Samuel Derenboim

Thanks on the tip Alan, My file is pretty tidy in terms of textures, hatches, etc... I try to use line work, hatches and textures only once. I try not to use patterns because they require opengl, and i prefer to render in hidden line format. I do have a lot of classes open, but I will be using them in the near future. Can empty classes really slow down a file by that much? Either way, I'll purge, will tell how it works out. Thanks !

Good afternoon everyone, I've worked with vectorworks for quite a while in a few different firms, however, only the past year and a half did I really get into the parametric end and BIM end of vectorworks. I do love the features and time saving elements in vectorworks that vectorworks allows you to customize on your own or are inherently in the BIM elements. Having said that, when working with larger projects - i have come up to a few issues when working with larger and larger projects. Since I need to often share information with engineers and clients, they prefer the information in CAD. This means that all of my plans and elevations need to be exportable (not rendered in OpenGL). Whenever a project grows larger and larger in size (multiphased) the harder it is to work with the file itself. Why should a line rendering take 5-10 minutes???? But then again, it could also be the workflow. Generally what i do is store the entire project in one file rather than several. It doesn't take as long to update references stored in a separate file and is generally more responsive that way. But, i recently reached a 600 mb threshold, and i'm having a major problem rendering all of the elevations. Could this be a problem with the amount of information stored? All my walls are brick, and some elements have stone work...which could make the renderings intricate, however, this is unintentional. Using regular hatches should make it easier to render. Does anyone have any tips? or feedback? Maybe similar experiences? Thanks alot everyone!

I wish it was that easy. But after i have 18 layers, and 19 references sheet layers and almost completed sheets, its very hard to redo the callouts....i was hoping there would be an easier way to fix this? Also, does this mean there's a bug? or the file itself is just corrupt? and if so, how do i go about avoiding this problem in the future? Thank you in advance!

Pat, Sorry for the bother again, there seems to be a bug - after heavily using the callout tool, it starts to behave very oddly. I am attaching a sample file where the callout tool has been corrupted. Problems include: In design layer view port - 1. An additional leader element is added to the callout tool (usually on the right or left side - there is an unnessary line) 2. Note is slightly offset when adding and additional leader that gets in the way of the text. In Sheet layer viewport 1. Callout is displaced drastically from leaders 2. Shoulder length function or text margin doesn't solve the issue. In annotation Layer viewport 1. When placing a new callout - leader only is called from the left side of the callout, and cannot be switched normally - unless the mirror function is used. 2. Cannot delete leaders in annotation mode. All problems therein have been bubbled. You can test it yourself, could you confirm it behaves similarly? and if so, is there a way to fix it? In new files, this problem doesn't seem to persist, but who knows? I just recently started using the callout tool. Anno_Leader_Trouble_Shooting.vwx

Thank you Pat, How do i go about doing this?

Good afternoon everyone, first would like to start off by saying happy new years ! I've been playing around a little bit with the callout tool, however i discovered a bug. I've been trying to create a symbol detail library to reference for standard wall details - and i've recently discovered the callout tool (earlier posts) I really like the feature it has where it can generate a legend for a series of callouts - and then just that legend can be modified for that particular element. But i don't think this tool has been fully developed. The callout tool isn't designed to be inserted into symbols, something ive been trying to do. It loses its properties and generates a separate note for every callout every time it's dropped, something that i don't want to keep fixing all the time. Could anyone please confirm this is the case? Does anyone else think this is a bug?

Pat, Thank you for the suggestion. I figured it wasn't possible. I've been using this method thus far, just thought there might be a quicker way to do this.

I think i found a bug - Can anyone else verify this ? I have the latest service pack - for the callout tool - Adding a leader works, but deleting one doesn't. Can someone please verify?

Thank you for you that Pat, Is it possible to continue information in a database in an adjacent column though? I.E. Lets say i have a database connection with 2 column references, and i have a total 4 column worksheet. Would i be able to say continue the database information on the 3rd and 4th column after i reach 10 rows of records?

UPDATE: Apparantly the call out tool is a really great resource for keynote legends. Pardon my ignorance, i just recently discovered this feature. A great thing about this feature is that it has an option for additional columns - which is great! However, i do have a question : Is there any way to add additional columns to either : 1. Worksheets - if it exceeds a certain width / length or 2. General notes tool. There is no option for this in the general notes tool - a huge limitation!

