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PeterT

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Everything posted by PeterT

  1. TS, We currently use Microspot's GraphicPak V.5.0 in OS 9.2.2 to an HP 800PS, and we use the Raster driver, but we use an Ethernet network connection to the plotter. With Microspot's USB dongle on any one of our machines, and a Superclient license for each machine we can plot directly to the plotter from any machine. We find that this works fine in OS9 native mode on any of our machines. In Classic mode, under OSX, it is a little bit slower on our G4 400 Mhz machines and way slower on our Beige G3 233 Mhz machines. We find that we have to run the G3's in OS9 native for plotting (VectorWorks 9.5.2 runs terrible in Classic mode on the G3's anyway, so we just leave them on OS9 native) On the G4's, plotting from Classic is acceptable. As far as plotting from OSX, unless we go with a dedicated print server like you have done, we cannot use MicroSpot's XRip. We hope MicroSpot will develop a network solution in the future, but that might depend on the OS, I'm not sure. As far as using OSX's PostScript driver, you cannot create custom page sizes, so until HP or Apple provide a Driver with custom page setup, you have to hand cut every plot, hardly acceptable. Regards, PeterT [ 07-17-2002: Message edited by: PeterT ]
  2. Be aware too, that MicroSpot's OSX RIP is not a network product yet, and is only a direct USB connection to one machine. You can however use their server/client setup to print from other machines, but you are using the connected machine as a server for processing, which is irritating if that machine is also a workststion.
  3. I have noted as well that when I revert to saved in VW 9.5.2 on Mac OS 10.1.5 VectorWorks will crash, but only on files that are saved on our server and opened across the network. Files saved on the same machine as the alpplication revert to saved just fine. Work arounds for the crash problem are: 1. Instead of revert to saved, just close the file without saving changes, then re-open it again (does the same thing as revert). 2. Use multiple undo to back track to the last point you saved. I have identified the crash when reverting to a file on the server to Nemetschek telephone tech support and they replicated the problem on their machines too. I was told it would be added to the bug list.
  4. Mathew, Since the windowshade feature in MacOS 9 was provided by the system software for VectorWorks palettes, why is the "genie effect" not not provided for VectorWorks palettes under OS X? Either way, if Apple does not provide some capability in OS 10.2, It would be a huge wish list item from my office for Nemetschek to implement some way to hide and show palettes without having to close them and reopen them. Regards, PeterT
  5. We are running VectorWorks and plot to our HP DesignJet 230 using Microspot's Raster Driver, but for "out of the office" plotting, we have a similar problem in that our service bureau cannot use our plot files, and they don't own VectorWorks. As a work around we have found that Adobe Acrobat is great. If you purchase the full version of Acrobat you can save your VectorWorks drawing as a PDF file. We have done this with our service bureau as a test. We Plotted a "D" size drawing on our own plotter, then we made a PDF of the same drawing, and sent it to our service bureau. When we got the plot back from the shop we laid it side by side with our own plot, and you could not tell the difference between the two. Hope this helps, PeterT
  6. Have not been here for a while, seems the forum description has been fixed, thanks. My next posting will actually be about VectorScript. A bit curious why no one has posted to this area though. PeterT
  7. Is this a new discussion area? And is it really to post information about SPOTLIGHT as the forum description states, or is this area for posting on VectorScript as the forum Title implies? I assume it is the latter, as there a is already a SPOTLIGHT discussion area.
  8. Try holding down the "command" or "option" keys as well as the "shift" key while nudging, it will give you nudge by grid or nudge by snap radius or pixel (I think). Sorry don't have VW 9 to confirm, but I saw this feature at a user group meeting.
  9. Although hardly free, Adobe Acrobat (full version) does exactly what you ask for. PDF's can be sent around via e-mail and can be viewed and plotted at any size, and though they cannot be manipulated, they can be annotated and marked up from within Acrobat and re-sent.
  10. There seems to be confusion in terminology regarding "trim". The trim "tool" is still there in VW 9. It is the trim "menu command" that is missing (along with its former shortcut command "T").
  11. You can use the Wall Opening tool found on the "AEC Objects" palette (in the AEC Workspace). Also, to make a simple 2D symbol for a wall opening, just create a new symbol consisting of only two loci separated by the opening width desired. When inserted in a wall, the wall will break between the two loci. Regards, PeterT
  12. Also, if in addition to the shift key, you hold down the command or option key (on a Mac), you will get different results ( i.e. nudge by pixel, or nudge by grid increment). Pretty slick. Regards, PeterT
  13. We have a very similar problem. As Architects, we typically use "Feet & Inches" for our units, however, for interior cabinet elevations we would like to use the "Inches Only" unit type, as this is the standard for interior elevations. Currently (we are on VW 8.5 still), the only way to acomplish dimensioning a sheet with two different unit types is to use a dual dimension standard, set the primary for feet & inches, and the secondary for inches only. Then as you dimension, you can set some dimensions to show only the primary and others to display only the secondary. But the problem with this is that it is more effort to toggle back and forth between primary and secondary in the info palette and to delete those darn brackets from the secondary than it is to just overwrite the dimensions manually using the leader or trailer fields. Surely NNA could modify the "Layout" pull down menu in the Custom Dimension dialog to allow the user to choose to display only the secondary dimensions, and a check box to turn on or off the brackets around the secondary dimensions. Please excuse my posting if this feature has been implemented in VW 9, but I'm thinking it has not. [This message has been edited by PeterT (edited 04-13-2001).]
