BLINK Design

Why does Vectorworks fail on curvilinear bevels? Is this a menory issue? I am forced to use other software to achieve it....

Apparently not! I use the Mac because it's designers generally offer little clues when something is not compatible. A window pops up and says, sorry, that file type is not compatible with your operating system or something to that effect. Given that I am not a programmer, these instructions are rather like teachers who help you to discover limitations as you roll along. It's disturbing to learn from silence. I would even appreciate a "Does not Compute" with the requisite skull and bones! This upload attempt does nothing and I am left to figure out why Google and VW Tech Board are not compatible. Not worth the effort frankly. What sources for images are being used by other members of this tech board? Thanks

Yes, pulling them apart and reconnecting them normally works. My scenario was chronically dysfunctional given that each wall I repaired caused another to extend infinitely in sequence. The entire plan (mal)adjusted organically. As I stated above, what worked was being certain that no connection errors remained (apparently in memory). VW seems to retain the instruction to connect by L even if it looks correct after being connected by a T for example.

Considering that I solved my own problem, I thought I would change the topic to another problem! Any HELP with creating a custom AVATAR would be appreciated. Using an 80 x 80 pixel .jpg image from Picasa Web Albums, I am told that it is the wrong image type. I think that's related to wall components too! ....

UPDATE - the infinity walls vanish after resolving ALL....and I mean ALL of the connections that were unintentionally told to form L's rather than T's! Anything less creates a domino effect where healing one mutates another over and over again until all are healed. Use the HEAL tool dragging over the entire length of the wall and reconnect the walls manually. It appears the walls remember incorrect connection instructions (L's when T's are required for example) if not healed..... There is a VW god and at least for now, I think it's me!

Islandmon, fractals require algorithms so I assume you are writing macros in VW to self-generate these forms rather than merely duplicating arrays yes? Sacred Geometry are forms that harmonize with natural wave harmonics that literally hold fields of energy that are generally healthful if not merely peaceful and relaxing. Most architects are too proud to delve into metaphysics though I love to ask skeptics what causes their heart to beat to name one example.... Much of your work is fractal (self referential) it appears upon first glance though this does not negate using 'sacred' forms as the fundamental tone. Ancients cultures built their temples with these principles. Thanks for sharing...

Thought you all might be interested to know that turning off auto-join offers no improvement and quite painfully, the corruption on the lower level automatically creates the same effect on the upper level. It's my opinion that it has something to do with WINDOOR or Wall Components. My buildings are not saltboxes therefore wall connections become complex particularly where interior walls connect to exterior corners where different components (wall types) merge in one location. I would like her from Vectorworks moderators about this as well! Anybody listening?

Ahhhh, a philosophical solution! LOL I'll ponder the wonders of mutations whilst my client writes a check to another....

Gideon thanks for the input. Curiously though the walls were joined and peachy until i decide to turn off the WINDOOR window tags and all hell broke loose. Because I was zoomed in I did not realize what had occurred on the fringes until a wall zoomed across the middle of the plan. I don;t get the connection (no pun intended) between auto-join and window tags but I will try it to see what happens. The walls come undone so frequently I figure I join every wall 2-3 times per drawing!

This is about the tenth time in my career using Vectorworks that this WALL CORRUPTION has occurred and this time it's a result of of turning off the window tags after component walls were already resolve and connected. It's costing me a great deal of time and money and it seems it's a defect with the component features. The solution IS NOT to upgrade! I need to understand what causes this. Thanks.....

Islandmon, your work is astounding indeed though a book might be rather like a cheat sheet in physics class for those of us who may not understand the written instructions either. Said another way, I could read a book on gourmet cooking and still mash up the simplest of meals. I have more confidence in my skills than that but you get my point! It's my opinion that the most effective way to convey your approaches would be in a video (tutorial) format. You would not need VW's approval as you could set up a webpage requiring small membership fees or the like. You would have over 200,000 potential customers. At $5 each, you could retire from arch and engineering! Do you have a webpage? Are you familiar with the term and practice of Sacred Geometry?

I am having that same issue. How do you NOT fill the sill? WHY is there a fill and why doesn't it respond to the class setting?

Thanks, my shell tool is not working!

Mike, do you work for Nemetscheck and are you independently wealthy? I am certain a few years ago Vectorworks users were resolving this problem without the new kernal as well the shell tool in their version 12.5 was functional. For the record I am not complaining. I have inquired HOW DO I RESOLVE an ERROR with the shell tool as well requested a work around given a deadline that has passed. Are you kidding me about questioning my effectiveness? Is this how you joined the 2000 club? You have already stated you do not have an answer. "Blink, complaining about what a two version old program can't do won't achieve much." What is the effect of that hollow statement? What's your point? Buy a solution? So how do you solve problems once you have the latest release? Gimme a break!

Excellent Mike, send me a check for $1,000.00 and I will take care of that.....Hehe

CORRECTION: I extruded a 2D tongue from the original 2D egg and SUBTRACTED SOLIDS once the egg had been created with the SWEEP TOOL. I needed to chop the bottom of the tongue off so it was flush with the inner seat. It would have been oval shaped if I had sliced it from above.

