Hugo

Hi you all, thank you for your replies! I have been reading a lot about new computers, I have several projects in mind, architecture and video, and I think I must take a decision soon. As I said, up to now my iBook has been enough. But as time goes by, new projects and higher requirements come, and I'm thinking a new computer may be a good investment. I've been a Mac user since 1999 and I really don't want to go back to PCs. I constantly work fixing PCs and viruses and drivers and all that stuff and definitely I feel much comfortable with a Mac. I have searched about both the iMac G5 and the Powermac G5 and it seems they are not so similar between; I've read the Powermac is faster. My main doubt is between a single 1.8 G5 and a dual 1.8 G5. I think buying any of them, I will also buy an additional 1 Gb of RAM from crucial.com (I always buy there). I obvioulsy think a dual processor G5 is better, but my doubt is... How much better? Has someone tested this? How much faster is Renderworks with a dual processor setup? About the slowness, this is the first time I experience this, but it is also the first time I work in a file big like this. I must say VW is not so slow most of the time, but sometimes it takes several minutes updating my site model. Usually, Artlantis will take 1-3 minutes opening the file exported with the Artlantis Export plugin for VW 11. [ 11-16-2004, 10:14 PM: Message edited by: Hugo ]

Hi. I'm an architect. I work mainly in Vectorworks 11, Artlantis 4.5.6, Photoshop and Freehand. Initially I used an iMac DV for my work and now I'm using an iBook G4 with a 933 Mhz G4 processor and 640 Mb of RAM. For most tasks the iBook has been enough, but right now I am extremely worried because I'm unable to work in a decent speed. Currently I'm drawing and 3d modeling a group of houses with its site, roads, etc, and I'm experiencing noticeable slowdowns in both Vectorworks and Artlantis. In Vectorworks It's a 22 Mb huge file, and rotating in 3D, updating the model and exporting is taking several minutes. Opening the exported file in Artlantis is also taking several minutes and I have lost all the day trying to make just small changes. I feel very unproductive. The thing is the iBook is still responsive in other tasks while these operations are being performed. I still can surf the web and even burn a DVD while these happens in the background. Right now I'm posting this while Artlantis takes ages to open the file. If I close all apps and wait, it takes almost the same time. I'm thinking on buying a G5 for all this 3D stuff, but I'm not sure if I will really notice a big improvement. Will these two apps, Vectorworks and Artlantis, run faster on a G5 with 1 Gb of RAM, compared to my 933 Mhz iBook G4 with 640 Mb? I hope so, but the fact the computer still can do other things efficiently, makes me worry if the problem are the apps and not the computer. Is there any architect or 3D person who has experienced something like this? Any architect using a G5 and this apps? Do they run faster? Also, will I notice a significant difference between a single 1.8 Ghz G5 and a dual 1.8? I have a very tight budget but still want to make the best decision. Thank you! Hugo

Hello. I got a problem. I have the 3D model of a house that I converted to a 3D symbol in order to place it several times inside a site model. The thing is I have many 3D extrudes inside the symbol (to make some stairs most of the time) that are not visible in the drawing, even if I double click the symbol in order to edit it. It looks like they disappeared, but I know they didn't because when I export to Artlantis using the Artlantis export plugin, the extrudes are visible and they render correctly. Now I want to edit these extrudes but I'm unable because I can't see them. All classes are visible and I can't figure out what happens. Any ideas?

Klaus, I got the plugin you sent me. Thanks a lot, you have saved me!

I am using VectorWorks 11 in a 933 Mhz iBook G4 and I can't complain about speed. It runs fast enough that I can do all my work flawlessly. My only complain are some random crashes in certain files.

I just erased and reinstalled all my software and now I'm stucked because Abvent (developers of Artlantis) have removed the Macintosh version of the Artlantis export plugin for Vectorworks 11. Only the Windows version is available. I already posted in their forums and emailed them, but I have got no answers and I'm on a hurry. Can someone help me, maybe me email me the two files that make this work? Thank you! Hugo hmujica@manquehue.net

Right isometric, Open GL, Fast Renderworks, Artistic, etc. If I export to Artlantis, the site renders correctly. Thank you. Hugo

I followed that topic and did all the changes and still no rendering. I even created a new file and nothing renders!

Hi. I'm trying to get my site in 3D and I have been able to do everything (contours, roads, etc) but I'm only able to see my project in wireframe. Any kind of rendering gives me a blank window. I have setup fills and colors to my classes but I'm unable to make it work. Any ideas? Thank you.

