Delmer

I went back and played with the Framing Tool after the previous post and it does look like a simple programming error that the previous rafter tool did not have. I'm guessing it is written something like: "If W is greater than or equal to 1.5 and less than 3.5 then nominal = 4" whereas it should be: "If W is greater than 1.5 and less than or equal to 3.5 then nominal = 4".

Both Very helpful, both I was aware of but for some brain fart reason had forgotten -though I have to admit I haven't toggled between Class Option modes much. Thanks for pointing out why I should.

A hatch is generally a series of parallel or crossed lines used to fill in an object. A large atlas or map would likely not have too many so that may not be the problem. One thing you could try is, in the DXF/DWG Import dialogue, at the bottom under Import Options, select Use Custom. Click the button Set Custom Options . . . . In th Primary Settings Tab of the new window that comes up change the 2D/3D Conversion to Convert Objects To: All 2D. ACAD does not generally use hybrid 2D/3D tools so many essentially 2D items drawn there will attempt to come into VW as 3D, compounding the memory usage during import.

The only thing I can think of is if the width of your rafter was something like 1.500000001. The width would show it rounded to the nearest value, 1.5, whereas the nominal would take 1.5 as the cutoff point for anything coming out od 2" stock and therefor jump up to the next standard nominal size; 4. You are allowed to input any size framing member you might need, the nominal just tells you what you would have to buy to cut it out of.

TN You were using different layers (now prepended as design layers) for different tasks; some for working on your drawings and some for compiling them into layouts. VW realized this was awkward and also realized the opportunity for greater interaction with ACAD (I guess waiting for the AutoCAD folks to change their ways wasn't working). What they did was provide a layout sheet for you instead of making you use links to create one out of a design layer. In this layout sheet layer you make viewports (no synonym necessary) to the various design sheets or various items on one design sheet. There is a learning curve if you are not familiar with it, but once you get it it is pretty easy to utilize. It will really not take long to add the various viewports you previously had linked. But if you really want you can indeed make one viewport to the compiled drawings that you have linked on the drawing sheet you originally made for a layout. Regarding viewport creation; Make a class called Viewports, set the lineweight to 0, make it the active class. Draw a box or poly around what you want to capture on your design layer. With the poly or box selected, go under View to Create Viewport, fill in the specifics. Really hope that helps.

Are you using the 3D selection tool to adjust the spot?

Yes, when I stick a window on a wall I generally want it inserted, but stairs and cabinets popping into walls is not right.

Just like the mirror tool, be able to choose whether you want to leave the original item in place or delete.

It doesn't have to be a lassoo, but to be able to make a fence or marquee by polygon would sure be great.

I'll answer the easy ones: Its simple enough to load classes with predetermined attributes by copying something from another drawing and pasting it into the one you want. You can even have a template-like file with single instances of lines etc in different classes to go to and essentially grab a class when you want it. I don't know if you can nest layers but you can arrange them with the buttons in that window (up, down, top, bottom). New PIOs will create the classes they use. As for the class print-out, my rudimentary method would be to do a screen capture and paste it into Word or Pshop.

This is no biggee, but if VW is not already open, selecting multiple VW files to open will open multiple copies of the application rather than different windows in one app. It is not a problem if the program is already running.

Yup, I had tried splitting by line with no results. Splitting by point crashes. But I don't think any of those kinds of tools were meant to be used on PIOs. I don't have any problems 'ungrouping' it into a polyline though.

This is far from a solution but I have found extensive hatches gobble up memory in translation. If you can do without them try imoporting the file sans hatches.

Genie, about annotations in viewports, I have the suspicion that this was introduced because some ACAD users put their annotations in paperspace. The only thing there is that they do it as a work-around for the absurd dimension and type styles that scale when the drawing is scaled. In the end the nuisance is approximately equivalent. In VW its really not necessary since text is not a major hassle and inputting it right on the drawing causes little pain when changing drawing scale (scale text checkbox). If you or anyone else discovers a truly beneficial reason to annotate viewports I would like to hear it.

I think another common method for title blocks is to create it in its own file, bring it in as a reference and then viewport it into each sheet. Include everything but the sheet # and name since of course you want these to be unique on each sheet.

