preston bircher designs

What Have I Done? In the Label Legend Manager I will select a Legend to apply?get the red check mark?and nothing. Usually no legend is applied with the next instrument or accessory (very bad with Colorams). I then have to manually apply the legend. What have I ?undone? to keep it from automatically applying? THX!

Kevin -- that had a slightly different read than the Help did -- plus a re-boot and amazingly, the "import" command was there -- and it worked. THANX!

I'm trying to import my Label Legend Manager files from another show... VW Help says to use the "import" command within the Resource Browswer. Well, there isn't an "Import" command. Here's what it says: "Importing Label Legends from Another File Product: Spotlight Label legends from another Vectorworks Spotlight file can be imported into the current file. Import the Label Legends symbol folder contents from the original file into the new file with the Import command in the Resource Browser; place the legends into the Legends folder. The imported label legends are listed in the Label Legend Manager." So... how do I "Import Lable Legends from Another File"?

OH NO! Now all the Duplicate and Mirror insertions are 'backwards'. I deleted the instruments and re-placed new ones and the same thing. My answer was to "rotate" just one click off center and then all alighted itself. This is not the 'right' thing--but it did work around it. Does anybody know 'why' my symbols are flipping the text? (including the text info within the symbol from Field Template) Thx...

GREAT!!! That fixed it. Thank you for your insight!

Dear Gentlemen of the VW forum--what have I done? I'm still rather new at this--and I'm laying out VL2500 Spots and Washes along a truss and pipe Lighting Positions. As I'm doing it--some of the Label Legends and even the Symbol Information is 'reversed' or upside down! (???) Am I clicking differently? I am using the Field Template Vari*Lite VL-2500S & VL-2500W hybrid symbols. Yet the fonts are all in different directions. Not just the Wash or not just the Spot. Different ones in no particular order or balance--as far as I can discern. What is different is that I have imported the Theatre DWG from AutoCAD into VW2010/SP3. And the pipes run up/down on the paper... basically SR is at the top and SL is at the bottom. (does this have something that is adding to the VW confusion?) Much tracing over and creating my own drawing on top--and all are converted to Ligthting Positions But as I place them--Some font is Right Reading some is Left Reading. Some is upside-down! This is not only for the Lable Legend information--but also the type that is noting the fixture-type from Field Template--which I didnn't know that it was changable/editable, etc. WHAT HAVE I DONE TO THIS PROGRAM TO MAKE IT DO THIS? Many thanx in advance... Preston

I changed the scale to 1:1 and the two sets of items don't all match up--but what is "out" of the drawing now is in the new Design Layer--but I suppose I can re-draw all of that (not that much) -- but is there a way to re-scale so that all match up? Or is this one of those learning-curve nights and no way around it when I allowed the import to remain in it's native import scale and all others in the 1:1 default? Ciao!

oy vey--after much work--it seems that the AutoCAD layer imported at 1:75. And my Design Layer(s) are at 1:1. (Ships are all in metric construction) now to "re-scale" that layer...???

OOPS... I'm typing this from a 'ship at sea' and the satellite dropped part of the above... Ray--that's what i've been trying to do--but when I change the layer in the OIP Drop-Down Menu, it just disappears! I have also tried the cut-n-paste method as well. But to no avail. All of the "new layer's" attributes I left in their default. I'm still too green to just start a-changin' them all. I just need to better organize these 80+ classes that are all in one-layer. What settings do I need to change to make it visible. in the Navigation Pallet I change the visability and it is totally empty. thank goodness for CTRL-Z. :-)

I have imported a sizable AutoCAD file into VW2010/SP3.

Klinzey--thank you. It was the "NONE" class issue.

This is a small thing--and I've searched the threads back to 2004 and not seen any reference to this--so I must have a wonky setting somewhere--or missed the short-bus to school that day... ... I place accessories; top hats, scrollers, etc., on the instruments--and they attach fine in 2D. But when I switch to 3D, they are floating above the instrument--same angle--same locale if the instrument were up on the same plane. If I check the 'Set 3D Orientation' on the Accessory--the only options I get are X Rotation and Y Rotation. I have to be able to adjust the Z somewhere--or I have that automatic feature turned off somewhere. However I do have one accessory that appears to 3D orientate correctly--the SeaChanger. (a new SoftSymbol from Field Template) I'm out of my limited ideas--only been actively using VW for about 2-weeks now...

