MGuilfoile

In Vectorworks 2023, is there a way to adjust a texture map in one direction only? For example, if a map shows an oval instead of a circle it would be simple to stretch the map in one direction. Other 3D apps I work with have this fundamental feature, but it seems to be missing from Vectorworks. It is crazy that I can't do it. Am I missing something simple? Thanks, MHBrown

I believe the small VW file I uploaded to this forum exhibits the behavior. If so, that is where I would start. If not, I suppose I could contact Tech support, but I don't really have the time to troubleshoot this right now. Perhaps at a later date. Thank you, MGuilfoile

To Jcogdell, no, as I expected, the "reset all plug-ins" did nothing. The only thing that works is the following: 1. Open an Untitled document 2. Go to the extrusion (note: I have only tested this on extrusions with no "history," such as fillets) 3. Double-click on to get down to the original 2D profile 4. Copy and paste into the aforementioned Untitled document 5. Perform the same extrude as was done in the original file, but now in the Untitled file 6. The Texture Face tool now works as it should.

So the problem is unique to all of my files. That is a lot of files. I'll try the "purge" routines suggested when I get a chance.

Well, no, I haven't. I mean, why would I? Are you saying everyone should always do these two actions when opening a file from a previous version? Is there a reason these operations are not automatically done--with, perhaps, a "warning" message that it is about to happen--whenever a file from an older version is opened? I can't think of an instance where I would not want my plug-ins and library files to function with the file I'm about to open, so you might want to rethink how this operation is invoked. That said, I'll give it a try. Thank you for the tip! MH Brown

In working a little bit, the problem seems to be only in files that I have opened in the previous version and resaved in the new version. In this case, I'm talking about files created in or have ANY content from a VW2022 and resaved in VW2023. Except for the tiny fraction of VW users who have started using VW in the past few months, this is an action performed by everyone using Vectorworks as his or her main CAD tool. Please do not tell me to recreate all of my templates, symbols, textures, and other similar creations by starting over every time there is a major update to VW. That is absurd. Vectorworks is designed to create templates, symbols, textures, etc. for the explicit purpose of not having to reinvent the wheel on multiple fronts. This is, of course, only observational data, which is not terribly helpful in troubleshooting. It would serve Vectorworks very well, however, if someone from their team would take my file and find out what its problem is with legacy versions before it explodes on them. Every user opens old files in new versions of the software. Every user. Fix these little problems and the big ones might just take care of themselves. MH Brown

Bringing this up again because no one has found a solution. I am attaching a file here and some images that shows what is happening. It also has2D material regarding a question about the sweep tool. Please just ignore those objects. The problem is this. Still this. It happens with all objects nearly all the time. This file is just an example: When I try to place a red texture to the inside of the curved corner table it runs the texture all the way around the object, not just on a single face as it is supposed to. I am using VW2023 the latest version on Windows and VW2024 the latest version on a Macbook Pro 2019. I am on Windows10 and the horrid mess that is Sonoma on the Macbook Pro. I'm posting the images and small file here. If anyone at Vectorworks could look at it I would appreciate it. The problem is in the software, not anything user related. It has to be fixed by the Vectorworks. MH Brown Question, broken Sweep and Single Face Texture Tools.vwx

Never mind. It worked once and when I tried it again, it went back to the original wrong behavior.

To update this problem with the Single Face texture tool, I just tried it on my 2019 MacBook Pro running VW2024, fully updated to the latest version. It exhibits the same behavior that I see in VW2023 running on my Windows10 machine. I tried the "trick" of retrieving the original 2D shape I extruded, copying it, and pasting it into the modeling layer. As you found out, when this exact copy of the original 2D shape is extruded the texture tool works as it is supposed to. Thank you to those who figured that out!! I want, however, to point out that: This. Is. Not. A. Solution. This is a workaround. I hope that the actual problem will be fixed because these little problems will eventually build into very large problems with zero work arounds. It's like taking care of a car. Fix the little things and the big things will take care of themselves. There is a problem with this and other tools that all of the fantastic folk on this forum help each other to work around, but they really need some attention (rather than new icons, for example). Thanks, MHBrown

