wv_vectorworker

PDF is the way to go. Ask your plotter service if they can print PDFs. use Combine PDF (www.versiontracker.com) to make multiple sheet pdfs

and 512MB is just enough RAM to run OSX let alone VW

quote: Originally posted by Skot: No worries George, I didn't feel that I was being attacked, not by you anyway! When I use 12 on the Powerbook, at a clients office for instance, I don't take a mouse with me so I'm using the trackpad and scroll bars. I can pan with my desktop while using the mousewheel. But even using the scroll bars on my desktop is very slow, as described previously. Having mentioned this thread to one of the guys here, he reminded me that there is another annoying and all too frequent event with both 10 and 12. Grabbing a handle is much more difficult and double clicking on a line or a box (inadvertent double clicking or not) always launches a completely useless dialog box telling the user that "The selected object has no edit behavior"!?!? This is beginning to feel like piling on now. take a mouse with you. I can't imagine trying to use any CAD software with the trackpad. I use an iBook. always use the power cord. Mac portables will power down the processor to save the battery, resulting in sluggish redraws.

why do you need a Power Mac? if you are only doing VW and MS Office tasks on it perhaps an Intel iMac is adequate. They now feature multi-monitor spanning out of the box.

cleaning it up is the work-around. Live sections seems like it should solve this problem in V12 but I don't have it, and I don't know if it works with arched windows.

about the process and Maya Lin's Viet Nam Veterens memorial, " Lin worked out the final form while fussing with a plate of mashed potatoes, and then submitted a proposal that instigated an impassioned debate about civic design and the shaping of public memory."

bump this up as it looks a lot better quality than Google earth which has since come out for the Mac. loads of fun and useful for site investigations.

It was billed as "Architectural Planning" not Arch-Drafting drawing, whatever. They are not teaching how to use a pencil or how to use the computer. They should be talking about how the building should be affected by the site's relationship to the sun, wind, noise, views, setbacks, height restrictions, etc. students could produce drawings with a sharp knife, some slabs of hinoki, india ink, and rice paper, if it adequately expressed their ideas about dealing with the above to make a habitable, enjoyable dwelling on the site.

I don't want to comment at the risk of seeming aguementative, or dismissive of the replies so far. I think it is worthwhile so far, everyone has technical questions about the software specifically and or how to use it. It is interesting to get a bigger picture of where we are at or headed. It is futile to try to gain support or evidence for my argument with the school, the school is not going to change. Yup, David, I am talking about technical drawing. I guess it is technical drawing? scaled site plans with setbacks, point elevations, contours, sunlight, wind, views, etc (noise! - how do you represent road noise? it bounces off everything!)

Quigly must be too busy working with his new Mac to post a review. Mike S, did they say stay away from Intel macs or stay away from Intel PCs? I am using an iBook with 768 MB Ram. I needed a portable, but a Dual Core G5 sure would be nice, or maybe a quad G5. depends on your budget. the new iMac Core Duo (intel) is apparently quite speedy, and it officially supports monitor spanning, so you can have a big extended desktop.

the iMac Core Duo is the way to go, particularly the 20inch version, and now the iMac allows the extended desktop, you can hook up another monitor for your tools, etc. I believe all Macs (except the Mini) come with the Mighty Mouse, the new multi-button mouse. Mini is bring your own kMD.

I don't have a problem with printing up a full size set when you think you are close to the permit application . Some things will only show up at that time. I am not so much looking for a wedge into my other topic but getting an idea about how people are actually doing their work. thanks-

VW 10.5 on MACOSX 10.4.3 I have 3d loci on a layer and try to do site model . . . it fails with error message (20,2) any ideas? the file only contains a jpeg scan of the assignment sheet on one layer and 46 3d loci on another.

I worked in a small design office with one principal and up two three CAD techs/designers. The typical workflow was, -principal/architect would meet clients and then sketch his ideas/designs on paper -techies would work them up on the computer, and print -architect would make changes -techies would make changes to electronic file - this would go on for sometime before going to the client - more sketches, more changes -go to planning dept for consultation - more changes etc. you get the idea. is this typical? how big/modern does a firm get before drawings/work is checked without being printed, via redline tools etc? how many of you are using the more advanced features for workflow rather than simply putting nice lines on paper?

