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Bart Rammeloo

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Posts posted by Bart Rammeloo

  1. About your last remark: yes and no. You can change the position of the edited points in space. Jus set the tool to "translate and transform mode" and "translate and rotate", put the cursor on the point and click. You will get a controller which you can use to drag the point around. With the tab key you can enter the translation value. AFAIK there's not yet a way to "read" the coordinates of that point thought.

    Obviously future versions will offer more possibilities. This is just the first iteration of the implementation. I remember when NURBS were first introduced, and that first version was also limited.

  2. J:

    Sounds to me the company is quickly becoming bling happy. Pushing the envelope on new technologies is one thing, the fact that they cannot consistently build a stable piece of software is another. In my opinion, too fast, too much, too little spent get it right. We're left to suffer the consequences, too often playing the role of guinea pig while we pay to lose tens of thousands of dollars in lost billable time diagnosing unstable software. While I understand its all a game of growing gross revenue in the fight to control market share (Autodesk displacement), its a dangerous game you play when you begin to develop a reputation for an inability to produce something that doesn't crash at least once a day.

    I don't doubt for a second that you experience these issues. But statistically speaking, the stability of Vectorworks has been increasing with every version for, let's say, the last five or six versions. That's what the developers can track thanks to the automated crash reports that VW generates since a couple of versions. It's that report that also allows them to focus all effort on fixing the bugs with the highest occurrence rate. In my own experience from the past 13 years, there have always been "freak" crashes that are hard to explain, let alone solve - and that is true for every software. Again, that doesn't solve your problem, it doesn't address your frustration, but it also doesn't mean that Vectorworks is worsening. The numbers show that the opposite is true.

    The good news is that Jim is known for not letting go - so if it can be fixed, he will make sure you get the solution.

  3. From C4D your output would traditionally be the finished image or video directly, no need to pass it back to Vectorworks if its being finished in C4D.

    Users WANT to be able to round-trip models between Vectorworks and C4D however. This has been requested a number of times and is now being heavily reviewed by engineering, but I do not think there is a full satisfactory workflow for back-and-forth yet.

    You're right, and if there would have been a straightforward way, it would have been implemented a long time ago :)

    C4D is a polygon based modeler. And as most poly modelers, it only supports faces with up to 4 vertices. A face with more than 4 gets automatically (internally) split. You might no see those seams in C4D, but they're there nonetheless (you can show those seams in the viewport via Filter > N-Gon lines). When you export the geometry, you get a mix of triangles and so-called "quads" - regardless of how smooth your surface looks in C4D. Because even if you use the C4D "NURBS", this is just a smoothing algorithm on top of a polygon cage.

    As long as C4D doesn't support real solids and real NURBS, getting the information back into VW in a transparent will remain difficult.

  4. BaRa, you're wrong,we can use arch.tools and plug-ins in c4d

    there are:

    1. native new polypen tool in v.16 and snapping with guides

    2. from Japanese developer - DragPrimitives/-Splines - example of solid wall -

    web site - http://coffeestock.lk6.co/Blog/?page_id=19

    3. or extensions from Caleidos4d - http://www.caleidos4d.it/plugin_cinema4d.htm#estensioni

    No, I'm not wrong. Sorry, but the tools you list do not fit the regular architect's workflow. The polypen is a great tool - I agree (although I still miss some of the features that Per-Anders Edwards introduced back in the days with his polygon plugins). So are the plugins you listed. But all these tools do, is either allow you to SNAP and modify the way that snapping behaves, or to insert preconfigured objects, or to draw polygons faster. It does not, however, allow you do draw a wall-like object and define it's length WHILE DRAWING. That is quintessential for fast drawing - and for architecture.

    BTW, did you know there's a nifty Xpresso-based tool in the presets of the Visualize bundle, called House Builder? It offers a genuine speedup, but again it falls short in the department of an architect's workflow. It isn't geared at architects either, MAXON confirmed that during their pre-R16 meetings. In that regard, Sketchup would still be better than C4D. But why would you use Sketchup when you have the power of Vectorworks :-)

    Don't get me wrong, I'm a big C4D-advocate, but comparing it to Vectorworks when it comes to modeling is really apples and oranges.

  5. Have to disagree with BaRa here. C4d is every bit as accurate as VW. You can "draw" your objects and then tweak on them. But. It is a program more geared toward free form modelling rather than architecture. So the program does not have the tools that VW has to enhance that process.

