domer1322

This is a good topic .... so I'm keeping it current .... Jim: by your response about pdf file cropping you seem to imply that cropping a pdf image will make the whole file less "heavy" ,,, that is, it will draw, scroll and zoom faster. Is that true ? That also implies I should also import images as bitmaps or jpeg files (not pdf) , unless I'm trying to snap to points as can be done with a pdf. True ?

great ... but ever since VW started this new forum format, I can't figure out how to look up my old threads .... so I don't know how to get to that old thread ... help ???

I need help ... I'm trying to render a stained glass window. When I make the image prop and related texture, I adjusted the image mask for levels of gray/black transparency, and the light comes through the window according to levels of black in the image, but it doesn't show the colors in window. That is, I expect to see the light reflecting off the floor to be the color of the stained glass. As a bonus, it would be nice to directly look at the window and see the colors "glowing". What I see now is the various levels of grayscale render as transparent (clear) glass. How do I make this work the way it looks in real life?

To All: Never mind my previous post. I have now come to the conclusion that there is no way to download El Capitan, since my Macs will run Sierra (although I can't run VW 2015 on Sierra). This sucks .... forced upgrades. I guess I've seen that before.

I tried to read previous posts about compatibility, but I can't find a definitive answer to this question: Does VW 2015 run smoothly using Mac OS El Capitan ? I found some posts indicating there was initial trouble, but I can't find anything from Jim W or an official VW source that says the last VW update (SP5 ?) fixes everything. Can someone please confirm if this is true or not ? PS: I hope I'm not too late to update ... I understand it might be difficult now that Sierra is out.

when I tested it, I made a simple rectangle, converted it to a 2D symbol, then tried to extrude it along path. It does not work. Since it is not a plugin, I don't understand your comment Alan. What is it that I should "untick"?

Does this technique only work in VW 2016 ? I am using VW 2015 and it does not allow me to select a 2D symbol for an extrude along path object.

Matt: you are correct. Thank you for confirming that the software can not do what I wanted. Now I can stop wondering if I just don't understand something. Jim: any chance you can influence your software coders to make this work? I frequently find existing buildings that have similar construction, and I want to model it in VW .... but I can't do it.

wall cap: can anyone tell me if it is possible to make a wall cap with the veneer brick that wraps around the corner and returns back into the CMU ? I attached an image of the objective. I've tried repeatedly to make it work, but can't figure out how to do it. PS: on this new forum layout, how do I find the previous posts that I made days (or years) ago ?

well, thanks for helping, but, I must be very ignorant. I don't see what a slab has to do with this ... the file I posted had nothing but a wall. I also don't know why changing any texture should make the 2D plan be all messed up. Are you sure you're answering my question and not someone else's ? The wall image you posted doesn't show any recess grooves in it, like my original problem stated. There does appear to be lines, as if they are part of a texture. However, I'm asking about actual 3D grooves like you might have at a joint for EIFS. I decided to make a work-around by simply adding a 3D Generic solid layer of EIFS instead of trying to put recesses in the walls. Then I used "subtract solids" to make the grooves. Thus, this in only an academic discussion for me now. But I'm still curious to know if there is a way to put EFIS grooves/joints, in a wall object without messing up the 2D plan or stopping the joints at the wall corners. Any comments, anyone ?

thanks ..... one big help was to pull the recess object away from the wall surface before making the recess. That fixed one problem. However, look at the wall plan that resulted. (attached). I also tried a vertical groove, and you can see the start of it in the plan. But this plan is clearly messed up. Look at what it does to the wall cap, and changes the window opening. More help, please.

Can someone confirm that this problem is not operator error: I'm trying to cut grooves in a retrofit layer of EIFS. When adding the grooves as a wall recess, I can't get it to work correctly. I attached two files showing some of the problems. 1) the horizontal groove only renders for part of the way. 2) When using wall caps, the groove won't cut through the wall cap. If have found many other issues when trying to manipulate these grooves. Can someone tell me if there a way to do this, or confirm it is the software fault so I don't keep trying to do this ?

rDesign: that was a big help .... thanks.

