Damon Design

Thanks for the replies- I didn't see Jim's message until just now but you must have fixed it. Tried a half a dozen times yesterday with various web browsers but this afternoon with Google Chrome it worked. Seems to be a bit more stable- I didn't notice whether or not the "crash when computer goes to sleep" has been fixed but hasn't crashed yet- and that's a good thing.

Got the announcement that 2013 SP2 is out, with a whole lot of fixes it looks like,-especially in the terms of stability- yay! Unfortunately I am getting a "disc is damaged, (the virtual downloaded disc)" dialogue box when opening for installation. I am wondering if this is localized to my machine or download or if anyone else is also having problems? Thanks for any info.

Well we are still unsure as to how exactly we managed to get the split off and horizontally arrayed viewports on the one export from VW to DWG but have managed the import and exports to achieve the look and data representation we can work with. Still a bit of a process to delve into the world of ACAD organization with so many objects large and small and even the viewports when going back into them in the Design Layer having been turned into symbols in VW.

We are working with consultants on what will be several (small T.I.) projects with which we will be needing to use the same standards in importing and exporting files from our VW based office. We have experimented with one project file that for the most part we have been unsuccessful in retaining the two separate viewports on the one sheet layer; importing to VW from ACAD works fine (very small T.I., two design layers, one with the data (with a "name" that is just a bunch of numbers) and one standard, empty DL created from VW automatically, one sheet layer with one floor plan and one RCP viewport arrayed vertically on the sheet named "24x 36 Full Sized" created from the "layer" visibility settings from the one plan on the DL where all the info is messily together on just one plan- standard stuff. Just testing the export process from the one sheet layer back into ACAD gives us just the one messy plan with everything turned on, as it looks in the DL as opposed to the two separate VPs with layer visibility settings invoked. But once, somehow, we stumbled onto some setting that through the export process from VW to ACAD created two viewports, arrayed horizontally with the floor plan data on one side and just the RCP layer data on the other side (no floorplan data), as if it were a 72x24 sized sheet (this is actually a result that we, and our consultants could work with just fine). Exporting that file back into VW results in one newly created design layer in that format, named "24 x 36 Full Sized" with the two VP like blocks of data identified as symbols (original layers gone). Very odd. On that file I think I did some >Edit VP from Sheet Layer>Modify>Symbol into Group on the DL to try some experiments and some other fiddling because the one remaining Sheet Layer is named "24 x 36 Full Sized-2", but cannot remember exactly what I did- the sheet layer retains the two vertically arrayed viewports, but that format doesn't seem to export. Long question but ultimately what settings do we need to maintain the two separate viewports when exporting back and forth- Sorry for the long description but any help would be apprecitated. (P.S. In a new dream job because of my VW skills so this would really put a gold star on my contributions here!) Thanks

It's odd that they make it hard to find on the site. You need to go to the Vectorworks Home Page>Products>Cloud Services and then choose it at the bottom. It's not that hard once you know where it is but not immediately apparent where to start.

Wow! That will be a great timesaver- I have used the profiles a few times to create some moldings for some interior elevations but not coming from a finish work/carpentry background I have no idea what these casings are going to look like, what size they will be, or which is actually appropriate for the specified location. I certainly will delve into doing this more if I can make some quick sense about how to better find and choose the right profiles. Thanks

VW2011 added the connect roof faces tool, utilizing the connect/combine to trim or extend a roof face to another roof face and automatically slice off the areas which would extend into the attic. This only works on roof faces though, not roof objects. If you go to a top/plan view with the roofs arranged as you wish, you can discern the cut points by looking at it in an Open GL render. You can then draw a clipping shape to slice off the offending edges in edit roof mode.

Hey Chris, Go to Vector Depot http://www.vectordepot.com/ they have a ton of great resources there including hatches- I think there is a wood hatch in there, if not I have stumbled on a few other sites with free hatches available that you can import to your VW library so keep looking. I have found creating hatches from scratch with the hatch editing tool pretty tricky- better to just edit an existing one a bit.

You hide walls by classing them and then adjusting the class visibility of them or to select all similar walls to then adjust the height of them temporarily in a particular view- I am assuming you are referring to an isometric view of a modeled floor plan with the walls low enough to show more interior features. You would need to split the walls at the corners of the rooms to impart a different attribute (color, texture) of one side to ensure that the entire wall doesn't have the same attribute, or you would need to add a "cladding or finish" wall of minimum depth directly stuck on the interior wall, (class accordingly)- if you have VW Architect or Designer you can add an interior/exterior finish component to one or both sides of the wall and adjust its attributes accordingly. If you don't have Renderworks you will need to go the separate "cladding wall" route to have different attributes on each side of the wall. If you have Renderworks you can use the Camera Tool (visibility tool set) to create a quick perspective views or you need to use the Set 3D View Tool (View>Set 3D View) You generally use sheet layers and viewports to create presentation sheets- this is Vectorworks 101 but you can print directly from a Design Layer. Welcome to the Forum- please add your version of Vectorworks and any modules you might have, your hardware and OS so that we can try to help you more efficiently.

