domer1322

Would anyone care to download the attached file with a few doors and a single wall, then stop me from pulling my hair out with this problem: I'm working on an old file that has been updated and using VW 2015 sp4. I copied a wall and put it in a brand new file, as attached. Notice door A shows the wall lines. Notice doors 'B' do not. Pick any door B, and from the object info palate click on "settings" but don't do anything thereafter except pick 'cancel' in the settings dialog box. The door B will now show wall lines, just like door A. You can change it back without wall lines by using the eyedropper tool, (or 'un-do') but nothing else will remove the wall lines. Please .... someone tell me why my door plug-in objects are automatically changing to show the wall lines as soon as I try to edit them ? (PS: I've tried and tried and tried to fix this by changing the class "ceiling-main" or by changing the "show wall lines" setting in the O-I-P, but I just can't get it to work. A brand new file does not show this problem, but I really need to use my existing old file. A brand new door object, when placed in the old file, has the same problem. When I copy and paste the old walls into a new file, I still have the problem. There must be something in the old file that causes this ... but I sure can't tell what it is.)

thanks for the replies .... JimW: when you're making the list, can you include some instructions on how to make real world textures like: water, grass, cut glass, random shades of bricks in a wall, translucent glass on a light fixture, and ... the hardest one .... how to model a water fountain spraying water in the air or cascading off of a decorative fountain. I am currently trying to model many different floor tile patterns, both ceramic and vinyl, and finding it very difficult. If I copy the image and use it, the result is a repetitive pattern that usually doesn't look good. On second thought .... if anyone could post the settings for a real good grass texture, I would be forever thankful. Every texture I've tried either has a repeating pattern or only looks good at a certain magnification level (if it looks good at distance, it looks bad close up, and vice-versa.) My current compromise is to use the noise shader to add irregularity. Is this what others do ?

although I've been doing 3D renders for years, I'm still puzzled by many of the render and shader settings. Can anyone refer me to a good source to explain how to use the shaders and all the settings. For example, I've never figured out what these things mean or how to use them : fresnel, buya, stupl, sema, opl, ....are these words in english? I can't even figure out the difference between voroni 1 and voroni 3 (I guess the difference is 2 ?) I also can't figure out the cycles high clip and low clip. Please enlighten me on how to figure these things out (I'm tired of 'trial and error'). Too many errors and lots of trials too. PS: am I the only one who still laments the rendering change a few years back ? ... just after I figured out how to make nice brick renderings that were not a repeating pattern ... now I haven't figured out how to render a wall with brick colors where each brick is a different shade (randomly).

Thank you all for the replies. Although the problem still exists, it is comforting to know that the problem is not simply due to my ignorance. I'm a part-time maker of 3D renders, and I often feel like there are so many more things I could know about manipulating this software. They keep adding more things before I've figured out how to use the old stuff. Amelia: I agree ...... Hoping that someday I'll see software that actually meets the promise of 3D CAD. That is ... integrate the spaces with the finish schedule. When you change the spreadsheet from green walls to blue, and the 3D render automatically changes to blue walls ....

I've always been unsure of the best way to solve this problem. I often model, in 3D, existing buildings, and make a rendering. Often the walls might be painted CMU on the interior, and brick veneer exterior. The problem is, each room might have a different color paint on the CMU. What is the best method to set up the walls so that each wall, although the same in structure, can easily have a different color in a rendering ? The problems that seem unsolvable to me include: 1) many different wall styles for the same type of wall (diff color) 2) the same exterior wall has one color in one room but another color in the next room over. Does that require multiple walls along the same length, even though it is the same structural wall ? 3) no easy way to change the paint color in one room, without affecting the colors of many other rooms that have the same wall style or class or components I'm hoping that I've missed an easy solution and that someone can educate me. Thanks in advance for any response. What do you do ?

