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Carl Burns

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Everything posted by Carl Burns

  1. I have the same thing here: HP 430 (driver v. 4.61), Win XP. Unnerving, but the second print has always been fine so far. Others have written NNA about the same thing. One option, to process the plot in the computer instead of the plotter (an option under "print" or "print setup") produced a positive effect as I recall, and was no slower. Lines were lighter though. I can't remember though if it absolutely solved the problem. The other theory proposed was memory issues. Oddly though the problem occurred in some pretty simple files. That's all I know.. - Carl
  2. If the document preference option, "use layer colors" could be included in the Save Sheets dialogue, this would be an easy way to move back and forth between color by layer / color by class. This would provide an easy way to work with / over greyed layers. - Carl
  3. Thanks, Katie. OK...yeah I looked in vain for a delta symbol on my PC character map. No luck in a quick search. Nonetheless, delta is widely used in math, science, and engineering too I assume to mean "(incremental)change in value", just the intent in the layer setup dialogue, while +/- (in my experience) universally indicates "tolerance" for dimensions. I'll live with it! Thanks, Carl
  4. The apparent demotion of the offset tool is in itself no great shakes for me. Thankfully it's still available. I'm more concerned that the CD actually speaks for NNA, and that they perceive 2D drafting as on the wane. I'm looking forward to getting to know VW10 in the coming months; perhaps there's been significant improvement to 2d tools. But to take iboymatt's point, 2d drawings are what we get paid for.., and push it further, I'd say that 2d drawing remains the better design tool as well: After all, when creating a 3d model, my experience is that perhaps ironically, I'm working almost all of the time in 2d views because they are precise, and the best way to consider dimension, scale, proportion. But what I really wanted to say is that both environments are valuable..I'm hoping that NNA (thus this is in the "wish" list) appreciates the many virtues of 2d drafting, and truly continues to develop it, along with the single model approach. - Carl
  5. The first words of the VW training CD are something more or less like, "...VW is an object-based design program. You won't be drawing with lines anymore..." Perhaps that's why the offset tool isn't even in the initial workspace (VWA 10.01)? One Architect's opinion: - I wouldn't be using VW if I couldn't draw with lines. I like the hybrid nature of the program, though I'm sure there are other ways to go about design (using multiple programs). - My hunch: worldwide for every hour spent developing 3D models in VW, I'd say there are lots more spent making 2d drawings. - The value of 3d drawing to the designer is overplayed everywhere now. - The utility, precision and economy of 2d drawing conventions are undervalued everywhere now. It's simply not an either/or situation. So it's troublesome to have the training CD repeat the fashion of the day, and tell me it is. - Carl
  6. Why not replace this vague / incorrect indication with "Delta" Z? - Carl
  7. 3d reshape, in elevation view. Also, if you want, I think the Ozcad (J. Carr) VW addon has the "extend wall to roof" tool. - Carl
  8. quote: Originally posted by krw: why aren't you using photoshop to assemble multiple images into one image, then import into vw if you need to use it in vw. krw: Thanks. Well, that's sort of what I was trying to determine...could VW10 now handle this job, or is photoshop or some other program necessary. I'll look further into photoshop. - Carl
  9. quote: Originally posted by Katie: Carl, An alternative would be to place locus points at the two diagonal corners where you would like the marquee to be. When you marquee select the section you want to export, you can just mouse the scope over the locus point so the locus is situated inside the scope, then move it to the other locus point. My thought too. But I tried this, and some other ways to make an accurate marquee. They don't work for me. If the cursor snaps to a locus, it selects it, rather than making a marquee. If the locus is locked, the snap occurs, but no marquee. This idea, you might say "tiling" a (large) image with a (small/letter size) scanner and computer..do people use photoshop, illustrator, or some simpler programs? Matching edges of image tiles could be quite automated and complex, or manual and simple. Thanks again, Carl
  10. quote: Originally posted by Katie: Carl, This means when you export an image file, you have the option to marquee select the section of the drawing you wish to export. Thanks, Katie. If you could determine a marquee with snaps, this would give a precise way to crop and join images, even if you had to export first. But as far as I can tell on a quick try, there's no way to snap to a point when making a marquee. What I'm interested in is being able to scan images bigger than my little scanner bed, and reassemble them in the computer. Any recommended program for this? Thanks, Carl
  11. The description of improvements in VWA 10 includes a brief reference to cropping images. Does this mean that I can import a bit-map and crop by cutting with lines? If that's so, does it allow one to "cut" two images simultaneously with a line to get a clean joint between them? Thanks, Carl
