Neil Barman

@RitaA Could you post the specs of your computer and which version of Vectorworks you are referring to? (You can also add this info to your Forum signature so it appears with each post - See mine below.) Knowing this info help others suggest a solution.

@jak5352 Definitely don’t be embarrassed to ask! After using Vectorworks for as long as you have there are bound to be new features that have slipped past you as you’ve been busy working. Markdd is right that it sounds like you have discovered Master Snaps. More info about them can be found in the help docs partway down the page here. it’s good to read upon what they can do because they’re useful when you need them.

Have you been using the free 30 day trial?

I would imagine that you have already found this by now @edwinarkie but for anyone reading this thread who hasn’t.... Vectorworks 2021 now has such a feature. It is called Quick Search. More info here and a short video about it is here.

@ESH While the above link does get you to a page where you can submit a tech support request, I have also emailed you directly with more info about the tech support that is available to you. I'm confident that once you submit your file to our tech support team for review, they will be able to figure out what is happening in it.

Hi @sara.t, That is unusual and I'm not able to reproduce it here with either existing or new files. The engineers would like to take a look at your file to determine what is happening. Could you please submit your file that is exhibiting this issue via the Bug Submit page here. Thanks... we'll get to the bottom of what's going on.

@sara.t Welcome to the Forum! Which version of Vectorworks and Service Pack (SP) are you currently using? You can find this under the Vectorworks menu > About Vectorworks. In the lower left of that same About Vectorworks window, it is a good idea to press "Check for Updates" to see if there is a newer SP you should be using. If you need to update, please do then re-check to see if the issue persists. (It also helps to add your computer specs and Vectorworks version info to your Community Forum signature. You can do this via the icon in the upper right corner > Account Settings > Signature.) If you are up-to-date with your SPs for the Vectorworks version you are running, try saving and closing the file, and re-opening it. It that doesn't solve it, trying quitting Vectorworks and restarting it, then checking again. If that doesn't solve it, try restarting your computer and checking again. About the interior elevation extents, as I check the same thing in VW2021 SP0 (the initial release), I'm not seeing the same blue handles you are (which made me wonder about the Vectorworks version and SP you are using). Below is an image of what I get. As expected, I am able to change the length of the interior elevation using the two handles that I have highlighted. Please check back in here with your Vectorworks version and we can go from there. This may be something that our tech support team should look at with you but a simple SP update may take care of it.

@Design for Laughing Thank you for the appreciation! And you point out something very crucial about using any pro-grade application (as the same thing occurs with users of Adobe’s apps): Amount of time spent using an application doesn’t equal depth of knowledge. Case in point, I used Vectorworks for many years as a 2D only tool, early on because because I didn’t know any better, then briefly because I was hesitant to change, and finally because the offices where I worked forbid 3D. It was only when I went out in my own, jettisoned my hesitation, and finally made the time to dig a bit deeper did I discover how much Vectorworks could do. And while I know a lot about Vectorworks now, I still learn new things about it almost every day. You are so right – We can always learn something new.

@rb-arch Thanks for bringing this one to our attention. I was finally able to reproduce the issue in the annotation space of Sheet Layer Viewports (it doesn't occur in Design Layers). The engineers are working on a fix.

I just happened upon this thread so I thought I would take a look. I don't see a file from you in Tech Support @archdaly, but since you mention that you may have an imported a file from the 3D warehouse, I wanted to check to see if you first opened that 3D warehouse object and inspected its complexity and quality? Objects at the 3D warehouse do of course vary in terms of quality and complexity (especially when it comes to the number of polygons) so it is advisable to inspect them, and if need be simplify them, in their own new blank Vectorworks file before bringing them into your otherwise healthy Vectorworks file. I hope this guidance helps.

@ArchiPam If you are noticing that Vectorworks is missing some textures or other resources you wish we had, please do submit such requests via the Wishlist section of the Forum. Include as much detail and as many examples as you can so that the Content Development team has as much info as possible to work with. In the meantime, @jeff prince's charred wood texture above looks like it should serve you quite well. When it comes to textures, if the existing collection in the Resource manager doesn't have what you're looking for, making your own is often the best quick solution. Typically it isn't too difficult to search the web for non-copyrighted, tile-able images as your starting point. After picking the one you want you can then tune all of the texture's settings as you wish. If you search for "Rendering" at Vectorworks University you should see a number of related videos, including a session specifically on Renderworks Textures, that will help with the process. Also... There is actually a Resource Sharing section of the Forum and even a sub-section for sharing textures. I hope this info helps.

Today would be a good day to open up your Vectorworks Preferences and take a look around... That is, after you install Vectorworks 2021 of course 😉

@BenG As what you are asking about sounds likely unrelated to the topic of this thread, I would recommend starting a new thread with your questions. This should help get some fresh attention on your query. Please do include the file you are referring to (or a link to it) and/or a screen capture video of what you are describing. Thanks!

