michaelk

I just had a very similar issue this morning. This worked out really slick: 1. Duplicate all the instruments. 2. Draw a rectangle around the first group you want to change and name it something. 3. Create a worksheet. Create a database w/ the criteria Type is Lighting Device and Location is (whatever name you used). Include the focus field and sort by that column. 4. Enter the new values in the worksheet. 5. Move the rectangle to the next group you need to change. 6. Recalculate the worksheet. Rinse and repeat. hth michaelk

Jonathan I was hoping there was a 2D locus point solution, too. But it's eluding me. If symbols don't have a centered insertion point, or when symbols have text linked to data, the data can throw off the edges and center of the bounding box in a way that is different for each instance of the symbol.

Have you tried turning up the DPI of the design layer in question?

Currently the Align / Distribute Objects command will align or distribute objects by their left sides, right sides, centers, or space between objects. I'd like to also have the option w/ symbols to align / distribute by insertion point. michaelk

What tool are you using when this occurs? Does it happen when you are trying to insert an accessory, or when you are trying to edit an existing symbol?... btw - instead of zooming you might want to try the lupe tool (it's called something like that) The default keyboard command is "z". Think of it as a local zoom, just the area around your cursor zooms in. You can repeat it several times. Escape to exit. michaelk

Ah, yes. When you get a lot of lights the VP can seem overloaded. The naming convention in the VP seems to be Channel Purpose UID - in that order. If you don't have anything in the channel or purpose fields then it starts w/ the UID. So, for your purposes, you could just enter your names in the channel field. hth michaelk

I would stay away from the name in the Data Tab. That way madness lies. The number is an identifier number that every lighting fixture and accessory has to have. For what you are trying to do, you might be better off using one of the 6 User Fields in the Shape Tab of the OIP. This will also make it easy to put that data in a Label Legend and access it through worksheets. hth michaelk

I can't make it happen w/ SLVPs. Are you using DLVPs? Can you post an example of a stripped down file with the problem? michaelk

I think Ozzie is on to something. In 1:1 scale the difference between line weights is hard to see. I tried setting the pen weight of an inner detail line of a plant symbol to 2.00 in 1:1 scale and couldn't see the difference. Changing the scale to 1/4" (1:48) made the difference VERY clear. michaelk

I'll echo Andrew's echo of Pat. I expect there to be some bugs. IMO, if there aren't any bugs, they aren't trying hard enough to stretch the capabilities of the software. And I'm sure that bugs like this - that are hard to duplicate - are equally hard to isolate and fix. FWIW, I got an email from someone at NNA saying that they are looking at it. There may be a discussion to be had on the process of submitting bugs and wish list items and a feed back loop in those processes that may have made this and other issues easier to isolate sooner - topic for another thread. We all have bugs and wish lists we we would like to see fixed immediately, and not knowing where they are on the list, or if they are even on it at all, can be frustrating. But in my experience, it seems like NNA has been attentive to many bugs and wish list items. If this really is a bug - I'm not excluding the possibility that I screwed something up - now that we know how to recreate it, I expect there will be a fix in the near future. Even though I have seen this issue several times in the past, until last weekend I would have found it difficult to isolate, describe, and reproduce well enough to make the problem clear to NNA engineers. So until I could point to something and say, "there it is, please fix that", I'd be happy to supply a list of things I rather see the engineers spending their time on. But nobody asked me for that list michaelk

Michael Do you have Preferences>3D Tab>3D conversion res: set to "Very High" ?