    I'm afraid you misread what I wrote. I said you cannot give it the proper dimensions WHILE DRAWING. You can model anything you like, but you cannot do it like an architect would do in a CAD package. C4D doesn't offer the same kind of speed when it comes to architectural modeling (read: designing a building while you draw, taking care of accurate dimensions) as Vectorworks.

    While we're on the topic af accuracy: no, C4D isn't as accurate as Vectorworks. It has been a long standing issue for some modelers, even back when I was still in C4D's beta test group.

  6. Hi,

    If you prefer to use the English tools, you still can. It's just a matter of adding them to your workspace. Here's a video that shows you how to do it:

    http://videotraining.vectorworks.be/nl/video/33

    However, it would help if you could somehow tell us (Design Express) how you would like those tools to work and behave. I know we have a couple of things in the works, and we're looking for users to give beta versions a spin. Would it be OK if my colleague who coordinates development got in touch with you?

  7. Hi Scheven,

    I see that you're struggling with that window tool - what you see is not what is supposed to happen. I know that a SP is in the works to fix a couple of bugs with that tool, but at the same time I think that simply contacting our support to check if there are no other options to make this function as you'd expect might help a lot.

    http://www.vectorworks.be/nl/support/online-support

    http://www.vectorworks.be/nl/support/telefonische-support

    Or via the Service Select portal:

    serviceselect.vectorworks.net

  8. I assume you're a garden/landscape specialist? In that case modeling in C4D can make sense, yes.

    But C4D is no good at the typical "architectural" modeling (or technical modeling, for that matter), since you cannot "draw" your objects AND give them the correct dimensions while drawing. If you'd try to create, for instance, a wall, then in Vectorworks you can define the start and end point with the exact coordinates (position), and be done with it. In C4D, you can't. Either you will place an object (for instance a cube) and fiddle around with the parameters until it has the right dimension and position, or you draw it with linear curves, but then you can't enter values for your control points while drawing - you'd have to tweak each point after completing the curve.

    If accurate dimensions don't matter, you can do all your 3D work in C4D.

    To be clear: I'm not saying C4D is inaccurate, I'm just saying it's not geared towards your typical architectural modeling. It lacks a couple of features to pull that off.

  9. This really coasts on the edge of what is currently possible in IFC. There have been numerous requests to change IFC in such a way that it would allow symbolic information, but at its core, IFC is still about volumetric information, attached data, and hierarchy.

    My question would be: why do you want to include that info in an IFC file? What would be its purpose? Who is going to use this file and cannot work without that info?

    BTW, I'm not sure this post belongs here. Exporting and importing IFC is a Vectorworks Architect feature

  10. But as I see, you divide the decimals by a point.

    I have no problems elsewhere with the german comma.

    But maybe the Cinema render engine expects one ?

    It's not a German comma. It's an American point ;-) As to the C4D render engine: it's a German product, it should be able to talk Metric, no?

  11. I would try this with Model > 3D Powerpack > Revolve with rail.

    - you draw the top path (ellipse?)

    - you draw the axis (in side view: off center)

    - from path to axis, in a side view, you draw the section

    Then you use the command. You could combine this with Shell solid to give it a thickness, and then cut or add parts, fillet edges and so on, depending on your preferred workflow.

  12. a) If the service is free what happens when you run out of credits?

    You get in touch with your distributor to see if you can get extra credit. Right now, this is just an administrative process.

    b) Do the credits renew on a daily/weekly/monthly/annual basis?

    AFAIK, it's a yearly process. But I might have it wrong - someone else will have to confirm that.

    c) Do people who are not VSS members have to pay for them?

    People who are not VSS members don't have access to these services. At all.

    d) Can VSS members manually renew them if they need them?

    Yes. As I said, get in touch with your distributor.

    e) When you say all benefits are "currently' free does that mean you have plans to stop them being free?

    Depends on how successful this becomes. These services run on rented servers, and those servers don't come for free. As long as this doesn't punch too big a hole in NVW's wallet, it will remain free.

    f) is the 3D viewer basically Cadfaster's product?

    No, not by a far stretch. It is an extension of Nomad, it uses your VW files "out of the box", it is based on the VGM (Vectorworks Graphics Module).