I get the same thing, sometimes pasting a symbols, others just using the pan tool. Random.

I'm using Vectorworks 11.0.1 on an iBook G4 with a 933 Mhz processor and the program runs definitely fast. No speed problems.

Charlie, Mac OS X is capable of using most PC fonts. Did you install a Mac specific version of the font or did you just copy the PC font to your Library/Fonts folder? Maybe if you just drag the file from the PC to the Mac it may work.

I think most of that problems (dimension looking big or too thick) are due to setting wrong units when importing the file. I have found that "define automatically" almost never works and the best option is to ask the person who drew the file which units were used. [ 09-15-2004, 09:14 PM: Message edited by: Hugo ]

I think the Powerbook feels so hot because it is aluminium or titanium made, and metals are much more conductive than my iBook's polycarbonate. I also use Temperature Monitor (great app!) and the hottest temperatures I have got have been doing renderings in Artlantis or ripping DVDs. [ 09-11-2004, 12:59 AM: Message edited by: Hugo ]

Marietta, I have had almost no issues with viewports between Vectorworks 11.0.1 and AutoCAD 2000 Education Version. Anyway, AutoCAD only recognizes the first layer as a layout, the others are not present on the DWG file. [ 09-11-2004, 01:00 AM: Message edited by: Hugo ]

I would say that any new Mac will run VectorWorks without any problems. This means any of the cards included with new Macs will work fine. I have used VectorWorks in a G3 iMac which had an ATi Rage 128 Pro with 8 Mb of VRAM that worked flawlessly and now I'm using an iBook G4 that has a 32 Mb ATi Mobility Radeon 9200 and works great. Obviously the second one is much faster than the first one, but both were enough for my needs (small projects in 2D and 3D). I also know people who works in VectorWorks with Powerbooks and eMacs and everyone is very pleased with their computers and videocards. So I think if you are planning on buying a Mac, or you already did, don't worry, you are getting a nice machine and I think you should use the card that comes with the computer unless you plan to do really complex work. The best thing is to try it. I really don't think you need a monster 256 Mb card in order to work comfortably. [ 07-13-2004, 10:32 PM: Message edited by: Hugo ]

Katie, I will email it to you right now! Thank you.

Katie, I'm running 10.5.1

Please help me! I'm using VWA 10.5.1 and I'm placing windows from the objects palette. I have inserted several windows that suit perfectly to what I need except they insist on having a transom, that I can't remove because the check box it's grayed out and can't be changed. I'm working on a window in a wall with a segment or ellipse as top shape. If I insert the window as a cased opening it has the shape I want, but when modifying it to biparting casement (as I need) or to any other configuration, it automatically gets a transom which I can't remove. That is the simple thing I need... REMOVING the transom. Any ideas??? Katie??? Thank you.

Hi. I'm using VW Architect on a 933 Mhz iBook G4 and it performs excellent. I used it before in a 400 Mhz iMac DV and ir run very fine too. I think maybe in rendering complex objects a top of the line processor may be very helpful, but I'm very glad VW performs quite well on older Macs. I have absolutely no complains of the performance in my iBook. Anyway I work in small projects, with 2D and 3D, and rendering. Everything runs OK.

Hello. Is there any file or webpage where I could be able to review all the included symbols in the object libraries? I need a special kind of window, but when I browse documents via the resource browser, i only see the windows in plan view, I would like to see their elevations so i could easily find somehtink like I need. The plan views are very similar between them.

You simply open it. There is nothing to import; file formats are cross platform. If you are sharing from a Mac to a PC, be sure to add the .mcd extension to the end of the name of the file. If you don't, the PC will not automatically recognize the file (anyway you will we able to open it from VW showing all files). If you are opening them in a Mac, you don't need to check for nothing, the Mac OS automatically knows which app opens the files. The only reason you may have to export a file is in order to open it on an earlier version of Vectorworks (regardless if it is on Mac or Windows), for example if you work in version 11 and want to send it to someone who uses version 9. You do this in the File -- Export menu. [ 05-24-2004, 10:24 PM: Message edited by: Hugo ]

Change to Mac...

Why don't you update your VectorWorks installation to 10.5.1? The updates are free to download and install!

I think in Autocad you should save the file as a DWG/DXF version 2000/2002 and then it should work. Am I wrong? Hugo