doug shaffer

Hello - VWA9.0.1, Mac, G4-466, 128MB for VWA Here is a bug in 9.0.1 that was not in 9.0. When using the 'pocket door' option in the 'simple door (v2)' tool, 'trims' are automatically drawn even if the trim check boxes are not checked. In the object info pallette, both 'trim' boxes are checked and CAN NOT be unchecked. When the box is clicked, it momentarily goes blank, then becomes checked again. Also, line weights do not default to the weight of the wall lines. This is a tool that I use regularly and I hope that a fix can be posted on Nemetschecks website AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Hello - Mac, G4-466, ATI Radeon, 256MB (128MB for VWA), VW9.0.1, RW9.0.1 I just received VWA9.0.1 and RW9.0.1 and installed them this morning. I am still seeing a few of bugs that were reported to bugsubmit@nemteschek.com. 1. 'leader line' arrow heads - I prefer to add the 'leader line' tool to my VWA workspace. When doing so, if I create a leader line using the 'notes' class (one that I made), the arrow head does not default to the class setting. I have the 'use at creation' box checked. To correct the problem, I need to select the class default arrowhead in the attributes pallette (even though the box says that the class default is selected) 2. 'One or more operations was aborted due to lack of memory. Increase partition size.' I get this error message on most (but not all) of my files when rendering with something other than basic 'open GL' rendering. The file size does not matter. For example, on one file that is 4.1MB, the error does not occur. On another (that is 829K, 252 objects) it occurs consistantly. 3. Problems with 'mapped shadows'. Mapped shadows seem to become less accurate as the physical area of a model is increased. I tested this problem by creating a relatively large (1000 ft. diameter) extrusion and placing a small house on it. When doing so, mapped shadows are totally lame. Reducing this disc to 200 ft. diameter makes them look nicer, but still with irregularities. An out-house sitting on a 8 ft. disc renders beautifully. With the RW9 changes, I can not seem to get as nice results as in 8.5.2. - see the McDonald Residence and Yarborough Residence on our website (www.mchenryarch.com) which were rendered in 8.5.2. For the record, the problems with Ray traced shadows have been corrected in 9.0.1 as far as I can see. I hope I don't have to add to this list... thanks,

Hello - Mac, G4-466, ATI Radeon, 256MB (128MB for VWA), VW9.0.1, RW9.0.1 I just received VWA9.0.1 and RW9.0.1 and installed them this morning. I am still seeing a few of bugs that were reported to bugsubmit@nemteschek.com. 1. 'leader line' arrow heads - I prefer to add the 'leader line' tool to my VWA workspace. When doing so, if I create a leader line using the 'notes' class (one that I made), the arrow head does not default to the class setting. I have the 'use at creation' box checked. To correct the problem, I need to select the class default arrowhead in the attributes pallette (even though the box says that the class default is selected) 2. 'One or more operations was aborted due to lack of memory. Increase partition size.' I get this error message on most (but not all) of my files when rendering with something other than basic 'open GL' rendering. The file size does not matter. For example, on one file that is 4.1MB, the error does not occur. On another (that is 829K, 252 objects) it occurs consistantly. 3. Problems with 'mapped shadows'. Mapped shadows seem to become less accurate as the physical area of a model is increased. I tested this problem by creating a relatively large (1000 ft. diameter) extrusion and placing a small house on it. When doing so, mapped shadows are totally lame. Reducing this disc to 200 ft. diameter makes them look nicer, but still with irregularities. An out-house sitting on a 8 ft. disc renders beautifully. With the RW9 changes, I can not seem to get as nice results as in 8.5.2. - see the McDonald Residence and Yarborough Residence on our website (www.mchenryarch.com) which were rendered in 8.5.2. For the record, the problems with Ray traced shadows have been corrected in 9.0.1 as far as I can see. I hope I don't have to add to this list... thanks, ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

I have not found updated drivers for the ATI Radeon card. Are they out there somewhere? I looked on the Apple and ATI websites. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Which known bug are you referring to? Just wondering. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

This is unfortunate. There are many of us that use VW who would like to draw mechanical and electrical plans on top of 'grayed-out' floor plans. Many contributors to the VW user forum requested this capability. This is one of the essential effeciencies that CAD in general has to offer, and it is hard to imagine why this capability would not have been included in VW9. disappointed, ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Howdy Frank - When will Landmark be available? thanks - ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Hello - Take a look at the topics called: 'offset tool problems', and 'Re: circle offset' from 5/22/2001 for similar problems. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

I'm using VWA 9.0.0. For your information, I have been able to use 'float 3D objects' successfully. Thanks. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Howdy - I have seen this occur also. It happens on files that are originally created in VW9 as well as VW8.5.2. I have also seen a very strange behavior where a circle which is offset has pie shaped slices removed from it for no apparent reason. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

