Thanks for your response Jim. I have tried copying this across another file but now the same problem is starting to occur.
What I have realised is that the Automatic Working Plane when the object is a 'smart' or BIMObject like a Wall or a Slab, does work.
But when it is a custom object/extrude, even a simple cuboid for example, then the automatic working plane will not work with these objects.
So it is a 'hit and miss' at the moment for which 3D objects these tools will work. The fact that these tools do not work now in any file, new or old, with my custom geometry is highly frustrating and making using Vectorworks to generate my model, quite redundant.
I attach a small snippet of my file as an example (which is very much work in progress), but you can see how these tools are not responding.
Thanks
VWX 2018, SP4
Example.vwx