Speedy Gonzales

Thanks lowvolt. I will try the page insert and printout. I may even have an old one from when we were resetting features. The JetDirect print server is external on the HP455CA, but it does have a button and two comm indicators. I hope it works. I've tried various address combinations and when I send a file to print, I get a progress bar, but nothing ever comes out of the plotter and it seems to take forever. If I have it right, wouldn't it be immediate in printing?

Thank you both, Kevin and Kurt. I have two more avenues to chase down! This is great, as I am no IT guy either, except by default. When you have a small practice, you wear many hats. I just got an email that my new computers are arriving this week, so I hope to have this nipped in the bud so as to be able to have everyone up and running next week. I appreciate the help.

Hey, Kurt. Thanks for the response. However, I couldn't find anywhere in either location HOW you actually determine the IP Address. "lp" is straightforward for the queue. Any help on the IP? I appreciate your help.

Hey, there. I've just come back to this page as I am preparing finally to upgrade the office systems with new hardware (new Macs running OS X 10.2.3 Jaguar) to print to an HP 455CA plotter. I have downloaded the latest versions of gimp print and CUPS, but I have one really stupid question? How does one determine the IP address of that printer on the network? You folks make it sound so stupid simple to set up, but I can't get past the window where it asks for the IP Address of the printer? Am I using the wrong set up? Or is there a simple address that should be obvious for me to enter? We are now running a G4, OS X 10.1 Server as host with 3 computers, 1 HP 4MV LaserJet and the plotter on the network (100BaseT). I was able to get the laser printer working on the one test machine we are using to troubleshoot and set up before the new machines arrive. I AM the Network Administrator, so I can't go to one and ask them what the address is. How the heck do they find it? Could someone please walk me through a step-by-step method of determining this address and Que to enter into the Print Center? I'm sure there are others out there with the same dumb question to be answered to make us whole and smarter. Thanks!!!

Hey, there. I've just come back to this page as I am preparing finally to upgrade the office systems with new hardware (new Macs running OS X 10.2.3 Jaguar) to print to an HP 455CA plotter. I have downloaded the latest versions of the software you note, but I have one really stupid question? How does one determine the IP address of that printer on the network? We are now running a G4, OS X 10.1 Server as host with 3 computers, 1 HP 4MV LaserJet and the plotter on the network (100BaseT). I was able to get the laser printer working on the one test machine we are using to troubleshoot and set up before the new machines arrive. I AM the Network Administrator, so I can't go to one and ask them what the address is. How the heck do they find it? Could someone please walk me through a step-by-step method of determining this address and Que to enter into the Print Center? I'm sure there are others out there with the same dumb question to be answered to make us whole and smarter. Thanks!!!

Mac OS X, 10.2.3 (Jaguar). The one that works is on an iMac flat panel (G4 800Mhz) while the one that has the problem is a PowerBook G3 (Lombard) bronze keyboard, 233 Mhz. Each one has 512MB RAM. I hope this sheds some light.

I just updated 9.5.3 to 10.0.1 from the installation disk onto a PowerBook G3 (Lombard) running OS X 10.2.3. When I enter text and hit the <enter> button to accept the text, the bounding box normally disappears. In my case, the cursor remains waiting for more text or another action. I try <return> and it gives me a new line. The only way to accept the text and move on to another task is to mouse click onto another tool. I have four licenses and installed the upgrade onto various other Macs and did not encounter this problem. All others are running the same version of OS and software. Could you please enlighten me with a fix?

Humorous, if not informative and reassuring about my choice in using VWA vs. AutoCAD. I received a free, unsolicited trial disk of VWA 10 a few days ago and started running it through its paces. Welcome improvements for ease of use and productivity, better organized libraries and the like. However, the resources browser and the palettes still leave something to desire given this recent comparison to ACAD. Why can't VW provide simple fills or hatches that represent gravel, soil, and simple stipples for say, stucco?! While on the subject, window-shading effect on the object info and browser palettes should be a given instead of having to close them altogether and bring them back when in need. Mac, OS 10.1.5 VWA 9.5.3

