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    Vision - FAQ -Updated

    in Vision and Previsualization

    Posted

    Updated: 9/15/2022

     

    What are the MINIMUM system requirements for Vision?

     

    On Windows: Windows 10 (64-bit), Windows 11, a 2.5 GHz processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 4GB video card, and a mouse with a middle button or scroll wheel.
    On Mac: macOS 12 (Monterey), macOS 11 (Big Sur), a 2.5 GHz processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 4GB video card, and a mouse with a middle button or scroll wheel.

     

    For both PC and MAC, it requires a dedicated graphics card supporting GL_ARB_draw_buffers extension. It is recommended to have 8 GB of VRAM, preferably 12 GB of VRAM or more. A graphics card released in the past three years (e.g., NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series, AMD
    Radeon RX 6000 series) is also highly recommended. We do not recommend any integrated Intel video chipset. While Vision may run, we do not support integrated graphics cards due to their lack of performance and speed. For the full list of system requirements and system
    recommendations, see Vectorworks System Requirements.

     

    Does Vision run macOS M-series?

    Yes, Vision runs on M-series machines. We recommend a M1 Pro or greater with a minimum of 32 GB Unified Memory.


    How many lights can I run in Vision?
    The speed of your video card and rendering settings directly impacts the number of lights that you can run.


    You can improve the performance of Vision by adjusting the Vision Preferences to better match the capabilities of your graphics card.

     

    This is most easily accomplished by adjusting the Performance-Quality slider in the Vision Preferences . If more control over the settings is
    desired, enter the Advanced portion of the Vision Preferences. From here, turning off Render shadows and Use haze texture; reducing the Texture Quality; rendering fixtures as black or turning off fixture rendering, and many other settings, can significantly increase the performance of Vision.


    If you are running a slower video card and are still experiencing sub-optimal framerates, you
    should consider upgrading to a faster video card.


    What is a dongle? Do I need one to run Vision?
    A dongle is a USB key that contains your license information, including the number of universes that you own and subscription data. Vision dongles are not compatible with macOS M-series computers.


    You do not need a dongle to run a Vision license. However, if you need to use grandMA2 with MA-Net2 as your DMX provider, MA Lighting requires the use of a dongle for Vision. The Vision dongle can be purchased directly from Vectorworks.


    Vision 2022 or higher: MA Lighting supports visualizer connectivity on the grandMA3 via MANet3
    using the viz-key. The viz-key is available from purchase from your local MA distributor.


    How do I control Vision?
    Vision is listening for DMX-512. Any console or onPC/off-line editor that outputs Artnet, Hognet,
    MA-Net, MA-Net3, or sACN can be used to control Vision. MAC product integration is limited to Artnet, sACN, and MA-Net3 at this time.

     

    How many lights are in the Vision fixture library?
    While the numbers are continually changing, you can be assured that the fixtures from the major manufacturers are included. These include High End, Martin, Coemar, Vari*lite, ETC, and many others.

     

    What if I need a fixture that isn't included in the library?
    Vision customers are entitled to request a maximum of 4 lighting fixtures per 30 days, using the “SPOTLIGHT AND VISION FIXTURE REQUEST” form available on the support page of the customer portal.


    What exactly is Update Dongle, Update Library and Update Vision?
    The Update Dongle command contacts the Vectorworks server to update your dongle. It should only be necessary to run the Update Dongle command when you renew your Dongle Vision license. If you have an online activation license, there is no need to run this command.


    The Update Library command contacts a cloud-based internet server that all of our customers can access. When you access the Update Library server, it compares the latest library files against what you have on your computer and updates any files that have been added or changed.This ensures that you always have the most recent data available. We recommend that you run the Update Library command before you begin any major project. You must have an active Vision license to access the Update Library server.


    The Update Vision command contacts the Vectorworks server to update your Vision software to
    the latest available service pack.


    Do you have a trial version?
    Yes. Vision has a free downloadable 30-day trial which will allow you to run Vision. This will allow you to test Vision's capabilities and see the superior quality of Vision. You will find sample files, DMX recordings, and detailed information regarding patch, etc. in the "Demo
    Documents" folder within your Vision Trial installation.


    INSTALLATION

     

    Do I need any other programs to install Vision?
    All necessary support files are included in the Vision installer package.


    Should I plug my Vision dongle in before I start the install?
    We recommend installing using the provided serial number. For Vision 2023 the dongle is only necessary for using the MA-Net2 dmx provider.

     

    Can I change the installation directory?
    It is not recommended to manually change the installation directory of Vision. If you need to
    relocate Vision it is recommended that you uninstall the current version and run the Vision
    installer to install in a new directory.


