Assembly

Many walls have the same components. IE concrete block. I would like to be able to have a resources of component types that I can build up my walls from. If I had to adjust a component, then it would change all instances of that component in the walls.

Pipping run has been there for a long time. I think it is supposed to be used as a mark up tool. It is not 3D as far as I can tell.

I don't know any good resource I built my own, the script is a bit rough so not really for general public. If other users think this looks like a good tool, I would be happy to give it to NA to develop properly.

Because I am using vectorscript to write the worksheet. If it is possible to write creat a single cell formula it will save me time. The code design requires a string To be passed to the cell. I can compute a value withand pass that. All the wall slab and roof tools have calls that allow single expression for file wide data. There are clear advantages over using database rows interms of formatting a work sheet. Now I've got my head arround how the WS paste function and criteria formula work I like it. A further advantage of writing single cell formula is how quick it is to customise a new search once you have the base formula. I have four values I need totalled in this one PIO. Using the database method I think i would need an individual database row for each value I need summed. Given the lack of response from Neme, I'm guessing I can't. Mark it up as yet annother inconsistent VW workflows.

Building on the code I have already developed, it will be simplest to generate the search strings for the WS cell. If it can't be done then I will calculate through script. Can a Nemetschek person please at least confirm if this is possible or not: Is there a way to write a single cell expression that sums the values of a PIO parameter?

That is an option, But i would like to maintain consistency. I'm using the WS search criteria to Limit the search to objects on the MOD-schedule layer. To do this through the script requires a different ForEachObject call to build the array, and it will affect the down stream functions If I can use the same method I would prefer it.

Thanks Hippothamus. But that requires the a database row. I want to be able to do this as a single entry in a spread sheet row. Examples of this are: If you want to find the length of all FramingMember PIO's, whose width is 45mm, depth is 300mm and has a structural use of 'beam', and to do some fine tuning on where vectorworks is to find these objects then your expression looks like this: =CRITERIAVOLUME((INSYMBOL & INOBJECT & INVIEWPORT & (L='Mod SCHEDULE') & ('FramingMember'.'width'=45) & ('FramingMember'.'height'=300) & ('FramingMember'.'structuralUse'='beam')))/(45/1000*300/1000) Another example: To find the area of wall component 1 in Wall Style 'SIP-Shingle' you express like this. =COMPONENTAREA(INVIEWPORT & INSYMBOL & (L='Mod SCHEDULE') & (WST='SIP-Shingle'), 1) Now if you want to utilise VW for BIM you will quickly find that any time you make changes to a wall style, or slab style, that affects the components order then worksheet management becomes a total pain in the a$$. VW is capable BIM tool for measurement, but at a rather tedious one to use. Further more as the ComponentArea search is an integer of component in the wall, it is very easy to not notice that you are measuring an incorrect component. The solution is a vectorscript that generates the worksheet on the fly. IE one that creates an array of wall styles, then an array of component styles, sorts the array and reduces to one instance of each wall and component style. That then writes these formula for you. The logic being that if you pick up everything each time you know your always covered. I have success on walls, slabs, roofs, windor and Framing member. What I want now is to be able to do sum a PIO parameter value, without creating a database line value. Doing exactly what you have outlined above in a single cell expression. Can someone from NA please tell me if this is possible. Cheers

I have a custom PIO, in a Worksheet i want a forumla that sums all the width values. How do I write this as a single expression?. I thought it might be something like: = Sum('StudFrame-3D_V2'.'StudWidth') But it needs a search criteria so I thought maybe: =DATABASE((PON='StudFrame-3D_V2') & ('StudFrame-3D_V2'.'StudWidth')) Can't find anything in the help.

yep 2011 Given the higher spec requirements of VW2013, there is quite some cost to move the entire office up. I know there is background rendering of VP's what else is there that increases the speed of vps? Do your hidden line VPS stay hidden line when you edit the annotation?

I'm pushing my VW on the BIM side. I get a lot of slow down in my files as I add more Viewports and Section VP's. I find that the annotation part of a viewport changes as file size increases. With Hidden Line Renders, Small files maintain the hidden line render when entering annotation layer. Large files revert back to wireframe. I suspect this might be a memory issue? So with large files I'm wondering if more memory is better. Simply put is it the case that VW maxes out the memory, and when it does it has to do more processing?. For the same money I could have a 2.9ghz, 512mb graphic, 32Gig memory or 3.2ghz 1Gig Graphic 8 Gig Memory.

