Benson Shaw

This is a new mode for the selection tool, added in v2024. Change the mode in the Mode Bar of your Vwx interface - the modes are in the upper left corner of your screen. Choose instead one of the other modes by clicking one of the other 3 icons. I will get back to keyboard and offer an image, if others do not post before. -B

Zoom effect does not happen on my vwx2024 installation or MacOS system. I tested duplicate/drag/rotate CW/zoom in several views (front, top, iso) and several rotation via shortcut, Rotate tool, and Rotate 3d. Zoom via mouse wheel and shortcuts. Acts as expected. Sorry, no clue about your experience. -B

Could this be a Far From Origin issue? The cursor x,y locator at lower right of your screen is hard for me to read, but seems to be in range of -21000,10000. or? If drawing units are feet, or meters, then that’s Far enough to cause problems. If units are mm, then not the issue. just an idea -B

I’m becoming more frequently aware of “missing” features and capabilities in older tools and processes. This DAP is a likely example. Possibly unchanged since mcd? Users and developers realized that an option to preserve the source objects enhances the vwx experience, and the option was built in to new tools. The oft expressed desire to have tool and command updates is understandable. I often share it. I don’t know reasons for lack of such modernization, but I can think of a few possibilities, not all of them cynical: Update might break objects when porting between older and newer versions. Eg some rotation functions use positive values in clockwise direction, others in anti clockwise. Making all consistent could change rotation dependent objects when porting. Update time and expense conflicts with development of perceived or real need for new stuff. This involves long term planning, marketing, keeping up with competing products, etc. Old tools functions replaced by newer tools and strategies. Eg screen plane Specific workarounds are easy enough to discover and implement. Therefore complaints are limited. Eg the DAP - get in habit of duplicating source objects. Incremental improvements to newer functions take precedence. Eg slab, to aligned slab, to draped slab, concurrent with introduction of landscape area with components. . . lots more i can’t imagine I’m overall very happy with the constant improvements we do receive. But stand by for all my future gripes. -B

@Monique Freese The Alert notice might be missing because during a previous VP creation, you checked the "Always do the selected action" option. In this case, it would mean that the Alert would not appear. Instead, the Create VP dialog would appear. After closing the Create dialog, the VP will appear on the sheet as directed by the VP Create dialog. If this is the cause, and, for some reason, you want the Alert to appear, you need to reset the Vectorworks pref>Sessions>Reset saved settings. Note that this resets for ALL types of Always do warnings. No current way see a list and pick relevant items. -B

Try the Deform tool in Bend mode: Draw your skyline, eg on the layer plane. Then work on a duplicate of the skyline. Change the view away from Top, eg via flyover, or use iso. Select the duplicate . . . Rotate 3d 90° to stand it up on the x axis. (it's still a 2d object) Extrude it. Use negative value (extrudes away from view), or can be 0. Engage the Deform tool, set to Bend Solid > Symmetric mode Control bend amount visually, with guide objects on layer plane, or numeric by pressing tab for cursor fields. Make sure the protractor is on the layer plane. Some advantage to 0 extrusion for planning construction. Vertical frame posts and studs can be inserted, and will not have curved faces. -B Skyline bend(1).mov

@mjsmithvt also check out these threads/posts regarding walls with slanted, canted, or otherwise shaped profiles, via insertion of a wall cut symbol: and -B

@Stephan Moenninghoff Brilliant! This two step process eluded me. Not sure I would have ever discovered that separate deforms on different planes is the answer. Many thanks for revealing. I tried on a couple generic solids made from extrusions of my 2d sample. One worked. Deform failed on the other. Some persistence may be required. -B

@Brandon Kleiman @Jeff Prince has it correctly re skewing 3d models similar to video in your link. Buuuht . . You might be able to get close with the shear tool. Only works on 2d objects, or groups of them. So, no PIOs for walls, windows, etc. End result is polylines, or group thereof, which can be extruded or otherwise modified. For scenery, perhaps this is enough for layout and fab work? -B Shear(1).mov

