Benson Shaw

A tip by @Katarina Ollikainen in one of her videos might apply here? The idea is to increase terrain resolution in an area where a modifier would take effect: Before the channel is defined in the site model, create an array of 3d loci under the channel area. Make it as dense as needed. Select them and Send to Surface. Cut/Paste them into the source data and update the DTM. Then modify the terrain, explode it to acquire the source data for the new “existing” DTM. Or some variant might help. -B

A complaint about the updater design If Updater is accessed when Vectorworks is running, eg via Check for Updates, some confusion ensues: the update progresses until notice that vwx is running and choice to Quit, or Try Again. Not clear what will quit if press the Quit button - vwx? Or the updater? Not clear whether Try Again would install the desired update? Poor wording! Should at least offer “Quit Vectorworks” or “Quit Vectorworks and Try Again” Suggestion - When the Check for Updates detects an available update, it should inform that vwx needs to quit in order to update, and offer choice of Save&Quit Vwx&Update or Cancel the update process. If Save&Quit&Update is selected, all open vwx files are saved and closed, vwx quits, the updater launches and proceeds with the update. That’s what I think, anyway. -B

One way is to create a viewport of the pdf, then File>Export pdf> Whole Printable Area. This creates a new pdf, and preserves the vector/snapping if reimported to vwx. Can ungroup in vwx to see the degraded bitmap, blank page, and vector page. Another way, if working in MacOS, is to select the pdf object, Copy to clipboard, Open Mac Preview, then in Preview Menu>File>New from Clipboard. A new window opens viewing the pdf. Save as pdf. At least some of the snap points are preserved. Maybe all?? Probably other ways, too. -B

Ah! a video. I thought you were trying to post the point cloud. MS offers scripts to convert mkv frames to ply, hence my confusion. I see the video (and could actually have converted it. Duh!), but no obvious solution comes to mind. Some multi screen conflict? If you post the point cloud that might help others diagnose. -B

Working via MacOS. Looks like the mkv conversion script requires WinOS (or possibly Mac Terminal, where I'm totally lost). Tried Cloud Compare, too. Not open. Please post your converted ply file. -B

My work life balance is such that I shut then re launched vwx and watched the animation. Then I shut and launched vwx again, and watched again. Too easily amused? or too much time on my hands? or likely to avoid responsibilities? or goofing off as usual? or . . . (But it is a rather satisfying annual activity) -B

Final Quality Renderworks is not the highest quality available in vwx renders. Use the Custom option and explore effects of the variables therein. -B

Don’t know if this helps at all, but you could select the orchard steps and create a symbol. Same for other steps and other elements. The symbol could insert as a group if that helps. Anyway allows edits to that specific set of steps, and name or other data to differentiate for worksheets, etc. also, is there a way to use Spaces for this? -B

Lots of ways. Here are a few 1. Make one cell and duplicate it for the other three: Draw a small square and surrounding large square, convert to NURBS, ungroup, raise/lower the small one, loft>ruled, duplicate/mirror/move as needed to arrange the grid of 4 shown in your image. 2. learn slab drainage, apply to a slab. 3. Create a mesh from your 2d grid. Raise lower the small squares via the Select tool (not the Reshape tool). -B

@Thom Did you resolve this? My theory is that your shapefile is corrupted after opening in some other software. I had something similar recently. I downloaded a contour GIS file, inported it into 2025.vwx OK, found some problems with z values. I closed vwx and deleted the file, then opened the shp in QGIS to check. Did some snooping around in Q. (I don't know Q beyond the most basic). May or may not have saved the session. After that, the shp loaded into vwx, but no objects present, even if Select All. My theory is that I did something in Q that messed up the file, even though it continued to open i QGIS. The difference is that vwx imports the data, but leaves the source file intact. QGIS, and other gis software open the source shp file, and may therefore alter it. Your files have the word Clone appended to the file names. Something in the save or save as or export process eployed to create the clone files (or just the long file name?) did something to readability in vwx. I see same result as @line-weight with the shapefiles you posted. OIP shows object count, but no objects visible even if zoom to Selection. Ruler goes blank, Basic tools and selection do not seem to function. My suggestion is, trash the gis folders you have, and download new ones. I navigated to the Okanogan county GIS library (Whoa! FTP!!!) and downloaded the most recent Parcels zip. The shapefile therein imports properly into 2025vwx and Georefs as expected. File contains the whole county. QGIS shows you extracted the area around City of Okanogan. Could anyone please test those @Thom shapefiles in 2024vwx or earlier to see if this is something new? THX. -B

Woops, Part of that was wrong. And, I found a workaround. If I select 1 contour, and convert to 2d poly, the record values are preserved. If I select several, or all, the record values change, ID and Elevation. So, don't do that. I was finally successful with the Modify by Record. Here are some steps: 1. Select all, Side view. 2. Align>bottom - They all align to the lowest contour z, but do not shift x,y 3. Select one contour and in OIP shape tab, copy the z elevation (in this case = 83820'.001") 4. Select All, Move 3d x&y=0, z= -83820'.001" Now all are on layer plane 5. Select All, Modify by Record>Elevate 2d Polys>Field=Elevation. It works on the 3d polys! 6. Verify that one or more of the contours have world z = record elevation. Yay! Bit of a fudge - one of the original contours is a group of 2 3d polys. Ungroup to see that vertices of one leg are not same z and both have same ID. Above process works on the group, but to be even more precise, correct the z of the errant vertex and compose so that there is only one object associated with that ID. So, still say it's a bug, but correction is possible -B

