BartHays

Aha, thank you. I erroneously assumed that the Migration tool was just for VW Preferences/Workspaces, etc. However, for others who follow, if you change the user data in this dialog to your shared Workgroup folders: You then this get dialog to Migrate the Workgroup files. Old dog, new trick. Much appreciated. Bart

I feel like I should know this... Is there an automated way to update all of the resources in a Workgroup Library for a new version of VW? Currently, I am manually opening each of my resource files in the Workgroup folder and saving them with the new suffix to the file name. So "Custom Hatches_VW2024.VWX" becomes "Custom Hatches_VW2025.vwx" ... now We have 2 or 3 versions of each file in the Workgroup Folder. (we usually keep at least 2 versions of VW installed). Is it "better" to create a duplicate Workgroup Folder for each major release? "Workgroup_2024" and "Workgroup_2025"? At least then all the files could exist without a version suffix. I'm dealing with maybe 30 or 40 files. This has to be cumbersome if you have 100s of shared resources. There has to be a better way. Bart

Hmm, The Map looks ok, I tried crushing the levels in PS, looking for irregularities but it looks fine. My next guess would be that the Displacement mapping in VW is working with low-res geometry. you might try upping the Displacement Quality. IF you can't find the error, you might be better off just modeling the standing seams in 3D.

My poor designer brain keeps thinking about how to build this 3D text. If it is a thin digital print, each letter following the curve of the casework is fine. ( but then model the casework and apply a texture) However, if it is milled out of a thicker material, say 1/4" Acrylic or 1/2" MDF, The machining of the back face is going to be super costly. 3D printing could do it but, why? In most instances, we would keep the front/back faces flat and pin-mount each letter with a gap between the letter and the casework to leave a nice shadow. Or, backlight each letter. OK, on with the discussion, I just had to get this out - sorry 😀 Bart

Can you post the maps? or a VW file with just that texture? We can do a better job of diagnosing. From the looks of it, your Bump has variations that look OK in greyscale but cause issues when converted to 3D Bart

This sounds like a @Jeff Prince question. My limited knowledge of terrain models makes me wonder if the VW user could set up the terrain model to show "3D Grid (Elevation)" and reset the Graphic Properties to go from Black to White. When viewed in plan in a shaded render mode you get a "depth map" type of look. You might be getting somewhere. However, It might be too cumbersome to set the grid size to something useful for data analysis.

I used an image editor, to create the bump map, fill an area with 50% grey, and then create the vertical "bars" in pure white. for proper scaling, imagine that the Texture is 24" square (or some other easy to use real-world size) and build the standing seams at the correct width and separation. In Vectorworks, create a texture, use whatever you need for the Color, and set the texture size to 24" ( or to fit your image) Use the new image as a bump map, and set Displacement to the height of your seams. NOTE: per @Jonathan Pickup when I did this, the Image preview in the Texture dialog showed the displacement in reverse, however, the rendering came out correctly, I'm not 100% sure what is going on here,(but it can be flipped by inverting the bump image(see arrow) depending on your results)

I don't have time to test this right now but you might try making your flat metal 50% gray and the standing seams, white. I feel like there was a "feature" where VW displacement maps allow positive and negative displacement. Update: verified. The image on the left uses a displacement from 50% gray to white, all displacement is above the top plane of the extrude. The image on the right uses the same displacement map but is mapped from black to white. Values darker than 50% gray recede into the surface of the extrude.

Hey James, I stepped into a similar situation a few years ago, albeit in a museum/exhibit design role. The designers were creating the exhibits in Adobe Illustrator and handing them to an ACAD detailer to make construction docs. I brought VectorWorks to the team as a solution that could bridge the two types of 2D design and, eventually, integrate 3D design processes. We started with Layer/class standards to let the designers keep working the way they wanted ( on layers and the None class) and the Detailers could use (mostly) Classes to do their work. Then I introduced Project sharing so that the teams could begin to see how collaboration can work with more "real-time" updates. The cultural leap here was coaching people to remember to save and commit on a regular basis, but we got there. Then, for the willing, we introduced 3D design workflows on layers set up for that work, we were able to "model" a 3D-to-2D workflow using the collaboration process they had just become comfortable with. The Layer/Class standards had to evolve with the workflow. It wasn't perfect, but after about a year some of the old-school 2D designers were open to exploring the 3D workflow and one even claimed "I see the future of design, and it's 3D!" On top of that, new hires could come in wherever they were comfortable. So, FWIW, I'd suggest starting with some shared CAD standards. Then, work into Project Sharing, and finally 3D workflows. Bart

We are not super organized but we have a good time. Mostly focused on Museum/Exhibits work: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14359087/ AND https://groups.google.com/g/vexd/

We have a small user group too - specifically for Museum people, but I wont hijack your post. I'll just say I am interested too. I am from Minneapolis but live in Monterey, CA. now. As beautiful as it is here, Minneapolis is one of the best Cities in the US.

Can you share your File/Titleblock and your rendering settings? hard to say what is causing the titleblock crash, but the rendering problems sound like the settings are out of whack??

could you use a 3D locus? snap it to the bottom of a vertical line, move ( using the 3D Gizmo) and snap to the horizontal line

Good stuff, This is pretty much how I have always manipulated Surfaces in VW or any other tool that could edit NURBS surfaces. I would bet this is very much known to VW. But, it is worth sharing.

On Windows, VW 2024 sp 6. I do get a super fast flicker as I move from one mode to the other that looks like it is animating a transition from tool tip to the other, You might have a graphics cache issue which is sticking ??