jnr

I've seen this problem too. I'm on a PC with 256mb ram and dual head matrox 450. It is not a screen redraw problem. From what I can tell there is a glich in the code. The wall tool has definitely gotten more squirrely since 8.5. I usually delete the wall and redraw it (pain in the derrier). I also get random openings appearing in the wall after I have either added or removed a door, window or cased opening. But not all the time.

Perhaps when using the set-up assitant to script a set of documents, the drawing borders and title block should default to the sheet size selected. Most of us mortals can't remember con doc sheet size designations and would apppreciate it if these two variables would default. For example if I choose a D size sheet in the page set-up, make the title block sheet default to the con doc D size so that it corresponds to the page size chosen. Can this be that hard to write? If so, then what about an error message like (You have selected a title block that is larger or smaller than the page size,woul you like to correct this or continue with this choice?) And two more things. The stair tool is way less than stellar and could use improvement (more options). Manipulating a wall once it has been drawn is a pain in the rear, if not impossible. Go look at Archicad's wall tool to see a better way of doing this.

So I'm not the only one who thinks the sheets should be more accessible. There should be a default keyboard shortcut to pop-up the sheet menu. Using the pull down menus is just as laborious as the existing menu. Regardless, the current sheet should be located on the tool bar somewhere. Most programs place information like this in the lower left hand corner. And please don't tell us that since it is in the title block you should be able to see where you are. Sometimes title blocks get blown away..

Hey chris: You would think with the increasing number of programs out there that do dynamically update, that this would have been a priority in the last release. One need only check with the likes of Indesign 2.0 or Archicad to see how powerful and useful this feature is.

That would be the easy answer if win 2000 didn't get so confused when it can't figure out which application version to open it with. Open with 9.0? 9.01? 9.5? 9.51? NNA has left carnage all over my hard drive by copying program folders, so its a little tough for the OS to figure out what to do. Especially since NNA does not recommend blowing away the next to the latest version of the program.

oh yea, and don't forget word wrap doesn't exist in Vectorworks worksheet land, which might also be causing problems. If you do have wrapped cells and they do make it in to the worksheet, be prepared for a worksheet that looks like Mr. Jefferson's National Land survey and will cause your cells to spread from Columbia MD to somewhere in Kansas....

Cipes: Thanks for the heads up. Its been years since I fumbled around with templates. Sounds like I may need to re-visit. Since I work on different projects during the day, I was hoping to simply open the program without defaulting to any file. I was hoping for tabula rasa, able to open files needed, not always quiting the blank file already open as my first move everyday... Kind of like Quark, Photoshop, Acrobat etc, which open without opening a blank file or template.

I've been using this program for a long time and have never taken the time to figure out how to have it open without defaulting to a blank document. Is this a windows issue or a vectorworks issue? Win 2000 9.5.1 w/architect

This program is excellent for 2-d production of details and straight forward drafting. Technical support and this message board are also excellent. While 3-d modeling is also powerful, it lacks dynamic linking to sections. In otherwords if you change the building plan, you have to re-cut the section. It does not automatically update. Also, sections do not show any elevational information. You have to add it manually. Something other programs already do. I'm also on win 2000. Integrating specification information is problematic at best. Despite what some say, it is not simply cut and paste from Word or Excel. Again the program cannot dynamically link to other file sources like Adobe InDesign for example which can link to Word, Excel, image files etc. This is a huge issue. If NNA would establish agreements with (if that is what it takes) other software vendors to get these links established, it would make the program extrememly strong. It would save a boat load of time. Unfortumately a major competitor is way ahead of NNA on this front. On the other hand Vectorworks does somethings better than its competition. A tough decision. It tortures me every day....

How about looking at Archicad's stair tool for a few cues? It has signifcantly better options and flexibility. If they are stealing your ideas why not steal theirs? I have to agree. Whoever engineered the stair tool has never built one or designed a modern staircase... And, it doesn't autoclass....

So its not just me. hp 500ps in non-postscript or postcript mode, win 2000, 512mb ram 9.0, 9.01, 9.5, 9.51. They all print the same. The text bunching seems to happen with the first print of a file. send it again, and it goes away. Files have either both adobe (helvetica neue) and type 1 fonts (arial+ arial narrow) or just one of each. It only happens with vectorworks. I'm getting tired of wasting paper. Will NNA re-imburse my clients for the cost of the prints? What gives?

OK so I'm updating to 9.5.1. I now have 9.0, 9.01, 9.5 and now 9.5.1 folders in my program file directory (win 2k. dual head 450, 512 ram). What can I blow away?

yup. Another of my pet peeves. The data base functionality of the keynote system is not designed by an architect. Therefore I myself am left to attempts to bring excel or word docs into the program or worse, exporting a title block to a desktop publishing program so that I can edit my specs in something other than a juvenile database. Perhap one should take a cue from a competitor who allows one to import many file types including dwg and dxf...

PAY ATTENTION.I'm going to second this. Archicad is on the verge of releasing a version (8 due at the end of the year) which includes dual head support, palette docking, and single key stroke customization to its user interface. In version 7 the user interface is cumbersome and mouse driven (you have to pick commands from palettes). Unfortunately, they have Vectorworks beat (as you noted) in three key areas: 1. The dynamic link of plan, section and 3-d model. 2. dynamic linking to other programs in the print window (i.e. links to OLE docs such as Excel dynamically update as they are modified) 3. sections include not only the parametric information of the wall and floor construction, but elevational information beyond the cut line. CONCLUSION: Architectural design is barreling down the path of parametric object design. You can choose to either lead, follow, or get out of the way. Personally I'ld like to see you lead but you will have to do it with adequate BETA testing (no more 9's) and quality control.

