mpkeane

I am using VW 12.5 on a mac PowerBook, OS 10.3.9. I exported a file to DWG and then reimported it into VW to see how it would work. The file has 8 design layers and 6 sheet layers. I exported th file in version "2004/2005/2006" with "All Sheets" selected. When I reimported that file into VW, I did it two ways: Classes and Layers. When I imported DXF Layers as Classes, the VW file displayed all sheet layers properly but all 8 design layers ended up piled on top of each other in one layer (in fact in two, identical layers). When I imported DXF Layers as Layers, the sheet layers are also fine, but I get about forty design layers. 8 of those forty are my design layers (the rest seem to be Class items from the base map that imported to begin the design). These eight dsign layers appear fairly close to the way I drew them but the dimensioning lines are crazy (the slash mark at interesctions is HUGE). Am I doing something wrong? What is the best way to export a VW as DWG? Marc

In the list of available fonts in the Object Info palette, all the names of Asian script fonts (Japanese and Chinese) are garbled. Likewise, if I try to give a Japanese name to a design layer or sheet layer in the Organization palette, the words come out garbled. I can, however, write in Japanese in a text window in a document. The fonts used in the various palettes, I assume, must be set to a Roman font like Geneva. Is there a way to change the font used to one which will handle Roman and Japanese such as Osaka? Marc

Katie; Just starting a new thread off the Constant Crashes thread since there are a lot of (separate? related?) issues dealing with PDF problems. On VW 12.5.0 (mac OS 10.3.9) the batch PDF export does not seem to work at all, the single PDf export works with "light" files but complex files get corrupted, but (here's the strange part) if I go to Print, then choose Save as PDF, all files get converted nicely. Can't do a batch print that way though. I have already sent you by email my crash reports from PDF exports. Please let me know if they reveal anything. Has anyone else using OS 10.3.9 and VW 12.5 had trouble with PDF exporting? Marc

As long as we are on this crashing thing.... I will send you by email reports from my crashes on placing notes and making batch PDFs. I would be interested to see if it's all the same source problem. With PDFs, if I try to export a single PDF there is no problem. If I choose Batch PDF, however, I get the window asking for me to select files in which I Add All. When I click Export (unlike the single PDF export which gives a window asking for where I want to save the file), there is no reaction. The window closes and that's it. If I try again, VW crashes. All for now. Marc

Thank you Katie. Look forward to your feedback. BTW, you mentioned to FCD about updating the video card. How does one find which video card one has? And where to look for an update? Marc

Hi Katie; I just tried deleting the Preferences and starting up again. Unfortunately the crashing is still happening. Is there only one preferences file? (In the Library folder under Users?) Marc

Yes. I'm not sure that "crash" is the right term but the lolipop spins as if its processing something, and then VW shuts down. I lose whatever data hasn't been saved in the file. I have not tried an unistall reinstall. I just got the program a month ago and figured it hadn't had time to corrupt yet. Is there an automated uninstall on the installer? I will send the past few crash reports to you at: katie@nemetschek.net Thank you for helping out. Marc

Hi Katie; I get no message on the screen. The lolipop begins to swirl and then VW crashes. A crash report appears and I have saved about 10 of those as MS Word files. I have sent them to VW Tech over the past two weeks. I suppose they may be reviewing them. I have not heard back. I tried a test of the Plant modification in blank document. I went to Site Planning in tool sets and chose Place Plant. Clicked on the Settings Button and then on New Plant. Modified the data as needed in Definition, Attributes, Render and Defaults, but when I went to save the information, VW crashed. Sometimes it crashes just when I click New Plant!! I have had similar experience with modifying Title Blocks, Notes, and even when trying to make batch PDF files. Marc

Hi Katie; I ran DU, doing a verification and then a repair. There didn't seem to be anything abut Vectorworks in the comments. In any case, after running DU, I tested VW by trying to make a custom plant symbol. As before, as soon as I tried to save the modifications.... VW crashed. It seems every time I make a modification to a symbol (title block, plant, etc) VW crashes. What could be going on? Marc

I see my problem was that Rendering was set to Wireframe by default and so everything in the Sheet Layer became wireframe. Choosing Sketch for the rendering mode I just found that all the sketch modes transfered properly. Marc

OK Katie; I will run the Verify then Repair and work with this some more. Thank you Marc

Hi Katie; When you say run Disk Utility, do you mean Repair Disk Permissions? I run DU only occasionaly but I have a feeling that it is not the problem (although I'm running it right now to test things). VW was crashing right from the start and a problem with VW disk permissions would only build up over time -- is that not correct? Marc

Thank you Katie and iboymatt. Your advice works perfectly. One problem, though. Although I can no draw an uneven line within straight ones in the Design Layer, when I import the design to a Sheet Layer with a Viewport, the viewport is set for only one rendering style and it all goes to either wireframe or Sketch. Can a design layer with both wireframe and sketch options be imported into a sheet layer for printing? Marc