    VISION

     

    How do I navigate in Vision?
    All navigation within Vision is accomplished using the middle mouse button. To pan up, down, or around, hold down the middle mouse button and move the mouse. To zoom in or out, hold Ctl+Alt and the middle mouse button and move the mouse in and out. To rotate the scene, press Alt and the middle mouse button and move the mouse. You can also use the tools that are provided in the tool window to zoom, rotate, pan, and tilt. Find a complete list in Vision online help.


    How do I focus conventional fixtures in my rig?
    Select the lights that you wish to adjust in the scene. All the lights are turned on. Another way to select the fixtures you want is to use the  
    Once the lights are selected, you can move them all in sync by using the four arrow keys.

     

    These keys correspond to the pan and tilt of each fixture. If you wish to focus all selected lights to the same position, move your mouse to that position, right-click and select "Focus selected lights here." If you wish to focus each light individually, be sure to have the main window picked and hit the page down button which will highlight a single fixture. Focus that fixture using the arrow keys. When you complete, hit page down again and the next light is highlighted. Continue the process until all fixtures are focused.


    How do I adjust the haze in the scene?
    Haze can be adjusted in the Document Preferences window or by select the ROOT from the Scene Graph window. The movement of the haze is controlled by Haze Vertical Speed, Haze Horizontal Speed, Haze Depth Speed, and Haze Turbulence. By setting these to 0, the atmosphere will be constant without any movement. To set the amount of haze in the scene adjust the Haze Amount up or down, to suit your needs. A setting of 0 will assume no atmosphere (such as in a theater setting). If haze texturing is on, you can increase and decrease the density or cloudiness of the haze with the Haze Density setting. The performance and quality of haze renderings can be adjusted in the Vision Preferences window. This is most easily controlled with the Performance Quality slider. More detailed control of haze quality and
    performance can be unlocked in the Advanced section of this dialog. Haze Rendering Style, Haze Rendering Quality, and Use haze texture all impact the quality and performance of haze. Haze in its entirety can also be enabled or disabled at an application level with the Render haze
    checkbox.


    If I am running a complex scene, how can I increase speed?
    The easiest way to increase the speed of renderings is to adjust the Performance Quality slider in the Vision Preferences dialog box. By moving this slider towards Performance, quality will decrease but performance will increase. Try different slider settings to see what works best for the given scene. If you want more detailed control over performance and quality, the Advanced section of the Vision Preferences window may be helpful. You may consider eliminating the geometry associated with the lighting fixtures by setting Render Fixtures to Off in the Vision Preferences. You will notice that the fixture will disappear from the Vision, but the light is still emitting from where the fixture used to be. Significant speed increases can also be achieved by turning off Render shadows in the Vision Preferences . If your file contains multipart fixtures, checking the Force Emissive option for these fixtures will also improve performance. Lowering the Haze Rendering Quality or lowering the Haze Rendering Style may also improve performance.


    For files with a very large number of fixtures, disabling the High Precision option may increase performance with minimal impact on rendering quality.

     

    How do I connect my console to Vision?
    To begin, check out the forums on DMX Connectivity, which contains detailed instructions on connecting Vision to a number of the most popular consoles. In Vision, you only need to select the DMX Provider under the DMX menu. See the DMX Connectivity Articles for more details.


    What is the optimal resolution for running Vision?
    Once again, this is somewhat determined by your video card. Generally, you should run Vision at 1280x720. This will give you the optimum performance and quality for your real-time visualization. Vision is capable of running at much higher resolutions, but lower resolutions
    allow for better performance. Resolution is configurable from within the Vision Preferences and should be adjusted to best fit your needs based on the hardware being used.


    VISION UPDATES

     

    I have an expired Service Select membership; how do I get the latest build?
    Contact the sales team at sales@vectorworks.net and renew your Service Select membership. Vision Support will be able to reactivate your dongle remotely so that you can update the software to the latest version.

     

    My Service Select membership has expired. Can I still run Vision?
    Yes. Your version of Vision will still be available for you to use. However, you will no longer have access to the latest versions of Vision. To ensure that you have the latest and greatest versions of Vision at your fingertips, you’ll want to make sure that your Service Select
    membership stays current. Be aware that any fixtures released following your subscription date will not be visible in your Vision model.

     

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    Until Next Time

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I do share the same sentiment as all of you. Not only do I appreciate the incredible job done by Jim here in the community board all these years, I also agree there will be big shoes to fill. I’ve been working with Jim since 2007, he was actually my first hire. We started a journey together that brought us until now with many good times.  There have been great conversations throughout the years, and even though I have not posted much in the forums in the past, I read many of your comments, suggestions, “complaints,” wishes, and we have been working with an internal team to keep advocating for all of our users. My commitment remains the same, I’m here for you all, and l have an experienced group of trainers and technical support specialist on the customer success team who will collectively fill in where Jim left off.  If you have any suggestions, do not hesitate to PM or email me.

