bclydeb
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Posts posted by bclydeb
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I posted a reply in one of the threads regarding parametric casework and countertops and the fact that the sink bowls are always full of either coutertop or cabinet top and are not modeled as true, 3D full depth sinks. They always have a full of dishwater "water line".
A comment and a cople of votes.
The comment: I have always had this problem with the parametric casework modules. My solution has been to simply create a rounded rectangle to match the sink, convert it to a thin extrude and texture it with a water texture. So the sink bowl has water in it. I have on one occaision stuck a flower bouquet in a vase image prop in a sink bowl as though someone was watering it in the sink. This distracted from the appearance of the shallow bowl caused by the "solid" casework passing through the sink bowls. I suppose image props of dishes sticking out of the sink, etc. wold lend a homey, real life effect to any kitchen design. Another thing I have tried is declaring the basic casework color to be a water blue. Attributes palette coloring. This is what shows in the sink. The rest of the cabinet is colored or shaded with the class textures - wood, paint, etc. that have been declared for the cabinet.
Yes - these are "work arounds" - but until NNA believes it is a real item to fix - base cabinets which are hollow and can be declared to have real swinging/sliding doors and drawers which actually pull out sometimes - then work arounds must be used. Of course one could build your own custom casework using 3d modeling tools, as some actual cabnetworkers I have met do.
The parametric casework modules are very useful for some types of projects to quickly arrive at a casework solution. For creating renderable models they have limitations.
A vote: For the suggestion by Peter Cipes to have casework and countertops which automatically cut into parametric counters and casework is not bad.
My suggestion:
How about making the parametric casework more true to life by having it create hollow carcases simulating the real thing. Then dropping in a sink or rangetop doesn't produce anomalies like phony water levels in the sink! A sink base will be open at the top, below the countertop so a sink set in a hole punched into the separate countertop had a real cabinet space to set into. Then instead of having to ignore the dishwater level or camouflage it - we could put real dishes in the sink, fill one bowl with water leave the other dry or whatever we choose for a "special effect".
The next logical step would be to have doors which could open and see the shelving, 3D representations which don't show the shelf line telegraphed through the end walls, more options for finishing casework ends, casework which conforms to walls which do 22.5, 30, 45 (how about any reasonable angle) degree bends (banana and zee shaped casework). Yes VWA does corner cabinets with 45 degree faces but it does not have cabinets which do corners. Wrap around corners - at various angles.
Then there are island casework with odd shapes ?
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I'd like to chime in here and add a comment and a vote.
The comment: I have always had this problem with the parametric casework modules. My solution has been to simply create a rounded rectangle to match the sink, convert it to a thin extrude and texture it with a water texture. So the sink bowl has water in it. I have on one occaision stuck a flower bouquet image prop in a sink bowl as though someone was watering it in the sink. This distracted from the appearance of the shallow bowl caused by the "solid" casework passing through the sink bowls. Another thing I have tried is declaring the basic casework color to be a water blue. Attributes palette coloring. This is what shows in the sink. The rest of the cabinet is colored or shaded with the class textures - wood, paint, etc. that have been declared for the cabinet.
Yes - it these are "work arounds" - but until NNA believes it is a real item to fix - base cabinets which are hollow and can be declared to have real swinging/sliding doors and drawers which actually pull out sometimes - then work aronds must be used. Of course one could build your own custom casework using 3d modeling tools, as somoe actual cabnetworkers I have met do.
The parametric casework modules are very useful for some types of projects to quickly arrive at a casework solution. For creating renderable models they have limitations.
A vote: For the suggestion by Peter Cipes to have casework and countertops which automatically cut into parametric counters and casework is not bad.
My suggestion:
How about making the parametric casework more true to life by having it create hollow carcases simulating the real thing. Then dropping in a sink or rangetop doesn't produce anomalies like phony water levels in the sink!
The next logical step would be to have doors which could open and see the shelving, 3D representations which don't show the shelf line telegraphed through the end walls, more optins for finishing casework ends, casework which conforms to walls which do 22.5, 30, 45 (how about any reasonable angle) degree bends (banana and zee shaped casework). Yes VWA does corner cabinets with 45 degree faces but it does not cabinets which do corners. Wrap around corners - at various angles.
