willofmaine

Ha ha, I'm not so sure about that, especially in that I continue to fight with Vectorworks. But, thanks for saying so!

@JuanP and @SteveJ... Okay! I really wasn't going to pursue this any further, having already exchanged a series of e-mails with Tech Support on this issue back in March. But, with cautious optimism, I'll try again. Following is a synopsis of the issues, along with a file that exhibits the issues along with explanations. Holy Mackerel. I just realized that one of these issues appeared to be fixed... until I opened my project file, where it still persists. So, okay, now, after a time-consuming detour, here's the synopsis, revised accordingly: 1.) Linked Text that is within page-scale symbols: The scale of linked text contained in both page-scale symbols on design layers and page-scale symbols in viewport annotations is controlled by the viewport's Advanced Properties > Text Scale, when it should not be. 2.) Door & Window ID Tag Bubble Size: Conversely, the size of Door & Window ID Tag Bubbles is not controlled by the viewport's Advanced Properties > Text Scale, as it should be (but the scale of their ID Text IS controlled as expected, which results in the Text and Bubble losing their relationship with each other). 3.) Navigation Graphics: Switching the Vectorworks Preferences > Display > Navigation Graphics from "Best Performance" to "Good Performance and Compatibility" resolves the above two issues (until switched back again...). However, in a file of any size, the performance penalty using "Good Performance and Compatibility" is extreme. The net benefits of the VGM continue to elude me... 4.) Seemingly Endless Graphics Issues: Following is a list of issues I've encountered while working on the issues above, most of which I don't think are a problem in VW 2018. Unfortunately, they're mostly sporadic, and I can't always consistently replicate them. In some cases changing the Navigation Graphics setting may help. • It's often difficult or impossible to select and manipulate page-scale symbols in viewports (VWIS157) • Can't snap to either the design layer or annotations page-scale symbols in viewports (VWIS158) • Moved page-scale symbols (at least in my project file) are only partially visible before zooming in or out • "Locate Symbol in Resource Manager" did not highlight selected symbol (very sporadic) • When editing a 2D page-scale symbol from within a viewport, it was not possible to select the symbol's geometry/text until after using "Component Edit" to switch from "Top" to "3D" and back to "Top" again • When adding or editing text in a 2D page-scale symbol, the text was not visible until after hitting the Enter key @SteveJ I'm assuming you can grab the file here but, if not, let me know and I'll upload to the link in your post. 05-Viewport Text Scale-SP4-03.vwx

Holy Cow, I had NO idea!! (Yeah, that's a little embarrassing...). For a while now I've been vaguely disturbed by a lack of your presence here, @Jim W, but I figured it was just because I'd been spending so little time here. But I really should have known better, as previously it was impossible to spend even the smallest amount of time here without encountering one of your posts, answers, quick responses, lifelines, hardware recommendations, explanations, reassurances, sneak previews, videos, forum fixes, or any number of many other efforts you've made that has kept myself and, I suspect, many others from going over the Vectorworks edge (which edge suddenly feels alarmingly closer...). If @JuanP and his team can fill just one of your shoes, they will be doing an amazing job!

2019 SP4 and none of the above has changed. **sigh**

Google Chrome also seems to occasionally cause this problem as well. Maybe it's any internet browser? In any case, if I quit Chrome, the problem is resolved (even if I restart Chrome immediately afterwards). HTH

Ha ha. I thought I had a solution using Apple's "Character Viewer," which let me insert stacked (aka "vulgar"?) fractions right in Vectorworks. I printed a PDF, no problem. But, when I published the drawing, the stacked fractions were replaced with question marks. Good old VW: gets you 98% of the way there... Sigh. VWIS160

Four years and a few days later, and in VW 2019 SP3 surface hatches still get their line weight from a viewport's assigned "Objects Beyond Section Plane" class, and they're still snappable. Sigh.

