[How to organize classes / Ten Commands]

I work for a residential remodeling company, and am seeking some advice on ways for us organize our classes. We have a decent number of VW users, and are now in a place where setting up standards would be a very good thing for us.

The big problem we have with the standard way of naming classes (wall-exterior, door-interior, etc?) is we need to have a clear and simple distinction between existing objects, demolition work, and new construction. Also, we are trying desperately to reduce the number of classes to a minimum.

Instead of re-inventing the wheel, I thought I would seek our some suggestions and opinions from anyone listening, especially those who do residential remodeling drawings for mid-sized companies.

Oh, and while I have you?re attention, what do you think are ?ten commands? that you think any normal VW user should be expected to know how to use beyond line, wall, window etc...(yet another thing we are trying to figure out?)

Thanks!

Matt

[Is there a way...]

Not being very skilled in vectorscript, I was hoping to fly this by you regular scripters.

I use data stamps often in my drawings, and the only way I can get them to update is to select them and change one of their preferences (like changing the "date display style" from short to medium, and then back to short.)

Is there a way to write a script that would do this automatically after selecting my data stamps so I don't have to go into the preferences box and mouse click several times?

(or does any one know a way for the stamps to automatically update?)

Thanks in advance,

Matt

[Presets for printing different sizes]

I wonder how many other users use this type of arrangement. It seems to me that it is far simpler than having twenty different sheet layers to flip through, depending on how many drawings one needs. I kind of wish VW's "Project Setup" would accomidate this way of arrangement. Having way too many layers and classes has been a universal complaint of all of my co-workers here.

MD

[Presets for printing different sizes]

We set up a single sheet layer with multiple sheets for printing. Being in residential remodeling, we never exceed the maximum print area for a single sheet layer. What makes it especially nice is printing all the drawings into a single PDF bok via one print command.

Perhaps it's not the norm, but it works quite well for us.

MD

[Batch print to PDF]

We set up one sheet layer called "contract set" which has all of our c-size drawings arranged on it. Fortunately for us, we never need more than 35 sheets per project. In that arrangement, we can print any or all the sheets at once - or pdf them (as long as you set up a paper size in Acrobat that exactly equals the paper size.)

[Pasting a Viewport into other drawings: workaround]

I notice that if I try to copy & paste a viewport into a different drawing, it won't work, as I expect.

On the other hand, if I group the viewport prior to copying it. When I paste it into the new file, the viewport pastes along just fine.

Now if I can only get the eyedropper to match viewport classes & layers to one another.

[VW 10 to VW 11.5 Architect]

Our company just upgraded from VW 10 and I have to come up with a presentation on the differences between VW 10 (Regular) and VW 11.5 (Architect).

Besides the obvious things I will mention (like viewports), do you all have any suggestions on any subtle, yet important, differences I can share with the group that could help them appreciate the upgrade?

Oh, I should mention none of this group uses (or ever will use) any 3-d features of Vectorworks

Thanks,

Matt

[Alternate units in viewport]

I am a new VW 11 user and am excited about (finally) using viewports. I have created a viewport of enlarged kitchen plan and wish to dimension the cabinets in inches, while keeping my general settings at feet/inches.

Is there a way to create alternate units inside of viewports?

Matt