Looking at a new iMac. What are the most important features for VW to run well. I'm thinking: As VW is not multi core, that is not so important. More memory rather than Processor power. How important is the graphics card?

Try the iPad App MagicPlan

Disagree. Jon's animation is nowhere near that of the Lumion3D in terms of a professional looking output. The lumion environment has live shadow generation. Try putting in a decent piece of contemporary furnishing in a VW model and its sllllloooooooooooooooooows down to a crawl.

i have to join service select to get it?

you get what you pay for i guess.

http://www.vitra.com/en-lp/home/products/jill/downloads/ I've just downloaded a few model. Vitra now has all models available in 3ds, dwg, dxf. There are way too many layers for a bit of furniture. To be useful for us we need these as a single 2D/3D symbol. Pretextured ready for import. Has anyone processed any yet. If you could share that would be great...

Lumion3D looks like very impressive, tailored animation software. A friend from Weta Workshop (Digital effects for The Hobbit) put me on to it. If you didn't click that link you should take a look.

http://www.lumion3d.com/ Anyone using this?.

We use the VAA title block, which has okay revision control. But as the data is inside the title block object, any cut and paste of title block is also cut and paste. Revisions are related to when a Sheet Layer is issued / distributed. Thus I think there should be a hidden record attached to a sheet layer. When you create a new sheet layer, it has not been issued so should begin blank. A user should be able to create a revision to a layer. This would prompt a placement of a Rev ID and/or Rev Cloud. VectorScript should have a function to receive the revision information. Batch output should create the file name as [sheet Number]-SheetName-Rev There should be an 'ISSUE' PIO. The PIO interface should be a simple list dialog with all Sheets available to issue with a boolean check box. To do an issue should be a simple process of selecting which drawings are to be issued. On execution the PIO will have access to a box.com or dropbox account. VW will output a PDF with a record of what drawings are being issued, to the folder. Ideally an Issue object data is stored in the cloud. It will allow multiple VW files to be associated with the Issue data. When a drawings gets revised it will check to see if the file that created it was the same. The Issue PIO should be able to present in multiple ways. 1) The full list of all Sheets, and all Issues showing the Revision of each Sheet for all given Issue. 2) A SINGLE issue, with a short list of only the Sheets and their revision. 3) A list of Sheet, showing which issues it has been included in

We draw the detail in 2d only. Completely separate document. Scale can shift from 1:2 to 1:10 depending on what is critical. We handel change the old fashion way. By good coordination checking. As each detail has its own page it is very quick and easy to replace a detail. Any way you go with VW there are worms in cans. Depends which one you choose. I found that with a simple job the complexity of managing class and layer visibility across many VPs was time consuming and unproductive.

I've been down this path. The time saved in drawing coordination is lost in vp managmenent. Notes inside a vp annotation can not be easily copied and pasted. Ie you have to open one viewport to access notes to copy. Exit vp get into new vp paste. If you like your text to line up then you have to relay everything out. If you change the position of the wall in the model- your detail has not changed, but you still have to do work on the detail as the underlay is moved. Lastly a vp can not be Copied and pasted between files so you can not reuse annotated details in a new file. We have gone back to having a separate independent 2d detail file. Each layer is its own detail, the structural intersection is located on the origin (0,0). Design layer has 2D line works. Sheetlayer has annotation and arrows. Page layout is consistent. 55mm margin on left side for text. Details are 1 per page on an A4 sheet makes for an independent flip book so you can look at detail while looking at plan. These page layout rules allow for rapid cut and paste in place.

I've started using this on complete house files. I'm getting a small glitch with an additional wall component being added in the component schedule... should be fixed soon. Quick Tip- If you add the building Trade to the front of the component name, the component schedule output in order, so it will give you a trade break down of all the components.

File added

Here you go. The script is called Update Schedules in the attached file. The script re builds the worksheets each time it is run. It will find all the Wall Styles and Slab Styles in your drawing. It then writes a specific function in each cell to find the area and volume of the component. To control what you want measured in your file Create a Layer called Mod SCHEDULE. Use a view port to control which layers are on or off. Only the objects in the viewport will be measured. Suggest you keep the worksheets open on screen while the script is running. You can watch it do all the hard work while it populates the screen. Finally, this script will take a bit to process. It loops through every object in the drawing twice... Good things take time. If there is positive comments, I could polish this script up to be a menu command making it easily accessible from any file. The script is open for anyone to tinker. Finally a disclaimer. Use at your own risk. This script is not polished and had only limited testing.