boxjoint

I support this as well. NNA has said it would be too time consuming for them. However, how much time do the collective users spend trying to perform some operation that doesn't work, searching the help, manuals and forums for a solution, and ultimately come to find that the problem is a KNOWN bug. A list would help.

Hugues, Thank you for the reply. Your tip works well. Thanks also for planning future improvements on this.

bclydeb, Thanks. If you mean the idea about accessing the PIO names from the worksheet, I have already added it to the wishlist here: http://techboard.nemetschek.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=96493&page=1#Post96493 Don't be shy about adding your support to that thread too. I get the sense that 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease' when dealing with wishes.

Chris, I didn't mean to sound like I was defending the current setup. I was just "thinking out loud" while I tried to understand it. I completely agree with you that the visible axes should have no bearing on the use of the 2d toolset. Your last sentence says it all.

Michael, Don't confuse scripting with the worksheets and schedules. You don't need to write scripts to use worksheets. You just need to follow Wes's directions and the Help files to modify the schedules that are provided. It's convoluted to say the least, especially if you don't do it often, but it isn't terribly hard. You should definitely keep trying. The script that Pat provided is a completely different thing. It's like learning another language. I've looked longingly at those scripts but I just don't have the time to devote to learning it.

Chris, Coming back to this topic... I see what you mean. That is screwy. I think what's happening is that when we switch to a side view, we're still in 2d mode, meaning the 2d selection tool is still active. Assuming you have extruded a rectangle and are now looking at it in side view, grab the top center point and resize the rectangle upward. We know you are moving it parallel with the Z axis. However, watching the data bar while you are dragging shows the movement along the Y axis. Perfectly logical if we were working with a 2d object, but we're not. But I think VW thinks we ARE working with a 2d object since we are using the 2d tool. If we change to the 3d selection tool, everything changes. Now the data bar shows the XYZ values correctly, and hovering over a corner point does give us the Z value as Petri pointed out. Unfortunately, there is no way to use the 3d tool to modify the object by dragging, so we must go back to the 2d selection tool, and the 2d axis labels. I guess in some ways this is an advantage, as it allows us to use the 2d tool set. For instance, while in side view, we could draw a circle and extrude it. The extrude direction would be perpendicular to that of the previous rectangle. It sure makes it difficult to know where you are sometimes though. Because, as you mentioned, the axes are static, there should be some indicator that shows our orientation at ALL times. Like the little axis indicator thing that you see when you are using the fly over tool, only better. That thing was improved a version or two ago, but it still isn't nearly as obvious as the one in Sketchup.

Pat, Thanks again. I tried the script and it works great. It took me a minute to figure out that it wouldn't work on PIO's that were inserted into walls, like doors or windows, but dragging them free of the wall solved the problem. A great advantage to having the info on a worksheet is that you can see it WHILE you are working on another worksheet, unlike using the PlugIn Editor which will not allow you to work with anything else while it is open, meaning that you must write down or memorize the info that you seek. I think this is a huge improvement.

Thank you Pat. I will try this out in the next day or two. I appreciate your time spent.

Nothing bad Wes. Just an honest conversation about shortcomings that NNA should address.

Gerrit, True. Lots can be learned by poking around.

Pat, Yes. My mistake. I'm referring to the Tools>Scripts>VectorScript Plug-In Editor. Yes, the Names in the parameters section which you would use in a worksheet.

Gerrit, Agreed. I am familiar with using Excel and understand the concept of formulas and functions. And I am grateful to Wes for his clear description which is why I thanked him. When I mentioned the number of words he used, I wasn't being flippant. I could NOT have done it in less. However, I dont think syntax is the issue. It is very important to use the proper Name in the formula or it will not work right. How is an average user to know that in order to show the 'Manufacturer' in his worksheet he must list it in the formula as "ManufSupplier"? This is information that must be retrieved from somewhere else. It is not available on the OIP since the OIP uses the Alternate Names. I'm merely suggesting that the current way to retrieve this information is cumbersome and could be made much more intuitive.

Sadly, I can't get PTH Pasteboard to work properly either. When I paste an object from the list, it pastes as a bitmap. The OIP says it is a 32 bit PNG image.

When modifying worksheets one frequently needs the Name of an object which must be found in the VS Editor which is a convoluted process. These names are used frequently. They should be available in a scrolling window like the functions are or by some other clever method. If using the VS Editor is the ONLY way that this can be achieved, then at the very least, it should be able to be opened directly from the worksheet menu under the flippy triangle.

Wes, That's exactly my point, it isn't as easy as that. It's very convoluted. Having to go to a place three levels deep on a menubar, open the VS Editor, and then go two or three levels deep to find a name for something that you think you already know the name of is not user friendly. It's like having to put your boots on and walk out to the pond to chop off a chunk of ice to put in your cocktail when you should be able to just push the ice maker on the freezer door. These names are used frequently. They should be available in a scrolling window like the functions are or by some other clever method. If using the VS Editor is the ONLY way that this can be achieved, then at the very least, it should be able to be opened directly from the worksheet menu under the flippy triangle.

