MHBrown

Back in the day, I used Vectorworks/Mincad for modeling and Strata Studio 3D for rendering. Many, if not most, VW/MC users had the same workflow. It worked very well since Strata's modeling tools were unstable and nearly impossible to use, but the rendering engine was, and still is, amazing. Even back in the '90s, Strata allowed raytracing and easy animation tools with the ability to create texture maps from videos. They were placed just like static maps, but would run during a walk-through or other animation. It was great to design a museum space and have the video monitors playing or lights flashing in a walk-through animation. Now VW's high-quality rendering ability has made using Strata unnecessary--but I really miss those video texture maps. This should be added to VW's feature list. I'm sure it is possible in C4D, so it should be a fairly simple port to VW, yes? That would make one less reason given to me to use 3D StudioMax, which I have been resisting. MHBrown

I have 2023 SP7 and have downloaded VW2024, but how do I install it? It asks for a serial number, I put in the number I have, and I get an invalid serial number message. It is not invalid. I have paid my money. Why can't I install the new version? I can't find any "how to" information anywhere. Any advice? Mike

To VIRTUALENVIRONS, I'm looking for realistic human forms, but thank you for your post, regardless. Thanks to all for the tips. I've discovered that if I import the OBJ file with a smoothing angle of 130 degrees, simplify the mesh in VW at the default setting, and set the reflection of the map to "none," the result is generally very good when rendered in Realistic Interior Final (or fast). This is in VW2022 and I should upgrade to VW2023 to improve this process. After all, I assume I've already paid for it. MHBrown

The problems with image prop people: 1. They only look accurate in views that exactly match the angle from which the image prop photos were taken, usually eye level. This is mostly revealed by how the feet meet the floor. It is rarely realistic and often parts of feet are missing or hanging up in the air. In a bird's eye view it is even more apparent. They look like they are lying on the floor. 2. Although the image props automatically rotate to be perpendicular to the camera, the shadows they cast don't. 3. Not a problem, but with the power of today's computers, the size has not been a big problem for me. Scenes render just fine and quickly enough to merit the improved professionalism of my renderings. 4. Not a problem, but one must keep up with expectations in my industry. Thanks to all! MHBrown

Sorry, the names of the files didn't show up. The one with the fewest arrows pointing to texture mapping failures was rendered in Shaded. The other was rendered as Realistic Interior (not Redshift). I'm using VW 2022 SP4. MH Brown

Oh, OK. Thanks for the quick response. By the way, I like the new offset line tool very much. Those are handy when I'm using Studio Max or FormZ, so glad to see this in VW. MHBrown

I am using VW2023 Architect SP4 on the Mac and I don't see the 3D Dragger anywhere. Is it something that has to be added via the Workspace Edit? I've looked at tutorials on the subject and I'd like to add it (although I wish it had gone all the way and become a full-blown way to move objects in 3D). Can anyone point me in the right direction? I have the same question regarding the Offset Edge tool. In some videos I've seen, there are four small icons in the upper left of the screen when this tool is selected. I only have two when I select it. Thanks, MHBrown

I agree. After a couple of days trying to VW models into photos (one-point perspective photos, which are the hardest) I've come to really dislike the ham-handed way this is handled in VW. I also strongly agree that a camera should not disconnect from the viewport. The entire camera system needs a total redo. VW needs to hire someone who knows how it should work. Clearly, they did not do this and it would be nice to find out why the company would release such a poorly thought out system. MHBrown

"How would you unlock it" Well, off the top of my head: 1. Menu / Unlock 2. Unlock/ Unlock All and Unlock Selected 3. Pick "All" or "Selected" 4. If "Selected" is chosen, then the now highlighted locked items (or groups thereof) are identified for selection. 5. Close menu or, if you like, use one of the little green check boxes found elsewhere. This is just one way. It may have some faults, but I'm sure there are many other ways to accomplish something this simple. I think the best advice, however, is to make it a different layer or class and work with the visibility attributes, as Andy suggests. Thanks everyone! MHBrown

This is a wish list item, but I could not figure out how to access the wish list. I'm hoping it makes it somehow. I often draw on top of PDF floor plans. When I do, I lock them so I don't inadvertently move them. Often I am zoomed way in on the floor plan when I notice I can't select anything. Imagine my amazement when I look over to the OIP and see that I have selected the locked underlay AND it cannot be unselected. The fact that it cannot be unselected is moot because the darn thing should not be able to be selected in the first place. Here is how it should work: locked items CAN be snapped to, but not selected. That should be a part of the "locked" attribute, in my opinion anyway. If this is something I can adjust, please let me know. Thanks and sorry for posting this out of place., MHBrown

That seems to have worked! Thank you! MHBrown

Thanks, Dave, I hope you are right! I appreciate the quick reply.

It is August 2022 and this is still not working. It has not been fixed, although it was supposed to have been fixed nearly a year ago. Here is how I think it used to work: I have a viewport with a foreground renderer and a background renderer. I render the foreground as Hidden Line. I then add a "background" render of a sketch, "Tentitive." What I get is a messy looking wireframe. There is no longer anything "hidden" with the Hidden Lines drawing. You can reverse the "background" and "foreground" inputs and the same thing occurs. In short, you get a sketched, wireframe drawing no matter what you do. Something no one has ever asked for. Am I doing something wrong? I used this command for at least the last 20 years and now I have no way of giving a line drawing a roughness. It is possible VW changed the way this works. If so can anyone tell me--step by step--how to take a hidden line viewport and give it a sketched look? And I'm not talking about using a shaded render. I want to do it with the Hidden Line command, the way I used to, if possible. Very frustrating because I need to do this NOW. Thanks, MHBrown VW2022 the latest SP version whatever that is up to Windows 10 Mac Monterey

It is August 2022 and this is still not working. It has not been fixed. Here is how I think it used to work: I have a viewport with a foreground renderer and a background renderer. I render the foreground as Hidden Line. I then add a "background" render of a sketch, "Tentitive." What I get is a messy looking wireframe. You can reverse the "background" and "foreground" inputs and the same thing occurs. What I should get is the same Hidden Line, but now with the lines "sketched." I believe this is how it has worked since it was added until VW2020 or '21. Now it remains unfixed in VW2022. Can anyone tell me how to take a hidden line viewport and give it a sketched look? And I'm not talking about using a shaded render. I want to do it with the Hidden Line command, the way I used to. Thanks, MHBrown VW2022 the latest SP version Windows 10 Mac Monterey

I'm using a MacBook Pro 2019 i9, 32GB RAM, 5500 8GB video card, VW 2022 SP4, OS Monterey When I render with Redshift, Vectorworks will not allow any other activity. I can't activate any pull down menus, I can't work on another file, etc. Nothing. The file I'm rendering is a trade show exhibit with maybe 25 spotlights, some transparency (windows), in short, I don't think it is a real complicated file. I don't have anything like text converted to polygons, or any other intense geometry. It takes over an hour to render on the Fast Interior rendering Style...not even Final. I'd say most everything is set on medium. It takes the MacBook Pro down to 58% processor speed as the temperature of the CPU nears 200 degrees F (around 93 degrees C). Is this normal? When it is all finished, the quality isn't really any better than the non-Redshift setting for Interior Fast. Is this normal? I thought this MacBook was great for VW, but I'm not so sure. What is everyone else's experience in using Redshift vs. the ordinary Styles settings? Thanks, MH Brown