jfmarch

Since the use of our titleblock on their drawings is not a factor with our office, I suggest the following export method for your Acad consultants. We save a preset view in VW for DWG export. This is basically all classes on, all floor layers on. When we export, we export layers to layers, not classes to layers. We also check the "map line weights to colors" button. Since we use Helvetica as a main drawing font, we have not had any tex problems. We do check the DWG's by importing them into a new file in Vectorworks. Yes VW, it works fine, and it is just as the consultant will see. We never export details, only plans, so scale is not an issue. Acad people are smart enough to set up the DWG the way they need for their use. Hope this helps.

It would be nice if the text would appear as one enters the coordinates. I have tried entering ?, ', " instead of d, m, s, but the text that gets placed on the drawing is always the letters. Its a hassled to then have to ungroup the text blocks and edit. By the way the "?" symbol is created with option/shift/8 in Mac....

Is it a wall that has slopes on both sides as it rises? Are you working on an egyptoid temple? You''l have to do a hybrid object, i think, where you show a regular wall with a door symbol in plan, and than a 3D object for modelling views. Either some sort of 3d polyline or a loft. good luck... "walk like an egyptian" [ 03-20-2003, 05:08 PM: Message edited by: jfmarch ]

See this post for the text for finding nested symbols. Its very braod and doesn't like to be modified that much: Nested symbol solution Hope this helps...

I'm still working in VW 9.5, but it might be the same. Once the blank window appears, do a command-N (or File/New). A little dialog box will appear allowing you to select the setup assistant document. Hope this helps...

I beleive that all the "objects" associated with VW and VW Architect are considered hybrid. If you select a door from the door tool in the Architect palette, for example, and place it in plan, you will see the plan view of it. If you then flip to a 3D view, you will see the door represented in 3D. We use the door and window tools alot for creating typical door or window symbols- they work great in working drawings and model views. Katie's response is also correct, if you want to create a symbol that is a hybrid object. I have done this with funky dormers, for example. Hope this helps...

PDF's are the standard for us to send out for printing and for GC's. PDF is a format that can be viewed in, and printing from, Adobe Acrobat, a software that is FREE to download, and can be used in both mac and PC. What more could you ask. We are always educating people about software/file format issues, its part of the job nowadays. If GC's can't access PDF, there is something wrong with their computer capabilities, not yours. Remember, Autocad does not have to be the standard... Is this the format used for that annoying "Whipit" viewer, by the way? [ 03-13-2003, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: jfmarch ]

I think this is less a VW issue as it is a system issue. The question is confusing but I think you're asking that the path be arranged so that is the referenced file is moved, the target file will always find it. I think that's alot to ask. What we do with WG refs is always set them to manual update. That way whenever a target file is opened, there is no delay, or fussing, updating the referenced file. We have that control. And if the referenced file is moved, we can find it using the dialog box only one time. Works well for us. Hope this is a close answer.... [ 03-12-2003, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: jfmarch ]

We have appeared to solve the problem of getting data for worksheet schedules from symbols within symbols. The selection criteria is very broad, though, and will not work if one tries to localize the data (we think there is a picyune syntax error). The selection criteria should read: =Database((INSYMBOL AND (R in ['Window Record'])) for grabbing ALL symbols with thw window record attached. This is from "Create record" command in VW. We have our own custon record formats that are similar, so we can get all our windows, or doors to schedule for this project. But the limitations are obvious- it would be nice to include the CSI number as a qualifier in the database.

