Peter Eichel

Jonathan, I don't have any choice. The main roof is an 8:12 pitch while the roof over the entry, which is a wall projection, is 10:12. I normally draw a polygon and create my roof from it which has worked great since VW's 12. Now I have to ungroup the roof and edit the roof faces which is a step backwards.

I'm creating my first roof with VW's 2011 and am having a problem changing the pitch after the roof has been created. As before, the roof is initially created with all hips. When changing a hip to a gable you used to be able to change the pitch without ungrouping the roof. Has this been changed or is it a bug?

Tobias, thanks. It occured to me that I already have a window schedule so why not try to access the data you recommended. I discovered that you can access data from one worksheet into another. You can access both the width and height (2 columns) into a single column and add them together. Add a multiplier to the formula and you have your 2x8 linear data. The door data, like you said, is a problem because it access's all of the doors, not just the exterior ones. I didn't want to mess around with multiple classes so I manually added the data and entered it into the worksheet. Not much work as there are a lot fewer exterior doors than windows in residential construction. Now it's on to roof data.

I need to calculate the lineal feet of 2x8 needed to box frame the windows and doors in the exterior walls for a residential project. I was thinking of using the difference between the gross & net areas of the exterior walls and somehow manipulating it to produce a rough but adequate figure. Otherwise, is there window and door data I can use in a worksheet to accomplish this? Please don't suggest I use VW's framing tool.

djb, look at the wall components in the wall edit popup. You'll see that each component has a number shown in the column on the left. Use that number within the formula "=COMPONENTAREA(2)" for example (not sure of the proper syntax). This will output the area for that wall component only and not the others.

Bruce, have you looked at VW's interior CAD? I believe it's an add-on (not sure) but since your in the furniture business it may be just what you need.

Attached is a file of a simple foundation plan with a worksheet. There are three database rows, one for the foundation wall, one for the footing and one for the basement floor slab. The top of the worksheet in the red box is the data area, the remainder of the worksheet in the black box has items that derive their information from the data area (red box). There are many ways to set up a worksheet, the above is simply my design. Try selecting a wall and dragging it, the worksheet will update the numbers automatically(after a re-calc). I suggest you study the formulas and text in the cells and their format, for example: General/Decimal/Dimension/Dimension Area/Dimension Volume and so on, it's important. Finally, you have to set the units in your drawing to match what you need in your worksheet and follow an office standard regarding layers and classes. Have fun!

Kevin, thank you! Your technique works great and it imports as a single text block, also, unlike a PDF import I can edit the text. Michaelk, I was pasting concrete slab specs on a sheet layer and not inside a text block which just never occured to me. Thanks again to the both of you, it's saved me a ton of time. VW's 2011 Designer

I need to import a Microsoft word file into VW's. I've tried converting it to a PDF file but without success. I've tried "copy & paste" but each sentence in the word document is converted into a separate text block and spread out all over the drawing. It's more work to correct the "mess" than typing the document out manually in VW's. It would be very helpful if VW's could import a text file. Any ideas?

jsibert1: I read you post on VW's wall framer. I recommend you don't use the Wall Framer Tool. It is quirky and if you make any changes to your floor plan you have to re-run it as it does not update automatically (the database rows are eliminated). The good news: VW's worksheets are very flexible and can calculate any material quantities you need as long as you know how to create them and adhere to an office standard regarding layers and classes. If you wish, I can e-mail you a foundation take-off file which will give you a good idea of what VW's worksheets are capable of, you'll be impressed.

I asked in an earlier topic who uses VW's worksheets to do detailed quantity takeoffs. Since then I have immersed myself in the study and use of worksheets. I've discovered that it's best to first have a layout planned. How many columns and rows do you need and what information will be in them? Next, organize the worksheets in relation to the project. How many worksheets will you need? Will it be a single worksheet covering everything per building level or material category's for the entire building? Next, learn to use the design tools in the worksheet, they really speed things up when creating a custom worksheet or editing an existing one. Also, it's very helpful to have a list of materials and their specs that you will be adding to the worksheet. It's a real aid in choosing and creating the correct function/equation. I'm about halfway along in my worksheet creations for residential construction. It hasn't been easy but it was time well spent and my clients are looking forward to their completion as much as I am. I'll be running a few tests to confirm they update properly, but so far, no problems.