I can't remember what it is that causes white outlines around a window opening. Can someone tell me how I can get rid of the white "outlines" on the corners of the opening and the segmented arch. (See the yellow arrow to show the white lines that I'm trying to avoid.) I attached a jpg and VW file to demonstrate.

thanks for the help. I guess there is no easy and simple way to do this ... but there ought to be. Tom: I am not a Service Select member, so I guess I can't see the video.

Need simple help with this: when a large window exists on both the first and second floors, how do you get it to show in 3D on both floors? That is .... if I insert the window symbol in the first floor, the second floor wall will show a solid wall instead of the top half of the window. Inserting a duplicate symbol on both floors doesn't help, since the window schedule will have the duplicate. I've been using a work-around by cutting a hole in the second floor wall, but this seems cumbersome and there must be a better way. Please show me the way.

OK .. thanks for the confirmation. At least now I know it is not operator error (that's usually what occurs for me).

OK ... thanks for your help, Jim. Here is a file with only the texture, on a wall. I notice that the OpenGL rendering is really bad, could that be related ?

Thanks for the tips ... but no solution so far. I tried most of the tips you suggested. I've convinced myself this is just one of those "mysteries" that can't be solved. Look at this attachment of a 3D isometric image. Notice the texture fades on the right side, top and bottom of each wall. It is not related to the wall height. The wall joining conditions on both sides are the same (notice the left side doesn't have the texture failure). Time for Jim to look at this as a bug. In the meantime, I'll find a work-around.

I have only one light source (directional). I have another directional source that is 'off' so that shouldn't matter. I changed the pan/azimuth and it has an affect, but doesn't solve the problem. I changed the texture to remove the reflectivity, but that didn't help. I'm using a bump pattern to make the mortar joints, so I can't remove the texture bump. Here is the result (see attached file). Any other ideas ?

I'm trying to model an existing CMU pattern and I need some help to explain this. Look at the attached file and you'll see the repeating pattern looks different on the right edge and along the horizontal band at the 2nd floor height. Can anyone explain why it looks different or how I can fix it ? (it is not related to the monitor resolution ... it looks like this at any magnification). (also ... the problem does not repeat in a pattern.)

zoomer: thanks for the link. However, could anyone explain how the textures in the final few frames of zoomer's Utube link are made? I see bricks that are not repetitive (not based on an image) and have random colors ... but I sure can't figure out how to make that occur using the RW brick shaders. Everything I can figure out makes a repetitive pattern.

thanks for the input .... Alan, your marionette script is cool, but it doesn't really solve my initial wish list request. That is, i want to be able to change all the crown moldings in a house at the same time. With your solution, I would have to go to each room and change each marionette object separately. Also ... someone suggested adding this feature to a wall style. I don't think this would be a good idea, because the walls are already complicated, and adding this would cause issues in the way the walls are joined, or using one wall that goes through several rooms. The crown might be in one room, but not in the next room. This would cause the same problem we already have where one continuous wall might have a different color in one room than the next. It is annoying to have to use several individual walls just to represent different colors in different rooms. Also .... what if I want to use the same feature to put in a picture rail or chair rail. Now the "wall" control would have to include a height parameter for the extruded object. Too complex !

I've always been frustrated by this simple problem. I use a certain molding profile to make a wall base or crown molding, then make a 3D object using "extrude along path". However, if I change the 2D polygon later, then I have to go back and change every single "extrude along path" object (crown molding or wall base). IF I had been able to use a 2D symbol when making the "extrude along path", then I could change the symbol at a later time and all the crown molding in the building would change at the same time. Right now, VW does not allow you to use a 2D symbol for an extrude profile.

thanks for the info .... pdf file size is a problem that has often frustrated me.