  12. >it's primarily an industry standard option that just about anyone can work with. Well, I'm planning to spend some time learning one of these programs. What I've put together so far: DOE-2 is complex, and a difficult program to use; it's implemented in various configurations, with programming overlays; I don't know about tech support for the program, or the species of it I would pursue. It seems to be a choice of engineering designers and able to handle large building models. Not particularly friendly, easy or quick to learn / use, but yes, an industry standard. Energy 10 (again, from what I've put together) in contrast is aimed at ease of use / interface and at providing a tool for making schematic level design decisions without a great investment of modeling time. It's presently suited for small to medium buildings (I believe 25000 sf is the limit), although the plan is to remove that limit, and increase the program's scope and flexibility. The recent release has a component for evaluating long-term costs. In contrast to DOE-2, it sounds like a program an architect could love, well at least work with, in the context of a typical design process. I'm raising this because I don't know much about any of it yet. The ability to export a 3d model to DOE-2 may be perfect, and quite unnecessary with Energy 10, because of its more general nature. Don't know. I was kind of hoping that someone at NNA had become the energy expert, and could help a bit on this score...some overview of the options for energy design and the intent of the connection with doe-2. Thanks! Carl
  13. VWA-9 introduced export to DOE-2. I've never used this, but would like to. I'm curious about the choice of DOE-2. It sounds like it's a fairly complex program with a complicated support system. Were other energy programs (for example Energy 10) reviewed / considered? - Carl
  14. Here also. VWA 9.5.2 / Win XP. Perceptible slowing usually in the afternoons; I believe it's always fixed by restart. - Carl
  15. Generally the same experience here. I haven't done any checking to see what works, what doesn't, but various shortcut combinations don't seem to as I recall. I believe I submitted this as a bug to NNA . - Carl vwa 9.5.2w XPP4
  16. .07, .13, .25, .50, 1.0 mm I like having line weights that are 1:2, so perceptibly different (for architectural drawing). The printer: HP430. The manual says .13mm is the smallest line, but in fact it gives a lighter line also, the .07mm, just by thinning out the dots I suppose. similar website: http://www.archivebuilders.com/aba006.html - Carl [ 09-15-2002: Message edited by: Carl Burns ] [ 09-15-2002: Message edited by: Carl Burns ]
  17. This discussion suggests: Now, class visibility settings apply to all layers. One answer to this problem would be to have class settings possible for each layer (this MUST be an old topic!). Sounds complicated to me, but it certainly would accomplish the task. A quirkier option would be to have the facility to put an "envelope" (a group or symbol) around objects so they would display differently, in accord with the envelope. I don't think we can do this now. - Carl
  18. make 3 layers: - full plan @ 1"=200'- layerlink @ 1/4"=1'or whatever for shop A- layerlink @ 1/4"=1'or whatever for shop B then (unfortunately) mask all but the desired parts on the 2 layerlink layers, and make all three layers visible for the sheet you want. Another option: Make each shop a symbol (precise perimeter). You can then work on the symbol at a large scale, display at any scale, and insert into the overall plan, and annotate only at the large scale (with another "notes" layer) Similar option: rather than make each shop a symbol, simply draw each shop at the larger (1/4"=1') scale(again with precise perimeter), and layerlink it into the overall plan at 1'=200'. I bet there are subtleties of snapping, and doing other operations, which will make one better than the other for you. - Carl
  19. How would this work: At different scales, the text is located in different (wrong) locations, so keeping the text at the right scale itself is only half the problem? Or maybe VW could scale the location coordinates up/down while retaining the text size...still suggests conflicts as the absolute size of the text block varies from scale to scale. It would be a neat thing if this could work though. - Carl
  20. I'm seeing this: When a layer-link is created, it takes on a class (say "A"). If class A is turned off, the specific objects in the drawing in class A will disappear, but the drawing (layerlink) as a whole will remain, but is inaccessible..can't be selected except by Custom Selection, regardless of layer/class options. -Carl
  21. Many people have asked for something to indicate "current sheet" for instance. Perhaps there could be a matrix indicating all current visible elements (class, layer, linked layer, linked file...) and status (vis, grey, snap, modify), sorted by visibility. The intent: to make it even simpler to see what's going into a particular view / drawing.
  22. Try this. One of the helpful tech support people at NNA directed me to it: http://www.irfanview.com - Carl
  23. I see text all crunched together, but it seems to always happen on the first plot of a sheet; next time it prints all right (not that I like the process). VWA 9.5.1windows XPHP 430
  24. Try layer links: If you want to rotate an architectural plan, make a new layer and in it create a layer link to the plan layer. "Unlock" and move / rotate the layer link freely.."content" of the plan is only affected by working in the original layer. To make working easier use Layer Colors under Document Preferences and make the layer link gray.
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