@Karl Martin The basic answer to your question is Yes. There would almost certainly be a way to start with what you have been given on a sheet layer and ending up with a drawing layer (aka design layer) that is a replica of the original sheet layer but instead composed of simple lines. Vectorworks in extremely capable when it comes to such unique processes. However... Doing this to a file would likely take some time to complete and it is difficult to say exactly how it would be done without seeing the file. Developing a workflow for this, if you are not familiar with commands beyond the mere basics, may require the assistance of a consultant. On top of all this, doing these modifications to a file sounds like it would be drastically reducing its usefulness relative to how Vectorworks is designed to be (and shines when) used. On the other hand, I would encourage you take this opportunity to increase your Vectorworks skills a bit. Since you already have some Vectorworks experience, it is very likely that, with a bit of one-on-one training, you could make that existing file do what you need it to do. You would be then be able to do more drawing/edits on the design layer, work with those symbols, use viewports to show your work on a sheet layer, and print or export to another application. The skills your add while learning about these things will of course benefit every future project you do. If doing some training sounds like something you would like to do, send an email to training@vectorworks.net and they would be happy to assist.

... but even better! @SS18 I recommend that you check out the two short videos about the Resource Manager that are part of “The Basics” course at Vectorworks University.

@BenG What you are describing is very likely related to something else (and may actually be related to how you are doing steps, it hard to tell from your descriptions) so I would recommend creating a new thread in the General section. That way, your query would be reviewed on its own. If you are able to include a full screen recording of what is happening, especially in scenario 2, that could help others as they assist you.

Well put, @michaelk! @Kieron I would recommend requesting and downloading the educational version and giving it a try. If you do find any bugs, just report them to us so they can be investigated and, ideally, solved. Keep in mind though that VW2020 is at SP5, so it may only have one Service Pack left in its development cycle (don't quote me on that – I'm not on the development side of things.)

That's brilliant @Matt Panzer!! I was curious to see how the shadow catcher approach would look in action, comparing two schemes, so I went ahead and did it. I made a new design layer with the "extended" design, a bit of sheet layer viewport duplication & layer visibility adjustment, some viewport naming and voila: The file is attached too, in case anyone would like to see the file organization: Shadow Study Allowed vs extended v2020.vwx

Do you mean that sometimes you don't have to zoom in that close to see the graphical bug that you are getting? If so, can you share a file that shows the graphical issue without having to zoom in as far as one has to with the "weird graphic" file? If this is indeed a bug we would like to be able to identify it and correct it. Thanks.

Thanks. Now I see it. It begins when I zoom in to 38,547% and the "hatching" gets more dense as I zoom in closer. Now, what is causing you to need to zoom in that close or closer?

Thanks for posting the file @Kazemester. For what it's worth, before I open your file, this is the preview I see: Then right after I open the file this is what I see... no graphical issue: Out of curiosity, what are the full specs of you computer? (It would be helpful to add the details to your Forum signature.) And since you mention you've had this issue for many versions, have you had the same computer the entire time too? I'll keep taking a look at your file and see if I can recreate the issue. -Neil

@Kazemester Getting back to your original question, it would be very helpful to have one of your files in-hand so we can check it out. While this may be a distance from origin issue it could instead have something to do with the working plane. If you would like this looked into, please upload a file so we may assist. -Neil

@Kazemester might you be able to post a file that has this issue so we can check it out?

Hi @Patrick Davis, Welcome to the Forum and to Vectorworks, In terms of door numbers only, in the OIP (Object Info Palette) when you have a door selected, there will be a field for the door’s number. By default each regular door will start at 01 in order to allow the user to control the door’s number. Because there is no strict order/process when designing a building, if doors auto-sequenced their numbers when being inserted in a plan, the user would have quite a mess of door numbers to deal with when it came time to a door schedule. And this is ok because... In terms of doors and data tags, you may use one of the pre-made Data Tags that has "(incr)" in the name and those will increment the door numbers as you tag doors. Also note that the Data Tag tool has a few modes that you will want to practice with to see how they work. Modes will let you tag one eligible object at a time to tagging ALL the eligible objects at once. Information on those modes, and more about Data Tags, can be found in the built-in Help system on this page. I hope this information helps. Now, since you mentioned that you may have skipped some steps in learning Vectorworks, I highly recommend making the time to build a good, solid foundation (excuse the pun) of knowledge before diving in too deep. I know how exciting it can be to fire up the application and start drawing and modelling, but skipping the basics can result in hitting hurdles when you really want to be cruising along. In contrast, taking the time to learn all the relevant basics will pay off on every project you do, forever. I recommend doing the Core Concepts and Intermediate Concepts courses (normally available for free to Service Select members but available for free until the end of the year here). In addition, if you find that you need one-on-one training to supplement your learning, please do get in touch with us at Vectorworks Canada – We can help. Have a great weekend! -Neil

@zoeageorg It should certainly help. Give it a try and see what your results are. It's always a good idea to work close to origin. If the file is still having performance issues I would recommend auditing it for problematic or overly complex items that may have come in with the DWG file. If you don't need any of those complex items it would be best to delete them. If you do need them but they are still overly complex, it would work worth simplifying them or replacing them with native-built Vectorworks objects.