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I agree with Mr Ormsby. I focus on 20-30 basic commands and it really helps and is definitely faster. I printed a copy of the keyboard shortcuts out and kept it handy by my keyboard. Over time I learned the one's I use the most and menu the rest so far. I am not certain exactly why you can't menu paste into a textbox but with regard to shortcut speed, one can select the text or object and while holding down the Command key hit D,L,C,V in succession and this will duplicate,rotate,copy and paste quite a bit faster than menu commanding each step. You seem to be happy with menus and that is fine but I don't think you'll find it faster in the grand scheme of things once you learn the 20 or so you use the most. Seriously. I am glad I did. Fortunately I didn't already know enough about CAD to be concerned that things aren't always "intuitive". I think the word intuitive is inappropriately used with regard to computer processes. It all has to be learned sometime.

Indeed! I posted a while back re "new message board" and the next thing I know it has 4 stars! I tried to find where they come from to no avail.

Yes, Christiaan I see your point as it would relate to wishlist items. And perhaps in a more limited way to the forum in general. And I suppose it wouldn't HURT to impliment it so I am basically ok with it. It just seems the good folks at NNA are capable of gleaning the best and most implimentable ideas one way or the other with or without ratings. By the way, thanks for all of your valuable input to this forum. Being a relative novice, I have appreciated your experienced, well reasoned and well articulated entries.

So how would this rating system work? Everyone rating their own topic most important? I would think that the number of replys and views already adequately demonstrates overall board interest. What am I missing here?

It is just a similar poly as Patrick's composed of arcs and lines (not the extruded poly) that is extruded to 1.5 inches and trying to fillet 1/2 inch on the top or bottom faces. I'll try to post an image. I have added it via the file manager but it doesn't show when I preview....

Thanks Katie, I was trying out anything because it did not work on the simple extrude. Patrick, Please keep us posted....

Well I can't get this to work either with a similar shape using the extruded polygon tool or just a regular extrude converting to mesh or otherwise. I guess we'll just have to wait for the Power Pack people to enlighten us......

What kind of fillet are you specifying? I have also had problems when my fillet is equal to or greater than 1/2 the actual extrusion. Also verify the quantity of your vertices of the poly or zoom way in on your corners and see if the junction is clean and with out little additional lines that might have been inadvertantly created. The fillet tool is somewhat problematic as I recall previous posts that you may want to search for in this forum.

Maybe the polygon used for the extrusion is not "closed". This would be checked in the OIP after double clicking the extrude and selecting the polygon. Otherwise sometimes angles can be too acute relative to the fillet specifications? I must admit to not being very accomplished here so maybe someone else can set this straight.

Lee Jubas, This may not be what you want but you could create a viewport of the regular top plan view and then duplicate it in place, renderthe bottom VP to FQR and the top in wireframe. These would update accurately.

I think I read this on some previous post but couldn't find it but just messing around with the program I have been able to create a static rendered viewport plan view by setting the drawing view to a side view and creating a 3D Section thru the side view at the height you want. Then create a viewport of that 3D Section. Remember that 3D Sections are not live so therefore neither is the viewport. When you make changes to the plan you must redo the process. I'll bet others here have better ideas....

ninjaslim, Hang in there, Pete seemed to be responding to someone named AndyAnderson. Talk like this happens frequently. Someone will suggest something, I'm sure. I don't know enough to help you.

Ok! NIce work and thanks for the info. Just having this capability gives us all quite a bit to smile about.

Christiaan, Now that I look into PRetondo's querie I'm stumped. Could you please elaborate on the posting of images..how is it done? Thanks, Bradley

I guess you have to copy and paste from the answer to that question in the FAQ menu. Katie, Maybe you misunderstood my intent. I referenced the functional preferences because I had indeed noticed these in the My Stuff menu but couldn't find the pre-existing graphic preferences. I was simply asking what I might be missing or if it was still possible....not making a demanding complaint. Otherwise, kudos for the image posting URL!!! That is the practical equivalent of adding viewports to VW. Communication is now improved. Now if I could only bring my self to using those silly emoticons.......hardworking well-appreciated employees could more accurately get my drift....or have I mistaken yours? Hmmmm.

It used to be that one could preference the graphic look of the message board (in addition to the functional preferences). Is this still possible with the new board? I've looked but can't find anything.

Yes! Why not?! And in Technicolor and stereoscopic Panavision! Well, maybe not. But at the least more views.

Actually, I understood this and appreciate that structuring as well. It's just that more often I would like it otherwise but NOT at the expense of bloating the software if that is what would happen. Thanks Katie and Pete, Looks like Previous Views it is although it only goes back 10 views according to the online manual so it limits the amount of view changes one can do before returning to the previous layer. This is not a huge deal. I just hoped I could preference it differently.

I guess I should re-explain as I don't think I am doing anything out of the ordinary. I believe the issue stems from program protocol but I'm not certain. It only concerns design layers, not sheet layers. Given: a file with only Design Layer A and Design Layer B. Example 1: With both layers in Top Plan View, if I select an object on layer A and issue command "fit to objects" (or pan or whatever) layer B will shift also. Example 2: With both layers set to different isometric views, if I zoom in or rotate layer A, layer B will also change it's orientation (although not to the same view as A) so that when I return to layer B it is hard to tell where I am and must zoom out and reorient the layer. I find this to be disruptive to work flow and would like to change it if possible. Any programmers or someone from NNA like to respond, please? Is this just protocol that we've all just accepted? I know I can align layer views but what I want is for the other layer B to maintain it's orientation regardless of what I do to layer A. If I knew why it happens the issue would, perhaps, be more tolerable. Anyone else consider this problematic? Is there some preference I need to specify?

I searched with little success but I seem to remember something on this topic in the last three years. Anyway, I was wondering if someone could please explain the programming logic or need that has Vectorworks change inactive layer views when one zooms or otherwise changes the view of the active layer. It's a bit tiresome to be on layer A and then go to layer B to briefly zoom in and check something out and then return to layer A and the view has changed. Is there some setting I can change or is this a wish list item or otherwise why is it this way? Thanks.

Doh! I plead to a senior moment! Completely forgot. And yet I was even wondering "why wouldn't they have such a basic command?" Thanks.

I wish for a command that would duplicate a polygon "concentric" to the original by a specified distance. A negative number would create one inside the poly and a positive number would be outside the poly. For example, I have an irregular keyhole-shaped polygon. As it stands, as far as I know, the method is to create tapered extrudes until you get the right distance (or do the math) and then convert to lines>create polygon (in paint bucket mode). Just thought this might be nice. I can live with the workaround.

Thanks Christiaan. Haven't imported too many plugins but I was having the default file opening problem until I preferenced the files. I'll just zip them up and tuck them in bed.

1. I recently perused my hard drive looking for files to delete and when I came across my old versions (10.5 and 11.5) I wondered if there was a practical reason to keep these old applications on my hard drive since converting the old files to version 12 is practically automatic. 2. I then wondered about version 12 beneath 12.5.1. Does 12.5.1 rely in any way on the earlier 12.0.1 to function? 3. So, what would be the benefits of keeping, or conversely, what would be the drawbacks of deleting these oldies? Thanks, Bradley

It's not on my screen now and I remember reading both with mouth open. I'll be waiting for the next exciting episode......