    • Like 12

    2019 Crash

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    @GregBall good in your DXDiag. Is this happening in all files, could you check for a special characters/emoji in your class naming. One more thing, could you turn on Error reporting in the Vectorworks preferences (Tools>Options>Vectorworks Preferences>Session> Error reporting), doing so will help us tons to know more about what could be causing the issue.

     

    thanks,

     

    Revit Import Not Working

    in Known Issues

    Posted

    On 4/25/2019 at 5:53 PM, jshowers said:

    am trying to import my first revit file and it is crashing VW on both Mac and Windows. 61 MB file, every combination of import settings results in total crash, VW quits.

    @jshowers any chance that you can send us the .rvt file for testing?

    3D Distorted

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    @M.Noel The alert means that Vectorworks has been installed and activated in more computers than the number allowed by the type of license that you have. It seems like you are in the UK, please contact uktech@vectorworks.net, and they will be able to assist you with both of the issues.

     

    vectorworks doesn't open

    in Troubleshooting

    Posted

    On 4/27/2019 at 8:59 PM, alexandra onyebuchi said:

    I have a problem opening my Vectorworks( 2018 student version) my licence expired on 26-04-2019. I have requested for an extension and re-downloaded the 2018 version. but it doesn't open. Below I attached screen shots of the problem. How can this be fixed?

    @alexandra onyebuchiIf you requested the license extension via the student portal, it normally takes 1-2 business days for the approval. If you have not received your extension yet please contact uktech@vectorworks.net 

    VW2019 - SP3.1? Are there release notes?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    @Kevin McAllister you can ask me 😉...at the end of the release notes for 2019 SP3, you will find 3.1 additional notes HERE

     

    Also, leaving them here:

     

    • Vectorworks gets stuck if a ForceQuit is received and the user waits 10 minutes before clicking on the alert
    • Design Layer Section Viewports Fail to Show Component Fills in SP4
    • BIM workflow not working anymore because referenced viewports cannot be sectioned anymore
    • Section Viewport trough a referenced Viewport shows no fill components
    • Section Viewport trough a Viewport shows walls without components in SP3/SP4
    • No Detail Level for Slabs in Section Viewport
    • Section Viewports Fail to Show Objects from Referenced Viewports in SP3
    • The first 2 spaces created by the tool have the same number
    • Space label is wrong with styles
    • This update resolves an issue with the floating databar for some plug-ins
    • Add cloud-based project sharing support for Dropbox Business and Box Drive

     

    • Like 1

    Vision 2019 SP3

    in Vision and Previsualization

    Posted

    Vectorworks, Inc. has released its third Service Pack (SP3) for Vision 2019. This Service Pack includes a large number of performance improvements and fixes. You can find the Mac and Windows downloads below:

     

    Mac   -   Windows

     

    Summary of improvements and fixes:

     

    • Can't hold down the arrow keys to focus conventional fixtures.
    • Can't enter universe number higher than 99 into Patch Sequentially/Select Start Universe Window.
    • Conventional fixtures that have no shutter or iris info in Vectorworks, suddenly have info when importing to vision.
    • Duplicate UUID in MVR export from Vectorworks is causing a crash in Vision.
    • Esc file when imported has fixtures with the correct orientation, after saving to .v3s and then reopening the lekos and static led all change orientation.
    • MVR export updated and fixed to comply with the 1.0 specification.
    • MVR file does not have the correct Truss placement or Rotation.
    • MVR file has DMX errors.
    • Naming is different between ESC and MVR.
    • Patch window operations are SLOW!
    • Robe Robin Point and MegaPoint do not work.
    • Some fixtures do not insert with the proper color.
    • When exporting the patch, the hatch used on alternating lines causes text to be unreadable.

     

    To learn more about this announcement, read our press release here.

     

    For more information: https://www.vectorworks.net/en/vision

    New to Vision

    in Vision and Previsualization

    Posted

    Hi Kevin,

     

    Welcome to the family.

     

    Here a couple of resources:

     

    https://www.vectorworks.net/training/2019/getting-started-guides/vision

     

    https://www.vectorworks.net/inspiration/industry-webinars/the-biz-of-previz-efficient-workflows-for-corporate-previsualization

     

    https://www.vectorworks.net/inspiration/industry-webinars/optimizing-files-for-streamlined-previz

     

    https://www.vectorworks.net/inspiration/industry-webinars/christmas-in-july-how-previz-and-pixel-mapping-help-light-up-the-holidays

     

    https://www.vectorworks.net/inspiration/industry-webinars/using-previsualization-to-reimagine-macbeth

     

    https://www.vectorworks.net/inspiration/industry-webinars/on-with-the-show-concept-to-previz-workflows

     

    https://www.vectorworks.net/inspiration/industry-webinars/an-inside-look-at-the-new-and-improved-vision

     

    I hope these help. If you need additional info feel free to contact me directly.

     

    happy holidays!!!

     

     

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