I am using VW 12.5.0 (Design Series) on a Mac PowerBook G4 (OS 10.3.9, 1.33 GHz, 512 RAM). I have been using VW for only a month or so, but find that it crashes all the time. I just would like to see if other users of OS 10.3.9 have had a similar problem. Specifically, the program seems to crash when I am doing an alteration, for instance, when I try to design a new 2D symbol for a plant, insert a plant symbol into a design layer, insert a note into a design layer, or do a Batch PDF export. At least those are the four times I have experienced so far. Has anyone else had such consistent crash experince? I have sent the crash reports to VW tech support but no answer back from them yet. Marc

Is it possible to use different line rendering qualities in the same design layer? In a drawing of a fence that includes square-cut wood and bamboo, I would like to draw the wood with straight lines and the bamboo with slightly wavy lines. Is this possible or can VW only apply a sketch rendering technique to an entire layer? Marc

I would like to convert a series of 2D design layers into a 3D drawing to see in isometric. Is this possible? I made a drawing of a hexagonal arbor, drawing each section of the arbor on a separate design layer -- footers, posts, deck joists, decking surface, roof structure, roof finish -- and assigning a Z and Delta Z figure for each layer according. When I switch to an isometric view (or try the Flyover Tool), however, I get no 3D imaging. I am obviously doing something wrong. Is it possible to convert a series of layered 2D drawings into a 3D drawing automatically? Marc

Pete; Thanks so much. That goes a long way to explaining what VW is all about. Marc

I'm new at VW and feeling my way through the "layers." I think this is one, very basic, area that is poorly presented in the manuals and tutorials. Design Layers, Sheet Layers, Viewports.... their various purposes and uses are not well described. If I understand things correctly, Design Layers are for, just that, designing. When you want to print out presentation sheets, however, then you are supposed to make a Sheet Layer (with Border, Title Block, etc) and "import" the things you have designed into the Sheet Layer using Viewports. Why not just design in a Design Layer, add a border and title block, and print out from that design layer? What's the advantage of importing things through Viewports in Sheet Layers? Slightly confused. Marc

Is it possible to make a title block opaque so that a large drawing that spills underneath it won't interfere with the text of the title block? Marc

Thanks Nicholas/Mike/Pete for all the tips. I find that just double-clicking on the polygon with the regular 2D Selection Tool, activates the 2D Reshape Tool and its associated handles easily. Nicholas, your method works just fine. Only problem is, if you don't know what the length of the polygon was to begin with, just knowing the new added dimension doesn't let you accurately set a new total length. It would be great if simple polygons, like those drawn with a double line tool, could have the same OIP information as a simple line does (for instance, using the center line of the polygon as a guide) Marc

Thanks Nicholas; It took a bit of playing around to understand how to create a new Hatch, but I got it and, yes, you're right.... that is the easiest way to add decking patterns. Marc

Hello IslandMon; I don't know what version of VW you are using but in VW 12.5, when Lines are selected, the OIP gives a choice of Cartesian and Polar, but when Polygons are selected, there is no such choice. That, therein, is the problem. Do you have a choice of Cartesian and Polar in OIP when you select polygon made with the Double Line Tool? I see how I can draw a polygon in a Polar mode by double-clicking the Double Line Tool button, but once drawn, the OIP does not offer me polar info to modify the shape. Marc

Thank you Jonathon. Very clear pod-cast, easy to understand. I get that I can rescale everything and make come out right but... when I export this file and send it back to the folks who sent it to me, will having rescaled everything confuse their system? and... why do we need to do this in the first place? Isn't the scale of the original drawing embedded in a DWG file and can't VectorWorks somehow understand that? Thanks again for your help. Marc

When you draw a line with the Line Tool, you can see the length of the line in the Object length window at the top of the page and, after it is drawn, in the Object Info palette as well. Also, after the line is drawn, you can modify it by adjusting the length in the Object Info palette no matter whether the line is horizontal, vertical or diagonal. With polygons drawn with the Double Line Tool, however, although you can see the length as you are drawing it, after it is drawn, if you want to modify the length, you can apparently only do so if the polygon is vertical or horizontal. If the polygon is diagonal, is there any way to accurately modify the length (i.e., change it to a specific length)? Marc VW 2.5 (Designer) Mac OS 10.3.9

I am trying to import a DWG architectural file: a drawing of a building that is about 480' x 320'. I want to fit it on a 11" x 17" page (horizontal layout) so I set up the blank VW document at 11 x 17 and 1"=30' scale. When I import the DWG (Import Single DWG), I also choose 1"=30' scale in the DWG Import Options menu but, instead of a drawing that nicely fills the 11 x 17 page, I end up with a tiny little drawing in the middle of the blank page. In the Import Options, for Model Space Units, if I choose Determine Automatically or Use VectorWorks Documents Units, that little drawing ends up in a wildly small scale (what should be 10 feet ends up as 10 inches). If I choose Determine Automatically and check the Set VectorWorks Units to Match box, I end up with the same little drawing, but the scale of the drawing is correct (what should be 10 feet is 10 feet). Any idea what is going on here? VectorWorks 12.5 (Designer) Mac, OS 10.3.9