MullinRJ

I hide VW often, using both Cmd-H and Option-Click on another app. My Mac sleeps often. And I click in the dock or double click the file in the Finder to awaken VW. It has never caused a problem, so I should think these are OK things to do. That being said, I am running on a G4 and OSX 10.3.9, so it could be a hardware or OS issue. But if nobody else is having your problem with your combination of HW & OS, I wouldn't start looking there initially. Good luck, Raymond

Hi Ben, Regarding your first question: There is a 32K limit on scripts that are run from script palettes. There is no such limit for scripts that are executed from PIOs (menu commands), or scripts that are referenced via the $Include comment. It must be a VS Editor limit, not a compiler limit. Use the $Include comment as the first (and only) line of your script in the VS. It references a file that contains the rest of your script. You may also use $Include many times in your files. I don't know of a limit there, or more accurately, I haven't reached it yet and I have used over 50 in my Reshaper program and it is over 250K. It normally runs from a PIO, but I just tried it from a script palette and it works there, too. Here's an example of a script calling a larger script file: {$Include \Drive name\VW Cmds\Project 1\Test File.px } There's only one line in the VS, which references the file "Test File.px". You can use the editor of your choice, as long as it's not the VS Editor. The \ delimeter works on both Mac and PC. Be sure to set Tools > Scripts > VS Compiler Mode to compile EACH time, or it will cache your program the first time it is run and no changes you make in your editor will take effect until you close and reopen the VW file. When you are done debugging your script, set the mode back to FIRST time, and things will speed up. HTH, Raymond

Everyone has their own way. Hopefully one of these will suit your needs. Here's mine. I keep a grid layer in all of my files that I toggle on and off with a script. The script can reside in a Script Palette or with a little more work, exist as a menu command assigned to a hot key. I toggle the layer uncountable times during a design and always off for printing. Anything can be placed on the layer and none of it prints. Oh, I also keep this layer behind everything so it's out of the way and doesn't interfere with selecting objects. HTH, Raymond Here's the script: procedure ToggleGrid; CONST GridLyr = 'Grid'; { your grid layer name } VAR LName :String; BEGIN LName := GetLName(ActLayer); Layer(GridLyr); if (GetLVis(ActLayer)=0) then HideLayer else ShowLayer; Layer(LName); END; Run(ToggleGrid);

Short answer, Yes. Pick an object or objects. Goto Modify > Scale Objects... You must have an object selected to use the Scale Entire Drawing checkbox. Check it. Enter 9/7.355 in the top box and press Enter. You don't even have to do the math beforehand, VW will do the division for you. You've probably gone through Jonathan's podcast by now, but if you have to come back here, you won't have to browse any further. Raymond

Move Command For the fields that do have keyboard shortcuts, two of them are bad choices. Cmd-X = CUT and Cmd-A = Select All. The dialog never receives these events on the Mac as other software grabs them first. Actually, none of the Cmd keys in this dialog takes you to a field. I, too, would like keyboard shortcuts for Cartesian and Polar. Preferably under the left hand. How about Cmd-R for Polar and Cmd T for Cartesian. Good luck finding a substitute for X. If you could assign independent keys to fields, you could use Cmd-1 for X and Cmd-2 for Y (easy to reach), but alas, that won't fit the Windows interface. Raymond VW 12.0.1 D/RW OS 10.3.9

No, Groups are objects like any other and must reside on a single layer. You can use Move... or Move 3D... on all the selected components (without grouping) if you change the Layer Options to "Show/Snap/Modify Others". Don't forget to change it back when done. HTH, Raymond

Hi Katie, With the Zoom Tool (C key), I click once in the drawing in Marquee Mode. The drawing will zoom in by 2X (or out with Option-Click) and the point where I click stays anchored on the screen. I have no problem with the way it operates, but I would like an additional mode where that point also gets centered after the zoom is applied. Adobe Acrobat's zoom tool works that way with a single click. Photoshop does too. Thanks, Raymond

When using the Zoom tool with a single click, VW zooms the drawing about the click point and that point in the drawing stays anchored on the screen. I would like another mode that also centers the drawing on the click point after a single zoom click. I know if I want to move a point on the right side of the screen toward the center, I can option-click the drawing on the left side and achieve roughly what I'm after, but I find it counter intuitive to click away from the area of interest. An additional zoom mode would make me happy. Raymond