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I have a few "legacy" Macs sitting around doing mostly nothing except occaisional word processing, spreadsheets, etc. They are - according to Apple's Xgrid site - compatible with Xgrid. Since I live in Apple's back yard in Silicon Valley San Jose and know some Apple people I was going to try and see if Xgrid would take the "dual processor threading" and speed things up VW.
The understanding of what I have read - if VW's multiprocessor support works with or if it can be made to directly supported Xgrid I could be doing a lot of faster rendering zooms than with my dual 800 by itself. At no additional hardware and software costs.
Also - Xgrid support would make working with VW -A,L,M,S, and whatever - a scalable heavy duty solution for major projects. One could envision a small, nimble creative firm with a couple of primary workstations backed by a Mac OSXServer rack running circles around 50 to 1500 person A/E firms. (We already do now but that is another story.) {;<)
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I vote for more intelligent floor objects as well. I need floors which have textured balcony edges, etc. All of which requires work arounds. Not good.
For Mike m oz Floors already do holes - create a polygon, punch a stair hole or light well hole using another surface object (Rectangle, Poly, Circle, Arc, etc.). Shape your edges with the 2D Reshape tool if one edge is a fancy ushape balcony, for example. Finally select the compound object and use the floor tool to make it a floor.
Editing the floor is a matter of using the Organize Menu>Edit Group tool and change the original planar object using 2D Reshape tool.
NNA - give us edge texture capability a la Walls. Should be simple to do.
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This is an area which the Nemetschek theory of use for v11 may be at variance with what a user is trying to do.
Since associative dimensions may be required for designs which are in flux, then making them in the design layer is best. If you need to hide them in some Sheet views and have them show in others - you can create a new class and draw them in that new Class. Then turn the Class off and on again in the Sheet viewports as required, yet while designing you have the luxury of associative dimensioning of things which might change.
This can produce some interesting useful effects - for instance I have a a project where I have a Site Plan Viewport and on the same sheet have made a couple of detailed views at large scale. By having associated dims in a couple of extra classes on the design layer I can turn on "big picture" dims, for the overall view and then in the "zoomed" views, turn off the overalls and turn on the specific fine detail dimensions. So I can design with flexibility, knowing the dims will change as the Owner makes up their mind - and in the final plots the dimensions will be right where I need them.
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Trevor,
Peter's suggestion leaves an object where you may not want one.
Another suggestion is to place 2D or 3D loci in your drawing and make them a distinct color. When you create the viewport crop use the loci as the click points for the view.
Coloring the loci differently for each view of the same object keeps them distinct for each viewport record.
The advantage to this method is that the loci never show in a plot and are unobtrusive when working on the design layer. Yet you can always direct/focus your attention to where you defined the viewport view when you need to..
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Harold,
Since you already have 2D -
Depending on what you want to do with a plan view in axonometric or any 3D for that matter you could do a parial recovery of the drawing for display in a 3D type view by simply selecting the 2D lines and such and converting them to extrudes with a height dimension.
Important! To preserve the 2D items just in case - you could make a new layer, copy the stuff to it and then experiment.
Lines in plan view thus become thin vertical 3d planes. If you want the resulting extrudes to become opaque and not transparent you could/should give each of the objects a fill color before extruding them. Yes lines can have a fill color.
Exdtruding 2D stuff as zero height extrudes produces some interesting effects in 3D views such as floor plans in plane with no vertical height.
Is this of any help to you? Please feel free to contact me via private email.
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Since I do "art"
![[Roll Eyes]](images/icons/rolleyes.gif)
and photo work on the computer (Mac -OSX) as well as VW ![[Cool]](images/icons/cool.gif)
, I am contemplating purchasing a Wacom Intuous tablet and possibly their cintique LCD Monitor/tablet.Has anyone tried using either of these devices with VectorWorks and if so, are there any advantages?
![[smile]](images/icons/smile.gif)
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Nosocks3
Forget HP - the drive was supposed to be out last October. HP gives none of us Mac users the time of day.
It has been posted heremany times that the GIMPrint packages for OSX available from Gimp Print site:
http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php3
plus a 500/500ps driver from http://buymelunch.com which solves the many issues with the 500/500ps designjets. I felt abandoned by HP and until I was able to use the above mentioned drivers, was running OS9 on a Bronze laptop as a print spooler to resolve the HP driver incompatibility with OSX using HP tech supports "work arounds".
