michaelk

I just tried it with 12.5.2 and it worked. I inserted a PAR with the Instrument Insertion Tool. Used Duplicate Array to get 5 more. Selected all of them Modify/Convert/Convert to MultiCircuit No error messages. It behaves like a MultiCircuit.... Strange Michael VW 12.5.2 Designer OS 10.4.11 PowerBook G4

Would you believe a corrupt accessory symbol? It was changing itself from an accessory to a light. Deleting the symbol and repairing the data inside it fixed everything. I'd love to know how that happened. Michael

Adam VW adds that text for the position name a preset distance from the bottom right side of the geometry of the symbol. (someone correct me if I'm wrong about this!) So you've got something hanging out in your symbol way to the right. 3 ideas: 1. From the Resource Browser Edit the 2D Component of the Light Position. Make sure the line is centered around X=0'0". Try Select All to make sure that you don't have any stray objects hanging around. Exit Symbol 1A. Do the same thing with the 3D component. 2. In the Resource Browser, Delete the Lighting Position and create a new one, being careful to create it from a Group that has both 2D and 3D components (That are exactly on top of each other.) (NB: Don't give the 3D component a Z value - Leave it at 0". Use the Lighting Position OIP to enter the Z value.) Give it the same name as the deleted position. 3. You can always select the position in the drawing, click on the handle for the name, move to where you would like the name to be and click again to place the name. HTH Michael

It gets weirder. The size of the file doesn't seem to be the problem. I went back and opened a couple of recent drawings that were 30-40MB and one that was 160MB and inserted new instruments into them in a very pleasing and instantaneous manner. The problems seems to be with just this document. hmmmmm....... Michael VW 12.5.2 OS 10.4.11 Powerbook G4

Getting worse... It now takes 1 to 10 minutes to insert an instrument or accessory. Michael VW 12.5.2 OS 10.4.11 Powerbook G4

I take that back. It would only display the symbol, the name of the object, the number of them in inventory, the number used, and the number remaining. Sorry. I'll go back to my own list. Michael

Steve Do you have Spotlight? There is a tool that does exactly this. Called 'Key to Instrumentation'. Michael

Here's a new one for me. I'm working on a plot, and yesterday the instrument insertion tool started slowing down. The onset of symptoms was sudden. After the 2nd click when inserting an instrument it takes 6 to 10 seconds for the Object Info Palette to change. The curser stays as a small cross (or more like a +) (no beach ball, no watch) and no other inputs are accepted until after the 6 to 10 second delay. Accessories also cause a delay. I opened a blank document and inserted instruments instantly and to my heart's great content. The file in question is smaller than usual, only 14.5 MB. Anybody got any ideas? Michael VW 12.5.2 Designer OS 10.4.11 Powerbook G4

Adam You are missing a 2D line. Select the lighting position in the Resource Browser. Right Click/Edit (or choose edit from the RB menu) Choose 3D - You will see the pipe. Draw a line directly on top of the pipe. Click on Exit Symbol in the upper right hand corner. Your Lighting Position will now show up in 2D. HTH Michael

Adam I'm pretty sure it's the same in 12 and 2008. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. 1. Draw a line. (That's the 2D part) 2. Duplicate the line. 3. Draw a circle 1.5" in diameter 4. Select one of the lines and the circle 5. Model/Extrude along Path (make sure the line is the path object) (That's the 3D part) You now have a 3D "Pipe" sitting on top of a 2D line. 6. Select the line and the extrude 7. Modify/Group 8. Modify/Convert/Convert to Light Position A lot of times, if there are multiple examples of a repeated similar positions (like booms or battens) I add a the following steps 7A: Modify/Create Symbol..... 7B: Name the Symbol 7C: Select the symbol in the Resource Browser 7D: Insert the symbol in the drawing with the Light Position Obj tool (in the Spotlight Workspace). Then you don't need Step 8. HTH Michael PS. In VW12, if you intend to render scenes with by turning on any of your lights, it's is important that the Lighting Positions have a texture that doesn't cast a shadow. (In VW12, light emanates from the C-clamp. Don't know why.) The easiest thing to do is use the Default Instrument Texture.

