boxjoint

Here's a thread that gives additional info on the topic: http://techboard.nemetschek.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=9&Number=87966&Searchpage=4&Main=19057&Words=boxjoint&topic=0&Search=true#Post87966

Thanks. Glad to see Canada has a nice map of their own. I've bookmarked it as I'm fairly close to the border. RE: global warming... I'd suggest we start collecting beach umbrellas and cabanas now. We'll soon be in the seaside resort business. : )

I'm not completely sure, but I'd suspect it's based on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zones. Here's a link: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html The ability to click the map doesn't seem to work in the Canadian section of the map, but if you click the colored key, it takes you to a close up with additional info. You may be able to match up the colors to those on the map. Good luck.

Bill, That worked Great! Thanks!

WOW! That's useful to know. I see that the online manual mentions the locus point, but it's a shame it isn't more specific about the other parameters you mention. IanH, I did notice that, with regard to loci, it says that if more than a single locus point is selected, they are all treated like any other object. FYI.

IanH, No, unfortunately I don't seem to have that feature, though it looks quite handy. Thanks for posting the image. I wasn't quite sure what you meant but seeing it made it clear.

Bill, That does seem to work, though I do have to actually place a copy of the updated symbol in the new drawing file. However, I can place it anywhere and after saying yes to the dialog asking if I want to replace the symbol definition, the old symbol updates and I can delete the one I just placed. At least this saves me having to place the new one in the exact same place as the old which may have been rotated or need to be very accurately placed. Thanks for your help.

Thanks. I'm assuming you mean workgroup references? In this case, the symbols are not workgroup referenced, though that's an interesting thought. I wonder what the advantages/disadvantages of that would be over using a symbol directly from the resource browser?

I've created some hybrid symbols and placed them in a "symbol file" so I can access them from the resource browser. I've then placed some of these symbols in a new drawing file. If I now need to modify the symbols in the original symbol file, is there an easy way to get the symbols in the drawing file to update? Or must I actually delete the old symbols and replace them with the modified symbols from the resource browser? Thanks.

I've had the same problem with my setup. Mac OS 10.4.11 and VW 12.5.2 It's happened at least four times now. I've been trying to track what's happening to narrow it down, but so far I see no consistent patterns. I've run all the OS updates. Happened this afternoon in fact. Restart cures it. Temporarily.

I've had this happen on quite a few occasions. Very frustrating. If a term (such as "Slab Layer") appears in the program, especially if it is in a dialog box and part of an action sequence that requires input from the user, it should be clearly defined in the VW manual. And the definition should NOT be as follows: "Slab Layer= A layer which contains the slab". There are too many of those already. I once started keeping a list of "undefined" terms that I ran across. If I can find it, I'll post it.

Ray, Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm not sure I understand what you mean. I have machinery on the active layer, walls and other building components visible on other layers. If I make a symbol of this, will the visible, but non active layers be part of it? If not, how do I see the relationship of the machinery to the building? Now that I have a symbol, I'd assume I have to create a new layer to place it on in order to see it? And if I double click to edit the "symbol" it doesn't change the information on the original layers, does it? Please help me to understand, as I'm happy to find easier ways to do things.

I am arranging machinery on a shop floor, but the workstation is positioned in a way that forces me to look sideways at my screen to see it from the operators viewpoint. Not having VW 13 with the rotatable views, I created a viewport of the area in question, placed it on a new sheet layer, and rotated it to a convenient position. Setting the scale of the VP at 1:1 allows me to use the tape measure tool without entering the annotation window. I created a saved view of this and one of the original design layer so I could toggle quickly back and forth. Of course, I must return to the design layer to make changes to the plan, but the viewport makes it easier to see the effect the change has on the workstation. This would probably work well for laying out furniture or cabinets too. Hope someone finds this helpful.