Good afternoon everyone, I've been working on a set where i have alot of callouts for plans, elevations and sections that seem to be repetitive but not parametric, and i've been wondering... Is there a way to combine notes database with a callout tool or perhaps a bubble revision tool? I've been thinking of a simpler way of marking up notes by using annotation bubble revision markers and linking them to notes that are shown separately on the sheet in list form. There are multiple reasons why this is a useful feature 1. CSI can be embedded into notes parametrically - unifying elements in the project to specifications without any deviation to notation 2. Simply the callout process in plans - and eliminate clutter by referencing notes beside the plans. 3. No errors in documentation 4. Information is centralized - and modification to notes or finishes can be made remotely. 5. Notation tool does not need to be updated independently from the bubble revision callouts - they're intended to work simultaneously. Method - My current method is simple - i created a 2 custom record fields one for number, the other for description of the object - and reference those records in a table for that layer only. I however - end up having to make one table for each layer (floor plans, rcp, tenant protection plans, fire safety plans, etc...) which is the only nuisance. I end up having 10 - 20 worksheets just for that set. Is there a way to combine this method with the notation tool? and is there a way to eliminate duplicates? perhaps a method that would allow us to use one worksheet dynamically? Either way, I know this feature doesn't exist, but i figure , if anyone has any ideas how to combine these tools, i'm all ears? perhaps Nemetchek will hear us? Thanks everyone!

Good afternoon everyone, This is more of a wish list item more than anything. Dealing with different engineers that work in autocad, i find it a bit frustrating to export elevations with hatches in BIM mode to be converted into linework. More importantly, when selecting option for hatches to be converted to a separate layer, any exported elevation (not plans) hatches in vectorworks aren't converted to a different layer, instead they remain in the original layer of the wall type class. As a result the dwg files become bloated and hard to modify. Any way to change this? I know a workaround, however, its a bit cumbersome - which essentially converts any surface into a poly - that can use hatch information. This exports just fine into required hatches, just a nuissance to do for every job. Perhaps there is another way? Thanks in advance !!

also, convert you pts files into .laz, itll decrease their size by over 90%, just FYI I have a 60 GB pts file that i need to shrink, and by converting to laz, i made it about 3 gb

I have a bit of experience with this. As a tip, I wouldn't recommend converting them to individual 3d loci - as it will increase the file size tremendously. What I would do however are several things. When you import the entire .pts file or .laz or .las I would put it on a separate design layer and do not touch it. Then i would use the clip club to get the proper section cut you need, however deep you need it. So lets say your pts file will have a high elevation of 7', and a low elevation at 3'-0" - use the clip cube to clip that precise amount. When you finish doing that, right click the top face of the clip cube, and select convert to viewport. This is important - Use a design layer viewport instead of a sheet layer viewort as you can snap the points. Also, point cloud information only works in openGL - not in architectural plan mode, so bear in mind when you do that. (use the number 5 key on the number key pad to go into plan view mode for opengl). Otherwise you will not see the section information inside the viewport. The great thing about this technique is that when you assign the design layer viewports for multiple levels, you can change the depth in the section viewport properties, so if you need 1", itll use 1", if you need a foot depth, it can do that as well. Same goes for sectional information. This definitely takes a bit of practice, however, definitely useful. This technique is for Dynamic informational use - when drawing your plans. If, however you want to make slices, the point cloud tool has the option to delete all other information when you create your slice. I would recommend looking into the tools tutorials. But you definitely don't need cloud compare or any other software to get the sectional point cloud information. hope this helps!

Pat, Sorry to bug you again, is there a way to show the dimensions of all sides of a space? not just the length or the width? In the New York jurisdiction the plan examiners are very meticulous to zoning floor areas, and as a result ask us not just to show the dimensions but show the areas and calculations of every space adding up to the whole. This requires Architects in New York to subdivide all areas into rectangles, squares, trapezoids and/or triangles. When you have a trapezoid in Vectorworks however, the length of width function only shows the dimension of the larger length, not the smaller one, and not even an average between the two - which is something used in calculating the area of a trapezoid. so my question is : 1 - any way we can call out/show all the dimensions of a space? 2 - using average(length) or average(width) still wouldn't work to call out the average between the two unequal sides. any workaround?

i was referring to the worksheet. shouldn't Str2num work the same way in converting a database string entry into a number format? I believe it worked for me earlier. I will double check at home, since i have done a few experiments with this already, but a while back. By the way, =Round string worked perfectly!, Thank you Pat!

