P Retondo

Restart every day. I tried this out with the archived version of the file on a computer with Win2K - palette still looks different, but back and forward arrows are enabled, and double-clicking on the original working plane icon enables the plane, and clicking on the "Look at working plane" icon works. So it might be an issue on the XP operating system? The Win2k computer also has a different video card - geforce 3 ti 200. [ 01-15-2003, 12:47 PM: Message edited by: P Retondo ]

Although your days are filled with complaints, I do want the tech support group to know that your efforts are appreciated. Many questions get answered here on this site, and I've picked up many tips and cautions browsing through the posts. I'm also appreciative that NNA has taken the trouble to improve their program, like the fact that the boolean add and clip tools are suddenly able to automatically clean up unecesssary co-linear vertices! Bet you wondered if anyone would notice . . .

Katie, I appreciate your effort, and understand the time crunch. I do want to point out that the difference in the palette is not due to the difference between WinXP and Win2K. I sent you a screen shot showing what it looks like (looks the same in both operating systems). It looks like someone started to do some work on this tool, but never finished.

I take that back. I just sent you a second file where the line goes beyond the polygon boundaries, and the trim tool doesn't work.

Katie, Since my last post, some of the problems with working planes have cropped up using the Win2K system. Do you have answers to my other questions about layers and working planes? I'm having lots of problems with different layers apparently being on different active working planes. Is that possible? How do I query the program for what working plane is actually active?

Katie, In trying to recreate the problem for you, I think I discovered that it only occurs when one or both ends of the cutting line lie precisely on the boundary of the polygon to be cut. I'll send you an example.

Hi Katie, Sorry, I didn't give all my info: VW 10.0.1 WinXP P4 2.2Gh 768 MB RAM geforce4 ti 200 By the way, I have another question or two about the operation of working planes with multiple layers. Does changing the working plane in the palette affect all layers globally, or do I have to change working planes layer by layer? Does "align layer view" have any effect on working plane? Does a saved view preserve a working plane setting? Update: the mode icons on the palette seem to be reversed. The XYZ icon says "Working Plane Mode", and the IJK icon says "Ground Plane." Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Also, I'm have lots of trouble using the numeric keypad to bring up preset views since using the working plane utility. For example, using the "5" key sometimes gives me a 90 degree-rotated side view instead of top view. Possibly related to the "mode" problem? [ 01-14-2003, 06:27 PM: Message edited by: P Retondo ]

Hi Katie, The problem occurs on closed polygons, and happens frequently.

I have a document created in 9.5.2 which had a saved working plane. When I open the working plane palette after converting to 10.0.1, I am unable to select the working plane or align the screen view to that plane. After creating a new similar plane and using it for a few minutes, the old working plane now works, but can't be deleted. Also, the window for the palette does not appear as it used to (no shaded buttons). I think this tool has gotten corrupted, or somehow doesn't take translation from version 9 very well.

Thanks, runtime. I am pointing this out because the trim tool used to work (I'm talking about the tool, not the menu command), and doesn't anymore. I think it didn't work in version 9.5 either. It's a lot faster to trim a polygon with a line as opposed to drawing another polygon and clipping.

The trim tool does not work properly. Place a line over a polygon, and attempt to trim away a portion. An incorrect portion is often trimmed away, and the object being trimmed can sometimes just disappear.

mikie, If you render this model (OpenGL is fastest) the foreground objects should appear in the foreground. If not, then your objects are actually not located correctly. In wireframe view, you can use "Send to front" to bring foreground objects' lines to the front. Wireframe, however, is not a particularly useful view mode for presentation.

Tried this with my setup, and did not experience a crash. I created three rectangles, four lines, selected them all and changed the fill and line colors without crashing. Is this the kind of operation that is causing you problems? VW 10.0.1 WinXP P4 2.2 Gh 768 MB RAM geforce4 ti

Charles, Since the problem is intermittent (occurs more often than not, but not always), I can't be sure - but with "on schedule" unchecked, I have been unable to reproduce the problem at this point.

I think Win2000 can be removed as a suspected cause of this problem. I tried installing my copy of VW 10.0.1 on a machine with WinXP, and the same problem of disappearing windows/doors occurs.

Robert, I sent a file to you containing a wall which once had a window in it, now disappeared. I've also sent it to KID at NNA, who had contacted me asking for a sample file regarding this problem, and to whom I have sent a few emails previously. Thanks for your efforts!

Katie and Robert, Thanks for the responses. Katie: I don't use templates. Just opened a new document using ctrl+N. I would not be surprised if you find it difficult to reproduce the problem, since no one else has reported the difficulty so far (to my knowledge), therefore it seems likely that there is something about my system that is causing the problem. Could it be a conflict with my still-installed versions 8.5.2 or 9.5.2? Could it be a defective copy of 10.0?

