Neil Barman

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

Gentlemen, I'm very curious to know the outcome of this situation. I'm not having similar issues myself (touch wood) but I am getting into 3D & rendering work with VW (after many years of being required to use it in 2D only) and I suspect your findings would be quite informative. Thanks, -Neil

Well... After a few different attempts at using the "Layer Import" option, and re-building the files (don't ask how long that took) unfortunately using "layer imports" didn't do the trick. I still didn't end up with the visibility control I needed. What ultimately has worked (and thank you Jonathan for your clarity) was to: - Duplicate my Design Layer Viewport for each unit. - Turn on the layers I wanted to appear in each of the two viewports (in my case, one VP should show the main floor plan, the other should show all floors and roofs of the building.) - Make two Classes, one for Viewports-Plans and the other for Viewports-Full Buildings. - Assign each VP to its appropriate Class. - Group each pair of VPs. - Go to my Site Plan VP, which appears on my Site Plan Sheet, and turn on the Class: Viewport-Plans (and turn off Viewports-Full Buildings) - Go to my Site Section Key Plan VP, which appears on my Site Sections Sheet, and turn on Viewports-Full Buildings (and turn off Viewports-Plans). My Section Viewports are cut using this Key Plan VP and therefore show the full building sectioned along with the site. *gasp* Now back to your regularly scheduled programming. -Neil

I forgot to add this! I agree, hang in there. Given the size of the purchase, it might just be taking an interested party a while to arrange for it or to see if they can afford it. You're welcome... An updated website with more build photos coming soon. I just became so busy the day after we moved in that I haven't had a chance to polish the website changes. -Neil

I'm just taking a guess at this, based on my exposure to many firms using the software and years of using it myself... 1. Possibly... Most people or firms I know of/have worked with have VW Architect and barely even scratch the surface of using that as it is. Having Designer would simply be overkill for them. Obviously mine is just a small sampling of a much larger user base though. 2. The price seems quite fair to me... quite good actually. But this is assuming that Designer would get utilized. 3. I doubt this. However, most users here already seem to have the VW that works for them so perhaps it's more a case of there being too few users here who aren't already equipped. Have you considered trying to sell the licenses through your local/provincial Architectural Institute chapter/body? Or perhaps your local VW dealer can connect you with a party looking to purchase that version of the software? Just some possible avenues to consider. For what it's worth, I just looked at a side-by-side comparison of what's currently in Designer vs Architect and I must say there isn't a considerable difference between the two. Given that, #2 might be the issue... For someone to pay for your Designer licenses plus upgrade them, they really had better get good use out of Designer. Otherwise, simply getting Architect or Landmark would likely be enough for their purposes and would carry a lower VSS price going forward. -Neil

That's that I would imagine... if not for the file but at some point for my brain. So, would you recommend that I use the "Layer Import" option for each of the referenced units? Aside from given me access to the units' file layers are there any other other advantages/caveats I should know? Thanks, -Neil

Jim, might this be the setting that you are referring to? Organization palette > References > (Select a reference, then) Settings... > "Use this method to reference Vectorworks files:" Currently I have "Design layer viewports" selected, but I am wondering if you'd recommend I switch to "Layer Import"? And if I do switch, before I switch should I go into each unit's file and change the "Floor-1" layer in each file to "Unit-X Floor-1" to keep all of the layers recognizable in their destination file? Thanks, -Neil

Yes, this part I know, and I do have "Show 3D contours" checked for my DTM. The contours are showing up as I would like them to. The problem is that the triangles also appear. I have at least figured out a workaround for this... Edit the DTM's "Graphic Properties" and set the "3D Triangles" to have 0.00 line weight. Now I can see the DTM's contours but no triangles. I think you do actually understand my other problem! At least it sounds like you do. I may resort to doing multiple references of the same units to get different visibilities, but only if this is the best/recommended/only way to achieve what I need. I would have thought that Layer Overrides for a viewport would have prevent the need to do this. -Neil

In my case it's the Sheet Layer viewport that is displaying the site model with all of its triangles. Regardless, I tried your technique on that Sheet Layer viewport but there was no change to its appearance in the end. -Neil

For the information of those looking at purchasing a new Macbook Pro, or any other machine really, you may find this recent kbase post from NVW helpful... Video Card / Graphics Card Guidelines for VW 11-06-2013 -Neil

I would love it if the DTM would do that, but so far when I turn on the layer with the DTM (while in Top/Plan view) I get all the triangles. Must I edit the DTM itself and make the line attribute for the triangles white? -Neil It should all be automatic. The DTM is a hybrid object similar to Symbols, in that in Top/Plan view you get a 2D display and in all others a 3D display. Are you sure you're in Top/Plan view and not Top view? Here is a screenshot of what a DTM should look like in Top/Plan view, and also one with the settings for that particular DTM. A clarification... My DTM shows without the triangles while viewing the _Layer_ in Top/Plan view. It looks like the first screenshot you shared. However, when I make a Top/Plan viewport of that DTM layer, I see the triangles in that viewport. I have matched your DTM's settings but it has not changed my result. Attached should be some screenshots. -Neil

I am thinking they might not be properly/fully referenced in, because I can only turn them on/off from the Layers dropdown in the OIP when I have the unit viewports selected. When I go to the viewport made from this site plan layer (that has all the units showing) I no longer have access to the units' own layers. I just did this, but the units' layers still don't show up in the Layer drop down of the OIP, probably due to them not being reference in fully/properly. -Neil

I would love it if the DTM would do that, but so far when I turn on the layer with the DTM (while in Top/Plan view) I get all the triangles. Must I edit the DTM itself and make the line attribute for the triangles white? -Neil

Jim, with my limited (but growing) understanding of VW in 3D, I would say... No. This is what I've got... I have a DTM on its own layer. On another layer I have the units referenced in from three separate unit files. I originally had each unit VP at Z=0 but have now moved each one up to its anticipated Z height. So, in Top/Plan view the site plan looks like a typical 2D site plan, though at the current stage of design I am showing main floor plans and not roofs. (The DTM isn't visible because the gazillion triangles that make it would show.) The catch is, by showing the units' main floor plans only, the Section viewports of the whole site are of course missing the top floors and roofs of all these units. -Neil

Hi J. Yes, I know you can make many viewports from a single design layer and I have done this, albeit only for various top/plan views for a long time. As I am now learning proper 3D techniques and am making DTMs (Digital Terrain Models) I am now using Section Viewports to cut through the terrain and the viewports of the various units on the site. So, I suppose the catch is that I would like to have two viewports of a single layer but I want the viewports to show different things... in one case just the Floor-1 layers of the referenced units and the other viewport I want to show all Floor & Roof layers. Normally I would adjust layer and class visibilities in each viewport to make this happen, but the units themselves are referenced-in from separate file, so the layers & classes I want to turn off/on are not in the Layers/Classes dropdown lists for those viewports. I've also not done a lot of Referencing so I am not aware of all its complexities... but it seems I have found one. -Neil