Eric Chenault

I've been having this problem in v9, reported it over a year ago, and am shocked to see that it hasn't been addressed. Duplicate, Duplicate Array, Mirror & Duplicate all cause this to happen in v9. I was hoping to hear of a new Spotlight tool in v10 or command that would "Repeat" or "Reverse & Repeat" since it probably does require a bit of extra programming on the Spotlight end of things to keep the accessory info intact. There also seems to be no easy way to manually clean up this issue, except as you said to delete them and re-insert one at a time. Any offical word on any progress with this?

Thanks for your help... The Compose Curve command seems to do everything! Lines, arcs, and polylines. Also the original objects aren't left behind as junk. Regards,Eric

Why is it that lines and arcs can be combined into a surface, but thow a polyine in the mix and there's no way the command will work? The command works with several joined lines, a few lines and an arc, or several arcs, but not lines and polylines. Help please,Eric Chenault

Kevin, I sent you the file via email. This morning I uninstalled the v9.5 I had upgraded to using the Web Updater and reinstalled using the FullUpdate installer (the mega download). The label legend problems have been taken care of. It either is a problem with the WebUpdater or it became corrupt in the process. No signs of any error were mentioned at the time.

Just found the ErrorLog entry from selecting a unit, going over to the OI palette and typing a unit number into the field and pressing return. Warning: _782 _815 - An incorrect object is described. Warning: _782 _784 - Handle variable is NIL. Warning: _782 _791 - Handle variable is NIL. Warning: _782 _792 - Handle to text object is not valid. Warning: _782 _791 - Handle variable is NIL. Warning: _782 _793 - Handle to text object is not valid. Warning: _782 _791 - Handle variable is NIL. Warning: _782 _798 - Handle to text object is not valid. Warning: _782 _800 - Handle to text object is not valid. Warning: _782 _799 - Handle to text object is not valid. Warning: _782 _794 - Handle to text object is not valid. Warning: _782 _801 - Handle to text object is not valid. Warning: _782 _805 - Handle variable is NIL. Warning: _782 _808 - Handle variable is NIL. Warning: _782 _816 - Handle variable is NIL. Warning: _782 _811 - Handle variable is NIL. Warning: _782 _814 - Handle variable is NIL. Warning: _782 _802 - Handle to text object is not valid. Warning: _782 _823 - Handle variable is NIL.

When a SPOTLIGHT drawing is exported to DWG format all of the instruments become individual symbols. (ie, 5 different Altman 6x12s are exported as five different symbols with the name of the block 1022.1.1.0.0 etc. as opposed to Alt 6x12). Obviously this maintains the "look" of the drawing as all the label legend information becomes part of each light as an individual. However, this is a huge problem in moving a show to an AutoCAD user or WYSIWYG programmer because each instance of a 6x9 has to be reassociated as a 6x9. In the future can there be a way to convert a SPOTLIGHT drawing back into a regular VW drawing so that all 6x12s keep their original symbol names (Alt 6x12) before exporting to DWG?

After upgrading to 9.5 final release the label legends have given me some serious problems with both new and old files. No matter what, the text never shows up. If a container is set for an attribute, the container is visible, but the number inside is not. I just opened a plot I drew in 9.0. 1) the file opened and looks correct.2) select a unit, go to the object info pallette and change the unit number from 13 to 14 (or whatever)3) all text for that unit, channel and unit number disappear. (and I wasn't even editing the channel number). Another trial:1) open the old 9.0 file and all looks good2) go directly to SpotLight menu and do a Refresh Instruments3) all those with degree symbols change to rectangles (known bug I beleive)4) all label text disappears (on ALL units in the plot) This also happens with completely new files. I upgraded via the Web Update, on a PC running Windows 98SE with 256MB RAM. I'm worried that I'm the only one here having this problem and that I need to do a clean install. [ 12-18-2001: Message edited by: Eric Chenault ] [ 12-18-2001: Message edited by: Eric Chenault ]