I need help. Using an older file that was started in VW 12, but is now in VW 15, the existing door plug in objects do not show the wall lines, as shown in the attached image for the 2 upper doors. When I go to the OIP and click on "settings", the appearance of the door changes to look like the lower door (marked with tag D-10xx) and it doesn't matter if I actually do anything in the settings dialog box. Simply opening and closing the settings dialog box makes the wall lines appear. I've checked and rechecked the usual suspects. The OIP box for "Draw Wall Lines" has no affect. I tried changing the classes in the door settings dialog, to no avail. I tried adding and deleting the transom. I checked the default classes for "ceiling - main" and "ceiling - overhead". Can someone tell me what I'm missing ? I don't want to see these wall lines in the top/plan view.

Solution: check the "Adjust Flipped Text" in the VW Document preferences. JMartinArch: I should have read your post more carefully ... you had the solution.

I also discovered this problem on a few door tags. Interestingly, the ID tag will change if you move the same door to a different wall, or if you remove it from the wall completely. The "Keep ID Horizontal" check box in the OIP does have an affect, but it seems unpredictable.

Pat: Thank you very much. I found the "Use Symbol Geometry" check box and it works for what I need it to do. One bad thing I discovered: my old door symbols had hardware (that I drew myself) integrated into the symbol. Now, using your technique, the entire leaf thickness is controlled by the OIP "thickness" field. Thus, if I set the thickness to a normal 2", then the hardware ends up being about 1.5" thick and the leaf is about 1/2" thick. I figured the simple solution is to set the thickness to something like 5", then the leaf is more properly 2" thick in a 3D view. However, that causes the 2D symbol, when viewed in top/plan view, to show a door that is 5" thick. It seems I better learn to conform with using default hardware instead of inventing my own way of doing these things. Someday I'll actually learn how to use this program correctly. PS: on some of my ID tags, the ID tag text shows up as a mirror image. I can not use the 'flip' setting, as that also changes the door swing. The "keep ID horizontal" check box in the OIP does not correct it. Any suggestions ?

I have door leafs in an existing building that can not be easily modeled using the plug in. Also, I thought it is better for reducing file size, if you have multiple doors of the same type, to use a symbol instead of the plug in. However, I now see there are quite a few pre-made door leaf symbols. I'm coming to the conclusion that I would be better off if I give in, and use the plug-in door. I'm using an old VW file of an existing building, and it was only used for renderings, not construction documents. Thus, the old building did not previously contain a door schedule. Now I've got a bunch of door symbols that seem to be useless for integrating into a Door and door hardware schedule. I've found I can add a door record to the old door symbols, but I can't figure out how to add the data fields to match those in the door plug-in, as displayed in the OIP. It appears, if I use a custom leaf, that I'll have to make a different leaf symbol for each instance when the door is painted a different color on each side, and for different sized doors. Can you confirm this is true ?

Is there a method for drawing a door/frame/hardware from scratch (not using the plug in object) and then making it a symbol, and then attaching all the field data to it so that it can be reported in a Door Schedule ? I've been trying this, to no avail, and I think I just discovered that it isn't possible because there is no way to attach all the data fields. Among the problems: I can't generate a door ID tag that is part of a numerical sequence. Can someone please confirm this ... or show me some training literature (or page number from the Help manual) that will be helpful ?

I'd like to try the beta. One thing that seems to be missing has irritated me about the current VW 15 duct tools ..... it is cumbersome to draw ducts in a vertical fashion, or slope ducts in and out through conflicting structure in a vertical dimension. Does your tool allow vertical drawing of the pathways, using nurbs curves or other 3D pathways ?

It worked ..... Thank you very much .... I had tried clicking and dragging on that little triangle many, many times, to no avail. A simple double click worked. (Too bad I spent so much time trying to figure that out before sending in the question to the forum.) Thanks again.

I'm trying to make a "fly-thru" animation using the "move along path" style. Every time I try to change the style from "Orbit" to "move along path" in the animation dialog box, the "duration" box changes to 5 seconds and becomes gray. Thus I can not change the duration. Is this a software bug, or is something else wrong with me or me computer ? If I'm missing something, please tell me how to change the duration of a "move along path" animation. I tried restarting VW, opening a new file and doing a test. I got the same result. I also tried to delete all previous movie attempts and start with a new movie. I got the same result.

oops .. never mind ... I solved it. The 3D objects were in a group. As soon as I ungrouped them, the selection box area went back to normal. I don't understand why, but it is now solved.

