Jim_Allen

Kevin, Thanks for the quick response and suggestion. I went to Best Buy and bought an external DVD drive to do the install, then I will return it

AAAAAAAGH Here I am, a free afternoon with time to install VW12.5 in the lab. I insert the disk and my lab computers won't read the disk. I try several before I spy "install DVD" (See it comming??) My lab computers only have CD drives. What do I do now???

Hey Eric, I have 9 PC computers hooked up to a router. then router goes into the school (we are Performing Arts High School) network. From what you say I guess the best way is to install on each computer. It would be realy nice if VW would include some intructions :-(

I just got VW12.5 to install in my lab AND of course there are no insrtuctions on the correct process for installing the program on multiple machines. I have done a single install before but not a lab. i have 9 computers all using one router to access the internet. This is also on a school network. 1) do I just install on every machine? 2) how do i decide which computer gets the dongle? 3) Can I install the program on one computer and use it as a server? I so what do I install on the rest. 4) I also have a HP 800 plotter going on the network at some point. how do I set it up so every computer on the net can use it? You would think there would be some sort of manual or instructions booklet. thanks for the help

Petri, Yes Spotlight has a wall tool that is editable - so I guess that means it has styles?

Katie, when I insereted the windows they were set at "head of Window" 6'8" which is the default insertion, I believe. They were fine at first then they went wiggy for no appearant reason, But I am working on a new drawing and OK so far, so I guess I will see if it happens again. Sorry guys Are all Archs so touchy? Didn't mean to start a bitch session.Spend some time working theatre and you will get used to it. Is it because it is so cold up there this time of Year???

Thanks for the reponses. The wall link to layer Z is not selected Here is what I did - on one layer. I selected the wall tool and created 4 walls, then placed windows in the walls (height 6'8" head of window). I did furniture and did some moving around, all in top-plan view. If I select one of the windows that are below the wall the wall selects also and the window will not move back up. If I select the wall and move it up the windows move up with the wall, just won't return to their orginal position IN the wall. when I checked the OIP of the affected windows the height was -7' some inches. I changed that value to 1" and they returned up to the wall. the other windows that I placed show a height value of -5.486" I have no idea how things got the way they were. I gave up and I am trying another drawing doing everything the same as far as I know. So far I have not been able to reproduce the problem??? The windows in the new drawing show a height of 0"

I need some help from people who do buildings. I am a lighting designer and am trying to do some basic set design work. here is my problem. I am working in top plan view. I create some walls (8' high) place things like windows and doors into the walls, place furniture, etc. I go to front view and things are not in the same plane. It looks like a two story room. some walls up , some down, some windows in the wall some below, furniture up and down. I appears to be totally random. What is going on? What am I doing wrong? How come when I place things they are not all on the "floor"?

I just got a HP 800 and am really loving it. Nice resolution, prints fast and the color seems good, but I don't do photo printing.

I have seen several posts about closing down programs that are running to speed up rendering, BUT when I go into Windows Task Manager I can't figure out which prodesses I can stop that will help RW speed. It says I have 66 processes running. Any suggestions?

WOW this has been facinating. I went back and deleted all the sheet layers, and then went through all the design layers and deleted everything from each layer. I then created a report like Kevin suggested and the mystery units were in the report, but not showing on the plot. I right clicked and selected one of the units and all of a sudden the plot was showing a bunch of units??? I selected all and deleted the units and ran the report again. Again there were units in the report, and none showing on the plot. I right clicked and selected a unit and more units appeared on the plot. I deleted these and ran the report a third time - this time no units can up on the report. I am not sure how Eric can fix this without starting a new plot. Kevin????

Eric & Kevin, Did as suggested. when I select ( rigth click) a record that has no position or any other info attached to it in the work sheet - assuming it is one of the mystery unit, the unit selected on the plot is a unit, when I open OIP has, postion, channel, color listed?????? the one i selected had channel 93. I went into LW and channel 93 had 3 units listed with it one had all the info (CH, color unit #) and two had blank info. I think there is something seriously corrupted in this plot.

Kevin, I did as you indicated and got a report that shows all the mystery units, each with its own record. We knew the lights were there, but how do you get rid of the mystery units when they do not show on the plot?? I tried to "cut" out a row of one and VW crashed, I selected a row and tried "clear contents", everything on the worksheet disapeared.. I selected the rows of the units in question and tried to "delete" them - all the records except the first 3 rows disapeared.

some how the plot is corrupted - not sure how but my guess you are going to have to start over on a new plot. You can copy and paste in the building, etc and re-insert new instruments unless someone has a better idea. Kevin????

Eric, Just in case anyone else has an idea. I got the plot you emailed me. I did an export to LW from VW and it worked fine. What I am seeing is a bunch of scrollers and instruments that are not on the plot. Is this the problem? The stuff actually on the plot looks good in LW. I deleted all the visable instruments from the plot and there were still 127 units in the plot when I did an export, that I don't understand. I did a purge all unused and still got the 127. I also went back and deleted EVERYTHING from the plot from every layer. I did a view - fit to objects and there was nothing in the plot and I still got the 127 units. did you get this plot from another program? or was it created in VW? DiWas it created in VW12 or earlier version? I am just fishing for some idea of what is going on. I also deleted the unknown instruments in LW then exported back to VW did a refresh instruments -. tried another export and still had the extra 127!! Anyone got an idea - I am baffled

Also I cannot find any Arch size paper in the print window all i find is ANSI???. I tried to do a custom size paper that was 24" x 132", which is the size of my drafting, but it still didn't print it full size. It prints it out reduced and not filling the whole paper which is does on the screen. I also trid to do a PDF, but that didn't work - although I haven't done one before, so I might have done it wrong. I used to have a HP plotter years ago and all I had to do was set it for one page in the print window and it printed - not any more I guess???

What version of VW, and what version of LW? What process did you follow to do the export and import?

I fianlly got my HP 800 24". I have a drawing that is 22" x 136". I cannot figure out how to make the printer print it out as one page. It keeps trying to print 16 pages. I have tried all the pringing and page setting I can think of. HELP!!

Will do. Do you have a resume? How much CAD work, non lighting, have you done? Email it to me: jtallen24@cablespeed.com

I went back to the begining and tried it again. Now after I have created an image prop it puts a moveable square on my drafting the size I want. but it is blank. If I go into the square's OIP, to the render tab. select - edit "Am sign" prop texture resource, and then select image color edit - I see the script of the sign, but it will not render the sign. It renders a blank square. This is what happens when a lighting designer tries to do sets!!

Good grief, you can live on $17.50 an hour in New York?????. For someone with CAD drafting skills I would expect to pay that in Michigan.

Thanks for the help, but I did something wrong. I went to Photoshop and created an image 6'x 3' with "Almaelou Music" written on it. I saved it as a JPEG. I went into VW - Model - create a Image prop - and followed your directions, and clicked OK. It appeared in my Resource Browser. I selected the wall I wanted it to go on and applied it. Nothing

Ok. I am working on a set design for Bye Bye Birdie. For the office of Almaelou Music I want the sign in the window, and since it is an interior setting the name needs to be backwards in the window. I can't figure out how to do it, as well as when I rotate the set the lettering doesn't stay with the window??? You Arch guys should be able to handle this :-) Also is there a library of windows, with plate glass, etc. ?? SpotLight only has one window I can find.

The lights are not "attached" to a position when you place them, so if you change the Z of the position the lights will not follow. I am not sure how you can solve the problem. Someone else probably has a solution.

How much do you need to make for the time it will take? Add 30% and use that as a starting point. Most producers understand the negotiating process.