I've tried this before with the ganging tool in VW/SPOTLIGHT, but the ganging tool will only update the channels between two units at a time. Maybe this can be added to the wishlist guys? After first using the ganging tool I found it too difficult to manipulate, copy, mirror and duplicate, etc. that the old fashioned method of drawing by hand was faster and more reliable. If you duplicate a Box Boom position on the opposite side of the stage, the ganging objects will get mangled in the copy.

quote: Originally posted by AndyM7777: I have never used WYSIWIG but have heard lots about it and it sounds too good to be true It's not appropriate to really discuss a different product by a different manufacturer here, but you should look further at the WYSIWYG websites for more info. It's definately not cheesy and the new version due out in January or February is exponentially enhanced. CAST Software

Thanks Kevin. WYSIWYG and Spotlight are definately two different animals. I actually can't envision Spotlight hooked to a console. I probably generalized a bit too much when I said "closer to WYSIWYG". Being a user of both programs I have to say that the process of drafting a light plot which will then look like the personality of the designer is really only possible in VW/Spotlight. I think you understood my wish, but I just wanted to make it clear that I am very pleased with where Spotlight has developed, and only wish the process was a bit smoother when it comes to the Gobo Projector tool. (so that the lighting device object holds the power to create the rendering). My problem about the accuracy was that I just wish RenderWorks had a higher level of capability that would allow it to calculate light more accurately. (radiosity / bounce , etc.) [ 12-10-2001: Message edited by: Eric Chenault ]

Here's to hoping we can get functionality closer to WYSIWYG in the future. It sure would be great if the lighting instrument that you spent all the time to hang on the pipe, enter the color and gobo, focus to a focus position ... could then just be "turned on" rather than having to add a gobo projector and go through the whole process a second time in order to create a rendering. It's troubling to me that the Spotlight manual says under the Gobo Projector section "These features are intended to assist you in previewing the lighting design (they cannot be used to accurately render all the lighting instruments on the stage for every scene)." Regards,Eric Chenault

I am having trouble with boom lights not being able to have their beams drawn (wireframe). The error "Incalculable Beam -- Vertical Angle must be > 11.5 degrees." Is this a bug? A wish list item? ------------------ Eric Chenault Lighting Design eric@ecld.net

Kevin, I was using all True Type fonts on a PC. Actually, I believe the confusion is that I was using Position Summary with Sum Insts checked as well. The command works if only the position name is used, but not if a summary box is drawn (by using any Sum checkbox). ------------------ Eric Chenault Lighting Design eric@ecld.net [This message has been edited by Eric Chenault (edited 09-28-2001).]

turner, I am also very curious about rendering VW models in Lightscape. I haven't even begun to use Lightscape, but this seems to be the only way to render lighting acurately. I was shocked to discover after purchasing SPOTLIGHT and RenderWorks, that IES files or any sense of reality doesn't exist anywhere in the NNA family of products. I'm shocked to find out that RenderWorks doesn't reflect light off a reflective surface. Is NNA developing their products more in this direction? Or do we have to purchase Lightscape from NNA's arch rival? If anyone is using Lightscape out there, please email me your thoughts if not posted here. A search for Lightscape on NNA's message board resulted in 2 brief messages (including this one). ------------------ Eric Chenault Lighting Design eric@ecld.net [This message has been edited by Eric Chenault (edited 09-23-2001).]

What if the Saved Sheets macros could actually have different class and layer colors set there also (not just visibility), so a MEP drawing would have all MEP classes as black (for example), and a drawing for another discipline would have all MEP classes as a grey (selected from the color picker). I currently use layer colors for all of this, but it does mean changing layer colors every time a different setup is required. ------------------ Eric Chenault Lighting Design eric@ecld.net

Robert, Have you tried to use classes to manage the information that needs to be on each sheet? You could use a series of classes with these names (for example): Title Block-Sheet 1 Title Block-Sheet 2 Title Block-Sheet 3 etc. Then the saved sheets would have only one of those classes visible for printing. This would allow you to actually have the text on the same layer that your drawing border and title block is on.