Jeffrey, I looked in the VW's help file as you suggested but the examples are not helpful. Listen, we are not all "programmers" and sometimes it's difficult to interpret vague directions, so try to look at issues from our perspective. I followed the instructions from the VW's help file and it got me nowhere. My workaround is to use the function "WALLGROSSAREA" and divide it by the number of wall components. So, can you please provide clear step by step instructions on achieving the accurate data we need from VW's worksheets.

You'll see in my topic below "Material Take-offs" that I have a similar problem, that being, the area formulas returning the sum of all the components in a wall. A 100 sq. ft. 3 component wall will return an area of 300 sq. ft. I wouldn't want to be doing takeoffs without knowing this! So, VW's software engineers, is Tobias's request doable?

Thanks to this forum I've come a long way in understanding worksheets and it's much appreciated. I've made an interesting discovery regarding walls in worksheets. A 10'x 9'high 2x4 interior wall with gypsum on both sides (3 components) using the database function "=WALLAREA_GROSS" will return an area of 270 sq. ft. which is 3 times what it should be. Obviously the worksheet is including the gypsum board along with the stud wall in it's calculations. Is this a bug? Please don't advise me to use the Wall Framer Tool, it's buggy and I don't like the worksheets it generates.

Why not just create a fully annotated section library saved as symbols or groups. I have a large library for residential construction I've created over the years and it's fast, easily edited, easily scaled via a viewport and I don't have to annotate it which saves a lot of time.

Thanks Mike, I got it! Now, why doesn't the space tool paint bucket work when annotating SLVP's? Can the default class be changed from "wall-interior" to "area-specs"? Why does the space tool place the label off center from the 2nd placement onward? No more questions after this, I hope.

Well, I figured out how to add the area to my room label, now I'm having a problem with the text style. The space tag symbol, when edited, shows a text size of 0 points. When changed to 8 points the scale becomes emormous and the room label is lost, instead taking on the appearance of the symbol thus (#1#). Well Robert!

Thanks Robert, however, it seems like a workaround to display the text style you want, it would be a lot simpler if it was available from a pick list on the OIP window. Also, I requested how to show the net area below the room dimension. It's a common request from contractors and estimators.

I was just getting comfortable with the "old" space tool and VW's 2011 comes along! Can someone tell me how to change the text size of the room label and how to add the room's net area below the room's dimensions.

I?ve just update to VW?s 2011. I believe older versions restricted sheet layers to the top/plan view. The first file I've opened shows that the sheet layer ?Foundation Plan? is in top view, not top/plan view. I checked the only viewport on the sheet and it's in top/plan view, so is this a bug? I?m wondering if there are printing consequences besides the fact that it?s just plain annoying. In 3D drafting one is always aware of which view is current, is that not so?

Are you in the plan view or top plan view? Plan view is 0 on the number keyboard, 5 for the top plan view. This can happen very easily when your hammering away at the keyboard.

James, I have the same problem, my solution is waiting until the final revisions are done before completing the titleblock. The latest version of VW's has linked sheet numbers to section marks, however, you must use the section viewport feature for this to work. This does me no good because I use symbols from a large library I've created over the years, thus negating the need for the section viewport feature in VW's. I do this mostly because the section symbols in my library are already annotated which I find constitutes much of the work in creating quality sections.

I've added a column to a worksheet in order to display a waste factor for yards of concrete. Currently the volume column database function reads "=CRITERIAVOLUME*1.05". I would rather instead that the waste factor (1.05) in this equation access a cell in the newly created waste factor column. Also, I need the waste factor to display properly in the spreadsheet cell, for example "5%" or perhaps "1.05" but I cannot come up with a working function for the database cell. Any ideas out their.

I just spent 2 weeks getting my head around the spreadsheet/database in VW's known as "worksheets" and it was worth the effort. I suggest you follow the advise of one of your former prime ministers, Chamberlin the appeaser, Try, try, try and try again!

Vincent, I'm not interested in creating a texture, I want to edit the color of the yellow vinyl siding texture that comes with VW's. Some time ago I exported/converted this texture to a PNG image and edited the color with Adobe Photoshop but I can't remember how I did it! Regarding your advice, can you please be more specific. Step by step instuctions would be very helpful. Thanks.