I have noticed this too. Mac, VW9 ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Ignore the previous message - I just figured out that this is a VWA thing that is desribed in the VWA Manual. sorry for the inconvenience. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Hello - Occasionally, a window pops open at the bottom of my monitor that says: 'A Preference Set has not yet been chosen for this document.' I opened the .pdf version of the VW9 Users Manual and searched the document for 'preference set', but found nothing. What is it? Do I need to choose one? If so, how? thanks ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Paul - Thanks for the quick response. I did notice that in the first paragraph of your statement you used the term 'intermittant' when describing the problem with the ATI card. However the next paragraph of your statement said this: "With the NVIDIA card, this problem affects VectorWorks versions 8.0.1 through 9.0.0. With the ATI card, it affects versions 8.0.1 through 8.5.2" To me, this implies that Nemetschek thinks that the problem no longer occurs at all with the ATI card and VW9. I just wanted to give you my most recent observations regarding the Radeon card and VW9. Regarding the 'randomness of a buggy driver', perhaps I can understand your logic. However, it still seems strange to me that if 'no changes were made to the code', why does the problem occur only rarely in VW9 where as in VW8.5.2 it occured all of the time? Is it possible that some portion if the VW9 code that is seemingly unrelated to display issues is conflicting with the display code? I'm only trying to help. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Hello Paul - Thank you for your thorough explanation of what is happening with this issue. We recently installed VWA9 on a machine in our office that has an ATI Radeon card and have seen the Video Card Woes problem go away. Again, I don't understand anything about programming, but it seems strange to me that if the problem is attributable to the drivers that it would somehow dissappear with a new release of VectorWorks. I am not trying to place blame on Nemetschek, but I am interested in an explanation. Here's another related observation with VW9 installed on our Mac with a ATI Radeon card: Occasionally (once every couple of hours) the selection handles disappear without warning and for no apparent reason. The file we are working on at the moment is quite large - 15MB. We have not nailed down a series of actions that causes the problem. A file close/re-open solves the problem. Strange. Thanks again for the update. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

I don't know if it's the 'real' one, but I got one with my software - it arrived about a week ago. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Hello - I tried to 'Post Reply' to the original topic question, but the server would not allow it. Something about not being able to find the original forum name...Anyway... Here is a response that was sent to me personally, but not to this list. I thought you might like to know. Of course, this leads to the inevitable question...when is 9.0.1? <Hello Doug: This is a known bug that will be fixed for 9.0.1. The distance that these raytraced shadows are off is dependent on the total model size, or bounding cube. If you zoom in to a model that is very large, the shadows can be offset significantly. The offset can be changed by reducing the total bounds size of the model, for example by reducing the size of a ground plane object if one exists. Dave Donley RenderWorks Lead dave@nemetschek.net> HERE IS THE ORIGINAL QUESTION: Hello - Mac G4-466 VWA9, RW9 I am seeing some strange behavior with RW9. I am working on a simple house (originally started with v8.5.2) that has 24 inch overhangs on all sides of a gable type roof. I am using the 'roof' tool and standard walls + windows. When I choose any rendering option with 'ray tracing' the shadows are drawn incorrectly. If it was rendering correctly, there would be a shadow beginning immediately below and continuing down some amount from there. It appears, however, that this shadow has been shifted down the face of the building so that there is a band of 'light' between the shadow and the eave. Does this description make sense? What is happening? Also - I have not yet tweaked the settings much, but 'mapped' shadows are not as nice as I used to get them. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Hello - Perhaps I am doing something incorrectly. I had this problem with a very large model, so I made an experimental file and the problem persists. I made a simple contour model with a total elevation change of about 10'. When I place trees from the sitework_trees object library on the layer that contains the site model, and then try to 'Send to Surface', there is no change in the elevation of the tree. Also, the word 'Model' in the menu bar freezes (stays highlighted), and I can do nothing more in VW. A 'force quit' is then necessary. What am I doing wrong? ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Perhaps Technical Support is just bogged down lately with VW9 issues. I have called Nemetschek Tech Support and left messages twice in the last week without getting a call back. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Hello - Why is this the first time we have heard this explanation? Is this the 'official response' to this issue? We have been sitting around for months assuming that Nemetschek has been working on this. Given Andrew Bell's explanation, there is no reason for them to have been doing so. I must repeat something; NONE of my other programs have problems due to my ATI video card drivers. Another thing that must be considered. People with ATI Radeon cards and those with Nvidia cards are experiencing the exact same sypmtoms. Is this just a coincidence? Unfortunately, I don't know much about the technical workings of a computer or software, but before coming up with a 'work-around', has Nemetschek contacted ATI Technologies and and Nvidia to tell them that there are problems with their drivers? By the way, if this truely is some other companies fault, then I will expect to see a posting on the Nemetschek website warning people not to buy a ATI or Nvidia graphics cards (which come with most new Macs), because they will not work with Vectorworks. Perhaps this should be a 'system requirement.' If I sound frustrated, it's because I am very frustrated. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Hello - Mac G4-466 VWA9, RW9 I am seeing some strange behavior with RW9. I am working on a simple house (originally started with v8.5.2) that has 24 inch overhangs on all sides of a gable type roof. I am using the 'roof' tool and standard walls + windows. When I choose any rendering option with 'ray tracing' the shadows are drawn incorrectly. If it was rendering correctly, there would be a shadow beginning immediately below and continuing down some amount from there. It appears, however, that this shadow has been shifted down the face of the building so that there is a band of 'light' between the shadow and the eave. Does this description make sense? What is happening? Also - I have not yet tweaked the settings much, but 'mapped' shadows are not as nice as I used to get them. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

I have requested something similar (many times) in the past: GRAY/SNAP OTHERS in the Layer Options menu. Can others not see the tremendous benefit of this?? ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

Hello again - NNA, please respond. Has there been any progress regarding this issue? Please give us an update. Thank you. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

There is no longer a menu item called 'nudge'. However, it can be done by selecting the object you want to nudge, then pressing AND HOLDING down the 'shift' key while using the arrow keys to nudge the object. This works on a Mac, and I assume also on a PC. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t

I, too, have experienced similar pauses when opening existing (8.5.2) VW files with VW9. I hope this gets fixed soon. ------------------ d. s h a f f e r a r c h i t e c t