Jeremy Best

Hi @Kaare Baekgaard, just wondering if you got this sorted? This is not normal or typical so there will be a reason and a fix. My first query would be if you have either lots of Favourites files or one or more Favourites files that have lots of resources in them and whether those files are stored on a network driver/server, in a cloud storage folder or just on your local HD. If none of the prior two apply or if you've addressed them and the issue remains, I'd test for this issue using a 'new blank document.'

PSA: Some antivirus software seems to have been responsible for major speed issues with Vectorworks 2018 where the program gets progressively more laggy as the hours pass. Here's what I've encountered helping one of our customers with this problem: Vectorworks 2018 SP2 had been slowing down after 2 - 3 hours of work and some crashes too. I determined our customer installed a new/different antivirus program (Malwarebytes) just before they upgraded from 2017 to 2018, so I asked that they turn it off temporarily or 'whitelist' Vectorworks 2018. Their IT people told Malwarebytes to ignore the Vectorworks 2018 program folder, after which their speed issues have disappeared and no reported crashes either. I have one other user with the same 'slowdown over 2 - 3 hours' symptom who also adopted a new antivirus program at the same time they upgraded to 2018. They are using Webroot and are going to test if turning it off helps them too. I'll endeavour to update this thread if this fixes the issue for them as well. EDIT: Both cases above are Windows users. Windows 10 and Windows 7 respectively. @JimW Do you have any comments on this matter? I'd like to know whether software vendors are expected to contact antivirus manufacturers to get their programs 'whitelisted?' Or is it expected that their software just wouldn't cause interference at all, except in unusual circumstances?

Thanks Jim. Sorry, I see I wasn't explicit enough. I wanted to ascertain: Given that there's discussion that having 'many' or 'large' Favourites files slows Vectorworks performance, I wanted to clarify if there was any performance difference between: Vectorworks accessing resources in a Favorites file that is locally stored [somewhere on the internal HD]. Vectorworks accessing resources in a User Folder file that is locally stored [in the standard AppData directory location]. Do you know? Is there any knowledge/indication around?

Hi @Alan61 and @JimW, I just had a session with a user getting this error and discovered a cause that might be as-yet unreported. I'm posting this to add to the (small) list of conditions responsible for this error message: One of the directories/folders in the file address used a huge number of characters (43). We shortened the name and all file exports worked thereafter. It might be worth noting that when the directory/folder name was long, some Sheet Layers exported successfully sometimes but one Sheet Layer never did. After shortening the directory/folder name they all exported 100% of the time.

Hey @JimW, I'm looking for clarification about this comment, similar to @Sebastiaan above: I was of the impression that accessing files saved in the User Folder would have a slight speed advantage over accessing any [local] file saved as a 'Favorite' - given that large or too many Favorites files slows Vectorworks down. Is this not correct? I'm currently troubleshooting for a user who has their Favorites loaded on their LAN server and is experiencing major [unspecified] slowdowns that get worse the longer a file is open. They're also having saving issues. I suspected their server or network, or the age of his symbols for the speed problems, but after reading this thread am thinking I'm going to have to include Vectorworks (2018 SP2) as a possible cause. (No SP3 for our market yet). His files are also worked on off the server. I'm going to prescribe he see if working with local C: drive copies makes the difference or maybe using Dropbox instead so staff all have access to the same copy of the resource file/s, but establishing the above first would be helpful.

For anyone who comes across this thread in future, the cause (as was the case for @sandii) is due to things being too far away from other things. Like, hundreds or thousands of kilometres away, however 8km is the recommended maximum span for all objects in a drawing. As I understand it, is a limitation common to all CAD programs. To find and correct the items causing these symptoms: First, turn on all Layers and Classes with 'Show/Snap/Modify' on for both... Then using logical sequences of 'Select All > Fit to Objects > ...' etc, find and correct: Any objects (typically extraneous) far away from their model (first), then; Any object/s more than 8km away from the Internal Origin. If the main drawing is itself more than 8km away from the Internal Origin, centre it on the Internal Origin. See: Tools > Origin > ... A User Origin that is more than 8km away from the Internal Origin. This alone can cause the symptoms described by user Sandii. EDIT: (I no longer believe this to be true as the User Origin is often used where massively-offset reference points are involved). This situation often occurs as a result of importing a site survey file (including DXF/DWG files) that can contain far out objects or reposition the User Origin. Paying attention to and understanding all the import settings may prevent this outcome. It is also recommended that these files are first imported into a 'new, blank document' where you can check for this phenomenon and purge unneeded items in the Resource Manager. EDIT: I've since produced a step-by-step guide to remedy 'far out objects.' See the document below/attached: Tech Support Tutorial; Rectifying 'far out objects' - Written Guide.pdf

I've now confirmed this issue in a new, blank document so I'll be submitting this as a bug.

