Gerrit

Plotters aren't exactly my dada, but so far I have no problem at all with my HP DJ 500ps. According to the person in charge of a local plot center, the "ps" may well make the difference. BTW, the HP driver is part of Leopard, and my plotter has an ethernet card.

You can write a script, actually as many as you like, to link all kind of text objects to one or more classes. The point is : you need to convince your coworkers to use these commands instead of the default Text Tool. Here's a small sample : FPatByClass;FillColorByClass;PenColorByClass;LWByClass; TextFont(GetFontID('Helvetica Neue')); TextSize(10);TextFace([]);TextSpace(2);TextJust(2);TextVerticalAlign(3); NameClass('Notes'); SetTool(-200);

I'm creating mine in PhotoShop, both with a transparent background. Tool icons are 32 x 32 pixels, toolset icons are 26 x 20. In MacOSX, the set button gets a highlight (blue or graphite), the tool button is a built-in OSX button (butted bevel button).

Are you referring to the tool icons or the toolset icons ?

We've been discussing this same issue over at our Dutch User Forum. You can check it out here. The images (file info windows) you'll find scrolling down halfway were posted by me. In VW I made an A4 document, inserted a full page rectangle, then filled it with a tiling image. This pdf export was 20,7 MB. Next, I created an A4 document in PhotoShop and did the tiling in there. Using that psd image on the VW rectangle didn't need tiling, which made a 1MB export. Hope this helps.

Update your 12.5.2 to 12.5.3.

A few observations here : - hiding VW (Cmd-H) while some objects are selected, loses the selection handles/highlight when VW is brought back via Cmd-TAB or clicking it's Dock icon. It takes at least a scroll action to refresh/redraw the screen. - running Spaces, VW pops up without palettes when it's space is chosen from the menubar popup-list. With a keyboard shortcut, palettes are showing up OK.

Convert to lines : a sheet layer viewport can also be converted to lines, polygons or a group. Of course the update no longer works, but the result can be copied into a design layer for further drafting work (I can't seem to place a Section viewport on a design layer). Generated elevations : most of the time I want to add elements to the automatically generated elevations. Layout, hatches, shadows etc etc. Or even parts that were left out the 3D in the first place. Especially the section viewports need additional work to qualify as solid drawings for my contractors. Use both ways : sure, why not. With a number of running projects, I'll be working drawings that were created the old way for a while still. But I must agree with Mike, I got accustomed to the new techniques over the past weekend :-)

Mike, thanks for pointing it out so clearly. I too have prepared the transition, to start from the next project onwards.

Up until today, all my VectorWorks documents (3D/2D architectural drawings) have a similar setup : a design layer for each floor level, immediately followed by the MODEL layer. This last one holds layer links to all the former ones, plus light source, layout stuff like 3D people etc. The MODEL layer is where I set up my 3D views (both perspective and orthogonal), and perform 3D sections. With the entrance of Viewports, other methods seem to have found their way into version 2008 : Stacking layers, Section Viewports to name a few. At the same time, menu commands like 3D Section, Create Layer Link? no longer sit in the default workspace (although still available, I know). So, does this mean we're somehow being encouraged to change the old LayerLinking ways into the new approach ? And if so, who did so already ? I'd love to hear people's opinions on this - TIA.

Create a new resource, a VectorScript. The first time you perform this in a (template) file, VW will pop up a dialog to create a folder, next one to name the script, and finally a VectorScript Editor window. You'll find this scripts folder in the Resource palette, but also as a floating palette on your drawing, and finally as an item in the Window menu. Double-click your script in the floating palette to trigger the action.

At least two ways I can think of : 1? Launch a simple word processor, write your code and save it as an unformatted text file (in MS Word, this would be "Text Only"). In VW, go to Organize > VectorScript PlugIn > Run? and find your code. Note : you could create a folder that contains all of your scripts and have it ready on a confortable position. 2? In VW, go to Organize > VectorScript PlugIn > Create, and click New (type = Command) in the dialog window. This opens the VectorScript Editor, where you can write your code. Aside from giving your command a name, you can also categorize it (click Category and name it something personal). Next, open the Workspace Editor and set it to menu's. In the left column, you'll find a folder named after your category. Open it to reveal your command - which now you can drag and drop onto the menu structure in the right column. My English idioms may be somewhat wrong since I'm in the Dutch version here - so I'm sorry for any confusion.

The Tape Measure enhanced tool from VectorBits Donationware works great in 3D.

Once the 3D part of your symbol is ready, select it and Convert Copy to Polygons or Convert Copy to Lines (and choose to render with hidden lines). The result is a group of 2D elements, placed on top of the 3D. Now select both the 3D and 2D objects and go for Create Symbol?

Nice scripting, Pat - works like a charm. Thanks.

Boxjoint, You're right, I'm with you. But that is the very reason behind my first reply in this thread : start from the Create Record command and just explore the generated formulas in the database headers of these worksheets.

You don't necessarily have to go xxx levels deep or open the VS Editor, it's just a matter of learning the worksheet's syntax. Once you did, you'll simply type a formula like =recordname.fieldname, think Excel. What Wes was kind enough to do, was to show us the origin of this record/field concept in a visual way rather than as an abstract formula. In case his answer raised some reader's eyebrows, rest asured : it's not as hard as it sounded ;-)

Creating a wall style will let you determine the end caps behaviour.

I'll second Pat : moving objects in isometric view is rather hard to accomplish without proper snap guides like 3D loci. Taking measures in 3D views can be done by using the Tape Measure Enhanced tool from VectorBits

If, at times, several people inside your office are working on the same project (meaning using and editing eachother's VW files), a certain degree of standard is inevitable IMHO. Hard to say what the best way is, indeed. Start from built-in standards perhaps, expand some depending on your present working methods? With each new VW release, I've made it into a habit to directly make a new workspace in which I drag all the new toys (commands, tools, PIO's) to a separate menu and tool palette. That way, I can continu working with the familiar stuff and explore the upgrades in between. From there on, on many occasions, my method is changed along with my workspace and template. Guess I see it as a never ending growing process ;-)

Under the Organize menu, there's a command "Create Report", that you can use to set up worksheets for symbols and objects that are linked to a record. It may be a good place to start exploring worksheet setups, formula's, etc. Also, the VW worksheets can be exported and opened in Excel.

Since the resources are listed alphabetically, you can force them into a practical order through their names. Most of mine begin with numbers.

This works in Leopard, not Tiger : press Apple/Shift/4 and hover your cursor over a window (document or Finder) or even a tool palette. Now instead of drawing a marquee, simply hit the spacebar, which will turn the cursor into a camera icon. A click makes a picture from that window, including it's OSX dropshadow.

Another tip for Mac users : I recently tested both Screencast and iShowU and decided on the latter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Url