The Hamma

Whenever you execute a command in Version 12 and you are required to give a yes or no response to a ?Confirmation Window? the ?Y? and ?N? keys no longer work as the did for all previous versions as well as most Windows applications. Please bring them back. While on the subject, I would like to say, I have noticed that the Vectorworks design team has constantly removed the keyboard commands and replaced them with mouse click commands. This is not how CAD should work. We are in a high paced drawing field and the more I have to zero in on a button on the screen to get my work done the slower I draw. Case in point ? Zoom out was removed from the Basic tool pallet and hence the shortcut ?V? was also removed, yes this is one item that I was able to correct as well as many others, but my point is that they were once there. Other examples are mostly evident in the variety of popup windows that I must contend with to draw. Example, is the new door dialog, I like the visibility of the door, but I don?t like that all the information is not available on the main screen of the dialog, why the tabs? Don?t get me wrong I love Vectorworks I just feel that we are being taken over by a generation of point and click users who don?t realize how much faster CAD can be if you learn to use the Keyboard as well. Efficiency of work is being lost, the fancy GUI gets annoying after the cuteness wares off. [ 12-08-2005, 09:32 AM: Message edited by: The Hamma ]

I have issues with the fact that I must click exactly on a line to do some commands. For instance if I use the Dual Object Connect tool I have to be very precise with my selections even if there is no other object near my pointer. What I suggest is that VW chooses the nearest object to the curser. One thing that aggravates this is that even if I use zoom line thickness, and I zoom in so the lines are large. I must still click on the very center of the line. Your design is slowing me down.

I have a an idea. I would work to my advantage for VW to have the ability to print all as black and white, which it does have, but with the exception of the gray scales. In this way all colors would print black, but all gray scales would remain gray. Then I could draw as I am accustomed to black screen colors representing line weights, and grays being grays.

I have a an idea. I would work to my advantage, may be not yours, for VW to have the ability to print all as black and white, which it does have, but with the exception of the gray scales. In this way all colors would print black, but all gray scales would remain gray. Then I could draw as I am accustomed to black screen colors representing line weights, and grays being grays.

Still need this, such an annoyance to turn it off then have to turn it off again then again, then turn it on then turn it on again and again. One wall insertion mode setting for all objects and symbols and situations would be heaven.

Thanks for your suggestions, but they will not work in my situation. The best fix would be a minimum printed line weight option. Windows XP, Sp2 Vectorworks 10.5.1 Pentium IV 3.2 HT Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 w/ Dual Monitors Printers Hp Laserjet 2100 - no problem Hp Deskjet 1120c - no problem Hp Officejet 7100 - no problem Kip 7000 - best print but no lines below 3 Xerox 8055 - On last leg but prints Hp Designjet 5000 - No problem - but expensive to print on

I would appreciate a minimum printed linewieght option in the print dialog box. Reason being that may times symbols hatches and other objects nested deep within groups may be linewight 1. When I print any line below 3 they don't print, hence the need for a minimum printed linewieght.

I have some experience in Autocad and trust me you scale issues lye within Autocad not vectorworks

This update address none of the problems I have with Vectorworks. Still waiting for a good update!

Thanks for the suggestion. I also have discovered in the mean time that the problem is isolated to Layer links that are linked to layers with lots of data on them. The problem is that I can't delete any of the data on the layer, since the information would then be incomplete.

I use layer links a lot and I find it necessary to draw over the layer-link rather than the linked layer. I got very good at what I do using VW 9.5, but ever since we have upgraded to 10.X I have had problems with the continual re-draw of the layer-links (when the "project 2d objects" option is selected). Every move - nudge or anything you do causes the layer link to redraw. This is very disappointing. I get very discouraged from working. I am not the type of person that can go slow. And 10.5 is slow. We need and upgrade fast. Try this exercise. Create a layer link of a plan with the "project 2d" on and then draw a rectangle over part of the plan. Zoom in close enough to fit a couple of doors on the screen and the edge of your rectangle. Make sure the rectangle crosses part of the layer-link. Then nudge the rectangle. You will see the speed issue I speak of. This is not an issue in 9.5

I agree, Vectorworks 10.X is much slower than 9.X. I find that I must group things to allow me to nudge them. Using the 2d reshape tool can take minutes to complete, and don't try to work with a layer_link visible. Dialog boxes take a long time to appear on the screen (comparatively). I could go on and on, but simply said 10.x is a very slow version of Vectorworks.