Select the arc and one rectangle. Edit>Duplicate Along Path will get you close. You might have to play with the offset to get it evenly spaced to each end... hth michaelk

Darren Correct. Once you convert to a light position it becomes a Plug In Object and you need to edit the symbol from the Resource Browser. It will be under Symbols/Plug In-Objects named the same as your position name with "-sym" after it. (Assuming you use the above method to create the position.) Right click on it in the RB and you can choose to edit the 2D part or the 3D part. It may be helpful to know that any 2D objects you create in the 3D part will find their way home when you exit the symbol. Same with 3D objects in the 2D part. So, for example, if you are missing the 3D part you can right click on the symbol in the resource browser, choose Edit, choose 2D, duplicate the line, turn that line into 3D and exit the symbol. You didn't say what version of VW you have. If you have 2010, just be careful about putting 2D object Layer Plane mode in the 3D part. If you want to nuke the position and start over you just need to delete the symbol in the drawing and then delete the symbol from the resource browser. (If you delete the symbol from the resource browser first, the position geometry will go away and leave behind the position name - which you still need to delete - but may be harder to find). Once it is deleted you can try again and use the same name. The instruments will be unaffected and (depending on what version you are using) will attach themselves to the newly created position. hth michaelk

The problem is that you are converting the original line to 3D. You need both 2D and 3D geometry to create a lighting position. One way is to draw the line, duplicate it, convert the duplicate to a 3D object (by extruding along path, changing to a nurbs curve, or a 3D poly), then select both the 2D and 3D object, group them, and convert to lighting position. You can also just edit the current positions and add the 2D or 3D part (whichever is missing) hth michaelk

Have you tried setting the smoothing angle in the hidden line render options to 20(ish). (I've found the sweet spot is usually between 15 to 30)

Orso Schmidt just posted a ton of hatches in the Vectorworks Share - Hatch forum. Some roof hatches included. http://techboard.nemetschek.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=134684#Post134684

I'd love to give VS a try. I've tried to teach myself a few times, but it has been many years since I wrote any code. I learned PASCAL in college but it wasn't the language I used most... Handles mystify me a little. I wish we could use an interface similar to the Tile... command in Architect and Landmark to create hatches. That seems much more intuitive, but it doesn't allow for associative connections to geometry. michaelk

Pat Of course! I was thinking it must be hardware w/ no data. But it's a door w/ no hardware. If that's the case, would it be easier to put the offending door in a class ("unopenable"?) and edit the criteria to add Class Is Not unopenable ? michaelk

Agreed! I always write the email first and attach the file. (I think you can attach up to 10MB instead of 5) and then just duplicate the email for the web page. Clunky. michaelk

Bill hello again! The fact that it is row 4.1 means that VW sees a symbol someplace and is trying to report it. This is how to at least find what it is seeing. 1. Turn the database headers on (like it is in your picture) 2. Drag the Sum marker out of the A column header [Don't put it in any other column header, just drag it away so it disappears (just like....). You don't want any columns summed for the next step] 3. Right click on the 4.1 column header. A flyout will appear that says Select Item 4. Left click on that Select Item flyout. 5. The drawing will zoom to that symbol in the drawing. This will at least tell you where there is some hardware or something on that door that has no values in the database fields. hth michaelk

Moby is one of the hatches you posted in Orso- ACAD v12. I can't imagine how you would write a VS to create a hatch of that! I know you're a VS guru. But can you explain to a mere mortal how you use VS to create a hatch? I find the hatch editor to be really difficult and frustrating. michaelk

Bill Good job finding the fix. I'm more confident, now that we can predictably cause and fix the problem by saving [WTF, indeed!], that it must be a bug. When I submitted the bug, I asked for a confirmation email back that it really is a bug - or you and I are doing something stupid. In the past they've confirmed bug submittals. So there is hope. michaelk

Pat Thanks for the confirmation. It's submitted.

Brugers Good thought. I didn't have any other objects in those classes. But non symbol objects (ie rectangles) behave normally while their classmate symbols go missing. michaelk

Yep, that's it. In the unlikely event that anyone has read this far down the thread... Unless the problem is isolated to selective machines it should be reproducible w/ the file I posted earlier in this thread. Open the drawing "Missing Symbols.vwx" Set the classes Tension-Cable and Tension-Frame to invisible. Save Close Reopen Set the classes Tension-Cable and Tension-Frame to visible. On my machine they do not become visible. I hope I have some preference or class assignment set incorrectly and someone will see it and set me straight. Thanks michaelk