P Retondo

Great examples for using the property line tool. But look, the problem is really simple. Property line descriptions can be either clockwise or counterclockwise. Surveyors don’t really care, those can be mixed on a given boundary because they are being reused from an adjacent property’s description, so we end up with some segments being described clockwise and some counterclockwise. Software engineers need to be aware of what the problem is, why they can’t impose their idea of order on reality, and figure out a user interface that makes things work in an intuitive way for us.

Sounds like the property line tool is still an embarrassment in VectorWorks. Just plain don't understand how a relatively simple geometric task can't be fixed. I think it's that software engineers don't consult with surveyors, engineers & architects to understand what is needed.

Place a circle at a corner (keyboard shortcut “6” plus “Position at next click”), then move it using the”Move” tool desired x and y. Then “Duplicate array” tool. If you want 3d, select all circles, extrude > panel thickness, change to a side view to be sure your future holes are positioned, then “subtract solid” from the panel. Be aware that the holes will then be created as many-faceted polygonal shapes, not true circular cylinders. Multiply knowledge of specific procedures by dozens or hundreds by following Jeff and Pat’s advice.

I have had similar problems when using 3d polys as the basis for a site model, where rational topography failed to convert to a model properly at the boundary of the model (not a grading limit issue, per se). I have not experienced similar problems when using stake objects to create topography, so one possible work around might be to distribute some stake objects (or possibly 3d loci) along your contours, and see if a model generated from those objects doesn't behave more properly. Site model tool definitely needs some work. Whether VW engineers will be allowed to spend time on that seems, unfortunately, like many other tools for architects, to be an MBA level decision.

So, you are saying the underlying data is being modified by the existence of a grading limit. Are you just inferring that from the "existing" site model results, or do you actually observe modification of the 3d loci and polygons?

What is the nature of your existing data? 3d points, 3d polys, stakes?

It is possible in under 10 minutes to isolate an object that causes corruption. First, you need a test "issue." My most recent was the failure to export a valid .dwg. Create a copy of the file, delete 1/2 the objects, test. If the issue is still present, the object is in that 1/2. Repeat until you find the offending object, a surprisingly fast process. If eliminating 1/2 the objects removes the issue, the object is in the 1/2 removed. Repeat as above. If the corruption is not caused by a bad object, I have no failsafe solution. I go back to my daily backups, find a version that is not corrupt, and re-work things.

I have an older Wacom tablet I’ve been using for years. I can’t tell you about experience for 2023, I haven’t installed my version of 2023, but I can tell you that through 2020 it works fine. Really helps keep my carpal tunnel syndrome under control. Very natural once you get used to it. Zoomer’s comments are on point - the mouse scrolling for zoom is something I miss.

At first glance, it looks like a bug. Are the “cap” lines thinner than the wall lines?

It looks like you have an extra component in the wall, that either has no fill or texture, or is set to not have a height. Eliminate that component by editing components (change to unstyled wall first, or edit the wall style if you are using that capability). Once you do that, you will have to reposition the wall by 1/2 the thickness of the deleted component.

Also, to remove subclasses, delete all the classes in question after creating a new class you would like to assign to those objects.

The best way to deal with AutoCAD engineering files with all those problematic conventions is to keep them in a separate file and reference into the file you are working with. Just leave all those 500 classes alone. To select objects globally in a certain class or classes, use "Custom Selection," which opens a dialog box allowing you to create a selection command for any number of parameters. To turn on visibility of all classes, go the navigation palette, classes, and Alt+click on the left hand column of any item to turn all visible.

If those are wall objects, there could be a couple of explanations. One is the class of the inner component may be turned off. Another is the height of the component. That can be very difficult to understand and to track down, but the way component heights are determined can be different within the same wall. Check each component's top and bottom constraints, and if they are different, change them to the constraint parameters that the outer components are using, since they look correct in your section.

If you are going to do your work by manipulating the generic solid objects, why wouldn't you just use Rhino? It's just as good, if not better, than VW for such work.

You will probably have to reconstruct the model in VW using the imported Rhino model for all dimensions. It will take maybe 40 hours for a proficient user, but for a new user, a fantastic opportunity to learn the software. Using stories is optional. Other experienced users may differ, but since stories was designed to make changing story-to-story heights easier, it’s not a capability and complication you need.

So, does this mean Service Select can expect poorer service because more users will be impacting the current staff, or does VW plan to staff up?

Maybe you needed to restart not just the program but the computer.

When this kind of thing happens to me, I quit out of VW and restart the program.

The details depend on what you want to do, exactly. You can extract a NURBS curve from the corner of a shape, then "extrude along path." Creating the right shape to extract that curve from would be my approach. Getting exactly what you want where you want it might require some creative moves.

Thanks, Mark, but what I'm talking about is EDITING an existing site model, not creating it. In the Edit drop down list you can select edit by contours, and there are tools to create new contours or modify existing ones. I believe they are technically polylines, but there is no choice about it.

They are what the site model creates when you edit by contours. I edit existing contours.

Thanks, Jeff, but you won't be able to tell what I did from the site model. Just wondering if anyone has dealt with something like the image I posted and if they have some advice (besides avoid using edit by contour mode, which is surely not working for me).

When I edit my site model by contour, creating a perfectly reasonable set of contours, VW adds an anomaly that makes no sense: Topo contour wierdness.pdf Does anyone have experience with this and have advice about how to avoid it?

This has always been a problem. Sometimes the line appears, sometimes it doesn't. I have never been able to figure it out.

I doubt the error is even that great. The numbers you are manually calculating from are rounded, but CAD sees things to 7 or so decimal places.