'll probably find your conflict somewhere in the Resource Browser items. Kevin

I would suggest a slightly different approach. Rather than trying to attach the record to the drawing of the artefact itself, attach the record to a custom label symbol. As long as you insert a label for each artefact, you can still use a worksheet for counting and organizing. I've attached an example file. Kevin

You can also download and use Print to PDF which is a shareware utility available for earlier versions of OS X. You may want to consider adding a signature to your profile that includes your version of Vectorworks, operating system and computer.... Kevin

Steve, There's your problem.... you need to use File>Import>Import PDF not File>Import>Import Image File. If you use Import Image File, Vectorworks converts your PDF to a raster image and discards the vector information. You also lose the ability to snap to it. Kevin

The opacity of any image can be changed in the Attributes palette. I often dial them back to 50% for tracing over.... Kevin

With your first try, using hidden line and the mesh object, did you set the SLVP Smoothing Angle to something greater than 0 degrees? It can be set by clicking Background Render Settings. You'll have to experiment a bit to find the right setting. Anything up to about 30 degrees tends to work well. Kevin

You can draw a NURBS line easily with the NURBS Curve Tool by changing the default degree to 1. In the Mode Bar, click on the third icon while the tool is selected. Kevin