Adam Make sure your lighting position has both 2D and 3D elements. If your lighting position is only 2D, it can't have a Z value. Michael

I think I do have the M7 and the o1V96 as 2d/3d symbols. I'd be happy to send them to you. Michael

Brad That happens to me, too. (12.5 Mac OS 10.4.11) I'm also trying to figure out what triggers it. Michael

Klinzey, working late on a Sunday! So what does the PhotoGrid actually look for? Does it read the field and beam angles, peak candela, and focus point from the data attached to the fixture or does it use the imbeded light object? Could one build other kinds of objects that the PhotoGrid could see? Just curious. Thanks MK

I'm creating architectural fixtures using their .ies distribution files. I'm able to create a fixture that renders accurately (very cool!) , but I would like to also calculate footcandles... What does the PhotoGrid tool need to "see" my new fixtures? Here's what I've tried: I've tried creating a 2d/3d symbol with the light object, another 3d object, and a 2d object, and converting the symbol to an instrument, giving the instrument a focus point etc.... I think this idea is a dead end, because while the focus point will affect the rendering when the light is turned on, when I try to draw the beam, I get an invalid field angle. I assume that's because the beam in question does not have a symmetric beam angle/field angle solution. The PhotoGrid tool doesn't "see" regular simple light objects, but when a simple spotlight light object is inside an instrument symbol, it does "see" it. Even if the instrument doesn't have a focus point, it is possible to position the instrument so that a PhotoGrid "sees" it. There must be something about the light object in the instrument symbol that is different than a regular light object not inside a symbol, at least as far as the PhotoGrid is concerned. Any ideas? MK

Shelly 1. The red indicates a section of truss that is smaller than the "Connection Interval". In 12.5 at least the minimum connection interval is 2' 10". Maybe there is some real world truss geometry reason for that. If you change the Connection to "None" in the OIP, you can draw whatever length you want without the red truss appearing. 2. You can change the text size and font of a focus point from the text pulldown menu. You can also "preset" your text information. Just make sure nothing is selected (ie. click on nothing) and then set the font and size you like from the pulldown menu. Now create a focus point object. It will have the text attributes you just set. hth MK

Chris Using an Image Prop for a screen is a great idea. I second the praise for Andrew's VideoScreen plug-in. Michael K

domer1322 Dan Jansenson has a killer trick for this. I was waiting to see if he would post it. With apologies and thanks to Dan, this is what I remember of it. I'm sure I'll butcher it, and miss some of the fine points, but this will get you started. It's a great trick to make a white ceiling really look white. 1. GIve the ceiling a white texture and set Reflectivity to Constant. (no acustical grid on this ceiling.) 2. Make another ceiling. Move it down a few pixels in the Z dimension. 3. Give it a white texture (or acustical tile texture), but give the texture a transparancy (Plain? I think) 4. Add the acustical grid. You have to play with the level of transparancy, but it will make the ceiling really white and you can bounce one uplight per lighting fixture into the ceiling. Set the beam angle much smaller than the field angle, play with the fall off, and you got it. Now that 2008 is out, will we ever get Dan to write another book? HTH Michael K

Is your light position a 2D/3D hybrid? You may have created the 2D part of the symbol in the drapes class. If so, you should be able to edit that from the resource browser. But to solve your problem, if you delete the lighting position from the resource browser or rename the one in the resource browser, you can use that name again. I think that will also solve your reverting to the previous dissapearing light position problem. BTW, creating a curved lighting position is no different from creating a non-curved lighting position. What would a curved position tool do? HTH Michael K

Have you tried setting Reflexivity to Constant? Michael K

Hi Patrick! I've always wished I could have non-symetric arrow heads. OK - I don't think about it all the time, or anything like that. Michael K

I'll check it out. BTW. I'm a big fan of your video projector tool. MK

That's pretty cool. Michael K PS. Do you have one that does scallops on valances and Austrian drapes?

Chris Great idea.... I tried it and got different, but still wierd results. It seemed to get the channels correct, (I didn't check them all carefully) but the lines indicating a new channel are erratic. Sometimes a group of 3 to 10 channels will be missing the lines, then if I scroll them off the screen and back or an auto save happens, they reappear. My question is, what happened to the original file and how can I get Report functions back? It seems to be related to another problem I had earlier posted in this forum. I don't know how to put a link to it here, but it is called Lable Legend Manager Wierdness and it is post #69927. The reason I think they may be related to a single bug is the way the editable worksheet behaves. Any Report gurus out there? Thanks Michael K

I need some help! I have a plot that has suffered multiple revisions. 2 designers on opposite coasts trying to do a rep plot..... Along the way the channels started misbehaving on the Tool/Report/Generate Paperwork/Hook Up schedule. It assigns 20 or so units to one random channel one or more times in the Hook Up When I click on the unit, all the info in the PIO is correct. When I create an editable worksheet, all the info is correct. Although it likes to not show the first column. When the other designer exported to LW, all the info was correct. (I don't have LW. Sorry, John) I've tried deleting all the reports and report formats from the Resource Browser, but that doesn't help. Any ideas how I can get the Paperwork Generator to work again? Thanks Michael K OS 10.4.9 PowerBook G4 VW 12.5.2