The stair tool is woefully behind the functionality and features of other similar cad programs. It needs a better interface as well as more options for various stair configurations. The tool is limiting, and I'm really tired of faking landings, calculating the rise and number of treads to subtract from a stair if God forbid, I use more than one landing. Forget winders. The defaults really ought to bet set to the IBC as well. And for crying out, loud please fix the 2-d cut. Its ridiculous that the cut cannot be adjusted. If you need to make this an add-on to the architectural package, then do so. We'll gladly pay more for something that works.

lets face it, the worksheet feature flat out stinks in this program and seems to be getting worse. Not only is what you see, not what you get on the page, but it is cumbersome to use, and lacks the functionality of several other similar programs on the market. Clearly there are plenty of examples out there of how to do this the right way. And for the love of god, will you please include WORD WRAP in the next version so that our tables and schedules do not have to extend into infinity!

Yes they are on a networked drive several folders deep. All on 9.5. Each file referenced (call it a source file) contains one or two layers only. The program crashes if I have open, or have opened the file referenced to (call it the composite file). It will crash even if I am working in a source file having opened the composite file. It sounds like I need to move the directory up in the pecking order to see if it stops. Thanks-J

I'm getting continuous runtime errors with 9.5. I have a converted 8.5 file upgraded to 9.0, to 9.01 to 9.5. When work group referencing 8 files into this file, within about ten miscellaneous commands, the progam crashes. This is always so much fun when you have a deadline and have to explain to the client that they can't have thier documents because you can't get them out of the machine. begining with win 98 se to Win 2K p4 512k ram. Any ideas?

Robert: The only reason I have brought this up again is that in fact some of the libraries in the object browser do not auto classify as stipulated. My copy of 9.5 does not auto classify all obects off the object browswer. I clealy understand that if it does not come off the object browser in Architect, it will not auto classify. While we are at it, did you try to toggle a window inserted into a wall by changing the class from none to windows-main to see what I am talking about with regards to a window looking like a window? That is, it looks like one in the none class, and does not in windows-main.

Cipes: Thanks for at least the morale support. I have done nothing more complicated than using the "detail cut wood" off the objects pallette both in 8.5 and 9.5. I have not modified or customized the program save for customizing the keyboard shortcuts. This is the second time this has happened and has cost me a significant amount of time and fee. I am highly suspicious of the changes that were made to the class structure between the two versions. For example one of my pet peeves is that auto-classing has been modified so that there is now a significant loss of efficiency in how parametric objects are brought in to an architectural drawing. In other words, they used to come in on classes which made sense (stairs to vertical class for example). Now one is forced with all kinds of stuff to re-classify once the object is brought in (they use the default class). Another thing which gives me pause is that windows set to the window-main class look stupid and do not represent the window assembly or construction accurately. If one simply modifies the class to the none class, they look like a professional drew it. But then if everything is on the none class to get it to look correct, then whats the point of using a class for the windows?

After converting an 8.52 file to 9.5 and updating objects, I now have a file where every single detail of cut wood in all my plans, sections, details etc., now have defaulted to a 2x2 actual size. I now have to spend about three hours going back thru the file and picking each component and reselect them to their orgininal size. Why does the program do this and who should I invoice for my time? This is VERY FRUSTRATING! I have a deadline to meet and cannot afford problems like this!

Is anyone else having problems with referencing layers in 9.5 on a pc? I've started a new file of a measured drawing of a house using the wall tool, windows and doors. Nothing out of the ordinary. I get a runtime error in vectorworks. win 98 256mb ram.

mnelson: I'm ready to bail after four years dedicated to this software not just based solely on hatch insanity, but on the myriad of other problems; for example severe lack of program stability across windows 95,98,98 se and now win 2000, (I can't speak for mac users)(witness excessive runtime errors,the program vaporizing off the screen, radio buttons turning black, etc). This is not to mention all the time and money spent diagnosing problems stemming from lousy quality control issues (9.0 need I say more), printing problems, etc. Its too bad, the program used to be a pretty good deal for the money. Unfortunately I don't know how much more I can take. If 9 and its offspring were a car I'd be exercising my rights under the lemmon laws....

The vectorworks hatch command flat out stinks. I have spoken to several other firms who use this software and all agree and are all extremely frustrated with the hatch dialog/ tool. In fact it and a few other irritations have driven one firm to choose another more expensive software package. They simply could not afford to lose fee in time spent diagnosing all the problems this software seems to have.

Ed:You might look at my post "autoclassing hell" for more on autoclassing issues. Granted it was with 9.01, but still a pet peave of mine. They seem to have moved away from the time saving convenience of autoclassing that exisited in 8.5. Why, I can't tell you. All I know is that its now more of a pain in the rear (takes more time= cost more money to use)to insert objects and then assign a class. Robert A. explained that whereas the program without architect used to auto-class (8.5), the base proram w/o architect now does not (9.01 at the time). Why this could not be modified in the code in the Architect add-on, I have no idea. Its a bad move. This message subject to NNA censorship.