jan15

In exporting from v10 to DWG, both Symbols and Groups become Autocad "Blocks". Symbols keep the name you gave them, and Groups are given a number. Blocks are more similar to Symbols. Autocad can't edit Blocks in the same way we can edit Symbols and Groups. The only thing one can do is Explode an instance of the Block, then edit those objects, and then select them all and redefine the Block (if you remember where the insertion point was), and then all instances of the block update to the new definition. Autocad 2004 has a Group that's a lot like the VW Group. The objects within the Group can be edited at any time, but for copying and moving they're selected as one object. I think that's an improvement from the 2000 Group. So maybe in v11 VW Groups are exported as AC 2004 Groups. But it still wouldn't make sense to export VW Symbols as AC Groups. They should still export as Blocks, which, like Symbols, can have multiple instances which are all updated when the Block definition is changed. I don't know what you mean by "the Floor Plan symbol", and I don't understand why your client can't work with it. VW Symbols converted to AC Blocks can be worked with in the same way as any other Blocks.

Chrissy, You're quite welcome. I'm delighted to have had the opportunity to communicate with someone so polite and charming, though it was difficult for me to think of including similar pleasantries in my own postings. Are you familiar with the "Custom Selection" command in the "Organize" pull-down menu? You could use it to "List Objects Whose..." "Pen Back Color" is the color you've solid filled with. Then use the Attributes palette to change the fill style of all of them at once to "None". Then, while they're still selected, issue the "Hatch" command and go around clicking inside each area to give them a fill that Autocad can understand. If there are a very large number of such fills, or if you have to convert them on repeated occaisions, you might consider making a special hatch definition that not only specifies the closely spaced lines of the right thickness, but also gives them the right color. Then you could just use the Attributes palette to change the fill style of all of them at once from "Solid" to "Hatch", and to specify the correct colored hatch definition. And you can copy hatch definitions from one file to another very easily. One way to do that is to simply Copy and Paste an object that's filled with that hatch definition.

Don't know about v11, but there's always been a "Grid Angle" setting in the "Set Grid" window (pull down Page > Set Grid). You can specify the grid angle in degrees, or by clicking two points on an object at that angle. I wouldn't bother with that to draw a section. I'd select the plan, Duplicate it, Group the duplicate, change the group to a nice light color suitable for tracing over, then drag it to where I'm going to draw the section and rotate it. It's low-tech, though, so if you do it, don't let anyone see you.

Not weak, just relaxed. Group the stuff as soon as it's pasted in (while it's still all selected), and then grab the point you want and drag it to the place where you want it, and then un-group it. And if you're talking about pasting from a related file to the same location in a new file, there's the amazing Paste In Place command.

The other button makes a menu pop up. In v10 it has the Paste, Select All, and Document Prerences commands, plus the entire Palettes menu.

The spacing of lines in a hatch definition can be specified in 2 different ways: 1. in "World" units, which means with respect to the thing being drawn... for example, when defining a hatch for concrete block joint lines 8" apart. 2. in "Page" units, which means with respect to the print-out size... for example, when defining a hatch used for shading, with lines .03" apart on the paper. Normally either one exports properly to a .dwg file, even though Autocad doesn't have the concept of scale, because the VW export facility does a great job of figuring out what will work. The hatch definition can include a background solid fill, in any color, but here again the export facility always figures out how to make it look right with Autocad's more limited graphic capability. Hatches can be applied in two ways: 1. as an attribute of a surface, using the upper part of the Attributes palette, in which case the thickness and color of the hatch lines is set by the hatch definition, the hatch is associative (it resizes automatically with the surface), and you can't snap to or edit the hatch lines. 2. by issuing the Hatch pull-down menu command and then clicking inside an area enclosed by any selected objects, in which case the hatch is a Group of lines, it's not associated with a surface, it can be edited the same as any other Group, and the thickness and color of the hatch lines is set by the lower part of the Attributes palette, ignoring the color and thickness specified in the hatch definition window. In either case, the export facility gives the dash lines the same color and thickness in the .dwg file, unless you tell it not to, by checking "Map Line Weights to Colors", in order to accomodate the antiquated Autocad system (still commonly used) in which the colors in the file and on screen are used to determine lineweight on the printout (and any lineweights in the file and on screen are ignored during printout).

I'm sorry, John. I know you didn't make all those requests for Autocad features, but I read them every day, and I guess today I just happen to be feeling more sarcastic than usual. Regulars to this forum can confirm that I'm always grousing about this subject. I would rather see the effort go into making sure everything works the way it's supposed to, which is one of the few things I admire about Autocad (the only other one I can think of is the new zoom/pan thing with a wheel mouse), and into bringing back the quick, light feel VW used to have. I often wonder why the people who want all those Autocad features don't just buy Autocad, and I can't help but wonder if it isn't the price difference. It seems unreasonable to ask for all the features of the high-priced program, along with all the unique VW features missing from the other. I used to argue point by point against these wishes, generally on the basis that there are terrific alternative ways of doing whatever you want to do, ways that may take a small effort at the time, but whose simplicity saves us the continual effort of coping with a complex and clunky user interface. But that takes too much time, so now I just make snide remarks from time to time. Please don't take it personally.