Thanks guys for the input. I made the opening in the egg by slicing it in plan view after rotating the egg's thin skin profile using SWEEP. The result was a 3D tongue if you will from which I extracted a curve on three side to make the horseshoe. I had to delete about 5 million handles on the path to make it work. Isn't there a simplify poly tool for nurbs? Geeez, that took 1.5 hours of deleting handles. From the path I created the horseshoe shape so it is not filled in the middle. That is what I need is a fill in the middle in order to create a cushion like the one you see in the egg. The orange line on the horseshoe was my attempt to hand draw a nurbs surface by snapping to points. It did not work too well! SHELL TOOL: I tested it on the most simple object, an extruded rectangle, and it did not work either so I feel it is corrupted somehow. "there are some things that just don't make sense, like trying to shell a solid" I have done this many times before like with lampshades and flower pots etc.. "perhaps you could duplicate the object and scale it up to the outside dimension and then do a subtract solids." That is precisely how I created the inner and outer layers of the egg because that too would not shell. I am unable to create an object that can be ADDED, SUBTRACTED, INTERSECTED, SHELLED or PROTRUDED to give me the infill I need inside the horseshoe. If I could shell, I would use the original 3d tongue to slice it flush with the top of the horseshoe. "Hopefully someone with more nous can provide some advice to you on how to proceed. " Where can I get some of that nous? LOL

By the way and with all due modesty. I am not an Apprentice with Vectorworks as my LOGIN Data suggests. I have been using this application for a long time. Repeatedly in the past I have had my account data not be recognized by the online system so this is my 4th or 5th account with the VW Tech Board over the years. It's almost two years old!

Thanks for the guidance on adding files. Would not have easily found that! Given the intensely graphical nature of VW I figure that ADD FILE would be a bit more prominent...but that's just me. Ahhh, I just found the ADD IMAGE icon in the tool bar above the text window....Excellent. IMAGES: The first image is a prototype concept image for a very interesting piece of furniture I am developing. The 'horseshoe is the door which when folded down becomes a leg rest like a lounge chair. This shape is an 'Extrude along a path' that was created by extracting a path from the missing slice of he egg (shaped like a tongue) and creating a frame which will surround the cushion. I am unable to create the cushion and it's very challenging to create a working plan accurately for this object. PROBLEM: The SHELL TOOL does not work at all and none of off the ADD / SUBTRACT or INTERSECT solids is appropriate for this solution. What must I do to repair the shell tool? Is there a preference file that needs to be trashed? QUESTION: Does version 2009 allow for the snapping of nurbs or 3D polys to en existing 3D object? AS many of you know, you find that you snapped to some point in the distance quite often once you rotate your view.

I am unable to extract any nurbs lines or surfaces from this object? I already tried what you are asking. How do you upload here Mike. I'll show it to you? I tried to draw the nurbs surface by hand but that's a nightmare especially given the horseshoe shape is not flat. I'm baffled and nearly out of time for an online submittal... Thanks

I am working on a very complex shape at the moment and I have two issues. I need to infill the space within the 'horseshoe' with a solid that will be a cushion once complete. I have yet to find a way to create this shape though I had assumed I could loosely draw a nurbs surface by snapping to points and then shell it about 4" thick. I'd be happy to upload an image though the slightly new format here has be uncertain how to do that to.

I have already tried the 30 day demo and it's better in certain ways. The Shell tool works just the same which is my rather desperate, immediate need.

Quite simply, the shell tool is not working. It does not work on simple objects like extruded rectangles or complex objects likes nurbs curves. This is a critical tool for object modeling and I am wondering what may be a possible solution for this.

Mike, the view is oblique. You must measure the angles from a plan view and if you do you will find they are 45 degrees and not 30 degrees. Further, one way to know they are 45 degrees is that your front and rear vertical edges are aligned. Remember that in a 45-45 triangle, the length of the two short sides are equal. Yet another way to know is that with a circle you have 360 degrees so all of the angles above the line (one half of a circle), must total 180 degrees. You know that the object is 90 degrees so the other two must equal 90 degrees as well. 90 + 30 + 30 = 150 degrees which is incorrect. These objects are essentially elevation (flat) of a tilted object, thus the distortion between the object (relative) and the ground (absolute). Tilt any object towards you in real space and time, you will see the the angles cannot be measured as you have shown them.

Mike hi and thanks for the answer. It seems I was not having a brain freeze afterall but rather there is some confusion about geometry. A 30-30 is not possible given that the three angles must equal 180 degree including the 90 degree object. What is even more curious is that the description on wiki is wacky! An ISOMETRIC is when all three axes are the same relative to the picture plane. That's 45-45 as well the object is tipped forward 45 degrees so that you can better see the top. An DIMETRIC is when two axes have equal angles and a TRIMETRIC is when all three angles are different. These are all called Axonometric drawings and all are scalable. There is no foreshortening as with perspective! The solution is to rotate the original object on the design layer 15 degrees and then use the standard ISO views that are are available. The projection IS AVAILABLE in Vectorworks! Thank me for my help. Wink!