Don't get me wrong. I am happy with VWA 9.53 (Mac). I could be happier with VW 10, in fact I would be ecstatic to spend 1/10th of what I spent on a new ThinkPad and AutoCAD (LT) if it VWA would offer more in comparable features and compatibility with AutoCAD. Dumb questions. If you can create symbols out of groups of objects that can be dynamically updated from drawing to drawing (layer to layer) on which they sit, then why can't we import .dwg drawings with working xrefs? Aren't xrefs equivalent to symbols in function? Despite the new features and improvements to VW 10, it is not a very compelling "upgrade" to justify $395+. How about rewarding the loyalty of your customer base that has made NNA and VW as successful as it is by improving your upgrade price structure? I will admit that Michael Bendler did make me a good discounted offer to upgrade my 3 licenses. Bottom line, the upgrade features just weren't compelling enough to justify his generous offer. [ 11-23-2002, 02:51 AM: Message edited by: Irving ]

Try SketchUp and then import your study model (to scale) into VectorWorks. Very quick and easy, not to mention fun!

Amen, Richard! I must say, I enjoy working with VWA a great deal, but I woul enjoy it more if it did what so many have been asking for the past year and a half, and since version 8.52. Needless, to say, it would be great to seamlessly import AutoCAD files intact and work with them in VectorWorks without loss of data and fiddling around with settings. I have had to work collaboratively with two major Bay Area firms, and to do so effectively, I had to (*gulp*) by an IBM ThinkPad and load it up with AutoCAD. I've crossed over to the Dark Side, and it was a necessary evil. Bring back the Force!

Vik, I recently had the same problem when updating our licenses on each machine. On one machine, though the process occurred just as you described. What should happen is that you should see a progress bar. The process takes about 1 minute. On the machine of mine that it didn't work on, it just zipped through in under 5 seconds, and nothing but the false positive. Luckily, we're networked and it worked on 2 other machines, so I simply copied an updated application from one machine to this one and done. You might try a similar approach.

I've had the same recurring problem since VWA 8.x. It comes and goes, but the one consistent symptom is multiple arcs or curves. One or two won't create the problem, unless you go back to edit (stretch or resize) them. The solution has always to redraw them. I definitely think it is a bug.

Jeff, I've posted a response to this "zoom" feature available in VW(A) version 9.5.x. Essentially, it is a programmable feature available if you use a Microsoft mouse with wheel button. I use the MS Intellimouse Optical at work, and at home the wireless version. Within it's control panel, there is a customization feature for each button and function, and specific to the software you're using. I've set the wheel button to zoom in or out (incrementally) by typing in the keyboard equivalents to program the button. The "c" and "v" key are the ones that correlate to the zoom. It works best if you press and roll the wheel button, but you can set it up to your liking. Of course, it is not as smooth or well integrated into the program as VW 10 or AutoCAD, but it should hold you over such time you do decide to upgrade, or not. Hope this helps. [ 11-11-2002, 10:19 PM: Message edited by: Irving ]

I purchased this software for the Mac (OS X) after trying it out on a Windblows laptop I have. It is fantastic. Quite honestly, it allows you to be loose in sketching out ideas to scale and in real time (perspective, 3D walkthroughs) as I would hope could be flexibly done in VectorWorks. If I were to describe it simply, I would say it does what VWA should do dynamically without having to fully construct a model. I have exported a plan to SketchUp and traced over it to do a quick 3D model to show a client. It took me 40 minutes what VWA would have taken me taken me 2 hours to accomplish (fully rendered, with textures and shadows). To be fair, VWA is quite capable of doing everything that SU can do, it only takes longer. VWA's 3D component should be as easily editable as SU. The benefits of which should be clearly apparent to NNA. One of the other benefits of SU is the fantastic library of symbols and textures it comes with, not to mention local City data for site-specific rendering of shadows for our region. On the downside are the odd keyboard shortcuts that force your hands into contortions and to rely too much on the mouse to navigate to the tools palette. I haven't found a way to edit the shortcuts as in VWA. Would be great to see these two programs melded together! [ 11-11-2002, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: Irving ]

Last I heard, it was called a digitizing puck.

