cberg
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Posts posted by cberg
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Thinking about this a bit more. The Macbook Pro trackpad is pretty easy to use for zooming in and out. I hold the space bar to pan, and key the flyover tool, which functions better than the cube. (since it rotates the view around a selected object)
But most of the other keyed projection commands can be easily invoked by the View Cube.
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Doesn't the view VW2025 Onscreen View Control Cube address this issue?
I'm pretty used to using VW on a laptop trackpad when I need to. The View Control Cube helps facilitate projection views and simple rotations. You can always assign the flyover tool to a key that's easy to reach on the laptop keyboard.
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I am experiencing this bug. 403 Forbidden Error...
Could not submit a post without removing parentheses.
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@Steve S. I think Set Working Planes is the only way to do this. Buy why is that the case?
@VIRTUALENVIRONS My question is a little more fundamental/easy: Why are VW 3D objects not aware of their context within global 3D space? And why do objects created with different processes manifest different behaviors and orientations? As the attached video demonstrates, the snaps are responding to some sort of logic embedded in each object's history or definition.
There should be some way to reset an object's geometry to 3D Cartesian space. Or toggle a snap between absolute XYZ axes and some relative orientation system-- whatever that may be.
At present there is no rhyme or reason to snapping behavior.
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Thanks @Steve S.
But I am still experiencing problems. I am finding that the objects have some sort of internal orientation that affects snapping. Please refer to the attached file and the screenshot below. It could very well be something I am doing incorrectly.
Lines in Auto-Plane Mode snap to a global XYZ coordinate system only in certain circumstances, and I am unsure why objects modeled with various processes behave differently. Can you test whether you can get each of these objects to function as you show in your video?
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I am looking to make a series of horizontal and vertical guide lines / cuts on a rotated 3d object.
If I use a 3D polygon, I can draw along the x, y, and z axes. However, 3D polygons can be somewhat challenging to work with. (You can't manually adjust the length, and they won't show up easily in shaded render if the polygon has a fill...)
VW lines are often preferred. However, is there a snap setting or key command that locks the axis? I would like to "draw" on the rotated object, with snaps to the global XYZ, not relative to the object XYZ.
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There is probably a resale market for the now-defunct Rendermall content. I, too, regret not purchasing, but at the time, a library of parametric trees was always outside my budget. The legacy tool still works, with the default VW list of plants.
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I use data visualization to make the site model lines a very light gray and overdraw any lines I need for context.
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It is mind-boggling that wall "mark" information would be in three different places!
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Thank you for the video and reminder.
VW needs to review all these "quasi-legacy" tools and modernize them. It feels like they were developed in the 1990s and haven't been thought about again since then.
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Make sure that the Attributes palette is set to use "None" not arrow markers in your design layer. Otherwise, you get arrows in sections... Not sure why.
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It's probably not an either-or proposition—two files vs one integrated model.
At early stages when variables are fluid, it may make sense to maintain a single model to facilitate better integration of site and landscape. If the project becomes unwieldy, and you want to focus on the site (or building), you can easily split the models apart and reference them back together. Referencing also solves the perennial true north vs building north dilemma. That said, I have personally encountered referencing glitches when trying to bring a site model into my building model — likely due to some error on my part.
Having a site and building together in one editable model is very helpful for understanding relationships and making adjustments. The approach described above answers the original question.
Working on a project of a certain scale or complexity, however, requires collaboration. In those situations, I would gladly defer to the civil or landscape experts!
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In the seven (?!?) years since I've asked this question, I've concluded that the following approach is best. Model the site in real Z units, and then set the layer elevation of the terrain by the negative Z dimension that corresponds with your desired finish floor datum, where Z=0. In this scenario, the building model and site work together in one file.
For example, if the desired base finish floor elevation is 100' above sea level, make the layer elevation of the Site Model Level -100'. When working in the site layer, everything is set to the proper elevation above sea level. However, when working on architectural elements, walls and slabs are set by the datum floor elevation. 3d modeling is closer to the Z=0 plane. (No distortion working at high elevations). 2D Grades and Spot Elevations display correctly. Elevation benchmarks should also be accurate, since stories (with their layer elevations) define them.
This solves the problem of mounting ceilings and light fixtures at elevations above sea level. Hopefully, it will also broker a much-needed truce between architects and landscape architects.
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It would be helpful if we could manually enter an arc length and use the center of the arc as the work point. You can do this with lines. Unfortunately, the Arc OIP does not behave the same way.
I am working on geometry that must be applied to an arc plane. The green arc is my control arc. The pink line is the desired arc length (40.5"). Maybe I am missing something obvious when generating arc geometry. It's a bit of a pain to enter the arc length and reposition/rotate the arc at the center.
Handling vector geometry "should" be one of Vectorworks' strengths. 😀
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My favorite way to move objects between layers and retain their z value is to group them. Make sure you can show snap modify other objects and make to activate the layer you want to move things to. Ungroup afterwards to retain the classes. And you can do this with a key command. Control/command + G.
This approach is useful when you need to make a large global change in the organization of a model. But it also addresses the concern of changing layers using a keyboard shortcut.
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On 5/28/2025 at 4:20 PM, zoomer said:
Thank god I found that pressing CMD - temporarily lets you reposition the Gizmo - while in a translation mode ...
(I will forget that likely until tomorrow though)
I would never have figured that out on my own!
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Reshaping it fixes it, and reshaping it to another point breaks it again. It depends on where the stretched line "lands".
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I haven't used the Linear Material - Corrugated Deck tool in a while, and it looks like the fill/closure is not working properly.
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Figured it out. There is a way to extract a curve that provides the desired length/geometry. Possibly easier than switching back and forth to the annotations space.
The shop usually needs steel dimensioned to the 16th of an inch.
We are exploring digital fabrication -- i.e., sending STP files directly to the cutter. At the end of the day, you may be correct, and it is too much detail. However, putting all the pieces (accurately) into a worksheet helps check the data.
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Agreed.
It would also be great to pull a line off a cylandrical extrude, which seems like a much more modest ask. :-). Thanks for all the help!
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I put the data into a record format so that I can develop piece sheets & order totals for fabrication. Maybe a little beyond the scope of VW. Sadly there is no good way to automate the process.
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It goes back to the question of the bounding box delimiting the object vs some screen-oriented abstraction....
@Tom W. I don't think the length of your structural member would be correct. If one were to cut that shape out of steel (or any material), you would need to measure the piece from long edge to long edge, because the tapered bits are created out of a longer piece. The dimension is taken at the centerline....
@Jeff Prince I think you are correct, that the only way to find this dimension is by cutting a section, and overdrawing/dimensioning it in a sheet layer.
Thanks for the help!
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The tape measure tool does not yield accurate results.
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Random width board and batten siding
in Architecture
Posted · Edited by cberg
You can use @Paolo's Mouldings Plugin to set up various board and batten patterns with different repeats. Adjust the spacing to what looks good visually. It will be random but not too random.
Once you get a pattern you like you can trim it out if you need to meet a roof or gable...