Jump to content

John Whyte

Member
  • Posts

    163
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by John Whyte

  1. Sometimes when building a drafting a specification i include images in the design layer which then get included via a viewport in the sheet layer and thus the PDF when it gets published. This all works fine, but when i export a PDF with a couple of images in it the resulting file is often >20mb which makes it hard to email. Ive currently got 2 work arounds : 1) upload to dropbox and share PDF through there 2) import PDF into Adobe Acrobat and reduce image PPI / DPI (i can often get a c.20mb file down to about 1mb by doing this). Neither is great though as they add a minute or 2 to my workflow each time i want to produce the PDF. Is there a way in VWX to set the max image PPI / DPI when publishing a PDF so i dont run into this issue ?
  2. Wow that was obvious, cant believe i missed that one.. thanks Jim !
  3. Ive got an existing file with some 3d wall and geometry in it. When ever i draw a new wall i can see it whilst drawing, but as soon as i make the final connection or double click to leave the wall it disappears. Im sure its a setting in the file, rather than a bug in vwx as when i open the new file it works fine, but it would be good to know whats causing it in this file as theres already lots of layouts and reports created in this file. Ive attached a video of the issue below and a copy of the file (with all the data purged but the setting that is causing the issue is still there) Youtube video of issue : See file attached Any helps much appreciated --- This is in osx 10.10.5 - vwx 2014 designer
  4. Ive got a dictionary built up on my machine full of technical terms, abbreviations etc. What id like to do is host the dictionary on our server and tell vectorworks to look there so that all users would have the same dictionary for spell check on their machines ? Failing that is it possible to export a vwx spell check dictionary from one machine and import it into another - either via a GUI or by just moving settings / plist folders ?
  5. Ive got a drawing that i need to overlay electrical symbols onto and circuit them up. Because of the layout of the drawing in the design layer be spread out and the fact that its referenced in other files i cant really move the floor plates to draw my circuits, so my only option is to create a layout of multiple viewport and then add the electrical circuits and symbols via the annotation layer. Ive done a test on this but it seems that the symbol count report dosnt work for symbols in the annotation layer, is this correct, or is there an additional option / preference that can be turned on to trigger this ? -- OSX - 10.9.5 Macbook pro - 2.7 GHZ, 16gb ram VWX - 2014
  6. @Alan777 When you mention export as a pdf rather than an image are you talking about how i publish the drawing or how i publish the icons ? Currently im doing as follows : To publish the drawing im using file > publish > pdf To publish the icons im just dropping including their criteria in my report so the system is generating them as rasters (unless there is a setting where i can get the system to input them into a report any other way)
  7. Im trying to generate a report that will show me a count of all symbols in a class, even if they are not used in a particular drawing. For example id like to show all icons in my Small Power class and show a report that shows i have ie. 10 Double sockets, 2 5amp sockets, 0 fused spurs.. Id like to do it this way so that i can use the items with a 0 count as a prompt to double check that they havnt been forgotten. (ie that i purposly have left off the fused sockets and its not a mistake) Is there a way i can run a symbol count / quantity report but set it to include non used symbols ? The only way i can think of doing this at the moment is as below but neither of these is ideal : A) Take all my symbols place them out of sight on the design layer so they get picked up by the symbol count report. PROS - easy to implement CONS - Will give a 1 count for items that are not used in my drawing (in this instance i can always try and remember that 1 = 0 but its not ideal. B) Run a report that instead of showing all the symbols of a particular class is grouped by individual symbols PROS - achieves they correct results CONS - fidly to setup as each individual symbol will need to be listed in the report criteria.
  8. Thanks @Alan777, I changed the dpi to 1000 and it worked someone but it seems the underlying problem is with the way VWX stores the symbols to begin with in the resource libary and thus in the report on the design layer. So publishing at 1000dpi although helps its still publishing a very high res image of a very pixelate image Ive also attached an image of the symbols stored in the resource libary (if you look at the icons closely you can see thats its infact stored as a raster (i guess there using jpeg) Although they are higher res here (they are infact workable at this size even though they are raster, but when published in a report to the design layer the fact they are raster makes them pretty un legible. Although ive found a workaround : What you need to do is make the lines in the report large (what vwx then does is re generate and scale up the raster icons so that they are legible at the new wider line size) now of course the report is huge on the design layer, but you can just viewport it to a sheet layer and then adjust this be changing the scale. This together with the higher dpi print allows you the read the icons better.
  9. Is there any way to get symbols displayed as a vector graphic or .png file instead of how they are currently done (i think they are currently done as a low res jpeg) as they always come out very blurry when i run a report. The image below is a crop of an example report pdf at A1. Note how the icons (especially the ones with text are pretty illegible) Below that ive include a screenshot of how some of those icons looks as vectors. Screen shot of pdf report (showing full height of A1) (click to enlarge) Vectors in design layer (click to enlarge)
  10. UPDATE Whats strange is that if i open a new blank file apply the image fill in there (this works correctly) then copy and paste the filled object from the new file into my working file it stays ok, from there I can use the paint bucket to copy the fill style from this copied object and apply it to any objects as required (even ones that previously wernt taking the image fills correctly) So at least now ive got a work around, but still the root issue is very strange.