When performing an Undo or Redo, a little message flashes in the upper right corner of my window telling me what I've undone or redone. This message is disappears very quickly and one must actually perform the undo/redo to get it to display. I would like the to see this info displayed in the Edit menu like so many other applications do, telling me ahead of time what it is I will be undoing or redoing. Rather than simply showing the command Undo, it would say Undo create rectangle. If you then choose to undo the rectangle, the Undo command would then say Undo (the next operation back in the stack)

I'm interested in hearing NNA's answer to this as well. The fact that we CAN include many things in our slab layer doesn't mean we should. Every tool, procedure, and dialog in VW was designed to be used in a specific way. Unfortunately, the help manuals give very little info on the reasoning behind these methods. The fact that there is great flexibility is wonderful, but it is impossible to 'think outside the box' when you don't know WHY things are in the box in the first place.

Thanks Steve.

Steve, Thanks for doing the test. Do your SF values stay the same when you modify the array style? I think it's helpful to know the SF of bed areas that the plants are placed in. It would be nice if one could rely on the plant tool to report them accurately. I'm thinking soil amendments, mulch, area of site work, etc.

No. I don't think there's any way to stop it.

I've been trying to understand the Place Plant tool. Not easy. I've placed a group of plants using the Rectangular array mode in a square arrangement measuring 100 feet per side. (10,000 square feet) Can someone please explain how the area and perimeter values that are displayed in the OIP are supposed to relate to that group of plants? And how they are affected by changing the selection under the Polygon Display dropdown menu? And why I cannot seem to get it to display 10,000 square feet under any circumstances? Thanks. Any help appreciated.

Actually, the newer apps do act that way. Pages and Numbers from the iWork suite both open new windows each time you click them in the dock. It is very annoying. I don't understand why they don't make it an option in preferences.

Jonathan, Yes, I agree. But that brings up another point... The space tool is a polygon which allows for creating non-rectilinear spaces. This is good. However, the polygon is somewhat cumbersome when it comes to making modifications to spaces that ARE rectilinear, as I'd imagine the great majority are. When using the reshape tool and dragging one side of a poly to change it's size, it is easy to accidentally change a space from a rectangle to a parallelogram. It would be cool if the Space Tool had the ability to toggle between "Rectangle Mode" where the space could be changed by dragging a corner as you do with the rectangle tool, and "Polygon Mode" where it would behave as it does now, while preserving all the other info contained in the space. I think if it behaved that way, then you could more easily draw your spaces directly with the space tool rather than having to convert from other objects. It would also provide the benefit of having all the space names and information available in the spaces while you work, which I think is one of the great advantages of the space objects. Do you agree?

No, I'm referring to spaces drawn for the first time in a new blank document.

RE: #1: I've found that the OIP dimensions DO correspond with the object, however the dimensions in the Length and Width fields are transposed for some reason. It doesn't seem to matter whether I draw the object from left to right, or bottom to top. I'd consider Width to be from one side of the screen to the other and Length to be from top of screen to bottom. VW thinks it's the other way round. RE: #2: True. (And thanks brudgers for the tip about Edit Group. Very helpful.) However, the space is a poly, and if you scroll to the bottom of the OIP there are the same "Move Vertex" options that you use with polys. If you select Move: Vertex Only in the dropdown menu and click the arrow buttons to select the vertex you want to move, you can enter values in the fields to achieve your change. (you can add and subtract here using +/-). You can also double click on the space object and it will enter reshape mode, allowing you to edit it directly with the cursor. RE: #3: The space tool will show you the ACTUAL area of the space. How would it know what the proposed area should be unless you tell it? I think the proposed field is there so you can use it as a reference while you are modifying the space and comparing it to the actual field. I think it would be handy to be able to enter a proposed area and click a button and have the space increase/decrease to that area. It would give you a jumping off point for further modification. I think this was discussed in the past and lots of technical problems were brought up, but I cannot believe it is unachievable and would be helpful IMHO.

Thanks. I've used that in the past but had forgotten about it. It works well. Thanks for reminding me.

After performing a search, I realize that I need to modify my search parameters, but when I modify them and hit Submit, I am given the following message: "UBB Error You cannot make another search at this time. Please try again in a few minutes. Please use your back button to return to the previous page." Anyone know why this would be the case? This happens regularly.