Michael, Quick question, is there a string that allows a database header to round a number to the nearest inch? In other words, lets say i have a space thats 6'5.324" x 4'7.643" - when displaying the length and width and areas - is it possible to round these numbers to the nearest inch? like 6'5" x 4'8" ...etc? Also, str2num doesn't work in vw 2017 anymore...am i missing something?

its easy using the 3d polygon tool. first create the bottom edge, then the top edge. Once you have both profiles, use the polygon tool to create the surfaces. once you are done, use shell the create thickness of the walls

Is it possible to create a roof object that is tied to story elements? Or at least having a height setting for the bottom and top portion of the elements? That way rise over run / angle would be calculated automatically. Just a thought. How does everyone else feel?

Alan, Thank you for that! Although a great feature request would be to have a low point for the roof and a high point for the roof in the tools itself - without specifying rise/run or angle. It should calculate it automatically. Infact - it would be great if it was combined with stories - similar to the way stairs work. Wouldn't that be a sight?

Yes, I meant hidden line. Thank you for the correction The problem with open gl is that it turns the linework into an image, which can be illegible once printed on a larger scale format. Everything has to be a line drawing, especially for sectional drawings. I'm worried how it will behave when i create full building sections when all elements will need to be rendered. Of course the section line depth will save me to a degree, but still very frustrating. Wondering how it can be improved in any way?

*Update I think i solved the problem. By eliminating the classes you don't need, it doesn't preload that geometry. Just a note for the future for everyone - Be careful how you load you classes when you render a model. Also create a limited depth for the rendering to further increase speed! Although I still think there should be some way to eliminate preloading automatically for elevations. I will limit the items rendered in the future though. Hope this gives some people a heads up!

best way to go is getting details from manufacturers. There are often cad details provided in dwg format - for EIFS, various panels, thruwall details, for roof - a good set of details would be firestone, for masonry details - look for details in various construction institutes like http://masonrybc.org/masonry-technical-manual. For studs - try clark detrich - they have a substantial amount of framing details. Combination between these items would get you the result you need. But I'll be honest, there never is a quick fix. to my taste - cad details are very poorly done. but then again, that's just my opinion. hope this helps!

Good afternoon everyone, I have a fairly serious situation when i recently decided to go about creating an existing 5 story building in vectorworks. The model is pretty large, approximately 405 megabytes. It contains 7 floor plates - including a cellar and a roof plan, but other than that it isn't that complex. I did include plumbing and sinks in 3d as well as 3d cabinets and countertops for kitchens on most of the floors. The existing building is a substantially a brick building, so i decided to use a brick hatch and texture for the surface perimeter. the opengl 3d model is pretty responsive, it takes a little bit of time to preload the 3d elements, but after that its very easy to navigate. The problem is this - the wireframe renderings for elevations take extremely long, in fact impossibly long to render and i cannot figure out why. In previous versions i haven't had this problem on 4 - 5 story buildings, but i also didn't have as many objects in it either. My question is this - could this be a memory leak? or just incorrect method of approaching the project? or perhaps not enough hardware specs? Listing my hardware specs below: Windows 7 sp1 Intel Core i7 - 5820k @ 3.3 ghz (can overclock to 4) Ram - 16 Gb - Dual channel ddr @ 1200 mhz Motherboard - Asrock x99 Extreme 4 Graphics - Nvidia Geforce GTX 1060 - 6 gb Main HD - crucial 250 bx100 ssd drive (operating system, temp storage) Storage HD - Seagate 2 tb harddrive - 7200 rpm If its hardware - what do you suppose the bottleneck is ? Hint - could it be the ram? I checked the usage while rendering - and it jumped to 16 gb (my max). But does it really need that much ram in order to render line renderings from a BIM model? and 2 - why does it preload ALL the objects in back of the facade when they're not shown? Isn't that a bit counter productive? (at least it seems that way - from a logical standpoint) I could post the file - but let me know, its 400 mb Thank you in advance everyone !

Thank you Alan! I'm looking the marionette, very interesting! Just need to convert metric to imperial units! In fact, I'm currently experimenting with it now. I still don't have my head fully wrapped around marrionnette, but i will keep at it! This is an example of a roof that's fairly complex but that's fairly easy to create out of 3d polylines. Converting it to an actual roof is very tedius. Any suggestions? test roof.vwx