My sentiment is echoed by many in the previous postings. Most of all, I do feel that we paid a price greater than dollars and sense by upgrading to 9.0 and becoming unwittingly beta testers. In the end, VWA is a great program for the price and NNA came through with fixes. However, my hide is still chaffing from the experience. Although the 3D PowerPack was given to us for free, it is not what most of us appear to use 80% of the time. I much rather have had that as a pay-for add-on and gotten better support and fixes for 9.5.2 going into 9.5.3 for the OS X users (I'm sure for OS 9 as well.) Two ways that would appease me and maintain the faith is to get a free 9.5.3 update working as well as 8.5.2, or close to it in terms of stability. OR if 10.0 takes care of what ills 9.5.2 for OS X users, then to be given a reasonable upgrade cost of say $125 each for say 3 or more licenses bought at one time vs. the reported $250. In any case, whether you need 1 or 10 licenses, $250 for the marginal improvements and added niceties is a bit steep.

Very interesting reading and responses. It shows that folks are still having issues but continue to use this valuable software over others. I, for one, count myself as keeping VWA, but I have a few concerns with this latest announcement: I received your press release regarding VW 10. Exciting, but pricey. However, since we are just now making the transition (albeit cautiously) to OS X on the Mac, I am more interested in the NON-BETA version of VWA 9.5.3 alluded to on your web pages and update links around the Web. We are preparing to buy new Macs and they all come preinstalled with Jaguar (OS X). That?s enough of an expense without having to pay another $250? per license on top just to get it to work with OS X 10.2. Conspicuously missing from your promotional literature online and in the newsletter is any mention of OS X, Jaguar and compatibility for this upcoming mid-October release. Can you please expand in more detail? Thanks in advance for your candid responses and not talking around the issues.

Architect's twitch on the keyboard. I forgot to include my email address: spedygnzls@earthlink.net

Feel free to email me with specific questions. I'll try an answer back in the evenings. I've been using the program since it was MiniCad 6. Before that, we were using AutoCAD 12 for the Mac, before being abandoned, then went onto ClarisCAD. The browsing through this bulletin board should also give you some indication of what it isn't doing well enough, and how folks are working through the issues.

It would be great to have a full screen, cross-hair cursor whose angle or coordinates you define so that you can edit objects based on the cursor orientation. For example, I've been working with a building plan that is 45? to the site. I have to rotate the plan edit it, then place it on the site. With a rotated cursor matching my angle, I can edit the plan and perform alignment of other building elements on the fly. A toggle keyboard command would be great to be able to edit, say, between different angled objects. I've noticed a similar feature while working in 3-D and Renderworks. It would be nice to have this similar feature in 2-D.

Sorry I don't have a suggestion, but I do have a wish list feature that would seemingly do what you all want, a full screen, cross-hair cursor that you whose angle or coordinates you define so that you can edit objects based on the cursor orientation. A toggle keyboard command would be great to be able to edit, say, between different angled objects. I've noticed a similar feature while working in 3-D and Renderworks. It would be nice to have this similar feature in 2-D.

Similar to, but better than the Archstyl font in the Windows world, is the Postscript font Graphite, available in various widths (regular, condensed, etc.) My suggestion is to stick with regular. Works with OS X and Windows. Available online for a download. Prices vary depending on number of fonts you want and how many licenses you need. Look for it at fontbureau.com. They bailed me out when I found that I could no longer use my multiple master version of that font on OS X.

Hello unenlightened one. The Read Me file generally describes the installation and update process. It does say, as it has with other updates that the program will create an exact duplicate of your 9.5 folder. The purpose behind this is simple. Should something not be right in 9.5.1, you haven't lost your earlier version to go back to and continue using. Play with it for awhile before you begin serious production work and trash 9.5.0. The acid test for me is opening an older file that had no history of problems, and PLOTTING and printing it. If that works, then chances are so will everything else. I've only begun using 9.5.1 and have not seen problems, other than having it remember certain preference settings (default line weight and arrow head for example.) Based on the list of updates, I only have seen a slight speed improvement, but many of the other improvement and bug fixes didn't affect our use. Hope this puts you at ease.

I too, am in the market for a plotter than I can use with Mac OS X. Only two things prevent me from updating the office to X: a plotter that will work with OS X and VWA 9.5, and Microsoft's updated mouse drivers to allow for use of the Intellimouse (wired and wireless). In the meantime, you can try the following link to help you find the Poster Patch, as well as get some valuable information on what plotters work with OS X and when the software/drivers will be available for them. http://www.hp.com/cposupport/printers/support_doc/bpm35004.html#P4_242 Good luck. If this doesn't get you the patch, you can email me and I can email you back the file.