azizg

Thanks Christiaan. interesting read

I'm having to use extrudes for my columns because the pillar tool does not allow me to use the perimeter maping type. this leave me with some funny results with pillars.

It's incrediably useful to be able to construct the wall types with different elements with different hatch and fill styles. It would be even better if they were visable in section viewports. does any one agree?

Would it be possible to include information about roof and floor surface area in the OBJ info pallete? I know it can be generated in other ways, but it would be handy to just have the information quickly to hand, in the same way that it is with 2D object (area, perimeter)

In the settings for section viewports there is an option to allow you use the original class attributes for sectioned objects, however this has 2 flaws that I can see. 1) Line weights. it's nice to have a thicker line weight for objects that have been sectioned. However I don't want it to have that line weight when viewed in plan. 2) Fill. with Hybrid objects like the floor object I want it to have a solid fill in plan projection. but a hatch in section. it would be nice to have a set of settings in the class's that are specificaly for use in section viewports.

would it be possible to have a check box that can use the "convert to lines" with the "hidden lines render" option. I find I some times get funny results when exporting to Acad.

Hello All I'd like say my pennys worth regarding the application of textures to floor objects. I can't begin to say what a pain it is that you can't apply textures to the sides and bottom of floor and roof objects. I like to use the floor objects to represent a slab, and there are times when the side and bottom of the slab are exposed. Like wise for the roof I'm designing tropical homes where I some times have roofs which are exposed below for different reasons. in both of the situations it creates so much more work. particularly if in the concept stage and you just need some thing to look right quickly to get an idea accross. Please fix it Thanks

Hi I've got some problems with hidden line rendering. VW is choosing not to show lines that should be visible, and show others that should not be visible. this is happening with "solid subtractions" and "solid additions" that I've noticed. I've tried converting to "NURBS" and I've tried converting to "generic solid". Nothing seems to be making any difference. The only way I've found to get around the problem is to set up the view that I want and then "convert to lines" using the "hidden line render" option. I have an image that shows the problem but I don't have any where to post it on the web. I can email it if a Techi would like a look. Hope some one's got an idea

I tried it out, and it's really good. thanks

I've used "windoor" before and it is very good. I guess I'm asking if we can simply have that type of tool built into VW, with out having to go and buy a 3rd party product. which as well being more money (not very much) also means another step in the installation process.

I see what you mean. It does work but........ it's just a bit clunky. You have to select each object first. In AutoCad when you are in the extend tool you click once to select the barrier and then you draw 1 line and every thing that it crosses is extended. That's only 3 clicks of the mouse to extend an almost infinate number of lines, very handy (and fast)

Thanks for all the info guys. I'll try it out.

I assume that the people at Nemetschek keep an eye on the compation. In AutoCad there is possibly the best tool ever invented for CAD work. the "stretch" tool. This allows you to stretch multiple object. but only from a line that you specify and with out changing parts of an object out side that line. It's really difficult to try and describe. But if there is some there that works on Autocad I'm sure they can demenstrate the tool. I think Vectorworks has some thing similiar but it doesn't work in the same way and I've never found it useful.

Where I'm working I use a lot of sliding and folding doors, usualy made up of 4-8 panels, some times oppening in 1 direction some times to the left and right. The "door object" tool in Vector works however gives a limit on the number of panels that can be used to make a door. This makes life very difficult. It is possible to construct a door useing multiple object but if they are aligned when in 2D space they are all over the place in the 3D, and vise versa. Would it possible to create a door object that allows you to specifiy the number of panels and the direction in which they open? Pretty please (with cherries on top)

The "eye dropper tool" is a potentialy very useful tool, however clicking on items 1 at a time is very time consuming. Could you give it the same selection options as the "2D selection tool". I.E. rectangular and lasso selection method. Thus allowing multiple objects to be altered at the same time. Would save a lot of time. The "trim tool" would also benfit from being able to use the lasso selection method triming multiple lines at once. The "connect/combine tool" is another item which could be greatly improved with the ability to use the lasso tool to first select the items to extend, and then selecting the line to use as a barrier when working in the "single object connect" mode. Probably wouldn't work so well in the "dual object connect/combine" modes.

Hi I've had similiar problems in the past here are a few things you could try. 1.increase the line thickness of your objects 2.render the drawing before you export it 3.increase the reolution of the export in the export diologue 4.export eps to adobe illustrator or similar programe and increase the line thickness there before converting to image file.

Thanks Kaare That works really well. But it would still be nice to get the soft edged shadows from a large light source. Aziz

rather than the limited selection of 3 light source's currently available in VW would it be possible to add a 4th function? a command that would turn simple 3d objects into light sources. It's currently difficult to emulate different light bulb shapes and sizes, eg a flourecent tube, nearly a meter long would have to be created by placing several point light sources in a line. How ever this then creates multiple shadows and light beams. would we be able to create an extrusion of a circle and specify it as a light source to represent a flurescent tube?

I've now tried to reaply the fillet to the same extrusion. however it's now crashing VW if I go over a certain threshold, this threshold changes with different versions of the same extrusion. I've gone back and redrawn the original polyline, recreated the extrusion, and reaplyed the fillet. In two different files and it keeps crashing VW. Can I email the file to some one at Nemetscheck?

I've created a simple extrude from a polyline with 8 vertices. I applyed a fillet edge to the extrude. No problems so far. When I change the width (what was the extrusion amount) of the fillet the programe grinds to a halt when trying to render in final renderworks mode. Even when the object is copied into it's own drawing it takes several minutes to start rendering. When the width is unchanged the render time remains normal 5-10 seconds.

Currently it's only possible to apply a colour to the top side of a roof face or object. Could you please make it possible to apply textures to the edge's and underside. Primerily the underside. The roofs in all of my structures are open from below. It would be nice to apply a texture of the underside of the tiles and rafers. Other wise I have to create a 3D polygon, which is pointless as there is already an object there (roof) please make my life easy. How hard can it be? Aziz

Could save sheets also save information about.... -Layer Scales -Page size (A2/A3/A4/etc) -Page orientation (Landscape/portrait)

Hi dave Yes it was a loft model. And I think the last time it happened it contained a loft as well.

I've got a problem where by when I render a model that I've made in 'Final Renderworks' mode, the drawing re-renders it self every time it finishes rendering, and will continue to do so untill I force it into 'wire frame' mode. The problem is not drawing specific and will often disapear if the view is changed. But does some times re-occur with out any apparent cause. This is the 3rd or 4th time this has happened to me. Does any one else have this problem? Is there some thing in the preferences or some seting that I can change to prevent it?

Thanks for your help Jim, Andrew and Jonathan. Alas when I tried to create a workgroup reference non of the layer appeared in the dialogue box. And still crashed vectorworks. Oh well such is life. Does any one know what causes files to suddenly corrupt for no apparent reason?