We really need 3D people in VW/RW! It sometimes defeats the purpose of producing a model for acurate renderings if a 2D image of a person is pasted over the VectorWorks world. There are other times when a concept sketch can simply have a little photoshop retouching, but I'm trying to use SPOTLIGHT and RW to get real simulations of people in the actual lighting model. Aren't there any 3D people symbols for VectorWorks/RenderWorks users? ------------------ Eric Chenault Lighting Design eric@ecld.net

Thanks Kacey it certainly has been a rough week. ------------------ ---- Eric Chenault Lighting Design eric@ecld.net

Kacey, Wouldn't it be cool to have a tool to draw a boom? or a ladder? Can the truss tool be customized to do this? Regards, Eric Chenault Lighting Design eric@ecld.net [This message has been edited by Eric Chenault (edited 09-22-2001).]

quote: Originally posted by kmoore1: In Regards to the length of the position name. The formatting for this is set through the menu command "Set Position Label Prefs." It will work on either the selected set of lighting positions or, if no positions are selected, all positions in the document. The length of a position name that will fit in the box will be dependant on the font size you choose. I just went over to my current project and tried some experimentation with the 'Position Label Preferences'. 1. The value of Style and Justification do not actually do anything. 2. Values entered here do not match text that is drawn as a trial next to the position label. Example: If one position is selected, and the label settings are told to be Tahoma, 14, Bold, Left (Pos Lable Pref menu command). Then use the text tool to create the same text, set the font, size, style as text is usually adjusted. The two don't match. Regards, Eric Chenault Lighting Design eric@ecld.net [This message has been edited by Eric Chenault (edited 09-22-2001).]

It sure would be great if the OI pallette could show a count of how many items are selected when multiple items are selected. Similar in style to how a Polyline displays the total number of Vertices in the OI palette. Regards, Eric Chenault

It seems that in the Custom Selection toolbar command that when I try: Select: Kind is Circle Circle is not an option. I tried oval ... however that doesn't select circles.

I'm trying to find a way of working with lighting symbols so that they will take on the color and lineweight of the class they are drawn on. It would seem to me that if all the objects of a symbol are in the "None" class, and told to take on the properties of the class (class pen style, class color, class lineweight)... then I should be able to place the symbol on any class and when asked if I want the symbol to take on the class graphic attributes, and I answer "yes" that it should work. Can we add this to the bug list unless I'm missing something. Thanks, Eric Chenault

With the release of v9 it has become painful to deal with the lack of Copy or Import functions. There is a lot of labor necessary to get a menu or a palette into a workspace. The user should be able to Import or Copy a palette from some other workspace, or a menu from some other workspace. Having the commands in alphabetical order may make finding the commands easier, but painful to create a useful menu or palette. ALSO, When assigning a key to a command, and the key is already in use somewhere else with another command. The user has to go searching through tools or palettes for the conflict. currently a message says: "The key is already in use by the tool: Pan" should say: "The key is already in use by the tool: Pan, Replace or Cancel?" I'm certainly glad the Workspace Editor has come a long way since a separate application on Mac only, but now it seems to have been checked-off the list and never polished to be a great tool.

I was excited to hear that v9 worksheets are able to be editable. Then I tried one ... Why can't I just edit the Instrument Schedule or the Channel Hookup and have the results update the drawing? Right now Spotlight can only create one editable worksheet ... so in use here is what I tried: An editable worksheet with - Position - Unit Number - Purpose Sort by Positon Result: all the lights sorted by position with their unit numbers all out of order. (Obviously we need to be able to sort by positon and then by unit number). SECOND ATTEMPT: - Unit Number - Purpose Result: all the lights sorted by unit number, except here is the order VW sorts by: 1 10 11 12 13 2 20 3 30 etc ... why not 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10?