Grant M

Thanks jan15. I was thinking if the default could be changed then i could set it to another tool i use a lot and toggle between the 2 tools faster.... much like the boomerang mode in version 8....before NNA "improved it"

When pressing the space bar to get boomerang mode I get the pan tool as the default second tool. Does anyone know how to change this default? TIA

Larry I put this on the wish list last year so haven't been holding my breath for a solution. As an alternative to the options mentioned by others you can do this: (doesn't work with sheet layers & viewports) Set the print area to how many pages you need. Organise your drawing to suit. When you print to pdf you will get a multipage pdf. Obviously this is only practical for a simple drawing setup because everything needs to be on screen at the same time. i have found it useful for promotional material by using a layer for images and a layer for text and just laying out the pages side by side. Press print only once and get a multi page pdf.

Philip I too am astounded at the poor quality of your pdf shots. I don't have acrobat and so use the OSX pdf option. My pdfs are virtually identical to the vectorworks output. Do you have the same problems with pdfs from text documents or other graphics programs? [ 03-09-2005, 07:21 PM: Message edited by: Grant M ]

Check out www.righthemisphere.com Their software claims to convert 120 different cad formats to 3d pdf. I remember this being discussed on my local architect chatlist a month or so ago - someone was testing it with archicad. Don't know about vectorworks though.

This tool could be improved greatly by allowing only some classes to be reassigned and the others untouched. I agree having to go through the whole list is a pain

Print each page to pdf? (assuming the protection allows priinting)

You can export as eps (encapsulated postscript) from VW. Photoshop can open this format directly. The eps will be on its own layer allowing you to change the background.

I've had this problem also and would be interested to know if anyone has a reliable method of moving props between drawings.

You can duplicate a symbol and scale the duplicate, by going to the edit dialog in the resource palette and then scaling components that make up the symbol. Does the symbol have a class not active in the viewport? If you added the symbol to your design layer after the viewport was created any new classes in the symbol won't be active in the viewport.

In Version 11 you can assign classes to dimensions as a default so the old problem of dimensions appearing on the wrong sheet is lessened. I used to minimise this by putting dimensions on a dedicated layer I also use combinations of layers and classes to format a file. although I typically draw details on a single layer, to scale. Mostly 1:10 although joinery might be 1:5 or 1:2. I personally find it a bit pointless duplicating line drawings such as details, onto sheet layers via viewports. So a typical drawing set for me will have some drawings on sheet layers (those generated from a model) and some on design layers (details, schedules etc).

You could place your details on a design layer/s and create individual viewports for each one, or combine more than one into the same viewport (same scales obviously). If you are drawing everything at 1:1 you could also detail certain junctions of a section (for example) and use classes to control the visibility in the section and detail viewport.

Select it from the dimension standards drop down menu in the dimensions tab of document preferences. If it's in another file click the custom button and import it.

At my previous workplace we printed from macs over a PC network to an OCE TDS 400 using Vectorworks. We used the OCE printer description file (which from memeory can be downloaded from their website) to create a printer in the print centre. Not sure how you would do this at a bureau , but if you had a laptop and knew the printer IP address it could work. Or if you installed Vectorworks viewer at the bureau on a PC they may be able to generate .plt files

Lots of people have commented on this issue. I suggest you add to the wish list. Hopefully weight of numbers will get some action.

We previously had a set up similar to yours. From memory i don't think we had a queue name - we left it blank. If it insists on having one, make one up - e.g HP250c The jetdirect box has a button on it - push it and it should generate a print that includes among other things its IP address.

Try www.ozcad.com.au

Diana I use classes and/or layers to separate out objects that only appear in 2D or 3D. They are turned on/off as needed for a particular view. This can sometimes require a little duplication i.e. walls for attic windows. If you want a quick(ish) hatched elevation you could convert a copy of your model elevation to lines, place solid polygons behind the windows, and hatch an elevation shaped polygon behind that (or put them on separate layers.) Placing a solid polygon behind the windows (or better-within the window) allows a window to be easily moved without affecting the hatch. You can also cut holes in a polygon (in this case the hatching) if you would prefer by using the clip surface tool. Obviously using 2D techniques requires more work than 3D modelling when a client requests changes - as is their perogative.

Yes thats exactly what i would like to see also. Thanks Katie quote: Originally posted by iboymatt: in VW 11 a pop-up menu has been added to the new class/layer dialogs, it's near the bottom and not very obvious. It lets you say what state the new class/layer will be added to all the saved sheets. (not saved,invis,grey,visable). Which is a great thing, and speeds things up allot. It has a couple of shortcomings 1. that it doesn't add the visibility setting to viewports. 2. that it can only apply a default to all. Just to clarify, the quote above is not what i'm talking about. iboymatt is refering to the new layer/class dialog box. This only offers a default to all option. I mean the buttons in the general layer/class dialog. There is a row down the right and a viewport button there is what is being requested New Remove Colors Scale Saved Views (new for Version 11) This saved view button lists all the saved views for a selected layer/class and its visibility and has the control i believe iboymatt is looking for.

It does not appear in the standard VW Architect version (after looking through various workspaces) I have the Australian version of architect (sold here in NZ also) and its in the AEC menu. So maybe NNA needs to be lobbied to include the extra features added for sale in this part of the world by Julian Carr in a standard version of architect.

Thanks BG - I will be using this tool from now on - I had no idea it existed. However, it assumes walls were drawn in a clockwise direction so given that you have to select a wall to see its direction I would still argue that the OIP is the proper place for controlling attributes.

Katie what you say is true but it isn't as useful as having that functionality in the class/layer dialog box. If a layer is added to a drawing that needs to be visible on multiple viewports already created, then each viewport needs to be individually selected and updated to show that layer. It would be much easier to do it in the same way as adding a new layer/class to multiple saved views.

I've done this in the past using epsf. Have you tried that?

I agree with Petri - walls really need this functionality. I've used ArchiCAD and am also using VW Architect Australian version but the offset wall tool is not a suitable work around. Walls need to remember the way they were drawn and have a graphic to that effect in the OIP, that allows a change of thickness to take place from that reference or an altered reference. This could be combined with or adjacent to the existing graphic for wall length.

I just discovered that all the other sheets that didn't become pdfs (using 10.2.8) have gone to the printer - arghhhhh!