Neil Barman

Right under my nose! Thank you Jim! -Neil

I've reviewed everything I can find (What's New brochures, Vectorworks module comparison matrices, etc) that explains how Designer differs from Architect, but I cannot find anything that lists the actual tools/plug-ins that differ between the two. For example, Designer has Landmark's "Plant tool" in the site planning palette... What other tools are in that palette that Architect is missing. Might anyone be able to shed some light on this? Screenshots of VW palettes would be great too, if that help illustrate the differences. Actual explanations of the tools would be amazing, but I'm not expecting that level of detail... Just knowing what tools & plug-in are different should give me enough to research more. I'm curious to know this as I own Architect but find that more and more I am having to do greeter amounts of detailed site work. If the benefits of Designer (for what I do) justify the cost, I will add it. I just have to be very sure it's justifiable because not only will I be adding the cost of Designer but my VSS will get rewritten to the new price, whereas I am currently still enjoying my day 1 pricing. Thanks in advance. -Neil

Thank you sir, both for checking on this and for putting in the request. -Neil

JimW, Might you have any advice on how to get the left button of a Spacemouse to map to something other than scrolling through: "Using 2D navigation", "Using walkthrough navigation", "Using flyover navigation" and "Using unconstrained walkthrough navigation"? In System Preferences I have mapped the left button to a tool, and have even tried mapping it to the RM Views radial menu, but Vectorworks insists on scrolling through the above navigation modes (even after a restart of both Vectorworks and my Mac). Any thoughts? Thanks. -Neil

+1 for Hidden Line with Shadows. I would use this style ALL the time. -Neil

Hmm... The other line of the cross IS appearing when I turn on the "Site-DTM- Modifier" class, but then my Pads and Grade Limits modifiers are also showing. I'll have to find a way around this...

The site plan's VP is definitely set to Top/Plan in the OIP, and was made which I was in Top/Plan view. If it makes a difference, in the OIP the "Projection" is also set to "2D Plan". I've tried again, and unchecking "Project Screen Objects" definitely makes those spot elevations vanish, though I know what you mean and they certainly should stay put. I've also noticed that unchecking "Project Screen Objects" makes the smoothed, curving contour lines of the proposed site model become straight lines, in case that indicates anything. Another odd thing is that the stakes I have made (as Site Modifier Objects) are set to appear with a cross, but are only showing with 1 of the 2 lines of the cross, so essentially just a single line. However, if I set the stake to be any of the other 3 modes available ("Include as site model data", "Set elev to site model", "2D graphic only") the cross appear correctly with both of its lines. -Neil

That's how I was expecting it to work... but it wasn't, at least in the viewport that was my Site Plan. After some investigation though, and knowing from your description that it *should* work, I realized that the viewport's OIP setting "Project Screen Objects" was switched off. Switching that back on revealed the spot elevations. Thank you Tamsin! -Neil

I was wondering if there was a way to use a Stake object to modify a site model AND have those same Stake objects appear on my site plan (basically as 2D graphics set to the elevation of the site model)? If not, what is the best practice for showing those elevation readings from the actual site model on my site plan? Must I duplicate all of my Stake objects and set those duplicates to "Use 2D Graphic only" in the OIP to get them to appear? That seems prone to errors to me, as I will likely have to fine tune the site model more in the future, so I'm hoping there is a better way. Thanks in advance! -Neil

Might anyone know how to subscribe to the VSS Training section RSS feeds? The Tips & Tricks, How To and Tutorial sections all have the RSS icon near the upper right, and seem to have an RSS address for that page, but I cannot figure out how to actually subscribe to a feed. (Do note that I use lots of other RSS feeds from other sources without any issue at all.) Ideally, given the infrequency of items being posted, I would like the service "If This Then That" to send me a message when a new item is posted to one of those feeds. However, when I try to create this action at IFTTT (as I have done with many other feeds) IFTTT tells me the feed URL isn't a valid and is missing a title. I have tried other RSS readers (Postbox, Vienna, etc) and none of them can subscribe to the VSS RSS feeds either. I'm stumped.