Well... I only lasted about 28 hours with SP3. I spent over 25% of that time dealing with new issues, something like half of which were graphics related. Based on my experience, scroll zooming in VW2019 SP3 was super fast and responsive. Unfortunately, so much else seemed hesitant and jittery. Even just drawing a rectangle, there'd be a slight delay. And there was a lot of spinning beachball with the eyedropper tool. Even removing the cache for referenced files took a moment, whereas it's immediate in 2018. This is all based on a 400+/- MB file, but, the same file in both 2018 and 2019. Getting back to VW 2018, especially with a looming deadline, was a relief. Good to be back in the frying pan. I've read posts describing Vectorworks as "bloatware," and as a software burdened by lots of old legacy code. Bandaids upon bandaids upon bandaids, I guess. Vectorworks is (or could be...) so great, that I've been pretty successful in mostly ignoring such posts. But, now, really, I'm kinda starting to wonder... Hopefully, soon, the promise of the VGM will be realized and/or whatever else is necessary to make Vectorworks speedy, stable, and graphically reliable!!

I haven't read everything above... I just wanted to add some 2 x 4 fluorescent / LED light fixtures to my project. So I experimented with point lights and lamp materials and area lights in a test file. The area light seemed to work quite well (Screenshot 03). But then, not so much in my project file (Screenshot 04). I think the lights are on because of the shadows, but, for whatever reason, nobody's home, as the lights themselves don't even begin to look like they're on. So, after a good amount of time trying to figure it all out, I end up here: And, finally, using a glow texture, not only do things work, but, I'm impressed with just how well they work! (Screenshot 07). So... thanks for the video, Jim!

Ha ha! I may as well be a Vectorworks novice beginner if I don't have my keyboard shortcuts. I'm clueless as to where most of the underlying shortcut commands are!

Say what you will about AutoCAD but, yes, this ability of its Layer 0 sure would be appreciated in Vectorworks!

Yep, I'm having this issue too. And also, for me, in "Best Performance" mode, just the mere act of grouping the viewports in the first place makes them disappear. Moving the group makes them reappear. VWIS159

I guess I haven't done much today to prompt a redraw failure per se, but I'm pretty sure all of the following are related graphics issues, and they ALL occur ONLY in the "Best Performance" mode. In the "Good Performance and Compatibility" and "Best Compatibility" modes they all work as expected (VWIS159): 1.) After moving a page-scale symbol in a plan viewport, about 2/3 of the symbol is left behind. After zooming, the straggler catches up. 2.) On a design layer, top-plan view, after deleting and re-assigning a class to the None class, about half of everything on the screen disappears. Zooming resolves. 3.) After moving (by dragging) a group of viewports that has been cut from one sheet and pasted to another, the annotations in the viewport are left behind. Scroll zooming does not resolve it. It's necessary to enter the group and edit the viewport; only then do the annotation reunite with their viewport. 4.) As a workaround to No. 3, I tried ungrouping the viewports before cutting and pasting them to their destination sheet. When regrouped on their destination sheet, they disappeared (except for their red update borders). Scroll zooming did not resolve, however, dragging the group to move it did. 5.) It turns out that the erroneous control of page-scale symbol text in viewports by a viewport's Advanced Properties > Text Scale setting, and the lack of control of door and window ID bubble shape sizes by that setting, can be corrected by changing from "Best Performance" mode to "Good Performance and Compatibility." VWIS156. See post here: https://forum.vectorworks.net/index.php?/topic/62556-first-hour-with-2019-sp3-productivity-0/#comment-311869 Hope that's all helpful...

It turns out that this can be resolved by changing Navigation Graphics from "Best Performance" to "Good Performance and Compatibility." Unfortunately, "Good Performance and Compatibility" seems to make moving around in the file (scroll zooming & panning) as bad as, if not worse, than it is in VW 2018. So not really a solution...

But, for me at least, while it remains graphically challenged (what with that need for refreshing the screen, "disintegration" of graphics while zooming, and a generally jittery feel), it mostly seems far more responsive & faster than VW 2018. At least with a 300+ MB file, which seems to make 2018 grind to a halt.