Use the Windows addressing format, even if you are on a Mac. {$Include filename } { implied to be in the Plug-Ins folder } {$Include \Drive Name\folder\file name } { anywhere on your system } If you can be more specific, someone can offer more help. Raymond

Yes, it's not enough to change the view while inside the Symbol Edit mode. You have to ENTER the symbol in the view you wish it displayed in the RB. Personally, I'd like to have the RB icon built from the view I am in when I EXIT the Symbol Edit mode. Raymond

I think what you should both be looking for is someone to PAY your taxes, then you can easily afford to hire someone to file them for you. FWIW, Raymond :-p

You can also toggle visibility with two 1 line VectorScripts. Works in all versions. { Hide all 2D objects } Hide(T in [2,3,4,5,6,10,11,13,14,15,17,21,22]); { Show all 2D objects } Show(T in [2,3,4,5,6,10,11,13,14,15,17,21,22]); Raymond VW 12.0.1 OSX 10.3.9 G4 500 Dual User since MC+ 2.0

Though I posted a few complaints that the 12.0.1 updater did not work over my dial-up connection, I never formally requested a CD version of the update. HOWEVER, someone at NNA sent me one out of the blue, or that's how it appeared to me. Thank you for being observant and diligent. It is just one of the many things I like about the people NNA. Raymond Mullin VW 12.0.1 Designer Mac G4 500 Dual OSX 10.3.9

I just tried Replace Symbol from the OIP in VW12.0.0 and it remembers the last symbol. I also remember that it worked this way in VW 11.5.1. How are you using it? Are you changing to a symbol that's already in your file, or choosing one from outside? Raymond VW 12.0.0, Mac G4, OSX 10.3.9

You can have $INCLUDE files on your hard drive and reference them from a VS. I don't recommend using this method for everyday tools, from a stability point of view, but there are exceptions. The tool(s) would require one or more files to be present for it to work. If you wanted to give a tool to someone else, he or she would have to install the tool and the $INCLUDE file(s) exactly as you did. However, if you only use this method for development of your tools, it's not a bad way to go. At the end of development, you can encrypt your script and force the compiler to copy all referenced code to your tool, thus making it self contained. (Read about the .px filename extension.) One caveat about this, all code in the $INCLUDE file will be copied to your tool, even routines that are not used. If your $INCLUDE files are big, your tool will larger than needed. HTH, Raymond

They are called from within a VectorScript (VS) program. You can create a new VS with the Resource Browser. At the top of the display, there is a menu to the right of the word Resources. Under that menu there are more menus. Goto New Resources in 'yourfilename' -> VectorScript... If you don't have a VS Palette in your file yet, it will ask you to create one, otherwise it will ask you which palette to add the VS to. Then it will ask you to name the script. THEN, you will have a blank window in which to type or add your script - the VectorScript Editor. A basic program shell with one subroutine in it looks like this: code: procedure SomeName; procedure SubroutineName; { you can also have a parameter list, if needed } Begin { subroutine code goes here } End; BEGIN { VS code here } SubroutineName; { calls your subroutine } { more VS code here } END; Run(SomeName);[/code] I am reading a lot into your question. If I didn't answer what you were interested in, please be more specific. HTH, Raymond

Hi Daniel, This is not the script you had running in VW8 (9, 10 or 11 either). SetWallHeights() & SetWallThickness() are calls new to VW 12. You should look in some older documents for the original code. That aside, the script you show selects the Wall Tool then modifies ONLY the first segment (selected with FSActLayer) AFTER the wall is drawn. I assume you want a script that sets the Wall Tool parameters before the tool is used to draw walls. I see the VS call SetWallWidth() has been made obsolete as of VW12, but for now, it still works. I'm not sure what the replacement call is, if any. To set the class and wall thickness, the following will work (for the moment) to create an UnStyled Wall. I believe the height will be controlled by the layer separation. code: PROCEDURE TwoBySixStudWall; BEGIN NameClass('plan-walls new'); SetWallWidth(5.5); { sets wall tool thickness } CallTool(-208); { selects wall tool } END; RUN(TwoBySixStudWall);[/code] To use the newer calls you will have to write a loop to act on each wall segment. Your script could be modified to operate on all the recently drawn wall segments, but setting the wall thickness with the new command SetWallThickness() only scales the wall as drawn and any mitered ends will become distorted. The "re-scaled" wall segments will then need to be rejoined if you want your walls to look good in 3D views as well as in 2D. I'm sure some wall savvy scripters can help you better than I. Raymond [ 03-16-2006, 12:09 AM: Message edited by: MullinRJ ]