Just thought I'd take a minute to add I'm investigating this very issue and have confirmed the phenomenon in a user's file, however I have yet to verify it occurs in a new, blank file. Specifically; The checkbox for "2D Cut Fill Area" in the 'Graphic Properties' dialogue window turns itself off after closing the parent dialogue window 'Site Model Settings.'

@Kevin McAllisterAs I understand it, if you're using Cloud Services to publish, in the left pane in the Publish window you can choose individual Viewports and in the output 'Options' choose what format they get saved as, (individual) PDF or image.

It's up to purveyors of hardware and software to ensure their products keep up with changes in the operating system, so if this is happening to a few users with different printers - but not all users and all printers, then - as illustrated by paulg's example - the drivers are more likely to be the exclusive cause. I have received a report from a user with this issue as well, but they have no issue producing PDFs. I've prescribed they update their printer drivers and verify if they're compatible with High Sierra as well. Have you tried using JimW's suggestion of using; File > Export > PDF? Or File > Publish... to produce a PDF then print that from a PDF viewer?

Having lots of Favourites files can grossly slow down the loading of the Resource Manager. Does this possibility fit your situation? I have no Favourites (because it's a fresh/test install only) and it loads quickly for me.

@gfp38The following might resolve it for you. I was assisting a Windows 10 user with a Teigha library error. Theirs read, "Teigha Library Error. The file could not be opened. Make sure it is not already open in another application." He had Vectorworks 2017, Vectorworks 2018 and AutoCAD Lt all open at once. I suggested he close all but the program he was using (Vectorworks 2017). - This solved the problem. I suggest you close any other 3D and perhaps any vector drawing applications as well, then retry. If that doesn't work, try restarting your computer as well. @JimWFYI

Submitted on behalf of a Vectorworks user/client. They pointed out that when Data Visualization is being used to represent values of given objects, how cumbersome it is to manually update record field values if an object changes - for example - in dimension or area etc. His suggestion is to add the capability for Record Field Values to be drawn from object values in the Shape tab of the Object Info Palette. I seem to recall witnessing an implementation of this type of thing using Marionette, but this doesn't translate or connect to the Viewport Data Visualization facility.

@Mike T. @Jonathan Pickup's suggestion to use Data Visualisation could still work for you because you can easily access the Design Layer through a Sheet Layer Viewport just by double-clicking on it.

The sample Notes Database supplied with Vectorworks is here on Mac: /Applications/Vectorworks 2017/Libraries/Defaults/Notes Any Notes Database you create can be saved anywhere you like so it would be wherever you put it (unless you've inadvertently deleted it!). If you can't recall where that is/was I would check the most logical places, either: A logical directory in your Vectorworks User Folder, such as: /Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/Vectorworks/2017/Libraries/Defaults/Notes, or A location 'relative' to where your Vectorworks document is saved, like in the same folder or a subfolder. If you've saved them anywhere but on your local hard drive, they won't be accessible until you reconnect the USB stick, external storage device or network drive etc where you saved it. There are other possible reasons why you can no longer locate/access them but without more insight into the situation it's hard to be more helpful.

A user has asked me how to set the height of the 'First Person' when in the Web View models exported by Vectorworks 2018. There are some rafters he can't get past in a loft of some sort. When exported from 2017 the menu icon (3 horizontal bars) enables one to set the height but this isn't available in 2018. The starting position/height of the initial view doesn't affect the First Person height, because as soon as you drop that little man down, he assumes a pre-determined height of between 1.5 & 1.8 meters. Can we please bring back the 'Set Height' controls?

Hi @mrfrood, I've received communications from a user with the same problem and same symptoms. I expect this will be due to incompatibility with High Sierra and as 2015 is no longer supported I would not expect this to be addressed. As I recall High Sierra is the first macOS to arrive already using Apples new file system, APFS. It is also turned on when upgrading to macOS 10.12.4 (Sierra, update 4) and later. I just downloaded the 2015 installer and was able to launch it on a Mac running macOS 10.11.6 but after transferring the same package to another Mac running 10.12.6 it wouldn't open, same as yours. I would say this is the reason or perhaps part reason. Either way I think you'll have to move on (and up)!

