Assemblage

Thanks Pat, I appreciate the reply. Can I ask: how DO people "centralise" their notes then? It would be good to know, and I'm sure others must have wondered. Multiple revisions of notes across many drawings is a long-standing professional reality amongst architects (and I'm sure, others), so ability to change note content and have that reflected throughout a drawing set seems important..?

OK...a simpler example (attached): 3 sample notes. One instance of NOTE 02 is updated, using the database window. Reconcile Notes (RN) is run (screenshot attached). Questions: - I manually reconcile each instance of NOTE 02 using "Update >" and hit OK. The notes in the file are not updated. Why..?? Help Notes gives no clue. - Why has Reconcile Notes (RN) brought up NOTE 03 to be reconciled..? No changes were made to it. - Why has RN brought up the instance of NOTE 02 which I have already amended? It should not need to be reconciled. - Perhaps THE most common use of RN is to apply a change in the database to all instances in the file (like a symbol). Why is it not possible to do this all at once instead of manually to each instance? Can I ask the Moderators to comment please. These are not obscure questions; VW literature explicitly says the software has this functionality. [ change uploaded Database file extension to .xml ]

Simple creation and automatic updating of Issue Sheets, showing drawing: - Number, Title - Revision, Authorisation (initials) - Issue recipient

Try this: amend a note in the database, apply using text > reconcile notes...sheet layer notes are not updated. Why? [ change database file extension from .pdf to .xml. This Community Board does not allow uploading of .xml files for some reason ]

Either I have technically misunderstood how the reconcile notes process is supposed to work despite experimenting with it extensively - in which case why is the tool designed to be so extraordinarily non-user friendly - or the tool's current functionally is truly appalling. Despite working amongst a number of CAD programs (AutoCAD, Microstation, et al) for years I still find this tool a nightmare. It's such a fundamental tool for drawing production; I can't understand why it hasn't had major attention in recent versions and Service Packs. We keep starting projects with it hoping it will work, and then always end up replacing the mess it makes by hand-typing every callout note in the whole drawing package. The labour cost in doing this has probably exceeded the cost of software a number of times of the last few years. It would be really good to hear from other users on this.

I find the "Notes Manager: Reconcile Notes" keeps listing notes in the right hand column even though there has been no change in the database for that note. That is, there is no reconciliation to be done, yet it is tedious to have to manually go through each note checking just in case. Anyone else find this?

I had understood symbols were for things like a door, not a whole floor plate will numerous elements etc..are there information limits on symbol content? I'll experiment. I notice wall heights set to layer dZ cease to work, and need to be set to a specific dimension.

I see. That was a helpful explanation, thank you orso. The wider question to the Community Board was: can you use DLVPs to reproduce (and going forward, amend) common elements on different storeys of a building (eg a portion of perimeter wall with windows in it), rather than manually copy and pasting etc, whether you're using (i) the Ellicott Heights arrangement, in which case you're copying an pasting between files, or (ii) Mike M's arrangement where you're copying and pasting between levels in a Master Model file. The answer seems to be: maybe, but it spawns a nasty thicket of classes which a normal user is unlikely to emerge from with his right mind intact.

It would be useful if the profile and/or the path elements of Extrude Along Path objects could be symbols.

Hi orso - We're in London, UK: we need to draw a lot too, all the way to 1:5 details for which we're directly responsible on site. A project we're just finishing has over 1000 drawings, all done in 2D, very many with over 30 revisions each. It's absurd: imagine a whole team pushing hundreds of 2D lines/info around the screen for months on end; and the cost, tedious cross-checking, and scope for human error that comes with that. In short, we HAVE to go 3D. And yet, finding out halfway through a new 3D workflow that we've set it up wrongly, or that VW can't do something we thought it could, could actually be worse. Hence all my questions. I'm puzzled however why the issue not more widely discussed ..? - Interesting to hear about your parametric drawing via worksheets and scripts. - Immediate problem: sadly, I still can't get the files working. All the circles are still appearing. All I'm trying to make appear in the 'Sections' file is the 'whole of model' you get in the Master Model file: the element classes and DLVP classes all need to be set to 'visible'. Attached is what I'm seeing: Master Model file on the left, Sections file on the right. Maybe yours works because you use layer referencing and not DLVPs?