I loaded all the DTM commands into my custom workspace - an alternative to changing workspaces. My 8.5 manual had the correct instructions for use of DTM, maybe defjef's is defective. Is the manual available online? BTW, I am one of those who, despite being appreciative of the new features in versions 9 and 10, think that 8.5.2 was the most stable and trouble-free version ever issued. On balance, at the moment, despite paying for upgrades, I still use version 8 because I can get work done. So kudos for maintaining some support for version 8, it's my only consolation for having spent the money on upgrades I can't use reliably.

Mike, I posted notice of a problem with the 1220c and VW 9 some time ago. I can give you some further info: on my computer at home (Win2000), my 1220c (great printer!) is connected via a serial port. It works with VW 8.5, VW 9.5, and VW 10.0. The same printer in our office (Win XP there) is connected via JetDirect (ethernet). It works only with VW 8.5, and attempting to print to it from VW 9.5 or VW 10.0 crashes the program. All versions of VW plot to our HP650 and an HP 4V, also connected through ethernet. Any help from NNA as to how to go about correcting this problem would be greatly appreciated. In both cases, I am using drivers supplied with the Windows OS. On the Win2000 system, page test reports my driver version is 64.08 (HPW8KMD.DLL) [ 01-06-2003, 01:14 AM: Message edited by: P Retondo ]

Robert, Thanks for the reply, but this is not the case. I'm talking about a really basic problem. Create a new document, create a single wall, place a single window or door in the wall using any PIO tool, edit that object twice -> it disappears and all the window and door insertion tools are disabled until the program is restarted.

Robert, Thanks - I don't remember seeing this in the "new features" part of the manual? Oops, there it is in the Architect manual.

I'm working on a document converted to VW 10.0.1 from VW 9.5.2. I am now unable to drag my walls longitudinally. Further, although I have not checked auto join in VW preferences, when I drag them laterally they remain joined at the corners (i.e., the wall to which they are joined is shortened or lengthened). I have not noticed this problem until several hours into working on this file, and I suspect it has just cropped up since I've been dragging walls in the normal way up to this point without noticing any odd behavior. Win2000 P4 2G, 768 MB RAM [ 01-05-2003, 01:27 AM: Message edited by: P Retondo ]

It gets worse. Now my wall, which had received the disappearing door, will not accept a new door in the same location. It keeps popping out every time I attempt to move it to the correct location. It's as though the invisible entity still exists inside the wall. So I have to delete the wall entirely to get things to work. I've posted on this issue more than three weeks ago, with no response from technical support. I recently got email from a software engineer asking for a file displaying the problem, but since all files new and old display the problem, I just had to pass on the above info. Either I have a bad copy of VW 10, or something strange is going on, or I'm the only person who has upgraded to 10 that uses window and door PIO's (just kidding on the last one, I hope) because no one could work for more than a day or two under these conditions. This is the second upgrade with VW I have been unable to use because of program problems (9.5 had broken walkthrough tool). Hate to say it, but after using MiniCAD/VectorWorks for almost ten years, I can see light at the end of the tunnel and it looks like a competitor's software.

I'm experiencing the following: -Insert a new window or door -Edit in the PIO info palette -Edit a second time, and the window disappears. The information for the object still remains in the info palette. The window and door tools no longer function at all. This behavior is not consistent. I can always quit the program and open it, which gets me at least one successful window install and edit. Sometimes I can go on for a while entering and editing windows and doors, but eventually the problem recurs. More often than not, it happens upon the second edit of a PIO door or window. Am I the only person who has experienced this problem? This is not a class visibility problem! After reinstalling my 10.0.0 upgrade, and a fresh 10.0.1 update, the problem persists at every stage of installation. VW 10.0.1 Win 2K P4 2GH, 768 MB RAM geforce 3 ti [ 01-04-2003, 11:51 PM: Message edited by: P Retondo ]

DTM has worked for me on numerous occasions. I've never run across the "sitework" command. I always start with a set of polylines (topo lines), and use the "New DTM" command. If you follow all of the manual's instructions carefully, it does work. 2d polylines are converted to 3d polylines, then a 3d mesh object is created. New layers are automatically generated in the process to contain both 3D and 2D versions of the terrain, and there are a few arcane procedures to follow along the way (such as checking to ensure that topo lines don't cross). I recommend starting with a simple test model so that you can follow how the procedure works. If you can't find any of the DTM tools, check your workspace editor to see if they exist in your version of the program. I'm not sure, but I think that plain VectorWorks does not include the tools. [ 01-05-2003, 12:20 AM: Message edited by: P Retondo ]