Thanks for the help. I have been using the sweep tool since Minicad 5, so I think I understand that the way it works has definitely changed. Perhaps it has something to do with VW being more of an app where you work in 3D rather than2D. That's a good thing and I'll have to adjust to how that has probably affected how the sweep tool works. I believe that in previous versions of VW a locus would locate the center of rotation, sweeping left or up depending on orientation (re the screen plane). I flipped the profile in 90-degree increments, and it never worked in any. It always made a Frisbee looking object rather than the dumbbell shape I was looking for. I'll have to pay closer attention and see what I'm doing wrong. Regarding sweeping multiple objects, I have a reason for doing that when I need different parts to have different textures. In other words, I need the separate geometry. Once I decide what texture goes on which part, I will fuse the ones which abut and have the same texture. Regarding, the "something weird about my extrusions" I must beg to differ. The only thing odd about this extrusion is that it started life as square corner "U" shaped polygon and I filleted the top two corners. That should not matter. If it does, there are many other operations that cause this tool to fail. I don't think it is possible that there is something unique about my installation of VW. This has continued to happen through several service packs. This tool is not usable for me. It is totally useless for most of my work. Having to refer to a list of operations to avoid to make it work is not a solution. If I convert the object to 3D polys it does it correctly, showing that the software knows what to do. I wish someone from VW would examine it. They have the file they are always asking for, so I'm hoping they will find the problem. thanks, MHBrown

Thank you for everyone's interest in this problem, so I took the opportunity to bring up another problem that I've been asking about for a while: the Single Face Texture map apply tool rarely works for me. I've included a single VW2023 file that has a collection of 2D objects that don't want to sweep around the locus and a screenshot of the message I get. To the left of that collection of 2D objects is a simple 3D object that does not allow me to place a red texture on the three inside faces of this "U" shaped table. I have included three screenshots for reference: What I want, Before I try the Single Face tool, and then the incorrect result after using the Single Face tool. It is clearly not working for me. The faces I want to color red are all simple rectangles abutting other simple rectangles, the simplest condition possible. Both of these situations occur more often than not. Neither are rare or uncommon results. I suppose these two problems could be specific to my installation of VW, but that is very unlikely. If you just want to answer the sweep question, that's fine. I can post the Texture Apply tool problem elsewhere. Thanks for any help! MHBrown Question, broken Sweep and Single Face Texture Tools.vwx

Using VW2023 these days, but in the past, whenever I wanted to sweep a collection of 2D shapes (or a single shape) I would create my profile, place a 2D locus where I wanted the center of rotation to be, and it would work perfectly. Now, I get the strange message that I can't place a locus inside the sweep. Well, why not? I certainly SHOULD be able to place it there. It does nothing for the geometry; it is just a marker telling VW which why to spin. It has been broken for a while, but today I just finally got fed up with it. Does anyone have a way to make a sweep go the way you want? I've tried rotating it every which way, but it keeps getting it wrong. The locus point method needs to be returned. This is exactly what locus points are for, but I'll take any method that works at this point. I must be missing something simple, yes? MH Brown

This new Dragger feature is a very compelling reason for me to upgrade to VW2024. Thanks for letting me know. MH Brown

As an industrial designer, I find this change in icons an egregious waste of time when there are real areas that need real work. There is absolutely zero upside to changing the icons from a UI/UX point of view. Zero. There is 100% downside. I expect to see the same icons back until there is a compelling reason to change them from an anthropometric, data-driven, real-science-at-work-here reason. For an example, see The Measurement of Man (and Women) By Henry Dreyfuss. THIS is how you research. This is how you determine if you are creating a solution to a problem that does not exist, thus, creating a new problem via your lack of scientific rigor before starting. Learn a lesson here, but fix your mistake, too. This is not a crayon drawing to hang on your refrigerator. You are creating an interface for people you will never meet and be able to personally explain your purpose. People depend on your software to make a living. Don't make it harder for them; they depend on you, VW designers, to remember that. MH Brown

The Visualization Pallet is woefully underdeveloped. In addition to being able to control on/off and shadows on/off, the user should be able to add/remomve all of the other attributes available in the OIP with the following additions that are not yet available in Vectorworks, but were available in Strata3D thirty years ago: Sliders to control falloff. This would be a two-point slider where the first slider handle sets the full-intensity limit, and the second slider handle sets the zero-light point, the point where the stops illuminating anything. They can also be set numerically. Sliders to control light spread. this would be two concentric circles, the inside showing the limit of full-intensity and the outer circle where the light stops illuminating anything. This control, when paired with the falloff control, would create a controlled ovaloid shape of light rather than the clumsy single sphere or cone that exist now with point and spotlights, respectively. Not controlled in the Visualization Pallet, but important to improve regards the light icons themselves. The arrows on the present light icons should actually be able to be snapped to an object, setting the limit of the light's illumination (for those needing a more visual way to set lights.) At present, the arrows on the light fixtures in VW do nothing except generally point in the direction of the light. Making them longer or shorter does nothing, but it should. Again, this was available in Strata3D thirty years ago. I'm speculating, but I suspect that these features are available in VW's cousin, Cinema4D. MH Brown