Can anyone explain this ? .... look at the attached image ..... I made a 3D symbol of a deep fat fryer. The top image is the 3D component that doesn't yet have a 2D component. The middle image occurs after I add the 2D component. Notice the selection box greatly expand to much more area than the 2D component. I thought maybe I might have added some 2D object by accident, so I made a third 3D symbol, then added a single circle as a 2D component. Notice: the bottom symbol has the same, greatly expanded selection box. How can I get rid of the greatly expanded selection box ?

I have an odd door problem. Look at the images of the door opening in a wall, and you'll see an area that is colored white. Then look at the close-up of the jamb (file "door 2") and you'll see the white area doesn't really correspond to anything (it is not the width of the wall, for instance) I can't get rid of it. I've tried many settings in the OIP for this door (it is an un-cased opening, no leaf, with a rounded arch top). When I put my curser over the edges of the white area, it shows "object" as if I could snap to it, but I can not select it. Please forward any suggestions. Thanks.

I hit another glitch..... I used Matt's excellent video, made the arch into a symbol, and inserted into a wall. Look at the attached images to see what happens. The wall doesn't follow the arch, even though I added 3D locus points on both the inside and outside of the arch, at it's bottom. I know I can make it such that the outside edge of the arch goes straight down to the floor, but if done, then the top/plan view doesn't correctly show the wall extending to the actual edge of the arch. Any suggestions ? (I'm not using a stud wall for this arch ... that was just a test wall) Also: I can't make an opening that is bigger than the arch, then put the arch in place, because I will still end up with the walls not showing the wall lines to the proper width in top/plan view.

Bravo ! ... Matt: you're video was exactly what I was looking for. The sweep is the key. Thank you very much. I'm puzzled by one thing .... your texture image was 3 bricks wide. After you made the arch I can't detect a repetitive pattern every third brick. Did you do something special to avoid the repetition ?

Thanks, but .... hybrid objects like a wall can not be rotated about any axis other than the 'Z' axis. Therefore, I can not rotate the curved wall into the vertical plane that the arch must occupy. Your video is very helpful for other problems, but I don't think it can work for this one. Please let me know if I'm missing something .... or if there is a different solution. Someone out there must have a method to render an arch .... ?????

I've never been able to figure out how to easily render a typical masonry arch. Can someone give me a clue ? I attached a photo of what I'm trying to achieve. I also attached a sample of my VW render. When using the render "map type = cylinder" I can rotate the texture to the right plane, but it comes out looking funky. In the past, I've actually drawn the individual bricks and copied/rotated them, but that seems too complex (and it isn't easy to get the right number to rotate around the arch). I figure this should be easy. The Ancient Romans figured this out, didn't they ? Any help is appreciated. If it isn't possible within VW, please tell me so I don't waste more time trying this.

no one has answered .... because nobody knows. I've had some files get corrupted ... but very rarely, and for no apparent reason.

thanks ... but that's not the problem. Anyone else have a suggestion ? (this problem has nothing to do with having any object selected (or not) ) Also, I am not trying to get the geometric center of all the objects in the file. I simply want the center of the view to be the same when I switch between layers.

I ask for help with one annoyance I've never figured out: When using multiple layers, and with the "Unified View" ON, if I switch from one active layer to make another layer active, the view 'center' changes. For instance, if I'm in 'plan/top' view and looking at the front door in the center of my monitor, then I switch active layers, the view location changes to put the back door in the center of my monitor. Oddly, If I immediately switch to other layers (without changing the view), the back door remains in the same position, in the center of my monitor. I know I can stop this annoyance by turning 'Unified View' off, but since I'm always going back and forth to 3D views, this isn't practical. Can anyone give me a clue as to how to avoid this annoyance ? I suspect it has something to do with picking the right origin '0' point on all layers, but i can't figure it out.

glad to know I'm not the only one with this problem. I also agree that it is very annoying that RW starts another re-render when you're trying to edit a texture or some other property. May I suggest the software guys try to figure out a solution to this annoyance ?