Robocad

Thanks for the reply Mike! From your helpful suggestions I am getting the idea that rather than my way of creating simple to create shapes and then combining/composing into a unified single 2D closed form ready for extrusion, that a better way is to use the 2D polygon or 2D polyline tool to create a single object, however oversimplified and then use the 2D reshape tool to shape the already unified 2D object into the more complex shape, which will then extrude reliably. I am coming from a metaphor learned in a steel fabrication shop where complexity is broken down into shapes that can be precisely cut (against template jigs) and then carefully assembled into a single object. Accordingly, my approach had me making precise sub pieces of the 2D contour and attempting to combine or unify them into one 2D object, which is where I ran into limitations and functionality that is not reliable. Thanks again for the assist; I now have a way of working that VW is OK with, to get to where I need to be. Regards, =>><<=robert

Greetings All: I have owned VW11.5 for 5 months, I have the 4 training CD's and have actually gone through them. Why is it that, in order to make 3D objects out of complex 2D shapes, the only way I have found is to: 1) Create a template out of stock objects, combined with some custom curves, NURBS or clips of ellipses etc 2) Lock these to the grid 3) Using the 2D Polyline tool, tediously trace my 2D complex shape, hoping fervently that I do not mis-click even once, striving to scribe the entire perimeter of the 2D shape and closing the loop to create the desired 2D closed shape. IF I am successful in my tracing, THEN I can extrude this into a 3D object and go from there. I am in disbelief how brittle the 2D Boolean operations are, to the extent that they even exist. Clip surface works fine with straight-sided polygons but again, the simplest cookie cutter usage is beyond VW, once curves of any complexity come into the equation. The cookie cutter metaphor needs implementation or expansion. To allow you to keep the negative or the positive portion of what you clip or subtract. Connect tool? Great but VW can't seem to handle extrusions of 2D objects connected together by the tool. The UI is seductive and powerful. Where I have found VW wonting is in the basic CAD functions, especially simple transitions from 2D shapes into the 3D realm. Compose command? Never got it to work since the end points of the discrete 2D shapes must touch and, other than zooming in and guessing, I see no way to be sure that the end points are in fact, touching. You know when they are not because the Compose commmand simply does nothing, no feedback, no dialog just no effect as the program continues doing the code equivalent of eating bon-bons contentedly... 8=> This behaviour is all too common in VW; stuff that should work (according to the scanty docs) or works intermittently and only if you are blessed, does not work and either provides zero feedback (nothing happens) or some useless generic suggestion/warning that simply frustrates but does not surface any useful, SPECIFIC clues from the exact failure of the internal process of the code. This program is a tease; sexy looking and acting but when you get right down to the nitty gritty, she demures without so much as a giggle.... Any constructive suggestions welcome.... Tech question to board master: Why cannot I cut out of this posting window, to finish my message in a reliable editor and paste back in???? You must be doing something in the code of the page to defeat this basic Window operation in a browser. Why?