michaelk

Just noticed that scrolling the line off the screen and back can make the width of the offending line change every time it reappears... curious michaelk

I'm getting very heavy lines in worksheets in Edit view. Sometimes just one or two lines, sometimes most of the lines, sometimes all the lines. They sometimes get heaver after recalculating or making the database header visible or invisible. Sometimes they just go away. It doesn't seem to show up in worksheets inserted in the drawing. But it makes it difficult to read / edit the data in worksheets. Has anybody else seen this behavior (and know how to fix it)? thanks michaelk

Currently when one toggles Auto Numbering, it's not clear what the current state of Auto Numbering is. I'd like to see a check beside Toggle Auto Numbering in the menu when it is on and no check when it is off (like the Unified View check). michaelk

3. This dialog box is not resizable (unlike many or most others) and takes up a fair amount of real estate. I'd like to be able to resize it so I can see more of what is on the drawing. 4. I'd like a preview or update option when multiple instruments are selected. The goal is to be able to watch channel numbers appear as they are entered so they are easier to keep track of. michaelk

It sounds like your selected object is 2D. If you extrude the object all the render options will appear. hth michaelk

1. With one instrument selected Edit is an available in the contextual menu (right click). But with multiple instruments selected Edit is grayed out. I'd like it to be available for multiple instruments. 2. The buttons on the Lighting Device dialog box don't flash to keyboard shortcuts when Command is pressed (on a Mac) like most other dialog boxes. I'd like there to be keyboard shortcuts on this dialog box. Especially for Previous, Apply to All, and Next. michaelk

1. Making the details into symbols would be faster and more efficient. 2. Yes. 3. Yes. When you create the symbol, in the first dialog box click Options... In the next dialog box select "Convert to Group". The symbol name will be colored blue in the Resource Browser. When you insert the symbol it will just be a group of objects. If there is only one object in the symbol then inserting the symbol just gives you the object, sans group. Or you could just insert the symbol and then Modify>Convert>Convert to Group and you will get the same result. hth michaelk

Is this what you're trying to do? (example is VW 2009) There was no editing of symbols. Just put each instrument in a different class. hth michaelk

Maybe I'm not understanding. Are you hanging a rep plot and you want to have different graphic attributes for rep units and show-specific units? michaelk

That's how all symbols behave. (If I understand your question correctly.) The symbol is in a class. The components of the symbol can be in the same or any other class(es). This gives you a lot of flexibility controlling the graphic attributes and visibility of symbols and their components. If you want to change the class of any components of a symbol, you have to edit the symbol, and change it there. hth michaelk

Look under Window>Palettes to make the OIP visible. I can't remember if it (non level hanging angles on curved truss) was the same in 2008.

OIP = Object Info Palette

It depends on which version you are using. If you are using 2009 or 2010, check the "Draw 3D Only" box in the truss OIP. That will allow you to rotate the truss around any axis. hth michaelk

At the risk of further complicating things: In VW 12.5 and earlier, the light object is placed at x=0,y=0,z=0 in the symbol. By default, this is also where the C-clamp is placed. This is also the insertion point. I believe that placing the body of the instrument at 0,0,0 will cause the light to come from the body of the instrument. I know that doing so will cause the height to the C-clamp to be incorrect in the instrument's OIP. hth michaelk

Yeah, I probably could have phrased that better... What I meant was this: When you edit a symbol, and choose to edit the 3D portion of the symbol, the point x=0, y=0, z=0 will be the insertion point of that symbol. So in the case of instruments, the C-clamp falls at 0,0,0. When the OIP of an instrument reports the height as a Z value, it is measuring from the current layer Z=0 to the symbol's Z=0 that you see inside the symbol 3D edit space. For example, say you were to edit an instrument symbol>3D and move all the 3D geometry up 10 meters in the Z direction and then exit the symbol. Now insert that instrument on a drawing w/ no lighting positions. Normally the instrument would have only part of it's C-clamp sticking above the floor. But this one will have it's C-clamp 10 meters in the air even though the OIP for that instrument says that its Z value is 0. I hope I didn't just make this more confusing. All I meant was that when editing any instrument in 3D you want to keep track of where 0,0,0, is - because that is the insertion point of that symbol. hth michaelk

Hi Bruce I think it was also not standard in any of the VW 2009 workspaces (but I could be wrong about that.) I'm glad to see layer links go. DLVPs and SLVPs accomplish the same thing better and with less potential confusion. When I go back and open up my old VW10 drawings, I spend half the time trying to trace the layer links. Much easier with a VP that has an OIP so you can quickly see what is going on. just my 2? michaelk

I've never tried this, but it should work... (and you've already walked a long way down the work around highway...) You could edit the 3D component of the symbol so that the the center of the body of the instrument was at 0,0,0 in the symbol definition. That would put the light inside the body of the instrument. Now you will have to adjust the Z value of each instrument to put the C-clamp at the right height. viel gl?ck michaelk

That was the way it worked back in 12.5. The light source was placed at the insertion point. All versions after 12.5 had the light source in the center of the instrument body. michaelk

Not sure if this is exactly what you are looking for.... It might be the wrong workflow for you. ...but have you tried using a worksheet? It lets you tab through all the settings and enter values or use pull downs. No closing the window w/ Enter - in the worksheet Enter moves down, Tab moves right. It also lets you select a door on the worksheet and zoom the drawing to it. hth michaelk

I went back to VW 12.5 and tried it. This is what worked for me: 1. Make a duplicate of the "body symbol" ie. Right click on ETC Source 4 Body in the resource browser and chose duplicate. Name the duplicate. 2. Edit the duplicate > 3D > then flip the instrument to the orientation you want. (Be sure to rotate it around 0,0,0 to get predictable placement of the symbol) 3. Duplicate the instrument symbol you want to flip - say ETC Source 4 36?. Name the duplicate. 4. Edit the duplicated 36? symbol > 3D > Select the instrument body. 5. In the Object Info Palette you will see that you have selected a 3D symbol called ETC Source 4 Body. Click Replace in the OIP and pick your new "body symbol". Exit the Symbol Your duplicated 36? symbol will now be flipped to the orientation you want. Needless to say, this is MUCH easier in VW 2008, 2009, and 2010. Just check a box and enter the angle. Each instrument can have it's own angle w/o having to edit 2 symbols. hth michaelk

12.5 does not have the 3D orientation in the Object Info Palette. so you need to duplicate the original symbol and edit the duplicate. Use the original for the standard orientation and use the duplicate for the inverted orientation. hth michaelk

It works as expected on my mac in VW 2010 and VW 2009. (still OS 10.5) michaelk

I'm pretty sure that no hybrid symbols can be rotated around the X or Y axes. Instruments, accessories, and trusses are special cases that can be rotated from their OIPS. hth michaelk

I depends on what version of VW you are using. In recent versions, you can change the orientation of an instrument by clicking the 3D Orientation button at the bottom of the OIP. Then enter rotation angles. Try it in a 3D view and it will quickly become clear. hth michaelk

There's no way I've ever come across of docking palettes on a mac. I've found that "window shading" the palettes (double clicking the top) makes it possible to have all the palettes I need out, and at a bigger size with the palettes I'm not using at the moment "rolled up" - so there is less scrolling in the palettes. hth michaelk