I wish there was a button to repeat the last command.

I also have problems keeping walls connected. I like to use the polygon reshape tool to reshape plans. I have done it this way since version 9 but now I have to rejoin the walls when I do this. I am using VW 10.5 on a windows machine

There are at least two wall insertion modes one under the "Selection" tool and one in the "Insert 2D Symbol" tool. What I don't understand is why I have to toggle each independently. If I turn one off they should both turn off and vice versa. Sometimes I can turn off the wall insertion mode drop a symbol right next to a wall and rotate it. Other times I have to drop it, flip it, and then move it into place, but not before I toggle the wall insertion mode again. [ 10-14-2003, 08:58 AM: Message edited by: David Hamer ]

I would like an option to rotate the print 180? in the print dialog. Reason is that I can print 1/2 size prints on my 12X18 printer but the fat margin is on the wrong side.

I agree, but I would like to add. Personally I see no reason to have a limit on how many Dash styles you have. I would like the styles to be more visible when picking them from the attributes palette and numbering them would help. I also feel that they should be the same from one drawing to the next, maybe there would be a separate file that could contain all the possible dash styles and each would have a name. We could then import which ones we needed rather than inventing them each and every time. I also feel that the dash style editor needs to be more like the wall type editor or a combination of both. This would help to be more precise in dash creation, because lord knows I can't make a decent dash style with the existing editor. Also all lines, boxes, polylines, etc. should start with a solid section at the beginning and end as well as the corners. This is a drafting convention. You learn that one in drafting 101. In short I think the whole dash style system need an overhaul.

Yes, I am aware of all the modes that are available. I speek of the ones that are not.

These four keys are so under used in Vectorworks. Esc - should eventual bring you to square one. Every time you press it, it should take you one step out of commands and eventually to the selection tool with no selections. Shift - should have the option of being the add/subtract to selection (current function) or use it to only subtract from selection like AutoCAD and all other selections are additive. You would use the esc key to drop all selections. Ctrl - when dropping a symbol that is not being placed in a wall this key could flip the symbol so i don't have to flip it after i put it down. Alt - means alternate - you can think of uses for it. When I do I will be back You have three modifying keys to work with. Every tool should have three main options that could be assigned to these keys.

PUT ONE UNIQUE SERIAL NUMBER PER MACHINE. IF YOU NEED RENDERWORKS ON ALL THE MACHINES BUY RENDERWORKS FOR ALL THE MACHINES.

When deleting objects other than walls vectororks 10.5 is quick but when deleting walls it take a very long time.

Just one thing I have been able to pin point about the new version slowness is when I use the Align/Distribute command. My process is to select the objects press CTRL"=" and adjust the dialog and press OK. Then the slowness appears on the next round. I do my selection and press CTRL"=" and press enter immediately after since the dialog has already been set. But the dialog still appears and I must press enter again because I was too quick. I was never to quick in previous versions of Vectorworks the program has slowed down. I was executing this command yesterday on 10.1.2 with no problems.

I have to increase the resolution of my monitor to 1152x864 "which is not very high" so I can fit all the buttons and resource browser and other palettes on the screen and still have room to draw. But in doing this I have no idea what the dash styles look like until I pick it. So every time I want a specific type of line I have to go one by one until I get to the end. Then I realize that the default line styles won't work. So then I have to go to that crappy microscopic Line type editor and try to separate the handles, which are so close together you can't see all of them. And to top it all off, on occasion after clicking indefinitely to grab a handle I am able to move it but then I can't let it go, so I click and click until the mouse drops the handle only to have it dropped it the wrong spot. LINE STYLES IN VECTORWORKS SUCK! Give me a table where I can define gaps or make the editor and viewers bigger so I can see what I am doing. Just make it better. Pleeaasse!!!!!!

Dear Nemetscheck, Is there any time line for an update to fix the array of problems that have been documented in the forums. I would just like an estimate, and no I don't want to get in to the problems they have been well documented by all.

Would it be possible for Nemetschek to identify the most stable PC system that they have run Vectorworks on and pass that information on to us. Brands, Ram, Graphics Card model and Memory, etc.