Thoughts To me, this looks like an artifact eg from a dwg/dxf imported or converted file. Especially an arc with associated fill back to its center. Object might have custom attributes rather than “by class”. I cannot explain the rounded corners. It might be a stray nested in a hybrid symbol (part of a former dwg block?), or in a group? The symbol/group extent is much larger than the shadow thing, so cannot be selected with marquee around the shadow. Try Select All and zoom to selection. Might be worth an old fashioned search via class shutoffs. Make a duplicate test file with a saved view to return to current state, then turn off half of the classes. If still visible, turn on that half and turn off the other half. If gone, turn on half of those, etc until the object’s class is isolated and the object can be found, selected, and interpreted. -B

Wow! They take the edit away early. That shape with all pentagons is Dodecahedron, not Icosahedron. My bad (also didn't do well in Latin) -B.

Soccer ball? or icosahedron? or? Do it by the geometry. Knowing the exact angle value is not needed. Use guide objects - loci, lines, arcs, planes. That 1st fold between pentagon and hexagon is the key. In this image copied from above, the big pink pentagon has edge length equal to the hexagon diameter (or if making icosahedron, fold is between 2 pentagons. Use the pentagon width for edge length of larger pink pentagon). Use the Regular Polygon tool in the Basic tool set. Set to 5 sides and edge mode. Click click across the hexagon (makes the guide pentagon). Center the new guide pentagon on the original pentagon. Rotate tool operates on that guide plane. Rotation (fold angle) is determined not by entering a value, but rather by snaps from start of the guide arc to end of the guide arc. -B

2d fasteners should not make such problems. If many 3d threaded fasteners are in the drawing, file size and slowing would be common experience when Show threads is implemented. Something that might help is to make each type/length of fastener into a symbol. Place instances of these symbols rather than individual fasteners of that type/length. Edit the symbol to Show/Hide the threads. Should save some redraw time and lower the file size. Another way to do this is to plan around the views. Maybe a fastener object is not needed in each location. Fasteners in views showing exposed threads, (Eg certain sections, or 3d sub assemblies, etc) choose Show threads. All others choose either a simple graphic (circle/hex for the head?)instead of a fastener object, or the fastener with hide threads. Symbols can work here, too. Make 2 symbols for each type/length of fastener. One version shows threads, the other does not. Use the Replace Symbol function in OIP to switch as needed in various views. Probably best to ungroup each fastener in its symbol so it has lower file weight because no PIO capability. This gets cumbersome, but still doable if not too many lengths of same fastener needed. Keep these dummy symbols in your Favorites library. hth -B

Not clear what/how should retract. A 3d flyover could help understand. Or add an image of existing similar product. or post your file. Is your pdf drawing a top view of a sloping roof, eg the center rectangle represents a ridge or valley? Are these intended to slide left to right into a stack, each panel independent and on its own track? (Weather tight could be an interesting problem) or do these independently slide up/down (paper direction) toward that ridge/valley? forum wants to help, but needs some detail. -B

Will give it a whirl Monday or Tuesday. Thanks for suggestion. -B

Not sure what this means? Can you elaborate? Maybe a Mac/Windows difference. I download LAZ, LAS, Shp from the NOAA Data Access Viewer>Elevation/Lidar: https://coast.noaa.gov/dataviewer/#/lidar/search/ For those not familiar Process is to marquee around the area of interest, Add to cart, go to cart, choose the file type and other parameters. Verify and complete the "order" (free - no charge). Return to viewer if desired - the marquee is preserved for entire session - order another format of the same area. Receive the data usually only after a few minutes. 3 emails per order - Order confirm, Link to the download, Order summary. Files are zipped, but decompress to folders containing the requested shp, laz or other, plus their support files. Shapefile contours import to vwx and georef reliably. LAZ and LAS generate a Corrupt File error in vwx and do not import/open. XYZ files import, but I'm finding their georef does not match the contours. Still toying with that. One zip with a LAZ attached. Can anyone open it? -B wa2016_pslc_king_Job978313.zip