It's great to hear that these 3D mice actually do work with v2014 and OS 10.9... Now I really must try one. -Neil

For what it's worth, I've been in touch with 3DConnexion and am trying to get their Product Team to get in touch with you Jim. Since it sounds like some fairly minor things to sort out, it would be great to get VW back on their currently tested and supported list, for both companies I think. -Neil

I have a site plan as a main file with three different unit plans referenced in and placed on site (in 14 different locations). From the site's Design Layer, or even from the Sheet Layer, how do I go about exporting a DWG so that those unit plans are visible? So far every method I've tried shows all the items in the main (site) file but the units themselves are missing, leaving only blank space where they were located. The unit plans are exported as separate DWGs but do appear to be "bound" or inserted into the site DWG. Thanks! -Neil

Yes, I am sure that the offending windows are listed in the OIP as "Window in wall" when they are making the jump. And when they are simply listed as "Window" they don't jump. Will do about troubleshooting that wall and the windows. At initially glance, they (the wall and the two windows) do not seem to be any different really than the others around them. I will investigate further though. I am suspecting that the wall, rather than the windows, may be the offender. I am thinking this because as a test, I took one of the other windows in the unit (that has behaved well so far) and I put it into the same wall as the 2 "jumpers". I saved, opened the site file and all of a sudden, the two original jumpers were where they should be and the newly added window had jumped. Mysterious indeed.

I've got a strange problem that I am trying to troubleshoot and fix, so I'm hoping that someone here might be able to help... I have a 3 residential building types built in 3 different files. I have a 4th file that is the site, where the 3 units are referenced in (multiple times each, to total 14 buildings) and elevated to sit on a site model. Units 1 and 2 appear normal in Top/Plan view in each of their iterations. Unit 3 however has two of its windows "jump" out of the wall and end up about 3000m to the right, which is not at all the way they are in the original file. When I edit the original unit file and pull the windows out of the wall (in Top/Plan view) and simply lay them on top of the wall in the correct location they look correct back in the site file (when I update the reference.) When I re-insert them back into their walls in the unit file, then update the reference, they again "jump" out of the wall and far to the right in the site file. Any ideas as to what is going on and perhaps more importably, how to fix it? Thanks in advance, -Neil

I would love to see workflows with importing/exporting recommendations for working with other major CAD/BIM/3D applications (i.e Revit, AutoCAD, Microstation, Archicad, Sketchup, etc.) It seems that it's always a matter of trial and error in terms of the best ways to export & import files with consultants & colleagues. It would be great to know... - Which formats work best with which applications? - What effect do each of the settings (for the above formats) have on the end result? - What are the Best Practices for importing files? - What are the recommended instructions to give to other who are exporting files for our use in VW? Demystifying the process in both directions would be a huge help in keeping Vectorworks viable and competitive. Thanks!

Needless to say, this technique works great! While a live version would be nice, this method is so easy, quick and flexible that it's quite acceptable. Thank you Tamsin! -Neil

Thank you Tamsin! I will try this and report back. -Neil

Is there a way to display existing and proposed contours/grade in a site section, one atop the other? I have a (proposed) site model that I have cut a section through. It has numerous pad modifiers & grade limit modifiers for a series of buildings, so the terrain changes a fair bit. Now I am needing to show, overlaid on the proposed section, what the slope of the site was originally, before/without all the pads. Is there a "built-in" way to do this? If not, what might be the best workaround? Thanks in advance, -Neil

I seem to recall reading something that may relate to this recently on Jonathan Pickup's site... Check out the "Topics Covered" section of this session. http://learn.archoncad.com/2013/10/14758/landmark_sig_035-special-interest-group-september-2013/ I haven't watched that one myself, but I hope it helps. -Neil

Thanks you for the clarification Jim. For now this is good to know at least, so that I don't go mental trying to figure out how to do it. -Neil

Is there any way to edit the Artistic Renderworks style (i.e. "Pencil - soft, Pencil - Thick & Thin", etc) beyond the options available in the Artistic Renderworks Options dialog box? Specifically, I am needing to use the "Pencil - Soft" style and have shadows appear. Thanks in advance! -Neil

Actually, being able to turn shadows on & off for ANY rendering method and style would be incredibly useful. (For example, I would really like to be able to use the Artistic Render style "Pencil (soft)" and be able to see shadows at the same time.) Just my 2 cents. -Neil

Thanks Jim. Good to know that Displacement Maps are further down in the VSS 101 queue. I'll poke around to see if I can find a good board & batten texture & bump map. If I don't find out, at least it would be one of the easier kinds to practice making. -Neil

Jim, Would it be reasonable to use a displacement mapped textured to portray board & batten siding? Also, do you have any sense as to when the 101's are coming to VSS? Thanks, -Neil