Neil Barman

I suspect this may be due to using Object Visibility as the search term without quotes as opposed to "Object Visibility" with quotes around it. I can't explain exactly why that 3DS page appears in the results list, though the page itself does mention "object" A LOT so perhaps that factors in. Whatever the case, it's always a good idea to try a search term with quotes around it (in any search system) if the initial results you get aren't as expected.

Peter, which version (year) of the Online Help System are you using? (I'm not able to see based on the partial screenshot you sent.) The online help for versions of Vectorworks prior to 2025 won't have information about the new features. Also which version of Vectorworks are you using? Your forum signature indicates that you are still using 2023, in which case you would not have the Object Visibility features since they are new in version 2025. (You will have the Visibility tool, because it has been around for years, but its capabilities have been updated in v2025.) About the What's This? command, as mentioned above, it works on tools and menu commands. It would not work on the bounding box of an object/symbol, etc because the bounding box is not a tool or command. More information about using the online help system, including the What's This command, can be found here. I hope this info helps.

Hi Peter. Yes, if you search the Online Help System for "Object Visibility" the first result should be the page entitled "Concept: Visibility of Drawing Elements". Atop that page is a passage about "class and layer visibility", which it sounds like you know well, followed by a passage on "Object Visibility". Within the "Object Visibility" passage the View menu commands are mentioned as well as the Visibility tool, along with links to find out more about all of them. (I don't get any results when I search for "Custom Visibility".) While the above works well, it all requires searching in the Online Help System. I should also mention that the often overlooked "What's This?" command in the Help menu is a great feature for accessing help information. Simply activate the command, then your cursor will appear with a ? next to it. The next tool icon or menu command you click on will trigger the Online Help System to open right to the page for that tool or command. This will work for the View menu commands related to Object Visibility and the Visibility tool in the basic tool set and is a great way to directly access help info.

@nwfonseca Extensive or fine-grain classing (mentioned above) is certainly another way to control visibility of objects, yes, though Object Visibility allows for visibility control without having to manage extensive classing. There are absolutely uses for each and which you use will depend on your workflows. I would recommend learning the benefits of each and using the method that works best for you... even combining them if/as you need to. Personally, I use a combination of the two methods. I do use classes in all my files, but I prefer to not have to uniquely (sub)class individual objects in order to showcase them individually on a sheet. You can see what I mean in this video starting around 1:45.

Thank you for explaining. That was very helpful since there are multiple possible workflows with Object Visibility. What you are describing is working as expected – Viewports that have previously been made will, at the moment, remember the visibility of existing objects when the viewport was made. When new objects are added to a design layer, even if those objects are hidden on the DL, those hidden objects will not be hidden in existing viewports. Given how you are working, I would suggest either: 1) Creating viewports with the object visibilities you would like once you are done designing and you are ready to create your sheets. (I realize though that it can be nice or needed to have sheets laid out early, while design work is still ongoing.) or 2) Do your workflow as you are doing now, then, when objects that you drew after initially creating the viewport appear in the viewport where you don't want to see them, use the Visibility Tool, Object mode directly on the sheet layer viewport to click on the objects and hide them. Note: If you had existing, hidden objects when you first created a viewport, then later on you had to make those objects visible on the design layer, those objects won't become visible in that previously created viewport. Only newly drawn objects would appear in that existing viewport.

You can email the Tech Support team at tech@vectorworks.net And don't forget, your account manager can always either help you with or direct you to our other resources.

Simply based on what you have described, the previously hidden object should not be appearing in previously made viewports. The newly added objects will appear in those previously made viewports. (I just tried what you have described with individual objects and all is working as expected for me.) If you have read the Help system information on this topic and are fairly certain that you are using the feature as intended and built, but it is not working as described, then I would recommend that you contact our technical support team. They will be able to work with you to determine if there is a bug or if there is an element of how you are using the feature that may be producing a result that you are not expecting.

It (the revised visibility of objects) should happen the moment you exit the orange-bordered "Edit Viewport" mode. The feature is designed to work that way and it functions that way for me. If you are experiencing a delay of object visibility changes after editing a viewport with that option checked on, then I recommend that you contact our technical support team and report what you are experiencing to them so they can assist you.

Yes, new in v2025, to go along with the new Object Visibility feature. Full info about it can be found here and if you go to the What's New in 2025 web page, below the recent update into there's a new feature video on the topic. I believe the default is that it's unchecked, but I don't recall and my application has now been tuned to my workflows. Personally I have mine unchecked because I typically set the visibilities of objects I want to appear in the viewport, then I make my viewport. If I enter the viewport's Design layer and adjust visibilities in order to make some design changes, I don't want those visibility adjustments to get sent back to the viewport. But, when I know I'll be making some visibility changes that I do want to have sent to the viewport when I'm done, I switch that option on.

@nwfonseca ... If you are editing a viewports' Design Layers AFTER the viewport has been made, changing the visibility of objects, then wanting those visibility changes to "stick", ensure you have this option on:

Do you mean that you have objects hidden, then you make a viewport include these objects, and they instantly appear in the viewport?

Good idea. Head on over to the Public Roadmap and send it in. It’s great that you’ve tried the feature and have an idea for an improvement.

Interesting idea… I recommend heading to the Public Roadmap (see my first post) and submitting your idea. Ideally, explain how you would use Object Level Visibility inside a symbol so that we can understand how you would put it to use. Thanks!

Great idea to submit via the “submit your idea” button atop the Public Roadmap 😄 (See the link in my first post.)

One way that I am using Object Level Visibility is to hide walls here or there as I work on the interior design of a room... For example, I am currently working on a small project within one room (I can't tell you what it is yet, but you'll see in time). While working on what is inside the room, I often want to quickly switch off one wall or another to get a view into the room from a particular location. Yes, I could use the Clip Cube to accomplish a similar effect, but since this is a small project I'm finding it quicker and easier to just hide the wall that is blocking my view into the room. And when I want to work on just one object inside that room, I select it, then use the "Show selected objects only" command in the view menu to isolate it. (I too have added the Object Level Visibility commands to my right-click or Object Context menu for my custom workspace like @Luis M Ruiz has, but I'm showing the command in its default location for those who haven't used it yet.) Keep the ideas coming!