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Marietta

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Everything posted by Marietta

  1. Once in a while we have had that problem also - it won't open properly in autocad, or autocad hangs, but will reimport to vectorworks fine. For one file, we converted to an earlier version of Vectorworks - 9 which then converted to autocad with no problems. I'd do this as the last try, since it doesn't convert as nicely for fills, hatches, images, etc. Try purging your drawing also.
  2. Hi There are an number of Landscape Architects that use Vectorworks here in Ottawa. Our firm has been using this program since Minicad 2. I would be intersested in emaim or online chats to discuss common probelms, suggestions, etc. Marietta
  3. Hi. We tried using the software Old Guy suggested, but it seems to work only on full autocad, not autocadLt. Is there any other program that could open these files, particularly on a Mac? Dgruber, This file is only useful to obtain the line weight assignments the autcoad operator was using. We would still need something in Vectorworks that would save these settings that we can reuse at a later date and to use them for exporting.
  4. I am hoping that Katie or Robert can answer regarding a script or something that can remember up to 10 or 15 different line weight settings. We work with at least ten different clients at a time on different projects, of course all using different standards. A few of the newer folks will use the line weights in autocad, but most don't. Old guy, If I understand you correctly, this is something the Autocad user needs to do prior to sending the line weight info to us?
  5. When I import autocad drawings using classes for layers, I import changing all colours to black and don't worry about line weights (don't select that option).I save a view with all the classes visible, in case something goes missing) I change the line attributes, colour, visibility, etc. given to those classes which might need to be changed (in an ideal setting, they should use the attributes given to that class when it was a layer in Autocad). Then I save a view with that setting. You may need to select the objects and make sure that they are using the class attributes. Now, if you recieve an updated file from Autocad, you should be able to copy that file to a new VW layer and all the classes should come in the same way (you'll need to edit the view to make the new layer visible and the old one invisible). Hopefully, they haven't put items on the wrong layers or classes, then you'll have to find them (this is where saving the views comes in handy). This is a bit tedious, but if you are constantly getting updated files to incorporate, it is worth it. In Autocad, everyone has to adjust their drawings also, and since it seems that everyone uses a different standard for assigning line weights to colours, it seems ludicrous to work this way still. Most of my clients have no problems when I send them autocad files with the line weights incorporated in the lines themselves. At least here in Canada, the Government still wants the old standard though. When exporting using line weights, you'll need the other guy's standard. Is there a way to read the Autocad's ctb(?) file and is there a script you can use so that you only have to input the line weight assignments once? The only issue I have with assigning line weights to colours when exporting is how to deal with screened lines. I use an odd line weight, so that I can export this to a grey colour used for screening.
  6. What I do is use a 'very' small circle, dot, or cross as the plant symbol - much smaller than the spacing of your plants - fill in your area for that plant type using the place plant tool and with none in the polygon display (Object Info palette). Then I draw an polygon outline and use the plant line tool to suggest the plant bed. This works well for perennials or shrub beds on drawings with a small scale (1:500 for example). Make sure the symbol is as simple as possible. I hope this helps.
  7. It is not always easy to print the 'overlay' layers. I found that some printers won't print the overlays, but by using one of the vectorworks options in the print dialogue box, it works fine. It is either the 'Enable special processing for transparent colours' or 'rasterize print output', then make a pdf file for printing. This is working on a Mac, I don't know if pc's have the same options - Robert?
  8. In the colour pallette editing box, there are 15 squares at the bottom where you can 'reserve' custom colours. Click on a standard colour, click 'pick color', and when you have the colour adjusted to where you like, you can drag the colour at the top bar to one of the bottom squares. these colours will then show up on all your files in this edit box. This way, you can copy only specific custom colours if you don't want to import the whole colour chart.
  9. Robert I agree with the shadows, but I don't seem to get consistent results with the symbols using the classes for colours. I have used two separate overlapping symbols, one for black & white and one for colour. Sometimes the black and white one shows up with the colour and sometimes not. Sometimes some of the colour aspects shows up or only partially shows up.
  10. Robert In a related plant colouring issue - I am trying to put three different classes to my plant symbols: B&W (for black and white, no fill), Colour, and shadow (colour with a shadow hatch). This way I can very easily change to a rendered drawing by saving views with the different classes turned off or on. These don't seem to work consistantly and they don't turn out exactly as the symbol shows in the resource browser. What can I do to make these consistent? If you want, I can e-mail you a trial file where I have played with these.
  11. Have you tried turning that layer to gray? Depending on the elements in that layer, it would work. Text and groups would show up as an outline though, but line work should work fine. if not how about using line dashes?
