Stephen

After going through the set-up and sheets review, you get to the issue manager review and on this panel you can ask that the revision be applied to all sheets in the file or only the sheets checked to be printed in this issue. I think that that will give you the result that you want. If you wanted to archive each revision, you could also save-as to a new file name.

Thanks much. That was actually quite clear! So where are you headed? and have a good trip. Stephen

To Cipesdesign- I'm about to make the transition and have no idea what to expect beyond your last post. I have been reading the LANpresse manual and talking to my local guru, but am curious. You say Jaguar will recognise the LANpresse Jr. What will I see? Does the serial number (CT.....) show up in the equivalent of CHOOSER, so all I have to do is select it? A brief comment would be appreciated if you see this post. Thanks

Did you know that you can tap the "G" key to set 0,0 at the curser location?

Peter, you probably have already figured it out but you can make tops with the floor tool, to any shape you want. No backsplash, of course. It is a work around... Stephen

I believe the stair tool has a problem with text rotation. I have looked for a control like the arrow angle adjust and do not see it. Also, we need to be able to set landing sizes, or maybe more likely widths of each run of steps either side of a landing. As it is now I have to calculate multiple runs of steps and/or make a landing with the floor tool. Thanks

We seem to be coming from very different places, my previous cad experience being limited to primitive 2D packages- I use the setup manager because it is faster to set layer heights there than by setting up all the layers manually. Even if I have a template, it takes longer to change all the layers over to suit a new project than to use the setup manager. I glanced at the model setup for the first time. Not sure yet what all the fuss is about- seems very easy. Yes, I use the issue manager for title block management. If I don't I end up printing my final set twice because of all the missed updates on each sheets title block. This, nevertheless, does not deny my complete agreement that some aspects of these tools are ridiculous. For one, the title block placement procedure makes customization and adjustment of a title block symbol, once placed in a set with multiple scales, very painful. I only allow the tool to place the text fields, now. On the other hand, I had to upgrade to 10 because I need to export to ACAD, and previous versions of VW can not export hatches and fills, which ACAD can now utilize. Since our layers stack, this is important. Autocad, I think, is designed for production work. VW, is less so, perhaps. One of things many of us are glad of is not having to learn many arcane tools for production work. I am sure they will become part of VW because of the wishes of users like Mr. Brooks, and so long as we don't lose the ability to continue to work without them I won't mind. In fact, when I try them, I am often pleased.

But I forget to say that all my CD's start as 3D designs. Plans in particular from VW are beautiful, and adding framing plans, MEP, or FF&E to the plans is no hardship in comparison to the way I used to have to do it. But I never worked in a large AE firm, and this may be the critical comment: if I had to make production documents all day, I'd quit being an architect. So I guess I'll never be a successful AE firm!

If there is one thing I hate it is having to draw in 2D from scratch. It means I have to figure out all the eaves, draw all the elevations and and sections from scratch. If you have never tried designing in 3D, you'll never know how much easier it becomes. Of course I do a lot of houses, which have multiple odd conditions. Commercial buildings are much simpler (for their size) and the 2D is certainly much more useful there. I also get terrific milage when I can show my clients their project in a manner they can visualize, and once you get the hang of it, views from interior are actually quite useful. Views from angles are almost spectacular, although elevation views of models usually have a lot of dropped lines and lines that show which ought to be hidden. (For some reason this is not a problem in isometric or perspectiveal views.) The biggest time burner for me is cleaning up sections and elevations. No matter how cool the window tool is, it still cannot give me muntins in a top sash different from a bottom one or trims on the sides a different width than on the top. Actually I believe this thread is defining the direction VW has to go very clearly. It has helped clarify my thoughts on this and I'm very happy you started it. Stephen

I agree. In fact, this would improve my biggest gripe with the trying to navigate (ie read) the Layers window. 90 % of the time I need to navigate it is to move between the sheets of a saved sheet group. Hence it would improve the funtionality of the Setup Manager. Thanks

I made a long comment earlier. Now I will try for a short one. I don't use classes easily. For me the beauty of Vectorworks is the layers and their similarity to Pin Register, the similarity to real sheets. But they have height! The genius of Vectorworks! I do use classes to make a stair point down on one floor and up when on another, or maybe to indicate demolition, though in that case it seems so much easier to simply cut and paste another layer to use to indicate demo, like with a sepia. Classes for me are to get out of a pickle. I need the layers to be arranged in a way I can find the layer I need. The way they are now, all the types interleaved together is SO HARD to read. Thanks

Oh, yes! Please!