quote: Originally posted by Robert Anderson: I come down firmly with Fred on this one. Drawing, sketching, is a fundamental form of thinking. It will be a very long time until computers can replace this essential human activity. Robert you would be appalled at the way working with CAD was portrayed at the last class. It is as if there have been no advances in technology in the last fifteen years. -it was claimed 50% of CAD produced permit drawings had errors, while hand drawn plans rarely had errors. -working with CAD can't give you a big picture as you are looking at a little window -drawing have to be printed to be checked anyway (what no redline tool, revision clouds,version control, pdfs, etc) Do Gehry and Assoc. print drawings for editing and checking? http://www.gehrytechnologies.com/products.html claims reduced documentation (printing) costs as a selling point. Drawing is not being taught in this class. Design is. I can draw. I often draw to convey ideas. I am sure you all have spent sleepless nights thinking about a project or problem, and developed a fully formed idea in your mind, and got up to either with pencil and paper or computer record that fully formed idea. It was pointed out that Mozart wrote his music with pen on paper, but I would point out that Mozart had the music fully formed in his mind, merely recording his thoughts. The notation is not the music, only a representation thereof.

in VW You can put the dimensions anywhere you want. I was told by both a previous building tech instructor and the architect I worked for to dimension as noted above, to the wall sheathing on building exteriors, and to the centerline on framed interior partitions. I don't understand how hand drawing objects will lead me to better understand their nature or how they fit together, I agree that the best thing would be for students to get actual building site experience, actually having to read someone else's drawings and converting them to the finished product, a building, rather than what it seems the product we are being taught to produce is the drawings.

quote: Originally posted by P Bartoli: quote:Originally posted by tvetter: wv- I disagree with those who say design can only begin on paper, or the computer may hide drawing errors -sorry Paolo, the computer actually emphasises drawing error because of its precision. Well, that's exactly what I mean. If you can't draw on paper neither can you with CAD. As you say, CAD will even worsen you drawing deficiencies! um, I think he means that the computer exposes the error, not makes it worse.

thanks for the well wrought replies. the current assignment is a puzzle for presenting the information. On my comp. I can have a layer for the site plan and more layers for the various information, such as contours, sun angles, prevailing winds, views, noisy side of the site, and so on. I can display on screen or print any combination of information. The way we are told to do the assignment is to do a D size vellum with the site plan (property line info and setbacks) then do up to 5 tracing paper overlays with the various data drawn on. Each drawing might look good on its own, but how about conveying all that info at a glance, along with various building alternatives? What would Tuffte do?

Kevin, the explanation I got for requiring the use of a slide rule was that the user had to know what the approximate answer would be, and would intuitively know if the slide rule solution was correct. The user has no way of knowing if an answer returned by a calculator is correct or an error. Paolo, If you don't teach technical drawing, why are you testing your students drawing skills? What sort of drawing mistakes do your tests expose? Our class project is a site study of about 5000 sq ft, with a slope from north to south with an elevation change of about 6'. A 6% slope. Nothing very challenging. Draw the property lines, setbacks, copy over the contours, generate a site section. tvetter, everyone at the school uses "autocad" as a generic term for "CAD". I think this speaks volumes. They are definately thinking of cad in a very limited way, and saying things like you are looking at the problem "through a little window". I think it is their limited ability and imagination that is the problem.

I am a student at a large technical school that calls itself an "Institute of Technology" yet an entry level course called "Architectural Planning" insists that course work be completed with pencil or pen on vellum to be submitted for a mark and course credit. Today I had the temerity to ask why, and was told, 1. because we won't mark it otherwise. 2. because the day students do it that way 3. Some great architecture was done that way 4. because this is a design course (and?) I have been messing about with CAD for years and like most of you it is like an extension of my arm, much like some people are with pen or pencil. I have produced building permits drawings etc for a number of houses, illustrations, models, the works. I thought a "planning" course would help me get beyond just redrawing some architects (no disrespect meant) sketches. Any thoughts gentlemen?

quote: Originally posted by alanmac: quote:Originally posted by Katie: It is important to note that when NNA provides a compatible version of VW with Intel Macs, the compatibility will start with VW version 12. Which for Mac users with any version lower than VW12 you'll be looking at buying up the last models of any none-Intel processor Macs you can find to run VW or quite understandably, allow a sum of money to upgrade VW to the compatible version in your purchase of a Intel driven Apple. Alan No. Apparently Rosetta works pretty fast, as in the CPU is so much faster than than whatever processor you were using before. Anybody using a G4 probably will not be disapointed running VW on a Intel Mac in Rosetta.

quote: Originally posted by Kevin: Then perhaps NNA could provide a statement to clear this up. I understand where they cannot, (or will not), give an answer to when VW will be Universal Binary. But surely NNA has already tested VW12 under Rosetta. They should at least be able to say that it does or does not work. NNA made a statement about this in another thread.

plug in a mouse

you do those things in the resource browser.

search "mac" and "intel" and look for an admin response in a thread. that should give an answer.