Markus Barrera-Kolb
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Posts posted by Markus Barrera-Kolb
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I don't see any reason why the Workspace Editor restricts the modifier keys that we can use with menu commands and tools -- why can't I assign a keystroke without a modifier key to a menu item but I can assign one to a tool? I don't see any compelling reason for this. If I want to assign "G" to "Make Guide", why not let me? if I want to use with a menu item, why not let me?
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I'd like to be able to use the "Make Guide" command with the keyboard shortcut "G", but simple keystrokes (w/o a modifier) are only available for tools and not menu items, for whatever strange reason. I thought it might be possible to make a tool script that executes this command and then assign that shortcut to it. Can someone enlighten me what the syntax would be for running that command in VectorScript? Thanks!
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It would be great if there was a way to save multiple page setups or at least have an option to easily print half-size sheets. We frequently print redline sets at half size (12"x18" instead of 24"x36") to save paper and desk space, but it's much more cumbersome to do this in VW than it was in even older versions of AutoCad (unless I'm overlooking something).
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p.s. Hugues: is there a comprehensive reference of all of the Worksheet functions somewhere? I checked the VectorWorks 2008 manual, and didn't find CRITERIAAREA anywhere, which makes me wonder how many other new or improved functions there are that aren't covered in the basic documentation. Thanks!
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Thanks Hugues, sounds like a good approach. Is there a way to combine CRITERIAAREA with other criteria, so that I can separate out floor objects on different layers and/or classes? I'm somewhat familiar with the way that you can combine lots of criteria for a database row, but not how you might do it for a spreadsheet cell. And CS1, I still wish President Carter had succeeded in convincing us U.S. boneheads to finally join the rest of the world (with the notable exception of Liberia and Myanmar) in using the metric system...
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Yup, you're exactly right -- I figured it out right after I posted that question. What's odd is that even with the Units preference set to "square feet" (in the Document Settings), the Worksheet still gives a total in square inches. Formatting the cell to "Dimension Area" doesn't recalculate the number (divide by 144), but rather still shows the value in square inches while adding the suffix "sq ft". Seems like a bug.
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...also, is there any way to control the number of decimal places displayed when the number formatting is set to "Dimension Area"? It's kind of silly to have three or four digits showing to the right of the decimal point...
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Thanks CS1, that seems to work -- only odd thing is that it seems to give it to me in square inches. If I format the cell as "Dimension Area", it labels the number as "sq ft", but still displays the number of square inches. When I manually divide the number by 144 it comes out to the right area. I guess one workaround is to enter "=AREA/12" in the database field...
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I've looked at the manuals and done a couple of searches on the forum, but I haven't been able to find information on how to tally floor areas in a worksheet. I don't see floor objects listed as one of the object types that can be included under "Create Report...", but I assume there's some relatively simple way to accomplish this. I do have floor objects in my model -- can I use these to obtain overall areas on a worksheet? If so, how, and if not, what's the easiest way to do it?
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It would be great to have a "current layer" option for the layer criterion in the custom selection & modificaton dialog boxes. Most of the time when I run a script, I want it to affect objects on the layer I'm working on, but I don't want to have to create a script for every single layer (same could apply for class). Plus, if I'm going to reuse scripts across different projects, the layer names might differ, and a "current layer" option would make those selection scripts universal.
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Ditto what Brudgers said -- and furthermore, construction documents, particularly for projects that aren't high-budget and high-end, and therefore not detailed to the teeth, are drawn quite abstractly, with the assumption that a competent contractor is quite familiar with standard building practices and codes. While that's not ideal, it is the reality we work in day to day. Getting the right level of detail (or lack thereof) onto a piece of paper in the easiest and most legible form is essential...
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One thing that's curious is the little tidbit at the end of this training video:
http://download2.nemetschek.net/TechTips/Stack_Layers/Stack_Layers.html
According to this information, it is possible to use the "Display 2D Objects on Active Layer" option in the "Stack Layer Options" to be able to add 2D elements to the layer while viewing the stacked model in a view other than Top/View. However, from what I can tell, it is impossible to then reference the resulting information (stacked model PLUS added 2D information) in a SLVP. When I try, I can only see the 2D information in Top/Plan view, but that of course displays the model from the top -- similar to the method that Brudgers tried to too, using a DLVP. But at least Mike's method using the Model View tool works!
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Brilliant! That's exactly what I was looking for. Now any supplimental 2D info can be referenced by as many SLVPs and at as many scales as I like, and I'll only have to draw it in one place. Jeffrey, if you're reading this, why is this workflow not encouraged? Is it expected that the elevations generated from the pure 3D model will be complete & legible enough, or that a complete set of schematic design, design-development, and construction documentation won't have more than one representation of any given elevation anyway?
...now if there was only a similar way to add stuff to sections...
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Actually, I was imagining a different workflow in which one could use a DLVP and set the view of the DLVP to front and then trace on top of it.
Yup, that's exactly what I tried to do and wasn't able to, and I think you're right: this essentially puts me back to annotating. It seems like with VW's current capabilities that's the only way to 'punch up' or 'flesh out' your model to make it more complete and read better in 2D. Does anyone have any experience with other BIM systems regarding this issue?