No, I've never seen that happen. Must be your machine. I'm always pasting from one file to another, and everything that was pasted stays selected till the next operation. Of course, if there are 2 identical objects in the same place they'll look like they're not selected, but they'll still respond to commands like Nudge or Group. The only thing I can think of is that copying and pasting between files is sometimes erratic if you don't have both files open during the whole operation. Have you tried grouping the objects in the source file? i.e., select the things you want, then Duplicate, then Group, then Cut. It leaves the source file unchanged, but the stuff pastes into the target file already grouped.

Every feature of Autocad appears in this wish list at one time or another. Except for price. I haven't seen anyone wish that the price of VectorWorks could be increased to 3 or 4 times what it is. Maybe that's implied.

Assuming you're working in Windows: Windows has no idea what kind of file it is except by the filename extension, and that could be placed on any file just by editing the filename. And Windows only assigns the VectorWorks icon because it sees the .mcd filename extension. So you have no proof that it's a VectorWorks file. But it probably is a VectorWorks file, and if version 10 doesn't recognize it, it's probably a file created by version 11. You should ask the person who sent it to you. If it is, ask them to export a version 10 file for you.

Petri, We already have a very nice implementation of named colors for anyone who wants to use them, by naming a class "puce" or whatever and assigning Class Color. It would be a shame to clutter up the Attributes palette with names.

Ahh, Barcelona. Home of Antoni Gaudi, the great architect of the modern age. I visited once. I dug out my version 9 manual, and found Petri's quote, but found it on the page Nicholas Propstuff gave, 2-39 (didn't find any page 60 at all -- ???). So yes, the manual did lie. Not so unusual for a software manual. Same error in the v8 manual (page 2-44). Corrected in v10 manual, as noted above. The cover of the v9 manual looks just like the v10, but the texts are very different. The only difference in the covers is that v10 gives the version number and v9 doesn't. The only mention of version number in the v9 manual is on page 1-4.

In Windows, I CAN'T open VW 10 and Viewer v10 at the same time. In other words, my experience is the same as Stuart's. Maybe it's an OS difference and maybe Stuart's on Windows also? Contrary to what Katie wrote, I can't even do it by holding down the "m" key while launching either program or both. Is this "m" trick applicable to version 11 only?

David, Autocad now supports object lineweight, beginning with version 2000. The user can choose whether to display the different lineweights that have been assigned to objects (as in VectorWorks), and also can choose how much emphasis to give to the different line weights. But it you choose enough emphasis so the lineweights read properly when zoomed in, then the heavier ones become ridiculously thick when zoomed out, making the drawing unreadable. That same thing happens in VW Viewer 11 when I DON'T select "Zoom Line Thickness". Could it be that you've had that preference ON until now, and it got turned off somehow? Archoncad, Do you mean it doesn't happen even with "Zoom Line Thickness" off? And with some fairly thick lines in the drawing? Maybe this varies between operating systems. I'm on Windows. Or maybe it varies between different versions of Quicktime?

Ziska, I've been ignoring those RGB numbers for years. Your question jogged my subconscious and made me look at it at last. And a good thing, too. It's a great way to make a fine adjustment of a color. I've already used it, to set a color precisely so the exporter will match it up to a particular Autocad non-customizable numbered color. If someone had a lot of spare time on their hands, they could come up with RGB values for all 256 Autocad colors that they could share with all VW users. So thanks for asking.

Nicholas, In my VW v10 manual (US version), there's nothing about color palettes on page 2-39, and the only mention I can find of importing color palettes is in a chart on page 2-34. Under "Parameter" it says "Import", and under "Description" it says "Imports an existing color palette from another VectorWorks file". It sounds like there's an Australian version of the manual that's different from the US version. That's surprising. The languages are very similar. Anyway, the Australian version must have a typographical error in it on this point.

Ziska, if I understand you correctly: no RBG slider for picking colors, but did you notice you can specify how much R, G or B in the form of numbers, 0 to 255? You could convert percent values by multiplying by 2.55 And you can do the same with Hue, Saturation, and Luminence. The ranges for those are different, for some reason: 0 to 239 and 0 to 240.

