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willofmaine

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Posts posted by willofmaine

    Graphics Card Upgrade- 2006 Mac Pro

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Funny, just this afternoon I was at the Apple Store asking about upgrading from the same exact video card on the same exact 2006 Mac Pro! (Because I'm still running VW 2008 on 10.4.11, they weren't sure that I could update the graphics card and they sent me to a place specializing in Macs that was closed for the day...). Anyway...

    Nemetschek has "Graphic Card Guidelines" here:

    http://kbase.vectorworks.net/questions/714/Video+Graphic+Card+Guidelines+for+Vectorworks+-+9%7B47%7D15%7B47%7D2010

    Also, check out the "Additional Details" > "Video Cards:" section at their "2011 System Recommendations" here:

    http://kbase.vectorworks.net/questions/807/Vectorworks+2011+System+Recommendations

    Evidently the 7300 is problematic for 2011, and the 8800 is recommended.

    I'll be interested to know what you figure out; that is quite a price difference!

    Help with Velodrome and Nurbs.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Or maybe consider using a Loft Surface. You could draw (in front or side view) sloped lines at various angles representing the changing pitch around the track. Then convert them to NURBS curves (a straight line can be a NURBS 'curve'). Then, in plan view locate them radially along your track, say every 15 degrees. Then use the Loft Surface command with 'no Rail mode' to create a NURBS surface that connects the lines...

    Bottom Z and grid in front view are not aligned

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Double Click on the icon at the top left corner where the top and left rulers meet and select "Set Origin to Drawing Center." You need to be in plan view to do this, but if you change "Y" in plan view it changes "Z" in a front or side view, too.

    Note that you can drag the icon at the upper left corner into your drawing space to set a new origin... again, if you change "Y" at all you've also changed "Z"...

    Bottom Z and grid in front view are not aligned

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Are you using a 3D locus for alignment?

    Once I had windows located off of my grid by similarly small numbers as .0092"

    I don't remember the details exactly, but I think I may have been using 3D loci in groups to determine the centers of the windows. As it turned out, the 3D loci were included in my groups as having a size other than "0". Further, this "size" was a function of how far in I was zoomed.

    Based on my limited use of the VW2011 trial (now expired...) I think this problem persists. If you just draw two 3D loci and make a group out of them, I think you'll see that the bounding box goes not through their centers, but goes around outside of them. (Unlike with 2D loci, where the bounding box goes through their centers as expected).

    Just a thought...

    Section Line Instances

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I submitted this as a bug with VW 2008 in March of 2008...

    In my case, often I can't reset the attributes unless I first set the line to solid; then I can set the others, and then the line, to "by class." Add a new instance, or put a new section line into my section line class and, voila, do it all over again.

    I finally gave up, too...

    Report on Rotation

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Or you could make a symbol out of the text and link its text to a record that has the desired text. But hopefully 2011 will be able to read 2008 files and instead I can use the Callouts with the new leader-less option...

    Regarding VS, once I'm beyond my current deadline hopefully I'll find some time to start looking into that. I'm sure I will have questions, so ask I will. Thanks!

    Report on Rotation

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I'd kind of lost track of what I was originally trying to do. It just seems it should be possible to report on the rotation of objects; really anything in the OIP.

    Originally I'd made a symbol out of the North Arrow PIO. This project involves a series of symmetrically opposite buildings, which we keep flipping to create the next one. Unfortunately the "N" of the North Arrow when flipped is backwards. I wanted to make sure all the North Arrow symbols were correct (depending on the building, sometimes the North Arrows get flipped both horizontally and vertically). This afternoon I just realized the 'obvious' solution is to simply draw my North Arrow (just the circle and the heavy line!) and use Text for the "N," which of course corrects itself when flipped.

    In all cases I'm thinking I might like to look into VectorSripting...

    In the meantime... any way to do a worksheet report on all the Text in a file?? I figured out that "=callout.text" works for Callouts. But I can't seem to list all the text... (I don't want to just find and replace "Tack Board"... I want to know where all of its instances are so that I can re-adjust them on their sheets once updated with a much longer note...)

    Thanks!!

    class overrides of 3d objects

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I just did a little experiment in 2008. I tried to make the lines of an extrude dashed, and it wouldn't work (I could increase the line weight, though...). So, maybe it's not an override or viewport issue, maybe extrudes just can't have dashed lines? (Unless you do a "dashed hidden line" view...).

    Report on Rotation

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Okay, that's something. Though it seems if you flip a symbol twice, once horizontally and once vertically, it returns "0" even though the angle is -180?.

    It seems like angle of rotation would be a pretty basic bit of information to be able to collect and even modify.

    I didn't follow that last bit about "right-click on the row header to select and center on those objects so you can fix them." Oh, wait, "row header" being at the far left where "Select Data Items" is an option. Okay. So there's no way to change the flipped status from the worksheet itself. I guess I'm thinking of record fields...

    Is VectorScript something that could be used to do this? Or is it too limited to the available options such "=isflipped"?

    Anyway, thanks for digging deeper...

    VW2011 - Slow with old files?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Wow, this is a discouraging thread. I was so looking forward to many of VW 2011's new features.

    But I have a large project that's been going on for years now. I started it with VW 12, and had no issues going from 12 to 2008.