I use the GIMP-print drivers under OSX 10.2.8 currently and it works really well. It also enables printing with other applications to the plotter. Photoshop (Large photos, renderings, etc.) Adobe Illustrator (Banners, signs, etc.)
Try them out.
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Fred, Et. al,
I wonder if your goal is to create a lot of similar rooms?
If so the easiest way is to create the first room, put windows and doors in the walls that will occur in every case. Then use the Duplicate Array command to duplicate all the rooms you want - in two directions even.
One hint since the rooms undoubtedly have common walls - don't select what will be the common wall on one side to avoid doubling of walls necessarily.
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Details, details, details!
I have not found many detail libraries for sale which are worth purchasing. I find that collecting/exchanging details with friends and those willing to share is a worthwhile activity as long as one fully understands the purpose of detailing to fit your project.
A good detail is instructive.
However one should use caution and sound judgement before committing a detail to a project.
I once was encouraged to stick my library of details out on the market by friends. Seemed like a slam dunk to garner a new profit center. However my legal counsel strongly discouraged me from doing so because of 3rd party, thrice removed liability problems possibly cropping up.
It amazes me how my own library becomes outdated so quickly and I am constantly revisiting a detail to fit it to the unique conditions of a project.
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Hugo,
I have occaisionally experienced this too. I think it has to do with selection of stuff in the drop down portions of the dialog and not letting VW "record" it internally.
I find that selection of one parameter in the drop down needs to be followed with "changing" a parameter in one of the data entry boxes and tabbing to the next. You don't acutally have to change a parameter Just tab into and out of it. Then close the dialog and the drop down box parameter comes out as expected.
The problem you experience is not readily repeatble in my equipment and seems to be more of a random occurrence.
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Pretondo,
I have no real idea of what our slow processing time is about. I have not run across what you describe,
Windows is not my technical cup of tea, although I run a Windows machine - particularly for programs which will never be made to run on a Mac and those few of my VectorWorks using assistants and training clients who are Macintosh adverse.
Have you tried to "clean up" and "optimize" your hard disk? How about running the Norton or other windows system tune up tools? Perhaps reinstalling Vectorworks will clean it it up?
If it is not system related maybe you have linked far too many objects to be converted. E.g. I create multiple 3D MOD layers for files and do not link exterior walls, roofs and features only and not the interior components. That way hidden line removal only has to deal with the information actually becoming part of the picture. Similarly, linking selected interior information to a 3D Mod view for sectioning to achieve interior elevations allows VW inernal processing to just render what is really improtant to the view desired.
Use of multiple Layers and/or Classes to separate information groups simulates the "maquee" selection described for ArchiCAD.
However it does require setting up more "sheets" than maybe you want to control.
I hope this helps.
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Hey fellas,
Let's all go to the Wish List and get it on the list! then solict more votes from the other users of Vectorworks.
I know the marquee in Archicad. IN fact I tried to do a 3D CAD system way back myself. I could define a rectangular 3D space which would show only the areas and items in the space selected. So I could neatly section say one foot below the First Floor Ceiling up to include say 12" above a laboratory bench and show all the structural, electrcal, mechanical and plumbing relationships. (Unfortunaltely it ran on an Apple II and not a "mainframe" so I couldn't get venture capital to listen and became an also ran.)
If the folks programming VW can add this live link to 3D section cuts we might even retire the 2D section tool. Or keep it as a nice handy legacy tool.
I certainly would make the "BIM" features of VW take on a more useful function.
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Petri and Richard
May I politely take you to task for hooting at those whose perceptions about what can be "afforded" are diffierent than your own.
I've been "rich" and I've been "poor" and know that sometimes fixing an older Mac or stretching out an older PC operating system longer has to be done when workloads are thin and profits illusive during troubled times.
And then there is the proverbial "learning curve" - some folks just cannot spend even the smallest amount of time learning a "new" piece of software because of demands on their time.
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Vitanaut,
Thanks for your valued opinioni on what my argument is. I think you do not fully understand my point of view. When the technology fails me and costs me $ and time, I write stuff in the wish list(s) and communicate to the companies. Then I use whatever tech is cost effective until the "programmers" catch up to where I want to be.
Usually it's not a case of the programmer's ability but the marketing departments perception of what will generate more revenue for the cmpany producing the software. Nemetschek no exception. Stuff I and others want to see are still languishing in the wish list whilst other items are "voted" on more regularly.