David: I just noticed the same thing that you described, with version 11 of the Viewer on Windows. I haven't bought the upgrade yet; I assume that the full program displays the same way. Previous versions don't do this. But in v11, thick lines become extremely thick -- cartoon-like -- when zoomed out (not in), just as in Autocad (with "Display Lineweight" selected). But fortunately selecting (not de-selecting) "Zoom Line Thickness" in Vectorworks Preferences gets rid of that Autocad-like feature. [ 09-24-2004, 02:40 PM: Message edited by: jan15 ]

You can download the version 11 Viewer and use that to print your v10 files. I just tried it in Windows and was able to open Viewer 11 and VW 10 at the same time without the M.

Chrissy, 1. Draw a rectangle and leave it selected. 2. Pull down Tool > Hatch... --The "Select Hatch" window will open. 3. Select "Default Hatch" from the list on the left (it's probably the only one in the list) and then click "Duplicate" and then "Edit" --The "Edit Hatch" window for "Default Hatch-0" (or some such name) will open. 4. Edit the hatch definition as follows: ..a. Give it a meaningful name, such as "Solid". ..b. Make sure "Units" is set to "Page" ..c. Un-select "Background Fill" ..d. Under "Pen", set thickness to whatever line thickness Autocad will print at. ..e. You can also assign a color if you want. ...f. Under "Offset", set "L" to the same value as the line thickness. ..g. Click "OK" to close the editing window. 5. Click "OK" to close the hatch selection window. 6. Place the paint can cursor inside the selected rectangle and click. --The hatch will appear as a group of lines. The original rectangle won't be a part of the group, but it will remain selected. The new hatch group will also be selected. The hatch lines won't have the thickness and color you assigned when editing the hatch definition. They'll have the default attributes as shown on the lower part of the Attributes palette. (If you hatch a rectangle by using the Attributes pallette, then the hatch lines will have the color and thickness of the hatch definition.) 7. Deselect all, then select the new hatch group. 8. Use the lower part of the Attributes palette to give the hatch lines the thickness that Autocad will print at and the color you want it to have. To create more hatches, select "Solid" in step 3, and skip the rest of step 3 and all of step 4. Remember to export the file without the "Map Line Weights to Colors" option. The difficult part is getting the line thickness and offset distance correct. They should be the same, and they should be the thickness that Autocad will print at. Perhaps your client can tell you that. If they're using Autocad 2000 or later, which allows objects to have lineweight, and if they print using the "Print Object Lineweights" option, then the hatch lines will print at whatever line weight you give them. A thinner line and offset distance will mean more lines and a bigger file, but a thicker line will make the hatch lines stick out at the perimeter in a saw-tooth pattern if there is no boundary line or if the boundary line is thinner than the hatch lines.

Chrissy, I just thought of another idea. Replace the solid fills with hatches, using a hatch definition which has hatch lines very closely spaced so they'll print as solids. That was the only way to make solid fills in old versions of Autocad. You'll only need one hatch definition to do this, no matter how many colors of solid fill you have. (Do you know how to make hatch definitions? If not, I can send you one.) Assign that hatch to all the solid fill areas. Use the pull-down Hatch command instead of the Hatch palette tool; then each hatch will be a group of regular lines, and you can assign a color and line weight to the group. You'll have to export with the "Map Line Weights To Colors" option NOT selected. There won't be any way to export different line weights unless you export to Autocad 2000 or later. Earlier versions of Autocad didn't support line weight, and could only print different line weights by assigning a line weight to each color.

Chrissy: I don't know about version 9, but I know that version 10 exports solid fills to Autocad. The only problem is that Autocad doesn't allow custom colors. You have to pick one of their standard colors, so the export will pick the closest standard color, which might not be exactly the same as the color you used. The PDF idea still might help you, even though your clients can't edit PDF's. It will show them what the drawing should look like and then they can add the fills in Autocad. Or you could export an image file, such as a JPEG format file, and your clients can make some changes to it using any graphics editor. Even version 8 does a good image file export, so I'm sure version 9 will. Just be sure to specify a large number of pixels in the Export Image File window. You can experiment to see what size is good enough. I usually multiply the default width and height by 4.

You just have to make a copy of the file, and open the copy in Viewer. Then re-open the original in VWA and keep working while the viewer prints.

Can't you just download the drivers for their plotter from OCE and install it as a printer on your computer? And then print to it using the "Print to file" option, which should create the PLT file they said they need. Of course, it still might have the disparity in diagonal lines. You might have to change the way you draw. I've never seen that on print-outs. Usually my diagonal lines look thicker on the screen, but they print out at the same thickness as the horizontal and vertical.

Joel, do you know about the word-wrap options, and hard and soft carriage returns, and tab stops in the newer versions, and the option to convert TrueType text to polylines? I think the text editing is pretty good as CAD programs go, and adequate for drafting purposes. I certainly prefer it over Autocad 2004.