Many thanks for looking at this orso. I'm not looking for a 'complex construct' believe me... A few things: - Relieved to hear there are multi-user large project stable workflows happening out there. It's v hard to find advice; I found two diagrams: one Mike M posted, and Ellicott Heights (attached). Is yours like Ellicott Heights therefore..? How do you repeat elements across floors, and what about section viewports etc? A rough diagram would be great if you have one. - We do actually use Z and dZ etc. I made an error with the rectangles, which should have been on each layer as I said in the text (corrected in the second 'Master Model' uploaded).. sorry about that. It didn't affect the reference problem I was showing so I didn't mention it. - From what I understand the references I've set up should actually work, but don't. And it is something to do with the classes as you say. There's nothing on this in 'Help'; the references are not circular. I'll need to now rebuild the whole project some other way. To the Moderators/NNA: do you consider there is enough guidance out there on these things? The NNA stance of not dictating workflow and leaving this to the user is accepted, however workgroup diagrams with pros/cons commentary on a small number of known/tested options would very useful, if not in fact necessary to professional architects entering contracts and serious deadlines who nevertheless want to start working in 3D.

Tried putting main model DLVPs in dedicated classes (attached). Same thing happens: main model file appears fine, in the other files all circles appear on all storeys. Does this mean you can't use DLVPs when modelling, with multi-users??

I don't understand why the model/storeys appear correctly in the main model file but not in the other files.

I've got a problem best explained in the attached example files. The circles represent elements common to multiple storeys in the building. The little rectangles represent elements specific to that building storey, drawn in that level. The 'Sections' file contains a whole model DLVP for cutting section VPs, and the 'Plans' file is layered ready for SLVP production...except the contents of the building storeys do not appear correctly in either file. What am I doing wrong?

We found updating to SP3, and reorganising the files as per http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=136025#Post136025 solved the problem

Walls always show on top of other elements in section VPs. It would be very useful to be able to vary this, with some 3D elements showing in front of the wall, and others behind etc.

Sorry, a further query: Things like lights..better in Master or the 'blues'?

When building storeys are identical, is it recommended to handle this with DLVPs in the Master file, or in the 'blue' files?

I don't get this: SLVP in the model file shows 2D info of a hybrid symbol correctly (File A). SLVP of the same thing in a reference file shows both 2D and 3D info overlaid (File B). Settings shown attached

Seems be something to do with referencing. Rendering in the model file is fine. Rendering in the file with the DLVPs and SLVPs produces these lines.

Getting strange vertical black 'lines' on final quality RW...no idea what they are or where they're from. Any thoughts?

It's mystifying however why final qual RW of the whole model should perform without incident working in design layers, but setting the SLVP to just OpenGL puts the VP update into a tailspin and the computer crashes. Seems medieval limited to hiddenline SLVPs only

Did the following: - Increased Page File/virtual memory - Simplified Hole components of hybrid symbols - Pruned off as many layers and classes as possible from every VP - Upgraded to SP3 Not sure which one was decisive, but VPs are now updating. Have had one crash since, but not a particularly bad one. phew..

I abandoned the Auto and went for the Control Point option, drawing a line at Z=0 so it's easy to see graphically (and for multiple benchmarks) that the control point is in the right spot. Much better than nothing, but obviously there's room for human error here. It would be useful to be able to click into any VP, be it a detail or building elevation, and have an automated benchmark dimension returned. How do you file a wish?

- Merged sections; We've found they're v good for schematic design and design development stages where focus is on spaces created rather than detailing etc, however the drawing set we're preparing now is for construction so the detail wall components are important; - The upper 3 floors have identical perimeter walls so we've used DLVPs to create these, so a single wall does not seem possible using this method. I guess we could revert to a single wall..it seems useful that adjustments in, for example, windows are replicated automatically via the DLVPs however; - Will look at the masking A final important query: we were copying elements from the 3D component into the Hole Component in our hybrid window and door symbols, so that lintels and sills etc are not covered by the Wall in section. We've since been experiencing SVPs which will not update due to lack of memory, and crashes. It could be other things too, but we suspect complicating the Hole Components is a contributing factor so we've swapped these back to simple extrusions. The upshot is that our window sections look like this again (attached), which to any 3rd party will seem wrong or unfinished. This issue must have arisen before but I can't see anything in the posts..? The walls need to be 'sent to back'.