Kevin Allen

Can you add some detail here? First it is always best practice to print or plot from a pdf and not from VWX. Are you assigning line line weight and color by class? Then in a SLVP overriding those things in Class override? are you only seeing color affected or not affected? is zoom line weights active and part of the problem?

Yes, a catenary curve option somewhere would be lovely. Doesn't have to be a NURBS function, just a 2D function, that can be converted. I have had to plot those cubes with a chain and pencil!

I do wish for a Class Manager functionality where, for example, I could tell the application that I would like all Renderworks Cameras to assume my Renderworks Camera Class when inserted. Over-ridding whatever Class I might be using at the time. Ideally those preferences would move from version to version.

Not just yearly, in my experiments, those settings revert when installing service updates.

So, for drawings labels, I have all of my basic settings adjusted in the Tool Preferences. I have a class for drawings labels. So, when I insert a drawing label, it's at least roughed out. I do have to assign the class which then controls the line weight and color. I would like the tool to 'know' that when I use the tool it should assign the class. Similarly, I have my preferred focus point object selected in the tool preferences, so the tool knows which option to use. Again, I do have to Class the inserted objects. Similarly for things like the North Arrow and the Centerline where I have my own symbols in the defaults and then chosen in the tool prefs. Make sense?

I agree. However, I have worked around some of these issues by saving setting in a template file.

I use the curve for an extrude along path. But the distro is manual.

Well the path could be a NURBS curve or simply use the poly line tool for the path. Somewhat depends on the desired end result.

I’ve just modeled the lamps and. Sockets. Added to a string that was an extrude along part. I used a glow texture on the lamps for rendering. In this case they were not attached to a light info record.

Yes, I've not had this issue. It's great to inventory rental goods and maintain a budget estimate for rentals. Many other uses as well, but that's an immediate thoughts.

Have your tried to extract the face with the Extract tool in the 3D Modeling Tool set and then use the Unfold command on that surface?

hmmm, that's a good question, maybe someone fromVWX can chime in here, I have a two column vertical set-up. I'm sure that can be done.

M selects the unconstrained dimension tool for me. I think that's the default. Something I would avoid changing as I often do demonstrations and need to have many defaults available.

Spotlight>Reports>Create Report, then set up using fields in the title blocks

Not to be snarky, but Explorer still exists? Understand that I am a Mac guy, but I really thought that explorer went away due to the obsolete code. I'm also unclear about the M hotkey part?

I go with 'actual' size. So a 15' tree would be a 15' tall image in Photoshop. I then based my DPI on my output. I prefer to use PSD files with an Alpha channel to make the image prop, I think that gives me better control over the masking than I can get in VWX. So, If I'm rendering to a tabloid size sheet, and printing with an inkjet printer, I try to keep my image props at 1-2Mb. Sometimes that means 5DPI, sometimes 25, etc. 32 bit RGB color. If you sometimes or often print for large format presentations, that would be another factor. In that case, I might consider two sets of props.

I believe that I usually detach the Parts record before I edit the group, make the changes. Assign a Lens Class to the new objects so I can color them with the unit color field using the Spotlight Preferences, Then reattach the parts record to the "new" group.

I might also try the SubDivision tool.

oh, but always gotta have a little haze<g>.

I haven't had the issue with stopping a render, Command-. or ESC seems to work fine, but I have had the issue with the rendering finishing and then the screen render going black. That's a known bug and the solution seems to be creating a SLVP and rendering there. This does disrupt my process, but it does get me through the trial render process.

Scott, It seems you and I work very similarly, and indeed, the way the program is designed to work, as a unified production tool. That said, we all hope for further improvements and features. OK, I know not everyone wants more features, but I certainly do. Improved volumetric rendering is high on that list. The fact that I can keep my work, and my file within the single eco-system is very important. I usually say that I start with a pencil and paper sketch, but that isn't necessarily true any longer. I can start by doodling in Vectorworks just as readily as I can start cooling on paper. In VWX, I can refine those doodles and rough space planning until I have a finished design. The rendering process reflects the same thought process and development. Recently, I worked on a project with a colleague, he was doing the lighting, I was doing the set. However, in order to get the look he wanted, we needed to export the file to another application. That meant at a certain point, further development of the set had to take a backseat so we could deal with the export/import process. Within Vectorworks, all of that development can take place simultaneously. Our reason for the two applications, the final renderings. The look of the lighting.

I haven't tried as yet, but what I am suggesting might mean a reworking of the SLD symbol structure to achieve better volumetric rendering.

Yup, that's what I'm asking/suggesting. I have some IES Vectorworks Spotlights, I may try and see how they look...

Just curious how the volumetric rendering might be affected if Spotlight Lighting Device incorporated IES files? How might that translate into Vision?

Very nice. I might quibble about the amount of light/value of the floor in the white model, but very nice.