  11. Im trying to use a custom image fill on an object. When I apply it although it shows up correctly in the attributes panel in the object itself is just the a representative colour similar to the image. (ie. if i make the object have a wood image it will be brown, if i make it have a slate image fill it will be grey). Whats odd is that in other files im able to apply image fills correctly. Any ideas why it wouldnt be working in this file ? Ive attached a screenshot below of whats happening. (click to enlarge)
  12. @James Russell, Ive had a look online about windoor, but from what i can see its a plugin, and is only available in Australia and New Zealand, do you know if thats correct ? Thanks @jimw
  13. Does any one know where i can get some more planting and soft landscaping assets. At the moment Im using the inbuilt vwx plants in the default planting resource folder and some downloaded and hand drawn blocks, but im still finding holes when looking for specific items. Ideally id like to be able to have a wide library of different planting so i can place for instance a conifer in a drawing. (ie. have a specific plant, rather than just some different shaped ones, than ill have to try to adapt)
  14. We've got a drawing of a garden that contains lots of planting. The majority of this planting is from a planting block downloaded online. The planting is made up of lots of lines and gradients which makes it heavy. Is there any way to 'compress' or 'optimise' these files automatically, other than manually trying to redraw them using less lines, fills and gradients ? Is there anything else i could do to help reduce the file size ?
  15. Hi Jim, Heres a dropbox link to the file - https://www.dropbox.com/s/vbm1onyw1zwjnjd/folding%20door%20vwx%20question.vwx?dl=0 Thanks
  16. Im trying to draw a by-fold door / window using the door tool. The door is 6M wide and each pane is 1M. I can draw this manually, but for some reason not with the door tool, as the "xoxo" options that allow you to configure the door setup are greyed out, as per the screenshot below. (click to enlarge) Ive illustrated the issue also below. (click to enlarge)
  17. Ive created a detail viewport by using "View > Create Detail Viewport". When i go to create a second detail viewport, it overwrites the first one on my sheet layer. Any idea how to stop this happening so that i can have multiple detail viewports on a sheetlayer ?
  18. Ive generated a report which counts all the symbols in my light fittings class. This gives me a table with the symbol name, symbol icon and symbol count. Im trying to add another column where i can input spec notes for each symbol such as "Product Code : 123123, Fire rated". I could incorporate these notes into the symbols name in the first place but we use many light fittings across many projects so ive set my symbols up as generic symbols such as "Double Downlighter" or "LED Strip" and then give more information on them after, as in one project we might be using a downlighter from one supplier and in another project a totally different fitting. Because of this and because we keep all our symbols in a master symbols file i dont want to change the symbol name. Ive managed to add in the additional column (marked blue in the screenshot below) but because its formatted as part of the database it donst allow me to input any text into the cells. Is there a way i can set one column to be formatted as a spreadsheet so i can input data by hand ?
  19. Is there a way to draw tapered wall thicknesses in vectorworks using the wall tool. Ive taken a screenshot of what im trying to achieve.
  20. We use spreadsheets for schedules, it would be good to be able to place them on the same file and sheetlayer as the drawing they are referencing. Is there a way i can generate static tables and / or spreadsheets from inside vectorworks ? Is there a way i can import static tables and / or spreadsheets from excel or .csv into vectorworks ? Is there a way i can export report tables that were generated from inside of vectorworks to a excel readable format, when doing this id also like to be able to export any images (such as symbol images) that are in a report ?
  21. Hi Jim Font wise its Arial (which is pretty much as universal a font you can get) I was using preview to open these, but as per your question i tried in Adobe reader and now it works, Thanks ! Something to mention is that this is happening in preview with both call out boxes text as well as normal text tool text.
  22. Ive got a pdf thats been published from vectorworks using the Publish > PDF. When i view the pdf and select some of the text to try and copy it to another document (say for example an email, but the same issue happens elsewhere when i tried, even when pasting back into vectorworks) i get the following : 􏰚􏰂􏰋􏰄􏰔􏰇􏰁􏰊􏰌􏰔􏰇􏰜􏰇􏰑􏰧􏰄􏰅􏰇􏰚􏰯􏰡 The forum seems to be displaying this oddly, so ive made a screenshot below of what it looks like when pasted on my computer : The original text i copied said : Towel rail - Spec TBC Any idea how to resolve this, so that I can copy the text from the pdf and paste it into another document ? Ive created a pdf if any one wants to try, although im sure you all have your own vwx generated pdfs on your system. SAMPLE PDF - https://www.dropbox.com/s/aiflb7w7cks3vt4/Test%20pdf%20%5BSheet%20Title%5D.pdf?dl=0
  23. Ive been trying to the find / replace to find where im up to in a unique numbered list. I searched for "R38" and it found nothing even though through manual searching i found a string in a call out box, containing "R38" in a call out box, any idea why this is happening and how to prevent it ?
  24. Ive got a referenced viewport in a file called furniture.vwx which contains a site survey. In my site survey file ive got a saved view called 'Clean Drawing' which is basically just the building GAs with all the ceiling heights, lighting, small power etc turned off via the classes. What id like to do is be able to access and toggle on / off the saved view from inside of my furniture file. At the moment the only way i see to controll the classes, of the referenced viewport is by clicking the viewport in the navigation panel and clicking classes.
  25. Im using more than one drawing label in the annotation layer of a drawing. But while working with these it keep getting the following error (please see below image) any how i can stop this error coming up ?
×
×
  • Create New...