[mass overlapping]

When you render, you should still get a sketchy outline round the individual plants... I will check, but I think it should still work.

Thanks for the comments on the book! I am really glad you have found it useful.

T

[Site model lines in Hidden Line rendering]

Within the hidden line render, you can set a smoothing angle which will help remove some of the lines.

[Update plant symbol]

It's a problem! I will look into it further. I had imagined that the Replace Plant button on the OIP would allow you to replace the instance with the same plant which would adopt the new definition. But it doesn't change the attributes. I will delve further.

[Plant issues]

Hi Mike

This is because the plant data attached to the plant has nothing in the category field - or it says something that the worksheet is not setup to query.

[Help!! DTM on vectorworks2010 vs vectorworks minicad v 8.5]

The site model is now a single object which can display the existing terrain or the proposed terrain. The Site Modifier tools are used to propose changes. Update the model to reflect the changes (using the OIP) and then click Update Cut and Fill Calculations at the bottom of the OIP.

[mass overlapping]

To have massed plants with a sketchy outline AND colour, do the following:

Leave the Mass Overlapping Plants box UNCHECKED in your plant definition dialogue.

Set a sketchy outline or two in the number of outlines.

Set the plant to Use Rendering at Creation or not (your choice - I usually leave it switched off and render later using View>Show>Show or Hide Plant Styles as it saves my drawing re-rendering everytime I place a plant).

Now, place your plants. Switch the following classes to invisible:

Plants-Components-Outline

Render the plants as above. You should now see a sketchy outline around the entire group, but not around each individual plant. You can also turn off colour using the classes with this method.

It does depend on you using the symbols in the Plant Objects resource file as these are setup to work like this. If creating your own plant symbols they will need to adhere to these classing standards for this to work.

Hope that helps!

[Trouble using the handrail tool]

Hi Chris

The application of styles is only half the job I'm afraid. This creates classes with the names Style-1 thru Style-15. You now need to edit the classes to add appropriate 2D graphic styles and textures.

Hope that helps!

[Vectorworks Landmark 2010]

Fantastic new features for garden designers and landscapers coming in 2010...

New content libraries (always nice)

Plants have default 3D views already embedded into them.

Grade calculator for reporting on current grade, setting elevations for a proposed regrade, great for drainage etc. etc.

Lovely new hardscape tool.

DTM changes

just to get you started...

[Wall]

You can do this easily using the Wall tool and then editing with the Fillet Edge tool from the 3D palette. It will no longer be a "wall" but a generic solid.

[Where can i find more 3D plant images from? (websites etc)]

If you have access to Photoshop or similar its actually not too difficult to create image props from your own photographs. You need to be able to produce an image which has a transparent background or the background stored in the alpha channel. Once you've done that you can bring it into VW using the Model/Create Image Prop command.

The can be useful for creating massed planted areas too without having to place individual plants.

[Plant list misbehaving]

The plant data which will ship with 2010 will have all plant data in the correct category making it much easier to create plant lists which list by category!

[Custom plant tag setting]

When setting up your master symbols, you can use the eyedropper tool to transfer the attributes of one to the other which should speed things up a little.

[surface]

Site models in 2010 will be a lot easier to work with too. The same site modification tools but the model itself has changed and has some nice new usability features such as the ability to extend the model beyond its previous boundaries, add site modifiers without a fence (WITHOUT VW shouting at you).

[Vegetation line]

Hi Mike

Why not try the Landscape Area tool - this has different edge styles and can later have plant definitions inserted into them. Some cool stuff coming with Vectorworks 2010 soon on Landscape Areas too! Come to our event...

[3D Artistic Plants]

These are available within the XFrog libraries - but the files are called Artistic instead of Photorealistic! It's also quite easy to create your own if you have Photoshop and are able to create an image with a transparent background. These can then be made into image props using Model/Create Image Prop.]

[When I "turn on rendering" for a plant, the plant disappears.]

Is this 2D plant rendering or 3D plant rendering that we are talking about?

[Lack of plants]

They are shipped with Landmark and Renderworks - they are in the Install directory (program files/vectorworks2008/Libraries/Plants

Hope that helps!

[Lack of plants]

There are some shrubby x-frogs... unfortunately they are all mixed in with the trees so it's hard to find them. e.g. euonymus, salix, ligustrum, phillostachys. They need splitting out, but a bit of searching will find some that you can use.

Also, if you are drawing a very formal hedge, you could consider modelling the hedge as a 3D object and then applying one of textures (from the X-frog libraries) to the object. You have to mess around with the scaling on the render, but you can get some good results with this...

[How to change text for Plant Tag within the defintion]

No luck I'm afraid. I changed the attributes to use Class style, but it's made no difference.

If going for the VectorScript option, how can I refer to the font settings for the symbol?

[How to change text for Plant Tag within the defintion]

Thanks Pat. I'll give those a try.

[How to change text for Plant Tag within the defintion]

Hi Ian

Missed seeing you yesterday at the conference. I was mobbed, on the VW stand, but heard that you were around.

No - the symbols seem to retain the text style that was in force when they were created.

So, if I bring them into a new drawing, they retain their original characterists rather than the current text settings. I can, of course, change the text once I've brought the plant in, but I'm just intrigued now by how I can get inside that symbol definition.

I've tried change symbol attributes but that only changes the usual class graphic attributes... not text. I've tried editing the 2D portion of the symbol and editing text with everything in the symbol selected (when of course the tag isn't showing) but makes no difference.

Not sure it's possible, but I just wondered if there was some way to get at that text attribute which it clearly is storing SOMEWHERE...

Cheers

T

[How to change text for Plant Tag within the defintion]

I have collected together several plant objects which I have created in various different files. Some were created with different fonts and different font sizes. In the new file where I have collected my plants, I would like to edit the symbol definitions to have a consistent text style. If I use the plants, then change the text, it only changes that instance. In effect, I would like to be able select and update the symbols, BEFORE they are used on the drawing. I can edit the graphic and the definition, but not the font.

Is there a way to update the text settings for all the symbols on the Resource Browser (for the current open file)?

[Plant Labels]

COuld it be your number of decimal places in your Unit settings for the document?

[plant symbols, their id tags, disappearing workspaces...]

Yes - click on the plant. You will see a little blue selection handle in the middle of the symbol. Drag this to your chosen position and click again to place.

[Changing the leader length on plant tag]

Make sure you have Interactive Selection Mode ON - check the mode bar when using the select tool...