Wes, IMHO you have written a very succinct description of this process. And it only took 267 words! I don't think I could have done it with twice the number. Seriously. I wonder if this is one of the features NNA has in mind when they mention words like "intuitive" or "user friendly". Worksheets are very powerful and I am happy to have the ability to do these sorts of things, but there must be a better workflow. NNA, can't you simplify this stuff so the average user can more easily take advantage of these capabilities?

That's it! That's what's missing! Now I see why I've always had such a hard time using that tool. The irony is that the simple little page layout program from Apple, called "Pages" has a shape tool that has handles like that. It costs $79 and comes with two other programs. Why does VW lack such a simple 2D drawing tool enhancement?

I completely agree. I wish I knew. Also the dropdown menus in the Resource Browser always reset themselves. Very annoying.

Can a monitor ever be too big? I'm running a 24" iMac with a 17" studio monitor by it's side.... If I only had a little more screen space I'd be set. : ) Seriously, buy the biggest one you can afford. I don't know about cpu power. I'd suspect that any current Mac can run any of their monitors, but check with Apple to be sure. If you have an Apple store near you, it's worth a visit. Helpful folks and lots of cool stuff to lust after.

In cases like this, perhaps some sort of little message should pop up (and believe me when I tell you that I HATE little pop up messages). But in the interest of making the program 'user friendly' and 'intuitive' a little message that says "This schedule will count objects on All layers. You can modify it by adjusting the criteria" might be informative. Naturally it should have an option to disable it.

Katie, At the risk of offending, I think you are completely overreacting to Tom's post. I do not see where he made any accusations about you. He stated that you directed him to tech support rather than verify whether or not the issue in question had been fixed in VW 2008. Reading the post ( http://techboard.nemetschek.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=7&Number=95047&Searchpage=1&Main=20286&Words=+tgm&topic=0&Search=true#Post95047 ) verifies that this is true. It also points out that Tom is frustrated by having to scrap $5K worth of product due to an error that he traced to a VW bug. I can certainly understand his feelings. NNA representatives on this board are asking users to submit bug reports and suggestions. It appears from jbrhwy's post in the same thread, that he has reported this bug numerous times over a span of years and numerous versions. However, according to him it still isn't fixed. Why? If a bug that produces invisible errors is found and reported, NNA OWES IT TO ITS PAYING CUSTOMERS to repair the problem as quickly as possible. Users have to have a certain amount of trust that the program is doing what it is supposed to. If we have to check each operation for accuracy, we may as well go back to pencil and paper. All the bells and whistles of a new version mean nothing if the core functions are compromised. I'd also point out that in Tom's posts and in his signature, he appears to be using a combination of VW 11.5 and 12.5, so your inquiry about SP2 (VW 2008) is pointless. Perhaps he'd upgrade if he knew if the issue had been fixed. Is it his responsibility to report back to us here after contacting tech support? Or must we all individually contact tech support to find out if this issue has been repaired in VW2008? I can understand the need to monitor this board for content and etiquette. But, in light of the abuse that has been meted out by some forum members over the years, Tom's language pales in comparison. This board unquestionably belongs to NNA, but those who post here feel a certain amount of ownership. When the board begins to be monitored for the tone of the question or statement, rather than the content, it smacks of totalitarianism and puts a pall on the whole experience. If NNA wants it's customers to be partners in the development process, that's great. But, it shouldn't forget that we are still all paying customers who deserve as much respect as the folks at NNA. Paying for the program also entitles us (IMHO) to voice our frustrations over the things that do not work when they have been buglisted for years. End of rant.

Agreed, See the following thread for a discussion of this and an illustration in my post #94046: http://techboard.nemetschek.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=94050#Post94050

I'm referring to an outline feature like we have in a word processor where the subclasses would be indented from the parent class. (similar to the way the class dropdown menu functions) See the attached illustration. In the Navigation palette, I think it would be useful to be able to "expand" or "collapse" the list of subclasses perhaps with those little flippy triangles. When you want to see the subclasses that are in your category #5, you could expand that group. It should be possible to expand only one group, several groups, or all groups at random. One should also be able to expand or collapse the entire list with a single button, click, or keystroke. I think that for folks with many classes, it would reduce scrolling, be easier to scan and be less cluttered visually.

Thanks DWorks for taking the time to post such a thorough reply. I see your logic and also see why using symbols will make things easier. I need to put a lot of thought into my class system. Thanks again.

C.Andrew, Thanks. Numbering is clearly a good idea as is using a hierarchical system. That certainly suggests re-wishlisting the ability to show hierarchical lists in the Navigation palette. I'd like to see it as an option that can be turned on or off at will without affecting the actual structure of the list. I wonder how many people use a numbering system and do they create their own system from scratch or do they start with a standard format for their numbering (such as the MasterFormat system for architecture here in the U.S.) ?