Nope! The issue in that file is due to the rectangle (used in the large extrude) is made up of four individual lines - not a closed rectangle. - This is particularly important given that the subsequent operation performed on the extrude is a solid-subtraction. If you ‘Compose’ those four lines the Hidden Line rendering exhibits the way you’d expect. CORRECTION - Although composing the four lines that make up the larger rectangle avoids this issue I've verified the same conditions don't exhibit this effect in 2017, so I will submit as a bug. Sorry about the misdirection @BG

Hi @iborisov I've had dialogue with Premium Tech Support but I've been told the level of detail the user supplied/is able to supply, is not enough to diagnose. In one of the two instances the user described, about 30 notes just disappeared from a single section and despite the great unlikelihood of accidentally deleting them all one-by-one (which is the only way in the Notes Manager dialogue) the last posit from Tech Support was that it was user error. While there might be other possible ways or reasons that these notes disappeared (like loosing track of which database file was the most recent one) the user is standing by their assertion. This is why I thought asking the community to corroborate such occurrences would be the most appropriate intermediary step to take. ANYONE WHO READS THIS: Have you experienced notes disappearing from the either the drawing OR the Notes Database?

We've been waiting for SP1 of Vectorworks 2018 but I'll be sure to use that when it's available/ready for our market. Thanks for your help, Marissa!

Hey @Marissa Farrell, I'm trying to repurpose Alan's script but am experiencing behavioural issues that might relate to the 'jumps around' phenomenon, despite now using 2017 SP4. I'm using Alan's script to enable multiple straight extrusions that all use the one symbol as the profile, so that when I alter (not exchange) the symbol, all extrusions will receive the altered profile. The symptoms I'm getting are: The position of the extrusion path 'Control Geometry' doesn't reflect the placement/position of the resultant Marionette part either. If I move the resultant Marionette part - no matter whether in an 3D view or a 2D/elevation view and no matter whether with the mouse or using 2D Align or 3D Align commands - it jumps to a completely unrelated location. See attached video for this symptom. EDIT: The Marionette part also changes location when I change the Symbol profile, but it doesn't move again if I change it a second time. The 'control geometry' however stays where the Marionette part was before I change the profile the first time. Are you able to confirm if the 'jumpy' geometry/Nurbs received any amendments since the aforementioned post? Or what could or will be done to overcome this? (I just can't position the object). Shifty_Marionette_Object.mov

@Chad Hamilton HAarchs has expressed the importance of this matter also, including specific needs and considerations here:

I'm trying to help a user with these issues. I'm making this post to gather more information to either inform my bug report or provide an informed solution to the user. Primarily, I would like to establish if anyone else has experienced the following symptoms/issues when using Callout Notes and Keynote Legends, with a Notes Database. Issue 1: Notes previously in the database no longer being there. (As evidenced by inspecting a copy of the backed database file). Issue 2: Keynotes and their respective listing in a Keynote Legend disappearing. From what I understand, these issues occurred under the following conditions: New Vectorworks document created from template. Previous Notes Database file duplicated for use with this project only. (Database is stored on a local network server, but the Vectorworks file is on the computer being used). Callout Tool Preferences used to select the duplicated database file. Notes placed as Keynotes, on Sheet Layers in Viewport annotations. (Notes Manager 'Prefs...' set to save changes when dialogue is closed, 'OK') Keynote Legend/s created on Sheet Layers (not in Viewport annotations). File saved, then closed. File later reopened. Some Keynotes and the respective items in the Keynotes Legend are missing, but other instances of these Keynotes are still present on one other Sheet Layer and listed in the Keynote Legend on that Sheet Layer. The Keynotes that disappeared were not present in the original database before it was duplicated for use with this project. They were created during this project. When using 'Reconcile Notes' the following error comes up for some notes: "Cannot find the selected note in the Database". - All the notes in this instance start with the same prefix / naming convention, 'GF-PF' and are found in varying quantities in Keynote Legends on several Sheet Layers. I see potential for this discussion to start a torrent of contribution, so please note I am not the user so getting more info from them or testing every remedy offered might be limited. The conditions supplied above are intended to inform what variables might be involved for others with these issues to consider, and to help inform the scope of these issues. The most important factor for me is to establish if anyone else has experienced the following symptoms/issues. Thanks! Jeremy

Hi @Josh NZ, By my reckoning this is a bug. IF this is still occurring after updating to SP4, please either submit this as a bug or send me the file exhibiting this problem (saved with the Keynote Legend in-view) and if I can recreate the symptoms I'll submit it as a bug. Or You could post this on the Troubleshooting forum... (where it might get more attention) or Use the Bug Submit page - to submit directly to Vectorworks software engineers.

Hi @JimW! I am adding my voice to the chorus of people calling for the functionality AND workflow of the Callout Notes and Keynote Legend and Database facilities to be completely reimagined and redesigned.