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Tim's quite right: I'd love it if the 'punching-up' part of it could be referenced multiple times as well, in keeping with the 'draw-it-once' concept. My experience with BIM is very limited, and I don't know if any of the CAD products out there will yield a final drawing from a 3D model with line weights that would satisfy me, but it doesn't seem like it would be an impossible task.
I suppose it's the odd relationship between 2D and 3D information in VW that makes it impossible to punch up a 3D view with 2D information in design space (and then reference it with SLVPs).
Brudgers, when you talk about drawing a 2D elevation on a DL in Top/Plan view, you're talking about manually constructing/projecting the elevation from the plan info in DLVPs, correct? That's basically how I'd done it for years in plain old AutoCad.
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With information I got from helpful forum members I just made two scripts that allow me toggle between 'drafting' mode and 'preview' mode for this very reason. I draft with a black background, zoom line thickness disabled, and colors by class. With the design layer at the scale that the drawing will most likely be printed at, I can then switch to preview mode, with a white background, black and white only, and zoom line thickness enabled. The scripts are something like this:
PROCEDURE ScreenDraw;
BEGIN
SetPref(9,False);
SetPref(10,False);
SetPref(16,True);
END;
RUN (ScreenDraw);
...and:
PROCEDURE ScreenPreview;
BEGIN
SetPref (9,True);
SetPref (10,True);
SetPref (16,False);
END;
RUN (ScreenPreview);
I added them to my document right click menu in the Workspace editor...
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It would be great if the date-stamp didn't have to be updated manually. It's nice to have one on the title block to show when a sheet was printed, and it seems like the whole point of a date-stamp function is that you can place it and not have to deal with it again. If I wanted to manually update it, I could just use a plain text object...
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I second Matt's take on the matter -- it's timestamp tool and should automatically update. Otherwise you could just use a plain old text object. Sounds like one for the wishlist.
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Well, it looks like when I try this approach, I can get the 2D information to show up in the SLVP when I check "Project 2D Objects", but what's bizarre is this: even if I select "Open GL" or "Hidden Line" as the VP background render mode (foreground turned off), this results in all of the model lines being visible (doors, walls, windows, through the whole thing), and all of the 2D stuff that I drew on the design layer in FRONT view, though visible, is flat on the ground, i.e. visible as a single horizontal line, even though the SLVP is also in FRONT view. The relationship between 2D and 3D in VW is a complete mystery to me, I have to admit. In the manual it says regarding the "Project 2D Objects" option: "Select to display 2D objects in a viewport with a view other than Top/Plan" - but what good is that if they just appear on edge? VW may just not be able to do what I want...
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I experimented a bit further, and it seems that if I change the origin in either the source file or the target file, the location of the referenced objects in the DLVP will change. Odd that the crop stays in the same place. It's also rather silly that if you wanted to set a different origin in order to make some of the drawing tasks easier VW would change all of your reference locations for you. Also, in the manual it says "After setting the local origin and a distant center, it is easy to switch between them." But it doesn't say how. When you double click the origin button, you only get the option to define a new origin or define the drawing center as the origin - you can't switch back to a previously defined origin.
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I seem to be encountering similar issues, only I never rotated the referenced plan. Instead, I rotated the DLVP as Jeffrey had suggested, and then applied a VP crop as well (I'm referencing a site plan for a 5-lot development into the drawings for one of the houses). What's strange is that, on several occasions now, the information in the DLVP has moved (never touched the original file), but the crop has stayed in the same place, so that initially it looked as though the reference had disappeared, since the the crop was now over a blank spot in the referenced file. Aggravating indeed! Any way to prevent this from happening in the future?
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Thanks Peter - that's what I thought: the annotations would copy, but then be 'static' in the subsequent VPs. Would it be possible to use separate DLs for each elevation view with separate DLVPs, each in a different view orientation, and then draw the supplemental 2D info over those? That way each of the 'complete' elevation views could be referenced onto sheets via SLVPs (in as many different places & scales as desired). Like you said, it seems like there are lots of possible workflows, which I guess is VW's strength and/or weakness, depending on what you do with it.
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I've seen a number of threads about generating elevations in a BIM environment, but as a newbie and 2D AutoCad convert I'm still scratching my head. I probably don't want to spend the time to build 3D models that include all of the detail that will be needed for the final elevations (or sections), and I doubt that an automatically generated elevation will have very legible line weights, which is very important to us. (As an aside, I so far find 3D work in VW quite counter-intuitive, particularly after spending time with SketchUp.) However, if I supplement an elevation within a VP's annotation space, then all of that additional information is unique to that VP, correct? That breaks the draw-it-once theory, because I can't duplicate the VP elsewhere and have it auto-update from the original VP, right? If I could use a section-VP on a DL, then the supplemental line-work could be referenced by as many SLVPs as desired, but it doesn't seem that this will work. Any advice?
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Is there any way to create custom selection script that applies to the current layer only? I don't see any such option in the list, so I'm assuming it doesn't. But what if I want a custom selection script that only applies to the current layer and I don't want to have to make one for each layer?
Vectorscript for "Make Guide"?
in Vectorscript
Posted
Thanks for your replies Gerrit & maarten! And by omitting the "DeselectAll" I also have the option of selecting several objects prior to invoking the script...