I was Placing instruments on different pipes--and I decided to change two fixtures. The Label Legned was a disaster for some reason after I Modify>Replace Intrument. So I just deleted the Legend in the OIP Use Legend. No good. So I deleted the instruments all together. Now when I placed NEW instruments (and they are instruments in the OIP and the Lable Legend is now correct--however, the fixtures are transparent -- or the pipe is 'over' them in the 2D. I made sure that my Attributes were as per class style -- Solid White Fill and 0.05 black pen. Every Source-4 is transparent! Every Mover... all "new" insertions are transparent! What have done to make this happen?

I'm still new--havn't gotten that far yet--so when I do that'll be the next hurdle.

MY FELLOW FLORIDIAN!!! You did it! That was the trick! It all looks absolutely correct now! Thank You!

For Align & Distribute Items would love to do have this feature for a CURVED LIGHTING POSITION. Thank you.

Every font I choose will 'type' in the correct font--but then when it's released, then to Arial. I did find one rogue lighting position that was helvitica--but it did the same thing. The font I want to use is "Two-By-Four" from Fonthead (http://www.fonthead.com/fonts/TwoByFour) and I purchased it from them in Jan 2010. It works in all programs--and works while "selected" in Vw2010/Spotlight. I'm totally confused! Thanx, y'all!

Kevin: no mappings ... but it was worth the try. Peter: OK, I selected the font as my 'default' and when I type a text field on the drawing, it appears in the correct Architectural font. However, when I release (back to the 2D tool) the font reverts to Arial. I'm using Designer; Spotlight and the Lighting Postions i have noted with the correct font--but also appear to be Arial. While I've got you on the line--I have many fonts in my system. I also work with our show Graphics Design. So when I open the Text>Fonts menu--two screens of fonts appear--and no way to go past them to the rest of the alphabet of listings. Any ideas there? --- (sorry--probably should be in another thread -- but while we're in my font nightmare...) Thank you, Preston

I am very new to Vectorworks -- and I have system fonts that i want to use. I use 'TwoByFour' http://www.fonthead.com/fonts/TwoByFour by Fonthead Design and I really like it. My question is--is there a way that i can see my font(s) while working on the drawing? Like for visual spacing, etc. All I can see is Arial--no matter what i chose in the font selection menu. Thanks! Preston

I FOUND IT!!! I'm leaving this here--just in case anyone else needs an answer. Got a reply at MS -- it seems to be noted as a "Middle-Click" triggers the PAN HAND that we all love and rely on daily. GOOD LUCK!

OS: Vista Home Premium Mouse: Microsoft Standard Wireless (Desktop 1000) The 'default' for pressing the wheel is the Vista 3D Flip between open programs. Via Control Panel>Mouse there is a drop-down menu to change this default. There is also a method for changing these options on a program-specific basis. However, the 'do program default' option is not available. I am wanting not to do the 3D Flip within a Vectorworks, but PAN as is the VW default. However--this Vista 'feature' is overriding the program. I have posted this to the Microsoft Answer Forums but no reply in the last few days. Any ideas on how to restore this vital feature of VW and not the Vista default?

THANK YOU! Your formula is it... it worked -- A few problems with the selection of 2D & 3D... but we'll work that out!

Thank you so much for your assistance here? Here?s what I?m doing: 1. Tracing my 3-arcs over the old AutoCAD dwg import 2. Duplicate+Offset each of the 3 3. Connect/Combine each arc to create two large arcs 4. Add lines at the two ends of the combined arcs to make what would be a long 2?/50mm OD pipe 5. Extrude the 2D pipe to be a 50mm X 50mm square 3D tube 6. Modify>Create Symbol ? Modify>Convert>Convert to Lighting Position And that?s where I lose it! And then the above mentioned error. As Kevin notes; I right-click on the pipe (now a symbol) and choose Edit 3D Component ? the Edit Symbol window is blank other than a locust point in the center of the screen. Still not able to create a usable LP. It did stay visable the last time--but now i cannot assign it a Z: height. Reverts to zero. (???)

I found the symbol in the RB, right-clicked on it and Edit>Edit Symbol>2D Component. I get the gost of the outline of my Lighting Position -- place it and get the following: I'm really not sure what else to try here--where is that Vectorworks 2010 for Dummies book?

Thanx... got them to 'group' and become one -- then i Create a Lighting Position and then it dissappears! ?? however the Label remains in it's place. Is there a rendering or texture (add surface-?) that needs to be done?