PNWPaul

I do have a paid esri account. Vectorworks will pretty much bind any arc layer using the bind command ( not the background image tool ), I typically use it for rapid feasibility site plans- so property lines are only as accurate as the service provider has created them. For topo, I use a geotiff from a state or national database, and create a contour layer in arc, publish it, and it will bind accurately to the correct location (provided your vectorworks datum code is correct to the location of the parcel). It runs very smoothly.

Thanks Guys for all your help! I realized the problem I was having with the testing this method was not putting grade limits around the object, causing the site to grade into the grade object boundary. Works amazing now.

I tried making a simple 50' x 40' rectangle with 2% slope one direction this way, but the grade was not uniform in the center of the rectangle and it did not grade it flat. It seems when I use the grade tool it has very limited affect away from its line even if connected. Otherwise it would be great to modify the site that way. Are you using it for anything larger than small paths or driveways ?

Just saw the video link, thanks !!!

Hi Poot, I have multi sloped connected driveways, and parking areas. I connected my grade tool to see if it would create an area to drape hardscapes on and it basically made 4 very wide ditch areas all connected. Is the grade tool something different than what I am thinking ?

Hi Tasmin, Are there any good tutorials videos about using the edit site modifier option ( for alligned hardscaped) and any for the process you have described. All my designs have paving surfaces with more than one slope, and I have been having difficulty doing this efficiently in VW, but I know there is probably an easy way. Thanks

I bind arcgis layers (contours) and then modify by record to elevate, then convert to 3d poly and then create site model from that. Not sure if that was what you might be trying to do ?

Hi Peter, Removing that file did indeed fix the problem, and I was also given a revised file to replace it with. Thanks

Hi guys, It looks like there might be a solution to this problem by removing GenerateImage.vlb plugin from the Plugins folder.

Not just in NZ, I'm in the States, and my Vectorworks is entirely down. Continually crashes, or after an incredibly long loading period, a file completely freezes. Yesterday, it would crash and shut down as soon as I opened the file. Completely uni-installed and re-installed from the portal, and the exact same thing happens. I just had the most embarrassing client meeting, as I was unable to show them any work. I am running Windows 11 and have the program on two different machines; the same thing on both.

Mine was a complete lock up on both machines again today. Really embarrassing for a client meeting when I could not show them any of the work. @jcogdell, Is there any way to revert to the old version? Right now it doesn't work at all. Thanks, Paul

This happened to me as well; I tried on both machines I use to run it. The only solution I found was to uninstall and re-install. It still will not update the libraries. But at least I can open projects again

Thanks for the recommendation Jonathan, aligned site modifiers seem to work well for this one, although I do wish it was easier to align to surrounding objects, but hopefully that will come with practice.

Hi Benson, The program you need is Las Zip. Download it, and it will unzip the .laz (compressed file) into a .las (uncompressed file) for you. Vectorworks will then be able to read it.

Hi Jonathan, I used an aligned hardscape for much of the driveway slab. It worked all right, but it seemed like it might not have been the ideal modifier for what I was doing, as the adjacent slabs continuously throw errors asking to be re-aligned. I have seen that there is the possibility to edit the modifier with an aligned modifier, but I haven't found any good videos showing how, and haven't been able to do much when entering that view. There are four of them touching to have the slope needed to get to the low-grade point, so perhaps that is the issue. I was having success with the 3D polys as modifiers, as I could set a stake object at the height needed and connect the poly to it, and it worked well for the detention pond and outfall. Unfortunately, I'm still stumped on how the grad limits modifier is now continually crasing the program.