Because this topic is rousing a lot of interest, and because i think we may need specific issues to focus on, I am posting a sample of how my layers list might have looked: COVER M.new M.existing AE1.3 AE1.2 AE1.1 AMP1.3 AMP1.2 AMP1.1 AS1.3 AS1.2 AS1.1 A.elevs A.sections A1.3 A1.2 A1.1 AX1.3 (demo) AX1.2 (demo) AX1.1 (demo) base S.3rd S.3 slab S.2nd S.2 slab S.1st S.1 slab E.3 E.2 E.1 It is very easy to find your layer when thay are not all jumbled together. Human perception wants to find differences in a pattern, not patterns in chaos. The current layer arrangement is too hard to read. Thanks

I think it was Sam Clements who wrote at the end of a long missive, that if he had had more time, his letter would have been shorter. This seems to be the state of computeering today, and the setup manager is a good example. I think it is going in the right direction and I use it, and the borders tool, primarily because I want the issue manager records. But I have completely changed the way the border tool works in order to use my own border. I place my border on the common sheet and only allow the border tool to place text fields. My main complaint with the setup tool is the layers are arranged in a way that I find excruciating to navigate. I used to place all my 3D layers at the bottom of the layers list, in altitudinal order. Above that I had my common sheet, which I called Base. Above that I had all my "sheets". The bottom 3D sheets were named: "E.foundation", etc for existing conditions and above that S.first, or S.2nd slab, etc. for "source" layers. I used them like pin registered sheets. It was so effective that I never learned to use the classes until the setup manager forced me to. Above the Base sheet, are the A1.1, A1.2, etc layers, which carried all the 2D info for an output sheet. On top I had "M.existing" and "M.new", "M.newAlt", etc. for layer linked models, etc. The biggest problem with th current arrangement is that it is so hard to find a particular layer. Previously, I always knew more or less where in the layer list to look for a specific layer. Also, it has taken me a long time to feel comfortable linking layers or adding sheets, once the setup manager has done, for fear of screwing something up. I don't even know how to place a border on those new sheets so it will link to the text fields, especially the issue manager!? Personally, I think this effort is worth it because I belive this is how we get the really wonderful 3D benefits to work with the equally beatiful output that VW can make. It is painful at this stage, however. As Sam said, if I had tooken more time, this missle mighta been shorter- and/or more intelligible. Hope you can understand my comments. Thanks Stephen

I'll make up a small one, but it happens always with the elevation call out tool or the section call out. It also is true of hte property line tool, the text orients to the inside of the property, not the reader's vantage point. Thanks

David in Salem?

I am truing to use as much of your productivity effort as possible. I am having a problem with text in section and elevation indicators. This text remains oriented to the pointer, not the conventional reading vantage point of up or from the right. Text will even become reversed and mirrored. Another consideration is the flipped text control. If one needs to export to autocad this command needs to be off. Autocad will not receive the text as corrected. In 9 this was easy. All you had to do was turn off the command and nudge the text field one pixel and it would orient properly. This does not work in 10. This is pretty important, so thanks in advance!

Peter, The Archforms product, Maxbeam, is quite good. I have had my structural engineer glance at it and he thought it was quite nice. I really like the amount of information it gives you about each solution.

You gotta be kidding! No configuration? I'm expecting to have to find a windows laptop to use for configuration! great. As for th driver, the 350 ha the same engine as the 450, I believe. I wasn't too worried about that part. Thanks much

We looked at Archetrion and Archicad in the mid 90's. My feeling at the time was that they were great for solid modeling, but not for handling windows, doors, wall compositions, etc. I tend to do a lot of laptop revisions when with a client, but there is a point where I stop because the effort wil be too much for a normal meeting. This is because I can work in such detail in VW, even placing 3D rafters in certain cases. Making revisions through all that detail can be impractical, I agree. On the other hand, VW 3D drafting is so much faster than 2D or hand drawing, and I can get such beautiful drawings that I have no desire to switch. Window and door tools are fantastic, Also, the 3D modeling of a layer link with the walk thru's and isometric views are incredibly useful to a client, and frankly to me. The hardest thing for me is going from layer link to section and elevation views. The clean up is onerous, although MUCH improved. Placing siding, etc. is time consuming as well. And how could I expect the machine to anticipate my particular wishes for line weights, etc. I am fussy about that. I would be interested in knowing how these other programs handle the issues I have mentioned. Oh yes, I have a job which requires Autocad translations. Once through the particular hoops, the task is quite easy and produced quite good output to Autocad results. I think coming back to VW is less successful if you are trying to bring in 3D, but I really have never been sent a 3D ACAD file, so I don't really know. I always do a lot of actual design in VW, as well. I love this program.

This tiny printer server seems to me to occupy the same niche as the JetDirect EX Plus. MicroSpot provided it with their pre-X-rip Graphic Pac drivers I have been using. I have an HP 350 C, (refurbished from Cadd Engineering Supplies in Minneapolis-excellent for $995) and a G4/400. Works great with VW 10 and OS 9.2 on an ethernet LAN. I want to go to Jaguar with Gimp print, etc. Has anyone got any eperience configuring this server. Castelle says the HP admin software will do it, but I have no experience doing this sort of thing or with windows; will Microspot's chooser software do it?. (Maybe the printer will just show up! optimist?) Thanks for any comments.