    How does one run 2008 and 2011 simultaneously if 2008 doesn't run in OS 10.6 and 2011 doesn't run in OS 10.4? Run two operating systems? Thanks, but no. I'm definitely not going to recreate my project in 2011 (Five floors plus slab layers, 30 Sheets, 232 Viewports, 128 Mb...). I think Horst M. said it best... "...I'm out of words..." regarding VectorWorks' apparent incompatibility with itself.

    And even if I wanted to start afresh with 2011, what about the extensive amount of library items and textures I've created, and my template file that represents a few years of refinement?? I'm with Chris D on this.

    Hopefully with the next SP the tune of this thread will change dramatically!!

    Chief Architect

    in Architecture

    Posted

    Sweet! Maybe after I'm beyond this deadline I'll dig into scripting. Maybe make a polygon-based shape that can host the base, wainscot and crown for a room, automatically re-shape to the walls enclosing the room, and recognize door & window openings. I like to start easy... :)

    2008 Export to dwg

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I've had problems exporting .dwg files from VW 2008, though not necessarily the symptoms you've experienced.

    In my case I found that I had to keep the file name for the exported file, at least while exporting, very short (probably shorter than yours) in order to get it to actually export.

    So, something you might try if all else fails...

    Chief Architect

    in Architecture

    Posted

    Thanks for the responses.

    Maybe I should look into scripting. I think the reasons I haven't pursued it so far is that VectorWorks itself has always taken a fair amount of time (though less so now that I'm much more proficient with it) and my very limited experiences with programming (scripting?) have been that it can be very time consuming and, probably most of all, I'm just not sure what you can do with VectorScript. 'Just' automate activities? Or create parametric PIO's (such as a window with a 6 over 9 double hung...)?

    Thanks tguy, I'm glad you like the capitals. And the more I read, the more I'm convinced that you're absolutely right - I can't give up the power of VectorWorks. I just wish the PIOs were more capable, or at least stable.

    So, I think like Martin in his thread comparing VW and Archicad, VW is the one...

    Chief Architect

    in Architecture

    Posted

    Draw some exterior walls that completely enclose a space (if you go counter-clockwise you?ll be reminded that you should have gone clockwise, and you?ll be given the opportunity to reverse the walls). Click on a wall and a temporary dimension appears where you can type a new dimension to relocate/stretch walls automatically. Draw some interior walls to create an inner space or two. Click on one of the spaces and? it?s a ?room!? As a room it can have it?s own finishes, ceiling, base, chair rail, and crown, distinct from any of the other rooms. Move a wall, and the room and especially its moldings all adjust to the room?s new shape.

    Beautiful; I?m very impressed with everything I saw during a limited opportunity with Chief Architect?s trial version.

    I know that VW and CA both have their plusses and minuses. Correct me if I?m wrong, but in a nutshell, VW leaves CA behind when it comes to powerful flexibility and, from what I?ve read, 2D graphics. But when it comes to production speed, CA with its heavy emphasis on an object-based (?PIO?) environment leaves VW behind? at least when it comes to residential, and residential that is maybe of a more ?typical? variety.

    But I have to say I?m feeling a bit frustrated looking at upgrading VW with CA out there. I think there are two big questions I have:

    One, are the plusses of VW and CA all mutually exclusive? I don?t know why VW couldn?t have room objects like those in CA and still retain all of its powerful flexibility. It?s as if VW picks up where CA leaves off, rather than incorporating all that CA can do and then going beyond that.

    Two, clearly an object-based environment can work very well. Why do VW?s PIO?s remain so excessively buggy and/or dysfunctional? I don?t think I need to mention stairs? And windows? Make a symbol out of a window, and the interior and exterior finishes get switched with each other (at least in 2008). And why in the world is the sill depth set with respect to the inside face of the wall? At least there?s the ?work around? of being able to type in a sill?s depth for each and every different wall thickness. But wait? in 2011 it seems like doing THAT flips the interior and exterior finishes? If you want a 6 over 9 Lite window, it seems you have to model it. (Though in all fairness, as far as I can tell, WinDoor and CA also can?t accommodate different sash sizes?). Okay! I?ll stop now?

    I wish we could have the power of CA and it?s apparently stable and certainly productive objects incorporated into VW, along with VectorWorks? powerful flexibility. I suspect the classical capitals (see attached) that I?ve created in VW aren?t likely to happen in Chief Architect?

    Will

    Making symbols of VW windows

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Try including four 3D Loci in your symbol to define the rectangular hole in the wall that you want. I think in 2010 you could also maybe use the "Edit Wall Hole" component of the symbol. I think when a PIO is made into a symbol, it looses its ability to interact with the wall; it just becomes a 'dumb' object which by default cuts a hole for its entire self - including sill extensions - in walls.

    HTH

    Viewport Update Failure - Help!

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Update... I seem to have isolated the problem to a pair of symbols: a bathroom from a previous building that I duplicated to create two new bathrooms for this building. If I delete one, it still fails. If I delete the other, VW crashes. If I delete both, the viewports update as expected. (My bathrooms are symbols so that I can work on them in their own space, free of the rest of the building. As such, they are symbols that consist mostly of hybrid symbols). Un-grouping the bathrooms and re-saving them as new symbols didn't help, and I haven't been able to isolate the particular symbols within them that are causing the problem. So, I guess I will re-create the bathrooms from scratch; hopefully that will work... definitely better than having to go back several files into the archive...

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