bclydeb

Christian, Thanks for your insight. I have experimented to verify that the strange classes were not affecting the stairs. They appear to be separate issues. I notice in other places in the forums there are quite a few of us frustrated with the stair tool. It works but not really! I have also discovered that deleting the offending classes clears up the too many classes to scroll through issue. The file is free from the extra NNA#? classes and they have not returned. (Yet!) Again, thanks for your insight.

Strange classes have appeared in our file(s). They begin with NNA# and have sequential numbers e.g NNA#4_Wall-Component-Ext Finish. And they titles (e.g. Wall-Component-Ext Finish) mimic the class names originally set up in the file. Other problems are cropping up like stairs disappearing or not rendering/ being visible in 3D. Our backups show the same corruption(s). We have three months of work going down the drain here!!! Is our Vectorworks (Designer Rederworks, 2008 SP2 [build 83338]) corrupt or the file?

The callout tool is giving us fits. 1. With the callout tool setup we entered in shoulder dim. of 1' so that all callouts would have a shoulder length of 12" at 1/4" inch scale. The idea is to have a short shoulder. When we place a callout the shoulder is a scale 12' long at 1/4" scale and 144" (12') at 1:1 scale. No matter what scale this "default" we set is always far longer than what we wanted. If we do 1/4" in the setup we get an invisible shoulder at 1/4" scale and a full 1/4" at 1:1 scale and proportionally for all other scales. Net result we lose a lot of time re-inputting shoulder lengths for callouts. Our current work around is to create a callout, set the shoulder length to the proportional length that we want for the view, then copy/duplicate it to create all other callouts in that view. Big nuisance. We are using VW 2008 Design series for Mac. Yes, we are upgraded to the correct SP1 + SP2 build 83388. Happens on all machines, dual G5, MacBook pro intels 1.66 & 2.4Ghz, max. RAM in each machine.

Boxjoint, Go to the wish list and submit a "wish" for the feature you described. I think it is a good Idea!

Further aspects of the Keynotes/General Notes data. It is a Big Problem to get keynotes for different subjects on the same sheet with the current keynotes system. Case in point: a combined plumbing (sanitary & waste), HVAC and Electrical plan (MEP plan) or some combination thereof. The problem is partially mitigated when the Keynotes are applied at the design layer level - e.g. Sanitary Sewer/Waste keynotes on the Sanitary Sewer/Waste design layer, Domestic Water on that design layer, etc. and then combine them in the sheet viewport(s). The keynotes "stick" with the design layer and for just those Keynotes distinct note blocks are created. However when trying to use two or more viewports on a sheet and trying to apply either keynotes or General Notes in the correct categories to the respective viewports the Key/General Notes stubbornly are added to the same keynotes block. Removing some potential flexibility from appropriate sheet composition for smaller projects or combined large scale plans for larger projects.

Robert We are experiencing odd, unexpected and "we don't know what to do now" problems with reconciling database notes. See my related post. http://techboard.nemetschek.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=95936&page=4#Post95936 This is possibly all related to features of the database which are probably not often encountered by notes database users who use it in straightforward fashion and don't attempt to use the support features. Therefore some bugs or imperfectly documented (lacking good how-to-use instructions) support features.

Thanks Robert, Kind of a "du-oh" experience - I got so close to the problem I hadn't thought to Look in the VW-prefs files. Neither did my employees. We usually get away with only the default VW items and have generally ignored the VW prefs file sets because we do so much standards keeping in the .sta files for project types and do a lot with keeping up the keynotes databases. Room finishes using the Space Tool are a new addition to our skill set here because we finally have a Space Tool which has some real functionality we can use. Previously we did finishes with an in house finish marker linked to a spreadsheet for the individual rooms with a canned boilerplate spreadsheet which contained the finish descriptions. Our only fault finding to date is that we cannot have a finish marker diamond as we had before. Some feedback from the field (contractors) indicates they have trouble reconciling N,E,S,& W orientation of walls to the finish schedule. Despite our handy dandy North arrows on the plan and our meticulous ensuring that we show the North Wall finish. The diamond over split rectangle marker we had before was much easier for estimators and contractors to follow because the points of the square were oriented to the walls of the room and the split rectangle had the floor and base key. The way the space tool puts it on the plan is lame and un-helpful. (My opinion based on 38 years in architectural practice.) Later this month we will take time (during post deadline breather) to see if we can restore the functionality of the old marker by linking to the 'Space.North Key', etc. data items. Again, Thanks