  13. Jim this is good to know as I often feel like i'm whining when I bring problems or inefficiencies up on this board.

    Although, there is one problem that irritates me with the current bug reporting process. I usually enjoy the experience when I bring them up with you via this board or by email. But other times when i'm referred by you or other NV tech's to go report it through my local distributor, I cannot help by sigh in despair. EVERY time I ask a question to my distributor she has absolutely no clue what I am talking about and simply asks me if I could package every piece of info so she could forward to NV Techs. It simply feels like i'm talking to a customer service company in India that has no clue about the product and that the message will get warped up the chain to the right people who can have an effect. So when this happens I usually just abandon my effort to resolve the problem as it's too painful trying to explain a technical issue to someone who is oblivious.

    Do you routinely test your distributors tech support knowledge to make sure they are up to date? Perhaps a public rating of them would benefit us in choosing? With the Service Select program are we able to request a change in local distributors if we find a more dynamic one? (In my case I would change for Resolve as they tech video's are great).

    Thanks for listening.

    Part of the problem here is that distributors only have access to the bugs they have been filing themselves, on their behalf or on behalf of their users. They can't see what other bugs have been filed by other parties, including NVW (bugs, improvement proposals, new feature requests - the lot). Nor can they see if any headway has been made on the items that are not their own, and if its solution will be rolled out in the next service pack. That doesn't mean your particular distributor doesn't have a problem of her or his own (I can't judge), but that specific limitation does hamper their ability to service you. Once that hurdle will be out of the way, it would be easier to evaluate.

    Until then, we rely on the enthusiasm and dedication of people like Jim to overcome these hurdles :-)

  14. I tried to download the Vectorworks 2015 but i got 2014.

    Is that because im from Holland?

    If you're using the English version of Vectorworks there, it should go live for you today. If you are using a localized language copy, you will have to check with your local distributor for launch details, they all have different plans.

    More or less correct. The "English copy" isn't the "English copy" around the world. Once everything is ready, as a VSS member you will receive an email inviting you to download your serial and VW 2015 software. It's no use going to the portal before receiving that email.

    Please: DO get your 2015 serial number too (there's a button to do that). You CANNOT install VW 2015 with your VW 2014 serial number.

  15. Then what's the point of being able to bound your wall over multiple stories when they will not show up? This will result in still having to do windows that span stories with workarounds...

    You're turning it around. You asked if it was possible to bind walls or wall components over multiple stories. And that is possible. But that is not why levels were introduced - that is not their goal. Levels were introduced to make working with stories easier. And that is what they do. It improves the workflow significantly.

  16. 1) Is it possible to bound a wall between the 1st and 4th floor and put windows in al floors?

    As far as I understand it, yes. the Doors and Windows' heights can be bound to levels instead of layers, so they can all be in one wall in one layer but the various levels lets you control individual object height.

    But can we bound the wall itself over a couple of layers/storys? And then being able to have our plan views still showing correctly, like VW automatically showing that wall on all layers it goes through?

    What you are asking is if you can model the building in 3D, disregard layers and stories in the process, and still get the correct plan views for the different stories. The answer to that question is: no. To get a correct 2DPlan representation, you need 2D or hybrid objects on specific layers. Vectorworks will not deduct the complete plan view based on a specified cut height. That only works with isolated objects like the Autohybrid object.

  17. Back on topic, and assuming the teaser is legit, "materials quickly can be assigned and that it can be directly used in an OpenBIM workflow", is attention grabbing.

    Isn't perhaps MATERIALS :owith IFC classing and plugin malleability more the focus of the teaser, than the curtain wall tool itself??? Too optimistic?

    Keep in mind that "materialen" in Dutch can mean both "materials" and "textures". Besides, you can already use your VW BIM in an OpenBIM IFC based workflow, it's being done with VW 2014. Although not many people realize that, so maybe that's what they are hinting at.

  18. Ah, wishlists. Well, there's a very, very long wishlist for Vectorworks (as for all major software solutions). Just look at the topic for VW 2015 on Linkedin - it just keeps on going. Anyway, knowing NVW, I doubt they would reveal anything before release date. And if they did, they would be more explicit.

    But as long as the wishing well is open to the public, I would like inclined walls and tapered walls. Super handy for renovations, when you need to draw the existing situation. ;)

  19. "It begins". Maybe he just meant the buzz around VW 2015? I don't know, as long as NVW doesn't publish anything officially labeled VW 2015, I'd take this with a grain of salt. 64 bit looks like a real thing, but that design? I didn't hear him confirm it really.

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