David Ormsby

The class options looks at the classes embedded in the symbol, as well as the class it's dropped into. So, as I see it, your symbol has 2 classes, and Gray Others (i.e. only 1 class active) is always going to gray one of the 2 classes you have going. Sounds like you need to either reclass your symbols, and/or create a custom class view in a Saved Sheet.

If you select the stamp, and then uncheck and re-check any of the boxes in the OIP, the date and filename with update. A bit tedious with multiple sheets, but it works.

Is this Nurbs Fractal specific to Architect?

Mike I get your results, don't kill yourself. I noticed that the effect is not as bad when I set Preferences/Vectorworls Preferences/3D tab/3D conversion to Very High, but it is still there. Also, the nurbs curve is displayed as a series of straight lines.

OK, my design layers were at 1/160 - While in a DL I used Page/Layer Scale, selected 1/4" and checked All layers. go to a sheet layer - borders and viewports are really small. The border measures out, in the OIP, as the proper page size per my print preferences, but it has been scaled down to an inch and a half. The viewports are reporting they are the scale Iset, adn when I try another scale they stay small. It really is making the sheet itself 1/4" scale.

I suppose so Dr Armstrong - Although this one is of the gnat family, it did travel in a swarm, reducing a dozen sheet layers to mere pin pricks on the page...

With the CD?

I'm sure it will help to know what platform you are running...

Although I came across this using Spotlight, I feel this is a general issue; I was setting up a new Instrument Key, and my design Layers were at a rather small scale which makes tweaking font Sizes difficult. As I have fixtures on multiple layers, I checked "All Layers" and set the scale to 1/4". Well, to my surprise this changed the scale on the Sheet Layers as well, even though there is no way to change this scale while looking at a Sheet Layer! I had to set All Layers to 1:1, then go back and reset all Design Layers to the proper scale. Doesn't it make sense the Sheet layers should be locked at 1:1, and that scale commands while working in Design layers would not effect the Sheet layers? At least there should be a second check box in the Scale dialog making it optional to affect the Sheet layers...

I don't think there is anyway to do that. My best option has be to Convert symbol to group, then ungroup (while in Plan view) - at least this protects (by removing) the 3D elements of my symbol

I did see what you mean when I zoom in on the curves - Try setting the Nurbs Curve degree highter? Also, if you are converting to a mesh - under VW preferences/3D tab - set 3D Conversion Res to very high.

I'm not sure what the hull terms are, but I'm guessing you want a point at the bow and stern? When I tried drawing the complete hull, I got your results, but can you try drawing one side and mirroring? I found when drawing an open curve, the curve stayed aligned to the loci. So anywhere you need a hard corner should be a new curve.

In the Layers options window, set a Z height for each DL. That will stack your floors as desired.

Adam The C4D export does not support nurbs unfortunately. However, I usually find the phong settings in C4D do a pretty good job of smoothing once I render. If your imported models still look rough, try tweaking the settings in the phong tag for that object.

Wayne Have a look at www.turbosquid.com Their tech support guys will usually convert anything they have over to another format - dwg for instance. Just drop them a line first to check. I bought a Hummer from them and the detail was amazing.

Kevin Thanks for the help! I tried working with this for a while, and I couldn't quite get it; If I set the criteria to count type=symbol, and I convert the truss to a symbol (position object), I do get the the name of the truss, but the length string just reads 0. How ever, if I set the critereia to type=PIO, I get the truss length but not the name... I'm closer, just not there yet.

One of the draw backs to using the truss tool is the trusses don't show up in a regular Symbol count worksheet. Is there a way to get a worksheet give this info? i.e. I'd like to see 1 truss at 50', 1 truss at 75' etc. A bonus would be 1 truss 12"x12" at 50'.... Thanks

Well at least I wasn't imagining it! I'll give it a shot - a bit more work but a good workaround. Thanks

I use VW Spotlight 11.0.1 for lightplots, floorplans and modelling, and Cinema 4D for rendering. In VW 11, it seems that when I export a drape, using the drape tool, I get some nasty vertices along the top edge of the drape. The cinema export PI does not support nurbs, and this effect can be seen in VW by converting a drape to a Mesh. This seems to be much more pronounced in VW 11 than in previous versions. I have tried all different ratios of pleat spacing and depth, but no luck in removing the artifacts short of editing the mesh. Did something change in VW 11?

Have a look at Autoplot for Spotlight - http://www.autoplotvw.com/ There is a command that will add a dimension for each fixture off the center line. No guessing for the install team at all!

I'm curious - are creating the viewports while you are in a design layer or in a sheet layer? I find that if I create the viewport while in a design layer view, what I see is what is created. When I'm in a Sheet Layer view I usually copy a view port, past it into a new sheet layer, then tweak my layer and class visibility for that print. There is a plug in ( I think I got it at Vectordepot) that turns all classes on. Doesn't seem to work in a Sheet Layer, but if you use in in the Design layer then create the Viewport that might work for you. BTW, the Sheet Layer's ability to run off an 8x10 pdf or a D sheet has been invaluable.

Renderworks is an add on that you may have purchased with your copy of VW. OK I tried it again - this time using the Spot type light - set it to spread of 50 and beam of 30, and set a tilt of -40 deg and placed it in the bottom of the trough. This allowed keeping the light off the cieling.

Unfortunately, VW has a rather limited number of light types. I would recommend using a number of point lights in a row, then work with the brightness setting in the OIP to taste. Also, make sure you have Cast Shadows checked. I did just try this and got ok results. You do have Renderworks?

Walked in on an episode of CSI tonight. For what ever reason they were attending one of those killer-remote-robot derbies; in a shot of the match I'd swear one of the robots had the Vectorworks logo on the side. Cool

Cinema can map QT files to any object, including lights.