We should all be more doing more regular reading of the wish list and casting votes for stuff.
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I agree with the white paper that Vectorworks has long been out front with "BIM" features. I have been using the spreadsheet features to construct BIM containing Spreadsheets (SPS) since way away back. I have some professional friends whom look to me as a mentor for the various ways to use VectorWorks to automate the mundane so that they can put their prime time to use working out the design and the knotty problems before a contractor has to use his "change order" priviledge which usually results in project cost overruns.
I have used the framing features to work out framing problems before the contractor gets to discover them.
In one project for a charitable orgainization which used volunteer labor to build a large building the framing diagrams were the key to erecting the building during a very short narrow construction season. (can you say "Alaska". The few construction professionals coached the skilled amateurs who used the cad generated info to cut lumber accrately, rig jigs to produce site built roof trusses and transfer knowledge quickly to succeeeding crews. The crews rotated substantially because people committed usualy one week to the process so every week the new workers had to build forward from where the prior crew left off. Clear, highly detailed drawings which had automatically generated information enabled them to pull it off! Tasks completed were highlighted on the drawings and notes left about what had to come next were written on the master set and crossed off when complete.
The takeoff schedules for doors, windows, finishes, and BOM lumber lists facilitated the cost estimation and preordering of materials and other items. This resulted in amazing just in time experiences for the workers. Trucks arrived with materials the day before they were needed. Windows were off loaded from the delivery truck into the openings for them.
I could write a book about not only my experiences, but others experiences where VectorWorks (and its forbear - MiniCAD) have made the difference between project flop and project success, successful bidder vs too low a bid which bankrupts a company, etc.
The bottom line for me and what I do is: I do ite better, quicker and therefore I have a 100% referral business - lowest marketing costs mean higher "profits" per project. Also I get "premium" fees for certain kinds of work because I can meet client's timetables and they can get production lines running on or ahead of schedule.
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Doug, et.al.
To take care of some of your problem with the widow & door PIOs uncheck the "Use wall line weight" box and fill in the other parameters for relative line weights if you want to. By unchecking the "Use wall line weight" and leaving the other relative line weight parameters alone - most of the window will will appear as class defined line wieghts. I like to set the glass line weight parameter to "1" to get a nice thin glass line.
This is as close as I have been able to come to getting the line weights I would like to see to differentiate window from wall and other items. Sometimes I wish for a pencil again so I can use line weights and tone (e.g. grayscale) to create easier reading drawings.
BTW, I too have complained about what happens at the jambs when a window and door is inserted into a wall. particularly if trims are shown.
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Vita, et. al.
I may be a "cutting edge" user but I am also somewhat practical too. I do not consider that making huge files of graphic info (full of scans, tiffs etc.) is necessary or even the "best" way for every project. Sometimes a judicious use of other technologies and methods is far more cost effective!
So I put into the computer that which is relevant and which the program I am using can do easy and quick.
For what you want to do with "tear" sheets (aka "cut" Sheets) I always plot out a project sheet for that kind of detailed info and paste it up with off the web prints or "xerox" copies. I can do a full sheet in less than 1/2 an hour. (Not counting all the time researching for the correct content to use.)
I also do detail paste ups from my legacy files for the same reason - converting to CAD is timme consuming and pasting up is quick and cost effective.
So my sage wisdom (computer user for 30 odd years) is use the most appropriate technology for your work. Don't force the computer to do stuff which even a "lower" tech can do better!
![[Wink]](images/icons/wink.gif)
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This graphic display to the side of a Layer name is a useful assistant.
The 3D cube indicates that the layer is set to a 3D view. e.g. right isometric, perspective, etc.
The Square with dimension lines indicates the layer is in 2D view mode.
If there is no graphic the layer is invisible (turned off).
If there is a cube or square then the layer is currently visible. I hope this is helpful to you
![[big Grin]](images/icons/grin.gif)
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Lights and colors you don't expect things to be.
I think we all idealize the look we want to see in a room or ? However lighting in the real world does things we hardly notice until we try to light our CAD models. To help you anticipate light effects you will get in VW 3D - spend some focus time observing how rooms actually light up. Ceilings with lights mounted on them which are shining down are darker - because the ceiling is above the light source and only gets reflected light from other room sources.