We have what we believe to be a corrupted file, and are wondering if there are any fixes for it. It is working drawing file for a new residential building, 2 stories high, layer scale set to 1/4". (I have another post regarding this file- about nested symbols). There are other layers scales for elevations (1/8") and sections (1/2"), and a WG ref for the site info. The file setup and layers names are our office standard- I did not use Setup Assistant. We also have custom record formats that we use in all our files with no problems. The corruptions appear as sudden quitting in mid command (such as arrow scrolling, pasting objects, etc.), odd gaps in walls next to door symbols, opening file fresh onto layers/views not saved on. I also notice on my computer that if I have a layer link of the plans for checking elevations, a noticable slowness occurs. Since we can stil open it and work on it, we are still going to use it, with frequent saves. But I'm wondering if there is a way to find out what's wrong with it. I don't want a catastrophe to occur as we continue with thses construction documents. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Further info: When one begins a new VW file with Setup Assistant, and you go to "create report" command, a dialog box appears enabling you to title and create a worksheet. There is a button on the bottom for "options" and checkbox in that that says ""in symbols" or something like that, for gathering data on nested symbols. When I do that the worksheet criteria contains this info- =DATABASE(INSYMBOL AND (XXXX)). When I try to add the INSYMBOL AND to my worksheet, all data goes away. I want to get window symbol data from symbols and nested symbols (symbols within symbols) for my shedule. What am I doing wrong?

When one begins a new VW file with Setup Assistant, and you go to "create report" command, a dialog box appears enabling you to title and create a worksheet. There is a button on the bottom for "options" and checkbox in that that says ""in symbols", for gathering data on nested symbols. When I do that the worksheet criteria contains this info- =DATABASE(INSYMBOL AND (XXXX)). When I try to add the INSYMBOL AND to my worksheet, all data goes away. I want to get window symbol data from symbols and nested symbols (symbols within symbols) for my shedule. What am I doing wrong?

Katie- this is similar to my other post today Nested Symbols How does one get records to read from nested symbols on a worksheet?

There are 2 ways to select fonts/size/style/etc: the Option/Shift/T in Mac or the Fonts in the command menu. The Fonts dialog box is a real improvement for controlling the type in the file, i think. Both work ok for us. To control the amount of fonts visible on your system you can use a product like Adobe Type Manager (ATM). ATM is good because you can group the system fonts into "visible" or not folders for projects or applications globally. I'm sure you can get a verison for Windows too. Hope this helps.

I need to figure out the trick in getting record format data from nested symbols. We are working on a condo unit building where door sybmols are nested within the dwelling unit symbols. Of the 8 dwelling units, only 2 are groups, so our door schedule worksheet is only getting the doors in the grouped plans, not the symbol plans. I recall some special text criteria that needs to be in the database header. Can someone give me some directions? We use CSI numbering for the ID No. as the main selection criteria (8200 for doors). Thanks

It already exists. In VW preferences under Display check the button for "Adjust Flipped Text". Works great for us....

Either way, one has to edit preset views after adding classes or layers. What if you could set the default so that new classes would be visible, you would still have to edit some sheets to not see the new class. I can't see that you would have every class visible for every preset, that would be chaos. What would be nice to have is to edit presets in a dialog box much like classes and layers, instead of going to the little button after each preset edit.

Your client's last name wouldn't be Bush would it?

Katie- Is the "Grid Bubble" tool available in 9.5.3? I opened my Architect workspace and can't find it where I would think it would be. What pallette is it in? and what is the plug-in called? thanks

Thats how I would do stepped foundations. If they were sloping, than you could use the "3D Reshape" tool.

Katie, I'm actually looking for the tool that setup a structural grid with little circles for reference numbers/letters for column locations. I should not have used the term bubble. I think it used to be an idon in one of the tool pallettes....(?)

Katie- The last time I saw it was prior to VW 9. As I said, I only used it once a long time ago. Its not the number stamp tool. It actually had a dialog box that asked you X and Y dimensions for the grid, how many "bays", and which way the numbering was to go. Zero- Do you know where to tool is in VW 9.5?

I recall a tool for setting a structural grid w/bubble ID's. Is it still around, and if so, where is it? Thanks

I have noticed this too. Especially when the preferences are set to "show other object while in groups", I can't snap to items visible, but not in the group. OS 10.2.3, VW 9.5.3, Powerbook G3.

I alwaya use the "~" key (the arrow tool) to switch out of other tools, including symbol placement. There is never a problem.