Dunno. Might be a way. You are probably aware, but just in case, one can hold down the spacebar and click any tool in any palette to replace Pan as the active temporary tool. This feature reverts to Pan at next access. I also would prefer default to Flyover (or other user choice) rather than Pan. -B

@Dave Donley Excellent! Currently, I am unable to open NOAA .laz files. They produce a Corrupt File error. I agree with @Jeff Prince - much appreciated whenever fix is implemented. Earlier would be even better. -B

Also, if the view can be set to see all hidden snap points as if the cube is clear, start your 3d poly on a visible face or edge or other snap point, press/hold the b key (activates the xray mode which allows access to surfaces and snaps beyond the “front” surfaces) hover/acquire/click the next snap point, continue holding the b key and hover/acquire/the next point, etc. Might still require the Flyover as described above for some of the snaps. AWK now, so not tested, but I think this old school approach works. Draw separate polys on the separate faces, rotate view as needed each time. Cut the cube to clipboard, or move it, eg to another layer, Select all the segments, Compose, replace the cube. -B

It’s a super handy feature, but . . . When using the Edit VP option for Add Reference Crop Object, remember that the option remains checked next time the Edit dialog is opened. As long as the option is enabled, a green rectangle will be added to the design layer EVERY time a design layer is accessed via the Edit Viewport dialog. Result can be a bunch rectangles from different VPs which may then be visible in other viewports and likely need deletion. Or, a stack of rectangles will accumulate from repeated access via same VP. Delete one, and the rest of the stack remains, which can seem like the delete failed. Suggest be aware, or better, open the dialog again and uncheck the option until needed again. -B

Some thoughts about this: General - 1. The tool is completely undocumented - No topics in HELP. No cursor or tool hints. No descriptions in the tool prefs palette. 2. Engage the tool and draw a Bridge Line. Defaults to Cover Weight 30. Ungroup it to see the 3 components: An 180° arc with line weight controlled by the Attributes Palette - this is the visible bridge . . . in front of . . . A 160°arc with line weight 150, and pen color same as vectorworks background color - this "blanks out" the crossing at the line/object being bridged. A diameter line across the arc with line weight 30, color same as vwx background - This covers the bit of leader/source line under the bridge. 3. If Manual Cover pref is enabled, the two "cover" objects' line weights adjust proportionally, with the straight segment adopting the Manual value. The Gaps - 4. Due to Vectorworks rounded line ends, the background diameter line covers a bit of area past its ends and outside the arc, causing those "gaps" on either side of the bridge object. If the Manual setting is large, even the rounded ends of the background arc could cause some of the gap area. 5. The gaps will be accentuated by the vwx Zoom Line Thickness pref - toggle it to explore. Possible bug - 6. In my tests, the "Pick Up Class" works in design layers, but not in the SLVP Annotation space (eg other leader lines). Working in the Annotation space, the Bridge Line object always acquires the active class attribute. Or, maybe I'm missing something. -B