Ceilings with Up-Down lighting have "pools" of light and shadow depending on the fall off of he light pattern between fixtures.
Think about how light actually bounces (straight line bounce based on angle of reflection = angle of incidence) - and that it falls off in brightness with the square of the distance. 1 lumen at one foot is 1/100th lumen at 10 feet.
Experiment a little with secondary light sources which produce a reflective bounce on your ceiling.
With VW and renderworks you can actually experiment with lighting scheme effects using multiple fixtures and light types.
If your room has a window - and the sun is "shining" you will get other effects. Setting the "bounce" factors in the views/rendering/custom render settings for ray tracing recursions give more realistic lighting. However I recommend you stay away from recursion levels greater than 2 for more complex rooms or areas. Shadow mapped shadows further enhace realism.
Experimenting with the ambiant light controls in a narrow range - say 40 to 60% may also help get the effect you envision. However use care to base your vision on the reality of light - or you get a very disappointed client!
Finally I reiterate - go to the real source of lighting - the world around you and take a deeper look at how lights, reflections, outside light and "brightness" levels affect spaces. Then come back to VW and apply what you have learned.
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re: Katie's solution "try checking disable driver text rotation ?
I have already tried that and it did not work in every case - just 50% or so. When I check the left justify text box in the VW Callout options, it gives 100% correctly reading text in the printed/plotted callouts, whether or not disable driver text rotation is on or off.
In testing the combo with both Callout Left Justify and disable driver text rotation on all other funny text rotation is gone too.
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![[Frown]](images/icons/frown.gif)
I have not had the major bombs on the WinMach like most of your posts - could it be I am running the HPGL2 "extra cost" card and more memory?I found the Callout notation problem - when I do get info and check the box to always left justify text - bingo - No more Da Vinci text - all is correct.
In the HP software "advanced" setup I find I can download fonts to the plotter. So maybe the text styles will become what I want them to be. This is likely only a feature of the 500ps software.
Finally - For the Mac users with 500's and 500 ps's - I have found that the old Microspot folks have a new 'rip' software which supposedly works with everything up through OSX and supports a range of HP plotters including the 500 and 800 series. They give a discount to those who own the earlier MacPlot graphic Pak software. I am waiting for my copy to arrive and will report on whether this is a potential solution to the fuss.
The product is called "Microspot X-Rip".
One caveat - ya gotta have the HPGL2 extra cost card.
You can contact them at:
sales@macroenter.com (Macro Enter Corporation)
But maybe you should wait to see if I have success with it first.
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More Hopping In - this time about Windows, VW and The 500PS.
I also run the VW windows on one machine. An IBM Netvista 2 1/2 Years Old using WinNT2000Pro. 768MB RAM, rage graphics card.
I did not experience any setup problems, and pulled my VW files from the mac to the PC. The HP PS software for the plotter plots well - no problems except for the same Callouts. Fonts are coordinated using the VW dialog tool which asked for selecting WinMach fonts to coorespond with what I have on the Mac.
Plotting exhibites the same phenomena of VW bombing on trying to spool using the "Print Sheets" feature. However one at a time off the screen - no print sheets dialog - and the plot spools fine. VW Win 10.1 keeps it's cool and the plot comes out fine - except the Callouts some are flipped upside down or 90 degreed mirror readable text. Leonardo da Vinci would have loved it!
![[Razz]](images/icons/tongue.gif)
The major problem is the driver software for the 500PS substitutes plain jane fonts for my carefully orchestrated set of Peignot Medium, Century Schoolbook and Arial.
At least I get a plot I can use. I find it really really interesting that HP ships with a new plotter (three weeks old) the Mac software designed to run it runs only in a Mac 8.5 environment - several technology ages behind. And when the Windows version of the software runs, it is unable to plot well except when using ACAD.
Importing Word text - help please
in General Discussion
Posted
Viper x
Katie's suggestion for scaling the picture is good.
Regarding text file imports and retaining formatting, at least simple tabbed formatting, is to use one of the clumsy but useful monospaced fonts to compose the text and import it. Most of us shun "American Typewriter", "Courier" or other monospaced fonts because they are not "lovely". after the text is in - resize the text block width to where the original line width is preserved.
Finally - your question regarding OIP. OIP stands for the Object Info Palette. Shorthand acronyms and similar stuff like this is common parlance amongst the forum connouseurs and cognoscenti.javascript:void(0)