Don@Black Dog

While we are on the subject (or were) of details, if one is creating a detail from scratch rather than deriving it from a plan or section, would you: a. draw it on any design layer, then viewport? Drawbacks are that it would be tiny in relation to the other plans on that layer (if one used the floor plan layer for instance); b. Set up a detail design layer (at another scale?) for details only, then viewport or c. Draw only in an annotated viewport?

Well, that's a classic "duh" moment. I set the "break" option to No Break and it worked. Didn't even see that option before. However, the base is still a dashed line. Everything is set to None. Thanks for the ray of light!

It would be nice to be able to vary the width of a stair tread, for instance, where a stair is only partially enclosed by a wall, the lower treads are full width with a railing, while the upper treads are within the walls, so several inches narrower. Perhaps an option to "Alter Tread Width at Tread #___"

Whew, what a lot to do! Couple of things: Like Jim mentioned, make sure you have a layer for the floor slab, with an accurate thickness. Draw the floor slab on that layer and make a floor of that thickness. That should fill the gaps. If you draw the slab to the outer edges, it will show on the model and will not have the wall texture (deal with that later). If you give the walls a floor-to-floor height and draw the slab within the walls, you will get seamless walls and it will not show except in sections. If your plan has too many lines, you may have too many classes and/or layers on. It should show up clearly in wireframe. Make sure you have on only those layers you need, such as theat floor layer only, and classes like walls-exterior and interior, doors-main, windows main, sills (gives you the door swings and window details) and so forth. Experiment tuning them on and off to see the effects. Make sure you draw the objects on the appropriate layers, or set it to automatic. Use AEC/Floor insetead of extrude, since and extrude is empty unless you give it a texture, so it may be invisible in 3d (or has outlines only). Wire frame in 3d does have too many lines since it is a wireframe, not a solid. Use hidden line or open GL to see better. Good luck and keep trying. Read the manual and do some of the excersises for drawing set up.

I have placed a column on a half- wall for a room divider, but the column symbol interrupts the wall (though it is located on top, bottom Z at the wall top) and has no attributes (is colorless with dashed lines.) I have tried styles, adjusting classes, etc to no avail. Is this supposed to happen, ie, the dashed lines suggesting a footing on the final drawings or am I missing an adjustment? Thx

In the Window Settings/Parts tab, it would be more helpful to have the Trim Under Stool options in the Sill category, since putting in a window with no interior trim (plaster to frame in a thick wall,for instance), you have no option for an apron below the sill. The option should allow for it's own dimensions, rather than match the surround trim. If you fake a trim (ie, match the jamb just to get the trim under stool option)the trim under stool defaults to the narrow dimension.

Thanks, all. Robert, the tidit about keeping the original cut-out shape for future modification is a worthwhile suggestion. Since you can't see the plan when editing the roof object (which is a drawback to being able to edit roofs and slabs, I think), it will help. Peter, it dawned on me the other day to do just what you suggest, Copy, paste in place, to get the object where you want it. I could not find a 2-d editing method that would affect the hole, but did find that if I re-drew (or placed per above) a new cut-out shape then exited the group, the old hole was gone and the new size was in it's place, which might work better than editing the original shape.

Good idea(s). The only (minor)drawback is not being able to use the stair tool to automatically figure out the necessary rises and detail the stair in one fell swoop, but no big deal. Most excellent! Thanks!

Can holes cut into roofs be moved or edited? For instance if you realize a skylight or chimney pentration is in the wrong place or needs to be resized?

I find I start with the VW out of the box, then strip them to a very simple list, for example, take out all walls except Walls-Ext and Walls-Int. Take out most of the style classes. ETC. Then as you go, add in as needed , such as Walls-Demo, or Alternate, or unique conditions. Many PIO's or symbols default to a class, which helps determine some. After a while you stabilize and can take a look at the end of a project and with a bit more pruning, keep that as a template. If you are working commercial, you will have a more complicated list.

One of the editing tools. Maybe I just had a temporary problem since I can't replicate it, but at the time, I could not enter a ratio. Ghosts in the machine...

Thanks, Pete. I did, but if I put the railings in for modeling, they go around the landing (see previous posts NNA) so look silly at the added flight. If there was a way to leave out or cut the railings at the landings, I would be a happier camper.

I have a platform-U stair to which I would like to add a short flight at another side of the landing. How can I do this? Thanks.

Wonderful. Thanks! It is often a simple answer, no?

When I open a VW generated pdf in photoshop, I get a grey/white checkerboard background. Any ideas why? Photshop notes that it has to convert a generic pdf and rasterizes the image. I thought the VW pdf was Adobe-based.

That helps, but again there are some tools for adjusting the roof that need the degrees as input. If it is already drawn and you just want to change it to see how it looks, it would be helpful to be able to use either format, just as when you are building it for the first time. Thanks!

I have found that also, when you place lights that have an output characteristic. It often changes the scene to reflect their output. This is a pain if you have not given all the lights some output. It may be better to render without the fixtures. Anyone else have a suggestion, such as how to turn off the lighting while keeping the fixtures for modeling?

Do you realize that there are Marvin catologues already in the VW Library? They go in as PIO's, not symbols, and automatically set up the Data information. They are crisp, and drawn accurately for the model number. One drawback is that you have to place the window first, then go back and set all the parameters (trim, muntins, etc). Even if you do not finally spec Marvin, they are handy for modeling. It would be good to have other manufacturer's come is as well.

I assume you mean the return into a masonry opening, where the trim is recessed from the face of the wall. Set the door/window to the actual size rather than using wall depth. You can offset it one way or the other if you like. In the Settings menus, on the Wall Detail Tab, add 1 or 2 (experiment) interior and exterior Components (make sure splay is off unless you want it). That will give you vertices in plan view that you can grab and move to adjust the wall opening. When it is widened past the trim, the finish material will return into the opening. The only drawbacks I have found is that the door threshold remains the width of the door and does not adjust to the trim depth(now the opening width) and for windows, using a brick sill still gives you a white solid apron on the outside (with trim under stool and sill turned off).

I have found that if the exterior walls are set to the Floor-Floor height the exterior will be continuous, assuming the design floor plans align properly. Any break in the face, such as a watertable or decorative band would be applies a la' PAnthony's method (which is very effective, by the way.)

Gracie tante, Islandmon, and Spinner. I will keep my old adjustable triangle out, too. Good old Graphics Standards. It is in the shelf behind me while I troll the internet....

What is the math to get degrees from a rise/run pitch? Some of the tools don't let rise/run be used.

Nice idea. Now if I had time to learn Photoshop more than Auto contrast,...

Thanks, Katie. That is actually what I did, just made a new layer and set the parameter to Layer Overlay and turned it on in the viewport. It works fine. My thought came from working in the Annotations and realizing I should differentiate some areas, so I hoped to do it right then and there. Ah, well, someday, but as long as I know what to expect, it just fits into the workflow.

Any way to do this when annotating a viewport? ie, laying a transparent tone over an area for highlighting or differentiating while seeing the image below? Thanks