I have no idea why there are 2 scale settings. I just poked around the Page Setup box after reading your post and found the other scale setting. Before that, I had no idea it was there. I'm sure there is a reason for it and we may find it useful someday. Glad I could help. Raymond

There is also a scale setting in the Page Setup -> Printer Setup... button -> Settings -> VW12. Is it set to 100%?

Jan, Sorry to hear that the PC version is/was different from the Mac version. I must live a spoiled life. Since Mac v8.5.2, there have been 2 mode buttons at the top of the screen for the Select tool; Interactive Scaling and Wall Insertion modes (no special preferences, though). In all Mac versions since, dragging an underlying object is possible from all 8 selection handles when Interactive Scaling is turned off. I wish I could look at a PC version and see for myself. Raymond

quote: Why make it difficult?Changing the stacking order is undesirable in some situations. In most all of my designs the stacking order is very important so I don't change it without good reason. When it's not important, I agree, shuffle away. quote: But only if you grab it at the endpoints or corner points -- not at the midpoints, even when the cursor changes to a crosshair, and definitely not anywhere else. That sounds like what you're describing, except for the question of all handles vs. endpoints only. Maybe the difference is that Mullin doesn't have the midpoint handles turned on and I do.I have all 8 handles enabled and I can drag an underlying object using any one of the 8 handles when Interactive Scaling is disabled. I checked v12 back to v8.5.2, and it seems to have worked this way on all versions since then. Maybe there is a difference on the PC, but I should expect that would have created quite a stir before now. FWIW, I like it the way it works right now. I wouldn't mind added features, as long as none of the current modes are changed in any way. Raymond

You already have that key. It's the U key for the Selection Tool. Just switch mode to "disable resizing" and click on any handle and pull (with cross-hair cursor). The underlying object will drag from its buried position to its new position. Press U again if resizing is desired. It may not be as sexy as using one of the modifier keys, but it works.

Got room for one more suggestion? There is another really quick way IF there are only two objects. Select both objects, then Shift-Click the top object which deselects it. What's left is the underlying, hard to select, object you desire. Your hands never leave the keyboard and mouse, nor do you have to mouse over to the OIP and back - unless that's where you were headed in the first place...

John, Selecting objects can be tricky, but it is consistent and predictable, once you become familiar with it. Peter mentioned using the Option key while selecting and Nicholas mentioned using the Shift key. For what you are asking you need to use both together, if you haven't already. You can Shift-Select objects, starting from anywhere, and only grab objects that are fully encompassed. This works inside, outside and across circle/polygon/group/symbol/etc boundaries without selecting the larger encompassing object, even if the larger object has a fill. Shift-Selecting adds and subtracts objects to and from the current selection list. Shift-Selecting used to only add to the list, a behavior I miss. (Hint to NNA, I'd like to be able to set a preference, or mode button, to get back to this selection mode sometimes.) To empty the list, press the X key twice, and fast before selecting, which is the same as clicking in the white space of the drawing. You can Option-Shift-Select from within a polygon and not select the polygon, unless you cross one of its sides. The circle is different from other objects and will get selected if you try to Option-Shift-Select from inside it. Not sure why. Most simple objects don't behave this way. Selecting from inside an oval behaves like selecting from inside a polygon, or a rectangle. If you Option-Shift-Select inside the boundary of a symbol or group, the symbol or group will get selected. The circle acts this way. I don't find this convenient, but I have learned to live with it and can predict its behavior. Should NNA "improve" selection behavior from the way it is now, I certainly won't object. HTH, Raymond

Paolo, Open the file with VW. Option-Double-Click on the "Rotate" script and VW will open the script in the VS Script editor. Copy and Paste all of the text to a word processor of your choosing. Sorry if I'm cryptic, it's almost 5AM and I'm up past my bed time. G'Night HTH, Raymond