OK, Glad this is being addressed by @Vlado and others. The LIDAR surveys and subsequent contour shapefiles, point cloud LAS/LAZ files and xyz data files for this region of the USA are collected and created by the Pacific Northwest Lidar Consortium. These files are hosted and available for download at the NOAA Data Viewer Portal website: https://coast.noaa.gov/dataviewer Perhaps some of the info below about the PNLC data could help sort this. And I present a workaround. PNLC "About" page: http://pugetsoundlidar.ess.washington.edu/About_PSLC.htm PNLC Tech Spec document - collection and data processing info (Projection, etc): http://pugetsoundlidar.ess.washington.edu/Technical_Specifications_withAppendices.pdf LAZ files from https://coast.noaa.gov/dataviewer imported into vwx2023 Same files, either new download or reused from local OS folders refuse to import into my vwx2024 - Corrupt data notice. Try with the attached zips of folders from NOAA. One is .shp with contours (imports fine). The other is LAZ. Here is a workaround for vwx2023: To correctly fit the point cloud data into the Vectorworks drawing: On the NOAA site, determine an Area of Interest and, in a series of requests, use the same capture rectangle (the website preserves it until you log out or redraw it) and receive via email the LAS, LAZ, Contours shp. May as well grab the XYZ, too while you are there: 0. Collect Contour and Point data from NOAA Data Viewer>Elevation. Click the "Return to Viewer" button after each Cart entry to use same Area of Interest outline for each request. https://coast.noaa.gov/dataviewer 1. Import the contour .shp to vwx This set of contours is used as the standard for the point cloud. Contours port in at proper scale and location whether imported to a prior georef vwx, or by letting the .shp determine the georef. Adjust the vwx internal and user origins to suit, and geolocate an image to verify that all is in order. 2. Import the LAZ or LAS. Uncheck the Center on Import option. Point Cloud will locate far from the contours. Group it and move it to, or near the contours via OIP. This makes both visible/selectable on screen. Separate layers is best, Show/Snap Others. 3. The scale will be wrong no matter the layer scale or which import scale. Make a ratio of the x value of the contour and point cloud groups. 4. Rescale the point cloud by the ratio of the groups. Point cloud will jump away to a new location. 5. Move the point cloud group near to the contour group (again). eg zero out the OIP location values of the Point Cloud group. 6. Lock the contour group so it cannot move. In any view except, use the 3d Align command to center the point cloud group on the contour group. 7. Verify that the point cloud is correct scale and location: Superimpose a DTM from the point cloud on a DTM made from the contours. They will be quite close. I made a video a couple in vwx v2023: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vd7x044kscx1t5l33hmz7/Vectorworks-GIS-2.mov?rlkey=kqejswd63jac1bjutlqjer4zg&dl=0 An alternative control is to use the ASCII XYZ file instead of the contour .shp file. Or, just use the XYZ data to make the DTM. As noted by others, these LAS and LAZ files import correctly to Q and Arc, so wondering if vwx needs an adjust? I think, in general, LAZ and LAZ files port in correctly??? Perhaps these PNLC files are uniquely problematic for vwx? Attached find a .shp and a .laz (GeoID 18) collected today and describing an area in the northwest Seattle, WA, USA. Contours import as expected. LAZ does not import into vwx2024. (My 2023 is expired, so not able to test) Also tried a LAZ in GeoID09. Did not import. -B wa2016_pslc_king_Job978312.zip wa2016_pslc_king_Job978313.zip

Good idea, but no. My smart options: Basic Palette, Enabled Tool options, 3d Tools Palette, Standard views. -B

This may be unrelated . . . M1 MBP. Onboard screen only. MacOS 13.6 Ventura. VWX 2024 3.1 During a recent work session, my cursor cues and snaps were working as expected, then suddenly snaps stopped working. I tried a few things short of relaunch/reboot: move/zoom, group/ungroup, create new objects, toggle layer view, toggle tilde key, more. Turns out the Object Snap somehow became disabled. I do not believe I moused onto the menu bar snap area. Is there a key combo for snaps? I may have used the tilde key, but in this case it was not stuck. Clicked the Object Snaps icon to enable, and all snaps worked as expected. In a subsequent work session, the tilde key DID stick, causing the snaps off until I tested the key. -B

Stupid workaround (tip o’ the hat to islandmon). Model a base unit symbol containing a short length of profile extrude pierced by a single slot. For any specific length, DAP or MBP. Add Solids. One or both ends may need ungroup and Split to create a fraction of the base unit. Or just dupe enough to create a full “stick”, convert that to Generic Solid. Save to resource library as converts-to-group symbol. Split as needed after insertion. -B