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JoeCAD

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Everything posted by JoeCAD

  1. I am running the demo version on a 1.4g Pentium, with 640meg of RAM, an ATI Radion Video Card with 64 meg. However, there is no sign that VectorWorks is taking any advantage of the video card. I tried the dynamic rotate command on the same model in AutoCAD vs. Vectorworks. It is Realtime and hidden view in AutoCAD, but VERY sluggish in Vectorworks. Don't plan on complex 3-D stuff in Vectorworks if that is typical. So, the question is if the results would be any differnt on an equivalent MAC or perhaps that the demo is limited in its display ability. There are other limitations in the DEMO (in the import abilities) which are not described in the documentation... not exactly a good idea because people are using the demo version for evaluation purposes. The accept limitations, but undocumented limitations to the demo are properly assumed to be limitations on the full version. Joe Dunfee
  2. See my discusion titled "3D Reshaper Tool - only one item at a time" (or something like that) It was from a week or so ago. But, basically, using the 2D reshaper, you draw a box around the points you want to move. Just like the AutoCAD stretch command. Joe Dunfee P.S. Mr. Punch... are you a puppeteer?
  3. In my case, the DWG's can be either version 14 or 2002. You say there is no import with the demo version... but there is. The sales/support guy says it is not fully functional in the demo version, but that is one of the more important things I needed to check out. Joe Dunfee [ 08-28-2002: Message edited by: JoeCAD ]
  4. I just spoke with Nemetschek about importing DWG files, and was told that the demo version (which is what I have) doesn't fully demonstrate the DWG import abilities. Anyone know what is not working like the full version? I successfully import most objects, but am puzzled about why some objects always face the viewer, even when you change to an isometric view. Most (but not all) of these objects are dimensions that are placed on and around the object in 3-D space. Perhaps dimensions just don't import? Joe Dunfee
  5. Well, most of my personal work is with square structural tubing that forms the frame of a theatrical set. So, for those objects, editing the original shapes is not a problem. However, I would still prefer to use solids, because I can extract weight and other information from the drawing. But, the mesh seems to be the only way to edit multiple 3-D objects... please someone correct me if I am wrong! Joe Dunfee [ 08-27-2002: Message edited by: JoeCAD ] [ 08-27-2002: Message edited by: JoeCAD ]
  6. Based on some of the recommendations here (thanks guys)I found out that I could edit multiple 3D objects, if they were meshes. Furthermore, solids can be converted to meshes. So, my question has been resolved. The 3-D shaper, which was first suggested, will not do the job. So far, I have only used the 2-D marque selection box... I haven't tried the 3-D selector or other options. Any advice on what issues I could run into? Joe Dunfee [ 08-27-2002: Message edited by: JoeCAD ]
  7. With your post, I realized I can upload a picture. However, it took me a while to get everything setup to work... Here is an image of one of our set designs. It is about medium complexity. It is a city gate with the following features; -The top is slanted for a forced perspective. -The doors, which operate like normal doors, are also able to slid inside the wall like a pocket door. -There is a ladder to the top for a look-out. -There are flaps that allow us to change the appearance when the set is rotated and viewed from the other side. One of the changes that I needed to make, was to make the doors shorter. In AutoCAD, I just stretched the necessary components in one step. However, in Vector works, it looks like I must select each component individually and resize or move them one by one. One a complex drawing, this certainly can get tedious, and prone to errors. How would you approach this kind of design so that it is easier to edit inside of Vectorworks? Joe Dunfee
  8. I am evaluating Vectorworks as a possible upgrade to AutoCAD in our theater. In particular, I am looking at how 3-d objects are edited. An example object is the side of a rocky hill. It is framed out with 2x2 square tubing. There is a portion of it that I want to make 12" taller. How should I do that? The objects that need to move up are 4 pieces that frame the top of the rock protrustion. The vertical supports need to stretch to be 12" longer. When I try the regular editing with the grips, I draw a selecting box around all the objects that should be modified and stretch them using the dialog box to make the height 12" longer. But the horizontal members are stretched in their width and are no longer 2"x2" square tubes and become something like 2"x2.001" tubes. They shouldn't change shape at all, only translate up 12". The 3-D reshaper was recommended to me. But this tool seems to only allow you to edit objects one at a time. This is OK for very simple objects, but in the past I have "stretched" objects with thousands of pieces of tubing. Obviously doing it one-by-one is out of the question. I realize that my AutoCAD mentality wants to find an equivalent to the stretch command. So perhaps I am just not thinging the right way. Any suggestions about how to edit something like this? I know that some illustration software allow you to "edit nodes" by first selecting the object (objects?) and then you select the nodes you are going to move as a group. So, I know this is not just an AutoCAD thing. Joe Dunfee
  9. In the past, I went over the version 8 tutorial as well. However, it regularly refered to burried option screens without telling you how to get there... I eventually gave up on it. I have only spent a few minutes on the current version of the manual. But since Nemetschek is so strong in recommending the video series, I suspect they don't expect me to be able to do much with the on-line manual. Joe Dunfee
  10. I am evaluating Vectorworks and come from a background of 15 years with AutoCAD. I am quite frustrated in any attempt to do anything Vectorworks. I suspect it is because of my AutoCAD mentality. To begin with, I import or create a drawing. But as soon as I go to an isometric view, there are some objects that go to the 3-D view, and others that stay in plan view. The problem is that these views are all overlapping. I really would love to find an article titled "Vectorworks for AutoCAD Heads". Does such an article exist? Nemetschek support very strongly recommends the training CD's and take advantage of the return policy if we don't stay with Vectorworks... but we are unlikely to purchase anything just to evaluate it. Joe Dunfee
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