I was sent this info from NNA a while back regarding crashes. It pertains to windows. Built into your Windows operating system is a debugger called, Dr. Watson. This is used to collect information about your crash in two log files. The name of the log files are, "drwtsn32.log" and "user.dmp", found in your C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Dr Watson. If you cannot locate the logs, you may have to modify your Windows folder options to, "Show hidden files and folders". If you are still not able to locate the files, a simple search should do the trick also. To setup Dr. Watson, please do the following: 1-????Click the Start menu in the lower left of your screen, and then click Run. 2-????Type drwtsn32 to start Dr. Watson and then click OK. 3-????In the Dr. Watson dialog switch the Crash Dump Type to Full 4-????Make sure that following options are selected and click OK. a.?????Dump Symbol Table b.????Dump All Thread Contexts c.?????Visual Notification. d.????Create Crash Dump File As a reminder, the path for the dump files are usually found in the following location: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Dr Watson\user.dmp and drwtsn32.log ? Now, in the event of a crash, at some point you will see a dialog titled, "Program Error" with a Cancel button. Do not press the Cancel button as the crash log is currently being generated in the background. The Cancel button will eventually turn into an OK button. At this point, its safe to click the OK button to close the dialog. Here's the fun part. The, "User.dmp" file that's generated can potentially be a couple hundred megabytes in size. The, "drwtsn32.log" file will be much, much smaller. We need to somehow acquire these two files from you. The files can be , compressed and e-mailed, placed on an FTP site or burned to a CD and mailed to us. Depending on your connection speed, some of these options may not be feasible, in which we'll have to come up with another method for gathering your information. If file size of the log file, proves to be a real problem, in the Dr. Watson dialog, where you set the Options, change the Crash Dump Type from, "Full" to "Mini". Although, keep in mind that the smaller crash log may not contain the pertinent information required for us to resolve the problem.

I can still ungroup the property line into a poly. The split tool won't do anything to the property line but it doesn't crash. Maybe try copying your property lines into a new drawing?

The pedals! GOT to have the X-key pedals.

Now THAT'S taking an initiative. I wonder if one could find keyboards with number pads on the left. A handy function that I only discovered a year or so back was that the 2D reshape tool in fence or marquee mode can stretch multiple non-polygon objects. I guess it should be obvious but I had originally used it only for polys.

If no one has a direct affirmative answer to your question you can always group one of the sets so it is easy to change them all at once -or assign the group itself to a separate class.

Here's one that a few (mainly pc users) may not know: The mac keyboard distinguishes between return (next to " and above shift) and enter (on number pad). You may have noticed that while text editing one will give you a hard return and the other takes you out of the text dialogue. Likewise tabbing to, say, the X value while drawing a line, inputting a number and hitting 'return' locks that number and that is all, whilst 'enter' locks the number and tabs you to the next spot.

This one's just a little wood and wire that mechanically depresses the ctrl key. As for feet and inches, that would be wonderful, or of course we could just go metric.

It looks like we've chanced upon a worthy thread: "Things I now use constantly that I never knew about for years". Though its slightly different, here's my contribution: The option key on macs is slightly more conveniently located than the control key on a pc keyboard. When I started using VW on a pc I was really stretching my fingers and so made myself a new key that captures the ctrl button. It is a little longer than the spacebar and located just beneath it to make any of thos ctrl-__ combinations easily reached with one hand. -makes my keyboard look like it is wearing a brace for a broken jaw. If anyone wants to go into production on it with me we can talk.

Yup jan15, I am aware of the duplication functions you mentioned, what I was wondering about was with the offset tool, which I use instead of move when items are not orthagonal, it seems to only be able to offset while leaving the original in place. As it is I will offset a line for example, and then come back and delete the original. I can of course drag a copy in the desired direction, tab to the length box and punch it in there, but deleting the original while offsetting would be a good option. I don't stumble across things like I used to, kind of feel like I've learned most of it and do things the way I know how. Its good teaching or being around someone new in that respect for as they search for a way to do things they often find methds I did not know about. Like hitting the escape key. I could probably add up seconds into hours of my life on that one. That's just too funny. . . .

Its ridiculous that I have gone this long without discovering that, but I was also thinking it wouldn't be a bad thing if clicking in the work window took you back there without performing any command, the same way clicking on VW anywhere brings it to the front when you are in another program or your browser. . . . and how about offset without duplicate . . .