  14. Is the incomming file a DWG 2000 file by any chance? V.2000 is not supported by VW 8.5.2. If so, upgrade to VW 9.0 or have the incomming file saved as V.14 or before. Hope thats it. PeterT
  15. quote: Originally posted by graham wilson: Thanks for that- as it happens we are on PC's, but we have now bought the full version of Acrobat and printing direct to the PDFwriter driver is very straightforward on PC's as well. Just to clarify, Acrobat comes with both the "PDFwriter" and the "Distiller". According to Adobe, the PDFwriter is sort of a short cut, and should be used primarily for text documents. If you try to process the complexities of a graphic document, you may experience some problems, the main one, in my experience, is that rotated text is handled poorly. For flawless PDFs, use the Distiller as described previously instead. It takes a little longer creating the file, but the results are always perfect.
  16. You can turn any script into a tool on a tool palette, or a typical pull down menu command by using the "Create Plug-in..." command on the "Organize" menu. Just click the "New" button, choose "Tool" or "Command", name your new tool or command, then click the "script" button, paste in the text of your script. (To copy the text of your script from the command palette, just hold down the "Option" key while double clicking your command on the palette, this will open the script editor rather than running the script so you can copy the text.) Now all you need to do is enter the Workspace Editor, and add the new tool or menu command to your workspace so it becomes available. I find that some scripts are better utilized as a tool or a menu command, others are better left on a command palette. Hope this helps, PeterT
  17. In my experience, in VectorWorks 8.5.2, the Object Info palette accepts only basic math functions in the editable text fields (i.e. +,-,*,& /). I agree though, it would be great if the text fields could accept functions such as SQRT and ARCTAN. These calls are available in VectorScript, so it would seem possible that NNA could add this functionality to the info palette. A good item for the wish list.
  18. Try the WorksManual by Janis Kent, AIA available at: http://www.improbability.com
  19. If you're on a Mac, prior to the export, cut the worksheet from the drawing, paste it into the Scrapbook (in the apple menu), now cut it from the Scrapbook and paste it back in your drawing. It will come in as simple lines and regular text. Now it should export like any other object. I think this process works also if you do the intermediate paste into any graphics application instead of the scrapbook which may also work on the Windows platform. A bit of a work around, but should work. Regards, PeterT
  20. Have you tried changing the "Palette Margins" setting under Preferences/VectorWorks Preferences/Session/Palette Margins? This setting affects how palettes are anchored. Maybe try the "None" setting? Hope that helps. PeterT
  21. I don't know who maintains and upkeeps this Tech Board itself, but it would be very useful if a "Computer Platform" catagory was added to the "User Profile" section of the Tech Board. As VectorWorks is a cross platform application, when reading or responding to other user's postings, it would be very helpful to know if the user were on a Mac or a Wintel machine. Many potential problems or solutions are very platform specific, and many users forget to mention thier platform when posting. Thank You, PeterT
  22. What you can do is as follows: Copy your text from your Word document, now open the Graphic Editor in Word, Paste the text from the clipboard back into the Word graphic document, copy it again from this Word graphic document, and now, "Paste as Picture" in to your VectorWorks document and it will come in as an image with all formatting intact. Here is another way to get notes into VectorWorks with formatting intact on a Mac using the LaserWriter Driver: From your Word document, select the "Print" command. In the Print Dialog, scroll down the pull down menu list to the "Save as file" settings. We set these to "EPS enhanced preview", "Postscript level 1", ASCI format", and Font inclusion: "None".(if you choose to include fonts, the file size goes astronomical). Click the "Save" button, and choose a name and location for the EPS file. Now go to VectorWorks and choose "Import EPSF", select your EPS file, and your formatted text document comes in beautifully. Also, if you click the "Save Settings" button in the Print Dialog, your "Save as File" settings will be saved to the LaserWriter, and the next time you do an EPS you will not have to set any of this up. Regards, PeterT
  23. quote: Originally posted by mikeconner: Can't NNA just post this PDF on the web site for download? I agree, a posting would be much easier. Also, a list of those reported bugs from version 8 that have been fixed in version 9 would also be helpful to post, or maybe these are the same list. PeterT
  24. Some additional Information: We are on Mac's in our office, and we have found that if you buy the full version of Acrobat, and download the free Adobe PS 8.7 driver from Adobe's website, when the Adobe driver is selected in the Chooser you can create PDF's directly from VectorWorks without the extra step of creating a PS file first. If you have both Adobe products installed, and you print directly from VectorWorks, the Adobe print dialog lets you select the Distiller directly from the virtual printer pull down menu, and when you "save as file", you will save the PDF directly. Also, the Adobe 8.7 driver allows you to save custom page sizes of any dimension, where as the LaserWriter driver only allows you to save those page sizes supported by your laser printer (or some other PPD). The above process produces excellent quality PDF,s on a Mac, and I would think the Windows driver would be similar. You can download the Adobe 8.7.1 driver for Mac directly from: ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/printerdrivers/mac/8.x/US.sea.hqx I think the Windows driver has a different version number, 5.x or something. You can find it by going to the follownig link and scrolling down to "Printer Drivers": http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html Hope this helps, PeterT
  25. quote: Originally posted by michael@arc: just for my information: do any vectorworks monitor this board and sometimes help solve problems? According to John Williams at Nemetschek NA, VectorWorks 9 (now available) not only supports import and export compatibility with AC 2000, but also supports the exporting of LayerLinks to DWG. He states the LayerLinks come in as blocks in AutoCad. Don't worry, they (NNA) listen carefully to user requests.
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