  12. Every once in a blue moon I get a file that I cannot open from Autocad. I think there is something funny in the file itself, since I got this same message from another file which has some shared elements ( a school plan thsat was copied over from one project to the next as a starting point). The xref that came with this file opens fine. The message I get is: 'Critical OpenDWG error! You will be given the opportunity to save each open file which has been modified.' The program will then quit. This drawing will open properly in AutcodLT and in Adobe Illustrator. I can import into vectorworks 11.0.1 if it saved as a dxf file. Any ideas?
  13. I have originally used the VW plant utility files in the Extras Folder to update my plant data base. I assumed that this would automatically update the PlantReferenceData.txt in the Plug-ins folder. I found that this is not the case. If I use the plant reference data directly in VW11, it updates the txt file, but not the VLU file in the extras folder. I had assumed that these were both the same file. I cannot find any vlu file that is the same as the one used in the program itself. Where should I go from here?
  14. Thanks. I was trying with the Plant Utility file instead.
  15. Robert Thanks. I like to use a heavier line weight for the plant tags, such as 15, but a light line weight for the boundary, such as 3. I know some people prefer a different line weights. It is good to be able to adjust these. I know this is a different topic, but can you also explain how to get the plant data base updated from version 10? Thanks.
  16. Just remember when you are adding new elements, especially with new class definitions, to add these classes to the saved sheets (edit the classes in the saved sheets), otherwise when you click back to a saved sheet, that class would automatically be set to invisible and the new objects don't show up. I/m not as familiar wuth the viewports yet, but you have to keep track of the class and layer visibility, especially when adding new ones. I have not found any issues with the speed of 11 (although I have not done any intricate plant designs yet in 11), except on occasion the object info box remains blank. It comes back properly when I restart the program.
  17. When dimensioning the radius, make sure that the arrow is not 'inside', you can click this off on the object info box. You will then get an arrow pointing to the outside of the arc which you can adjust its location. Or ytou can use the fourth option at the top tool mode bar - 'Exterior radial dimension' .
  18. I have tried for VW version 10. You need to know the extension used in the pc, for the pc version to recognize the file, I can't remember what it is - just look it up in the pc version. When I tried, it did recognize the workspace, but for some reason the Object info and Resource box was so big, that I couldn't get at the handles to make it smaller - it covered the whole screen. I didn't have time to work this out - I don't have VW on a pc, but you should be able to get it to work smoothly.
  19. This plug-in is for the Plant tags and the way the plants show up. I was wondering if you can adjust the line type and line weights used to connect the plants (center-dashed or solid, or boundary-dashed or solid). I noticed on one drawing when I changed a particular line type, the line type changed to connect the plants, but it would be nice to know what controls these. Also, I had some problems figuring out how to get my plant data base from version 10 to become the default for version 11.
  20. I want to change some of the defaults in the plug-ins such as line weight, line type, etc. Is there anywhere that shows what string relates to what preference and how to change them? I know string #4001 is for line weights, but I also want to adjust the dashes.
  21. I don't know if this was on the wish list before, but it would be very nice to be able to duplicate a viewport, complete with all its settings for layers, classes, etc.
  22. Larry One thing you can do is to have the different dimensions on different layers with separate 'layer' colours. When you want to differentiate, switch Document preferences to 'Use Layer Colors', then you would get these colours. Alternatively, use very dark colours that print basically black, but then you may not be able to differentiate them on screen. In the first case, you would set the class colour to black, so you would only see them in colour when you change the preferences to use layer colors. When printing, turn use layer colours preference off.
  23. Viper One easy way to print your drawings is to have three separate title blocks on separate layers, one for each portion of your drawing (#1, 2, & 3). For the first drawing, make sure yur other two title block layers are invisible, move the title block to where you want it. Place white filled rectangles with no line weight below the title block (you can use 'move to back' tool, so you cannot see the portion of your drawing that will show through the title block (yout title block layers should be at the top). When everything looks good, save this in your 'save View' as Sheet 1. Do the same for the other two sheets. The print office we used would go to each saved sheet to print, or alternatiely, save the file three times just for printing (if your printers prints directly from Vectorworks. Saving as pdf's is very easy on a Mac, but I'm not familiar with the PCs.
  24. What I do, when possible, is to convert the polylines to polygons. The polygons convert better to Autocad than the polylines. I try to draw using polygons firts,adjust them for the curves using the poly reshape tool. However, sometimes whan I adjust the polygon, it turns into a polyline (probably because of the arcs). I wouold then change it back to polygons. The only drawback here, is that the resulting polygons would have numerous vertices, so adjusting them afterwards would be too time consuming. I would convert to polygons in a copy of your drawing just before exporting to autocad. Hope that helps.
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