We have legacy notes from way back and keep moving the notes databases forward to each new version. Until VW2008they worked fine. In VW2008 we started having problems with disconnected notes. Particularly with files started in VW 11.5.x NA Vw 12.x.x So we attempted to reconcile notes on a current hot project. We got a screen which looked like the .png "Reconcile Notes 1" (go -here: http://gallery.mac.com/bclydebeck_arch#100045&view=carouseljs&sel=1) The Notes on the right do not apparently match any in the database files. Clicking on a note to select it brings up the box shown in "Reconcile Notes 2". What is going on here? Why the new box? What is it's utility? How do we use it? What will it do for us? Why doesn't the program allow us to move these right hand notes into our databses?

Where are the finishes items data kept? In the project file?, In a VW preference? Where is this file located on a Mac? On a Windows Machine? Is this file modifiable by another means besides from within the space tool? We would like to set up a master list of finishes which would be able to be distributed across all computers with licensed copies which are at various work locations (think virtual office) and the main office server. We have the distinct impression that the finishes are too file specific. We cannot reuse finish definitions created in one file in a different file and have to re-enter laboriously. Cases in point: We defined some new finishes on a project computer in the office and sent it to another computer (laptop) which goes to and from the main and virtual office. (Employee works from home.)None of the finish definitions appear on that computer and it is not clear where the VW Preference files are kept in VW folders, nor if they are "portable". At least not clear to us. Yes -we do do VW stationery (.sta) files and update them periodically by copying in new info, etc. And we do create customized .sta files from projects which go outside the box and we recognize that we need a new "building type" file. But - there seems to be a disconnect with the finishes tools which makes them laborious to use and keep up the databases. It would also be nice if we could create & maintain separate finish data files for residential and commercial.

I am Kgood's employer. He and I have run all the Apple supplied diagnostics and TechTool type stuff I have as well. No explanations. I advised Kgood to take this problem to the Apple Store Guru desk. So he will set up an appointment there. The volume was not network mounted. I know where the destroyed folder was located on his computer. It was not in the VW folder, nor in the VW folder in Library>Application Support>etc., but in a "normal" documents place. I suspect a corrupted disk directory, but the recovery program did not find any deleted file entities to restore/recover. Computers are the weirdest things. They "save time" only to wipe everything out by things which can only be explained by the operation of the 2nd Law OF Thermodynamics. (Order decays to disorder - via changes in energy - no reverse mechanism is known to exist.)

I am getting a consistent failure when trying to install the SP2 on my Macintosh dual 2.5Ghz G5. 102GB hard drive with 91.67 GB Free, 8 GB RAM. The error message states that it failed to install due to an error in the installer program. The error code then bombs and I cannot read fast enough get the error number. Prior to failure of installation the installer is engaged in a long (upwards of 20 minutes) download of file 2 of 2. I have also tried downloading the installer off the site twice to get a "fresh" copy and get the same error problem. I had no (nada, zip) problems updating my intel Mac powerbook pro. 8+ hours of trying to get it to work!

Alistair Have you tried to get .dwg or .dxf files from sites such as Thomas Industries PartSpec or even fromt he manufacturer? Such drawings/views can be imported into Vectorworks and used as you wish.

Roch, While VW does not currently have an import function for STL files - it does produce them (STL files). Perhaps you could run the parts the other way - export the STL from VW and then import into the other program to merge the models?

I would like to know if Nemetschek will be putting out a "viewer" for 2008 soon? The past versions have been very helpful to my business in several ways. First is sending files to sophisticated clientele who want to view the files from several "angles" and print them out for comments by staff or contractors/sub-contractors. The Viewer is easy for them to use and they do not have to be fully literate in VectorWorks use nor modify the drawings accidentally. Second - the reprographic service I use can use the viewer's print mode to directly print sets without our creating an intermediate plot or requiring we send them a slow printing format (PDF) or a .plt file. Another feature for the viewer is that we can dedicate an older computer and a non-CAD literate operator to plot in-house and use our program licenses for the productivity people. PDF review and comments works for some clients and not others.

I hope VectorWorks employees who are monitoring this file understand the imprtance of this major limitation of VW. Isometric dimensioning has been a staple of many other programs going back 10 years at least! I wonder how many sales they are losing because of the lack of this feature?