I've made a few typical profiles for the gutters and pipes and either extrude along path (around the roof perimeter) or just do a straight up extrudes of the pipe along a wall, size accordingly. For areas of changes in direction or around other objects, you'll create a path and extrude along path the same profile as the connector or elbows etc... I've also created a few typical brackets>created symbols for the attachment pieces. As far as imparting and extracting BIM data I'm not sure how much you would want; Collision Control? etc... You can create symbols for most of the connectors or elbows and pretty easily count those out and the rest would be mostly the linear length of sections for cost estimates. It would be nice if there was a Gutter Roof Object available like the facia option and choose a couple different profiles- I know that some other programs have that, but once you get pretty good in accurately creating the path objects it can be pretty quick work (at least for my, smaller residential sized projects)

More info is needed, I am assuming you are placing the light objects in separate classes and adjusting the class visibility on/off in the VP's OIP for the particular views. I always have different sets of lights placed in different classes to adjust the appearance per the orientation of the view of the object (building).

Ok, seemed to have figured it out. For the doors, the glazing class actually has to have its visibility set to invisible. Interesting that the windows glazing class settings just have to have the class set to unfilled but visible.

Dave thanks for the reply, That makes sense except I am still having issues. One, the Style-Glazing 1 class has no fill and is assigned a glass texture so that makes sense that the windows are giving me the appearance that you describe and that I want; the texture is ignored, but the doors with the same settings using the glazing class have a solid fill. Two, just in case I have changed all the glazing class settings previously described on the door to a Glazing Clear class which I have assigned a no fill setting and no texture which would seem to be what you are describing but still appears to have an opaque glazing. Any other settings I am missing or a concept I am not getting? Thanks

I love the Realistic Colors White Rendering Style setting available in VW2012, but I cannot get my door glazing to appear with the same transparency (which typically reads a nice black reflection unless an exterior opening is directly behind) that all of my window glazing has; all door glazing appears to be solid. There is no difference apparent when in any other rendering mode. On the door class settings I have the Int./Ext. Panels, Int./Ext. Sashes and all Glazing settings the same, Style-Glazing 1 class that is a customized glass texture that is used for my window glazing class settings. Is there some option I am missing or adjustment to get my door glazing to appear the same as my window glazing in this Rendering Style. (I would include an image example but for some reason I cannot get anything beyond a postage stamp sized image with the image hosting sites I occasionally, and frustratingly use- Photobucket, and am a bit clueless how to include an image otherwise without my own website) Edit- small image, the doors in the porch are glazed (French Doors behind left porch post, but read solid and glazing in upper front door) 2nd image may be clearer, French Door to the left main level [img:left][/img] [img:left][/img] Pat, Mr. Rendering Guru, I see you are online- can you help out a fellow Californian, User-Group Leader, any ideas? Thanks for any advice

You are not on the correct working plane when you are drawing the line (path) object. First off you should set two 3D locus points on the wall edges that will define the start and end of the path at the heights you wish, then select the set working plane tool and select the wall face that you want the crown on, draw a line on that working plane from the start point locus to the end point locus, select that line and the crown profile> extrude along path (you may need to adjust the path or profile just a bit to fit against the wall correctly). I just recreated the scenario you have and worked fine; I didn't create a symbol from the wall but I don't think that is the problem. This also really doesn't have anything to do with Renderworks, it is just a General Discussion issue so you will likely get quicker responses in that forum for issues such as this. Good Luck, and put your specs and VW version on your profile info.

Not necessarily defending the logic but the roof object is considered a group, therefore has the same double-clicking action required to get into the group for editing.

Man that is a great looking and composed drawing Vincent C! Nice design too. I have to try this out. I've never actually printed full size sheets in color though, I'm usually composing all the drawings to look good in B&W only construction documents and just use smaller printed sheets or computer screen for rendered model views.

I liked the video and modeling too, I'm still not exactly sure how it's done- I've barely dipped my toe into DTM so that would explain my lack of comprehension, but still, I get the concept. I agree with others that sometimes you have to decide what exactly is worth modeling and more specifically who is gonna pay for that? hehe. Digitalmechanics didn't you used to have a bunch more videos on youtube? I found myself watching a few of these in the past, now it seems you have only three.

Input all the parameters (if custom) you wish in the OIP of the I-Beam, then select>modify>convert>convert to group (or better, duplicate and convert to group to maintain the easier edit-ability of the original's OIP functionality), this will convert it to a polyline and then you will be able to extrude to your heart's content.

I've noticed that when you duplicate a design layer, viewports made from the original design layer start taking on edited/added elements from the duplicated design layer, even though the viewport is indicating it is referencing only the original design layer. Is there a work flow process or setting that in the viewports that I am missing when duplicating design layers that will prevent this?

I've noticed those raised ghosted wall caps in isometric views on the most recent project I'm doing now. Only shows up when the wall is selected but definitely adds to the clutter of a drawing. Odd behavior.

Just double click the ceiling grid polyline to invoke the reshape command and it works just like any other polyline; move, add, subtract vertices- add/clip surface with another polyline. Change the different ceiling grid attributes in the IOP

Just select the save function again with the changes, name it the same and VW will inform you that there already is a view with that name, do you want to replace it with the existing saved view? select yes.

Isn't a front view by its definition a 3D view?

Also using loci at specific distances to snap to will force the wall to be reshaped as accurately as you can, ignoring unwanted snaps- with the tiny angular inaccuracy that Peter mentions. -The "lowly locus" come through again (from Francois Levy/Pat & Dan's Podcad from long ago) btw Pat whatever happened to the Podcad?- I really miss it (I guess that shows what a geek I am lol) I'm going to PM you about some advice on user group leading/Tips here in San Diego.