@giobbe I will take a stab at this with some of the basic background info and a process for the conversion to 3d. First, some definitions. Items in the Resource Manager symbols folder are Symbol Definitions. Symbols placed on the drawing are Symbol Instances. But, both are often referred to as “symbols”. Sometimes it’s important to distinguish between them. Usually it doesn’t matter. Edits to the Symbol Definition or to an instance on the drawing also change all existing instances of that symbol on the drawing (some exceptions). A vwx symbol is a container which can have both a 3d and a 2d Component. A symbol component contains the symbol geometry. If a symbol has both 2d and 3d components, the OIP identifies the symbol instance on the drawing as a 2d/3d symbol. We also refer to these as hybrid symbols. In Top/plan view, a 2d/3d symbol displays only the 2d geometry, always on the layer plane. In all other view settings (Plan, flyover, iso, etc), only the 3d geometry is displayed. The intent, I believe is to enable simpler, clearer top/plan representations without overlapping 3d surfaces, converging edges, everything on the layer plane, available for snaps, dimensions, notes, etc. Other reasons, too, I’m sure. But A vwx symbol also can be made with geometry only in the 3d component (identified in OIP as a 3d symbol). Surprisingly, a 3d symbol can contain both 2d and 3d geometry in its 3d component. A 3d symbol always displays all its contained geometry (2d and 3d objects) in any view. When a symbol instance is placed or relocated in the drawing, the 2d objects move and rotate in 3space along with the 3d objects. A 2d symbol has only a 2d component, containing only 2d objects. A 2d symbol displays all its geometry in both 2d and 3d views. OK, soooooo, converting a 2d/3d to a 3d symbol—- The goal is to remove everything from the 2d component. If you need the 2d geometry to display, it can be pasted into the 3d component. 1. Right click an instance of the symbol on the drawing, or the symbol definition in the Resource Manager. 2. Choose Edit 2d Component. In the edit window, Select All, then Cut (if the objects are needed for future paste to the 3d component), or (Delete if the objects are not needed). 3. A warning dialog may appear asking if you want to convert the symbol to a 3d only symbol. Accept the option to convert. Exit the Edit window. 4. If the 2d objects are desired for symbol display, right click the symbol again and choose Edit 3d Component. Paste in the 2d objects and/or create new geometry. If any warnings appear, decline option to convert the symbol to 2d/3d, accept option to keep it 3d. Exit the Edit pane. The symbol is now a 3d symbol. Whew! Post again if more discussion desired. -B

A Bug in the z values??? Working in v2025 sp2 with contour shapefiles collected from the NOAA Data Viewer. xy values are fine. The shapefiles geolocate proprely in geoimage, and contour separation makes sense. In previous vwx versions, the z values of contours matched the data tab record value. A shp file imported into v2024 shows contours at correct z. Same file imported into v2025 produces greatly exaggerated contour z values, although, the data tab elevation values are correct. In vwx2025, the OIP z values are incorrect. OIP Data tab for any contour shows expected elevation value. But z value in Shape tab shows a value which is too great by a factor of 304.8 (which is the conversion factor for ft>mm). A shallow valley becomes a treacherous chasm! This can be corrected after import. eg group the contours and rescale in side view with guide loci. But this is fraught with error potential and should not be needed. I tried Modify by Record including editing the record format, eg changing Elevation>Number to Integer, or Number from General to Decimal. Also tried converting the 3d polys to 2d polys (they keep the record data), then Modify by Record>Elevate 2d Polys. But, no joy. Anyone else seeing this? I filed a bug via bugsubmit https://www3.vectorworks.net/vectorworks-bug-report Attached find my 2025vwx, a couple images and a zip collected from NOAA containing shape file folder including the shp, shx, db, etc. Or collect your own from the NOAA Data Viewer website. -B NOAA shp Test.vwx wa2016_pslc_king_Job1081274.zip

@ all - Having fun with the double twist idea (Paul - Did you just invent a new dance craze?). The command does what it's told, and made me laugh. Example shows extrudes with twist, one rev, one in each direction. Then twist applied to the pair. First one clockwise rev to the pair - It adds a twist to the clockwise extrude and removes the twist from the anti clockwise extrude. They both wrap, but not one face constant on the cylinder as in prior posts. Second, starting again with single extrude to each rectangle, two revs to the pair - similar result, adding twist to the extrudes, but only in one direction - clockwise extrude now has 3 twists, anti clockwise extrude now has 1 twist (1st rev removes the anti, 2nd rev applies a clockwise). They wrap as expected. Soooo, I think, if both directions of twist are requested, one on each spine (splines? tines?), Paul's helix with DAP rectangles to NURBS loft is the way to go. -B

@Edgar RAMEL Your post is only confirmation so far. I filed a bug during v2025 sp1. I will also create a new post in trouble shoot forum. Hope this gets resolved soon. shp files were very reliable until v2025. -B