Machine Designer

OK PLC, I'll start a new topic. There's some more stuff I'd like to get help with since we're on a roll. Look for "CAD Oldies but Goodies" Nolton

Hey PLC, you're allright! That works just like I need it to, thank you. How about another one? In Claris CAD I was in the habit of putting down any symetrical figure like a square or hex by dragging it from it's center like a "Circle by Radius. This saves a step when you know where the center needs to be. In VW I only know how to do corner to corner. O.K. now that I think about it, the hex can be set to 4 sides and polygons to circumscribed and it grows a square from it's center. I just tried it. However I'm going to put in an NNA wish for the same choices as for polygons to appear in the mode bar for the 2D Rectangle tool. What do you think? Here's one that I really miss, the ability to select an object and use an arrow key to move it by one grid snap increment. "Nudge by pixel" doesn't do it for machinery because you loose the exact location gained by using "Grid" and divisions of feet or inches. Can you do that one?

PLC I tried it just like you said but the new copies just piled up on top of the second one. Do you use this method? What am I doing wrong? Computer: PowerBook G4, 667, 1 Gig, OS 9 = latest, VW = latest version with Mechanical. Unlike most of my friends I ALWAYS work on a grid and snap to it. The objects in Claris CAD always stepped off perfectly maintaining grid alignment. Nolton

In Claris CAD on the Mac there was a very handy thing that I used constantly. I still try to use it without thinking because it became so natural. When an object is duplicated (one copy made) and the copy is dragged to a new location, you can then hold down the Command key and hit the "D" key over and over to place more copies at the same spacing and in the same direction as the first copy. This eliminates the work of trying to figure out how many copies are needed plus the original, then key & click it all in. Many times that comes out wrong and you have to get rid of or add some. With my Wish List item you can watch each copy appear and stop when you have enough! If it is available, how do I use it? Thanks for giving us most of the functions of Claris CAD and much more! Nolton from Bend, Oregon

In Claris CAD on the Mac there was a very handy thing that I used constantly. I still try to use it without thinking because it became so natural. When an object is duplicated (one copy made) and the copy is dragged to a new location, you can then hold down the Command key and hit the "D" key over and over to place more copies at the same spacing and in the same direction as the first copy. This eliminates the work of trying to figure out how many copies are needed plus the original, then key & click it all in. Many times that comes out wrong and you have to get rid of or add some. With my Wish List item you can watch each copy appear and stop when you have enough! If it is available, how do I use it? Thanks for giving us most of the functions of Claris CAD and much more! Nolton in Bend, Oregon

I have been using CAD since 1983 & VW since v8.5. Now I have v9.5 with Render & Mechanical on a PB G4. This combo looks very good for machinery guys when compared to the many CAD & Modeling packages in common use. My reasons for saying that are: 1. Affordable for individuals 2. Easier to learn & keep up with 3. Dual platform (if you buy it twice) 4. Imports & exports to others 5. Lots of parts & stuff included 6. It runs on my Mac! I have to admit that I really have to get into it and use it in OSX. Lets have more machinery people talking about their experience.

I can see Caleb's point but I agree that we should at least have an option to not change views during UNDO.

Thanks, Caleb. I went to the Peach disussion but couldn't find anything on the class of groups. It just seems logical that since I need to set the class for an object I will draw, that the same setting should determine the class of the group I will make. For instance, a plate will have bolt holes and other plates or bars welded on. It needs to be grouped in the same class as it's component parts were drawn in. Because it is a specific part of an assembly that I need to see by itself later, some or all of the other parts (groups) will need to be greyed or turned off by making their classes invisible. I know I could leave the fragments of the weldment ungrouped but then it would be harder to pick it for duplicating or moving. I am using class to distinguish parts of assemblies instead of layers because I must export everything to AutoCRUD and VW "class" translates to AutoCRUD "layer". I have been designing and drafting for 40 years, 17 on CAD. However I still am searching for a better scheme for organizing machinery drawings.

The 2-D Polygon Tool should be as smart as it was in ClarisCAD. You could simply hit delete if you entered a vertex in the wrong place and it would back up. VW requires you to start over or leave it wrong and come back afterwards to edit.

Why don't the rulers set to frations when I set the grid and the units to fractions? It's hard (or impossible) to use the ruler (like I could in ClarisCAD) when zoomed in and it reads in decimals! Unlike my associates I insist all work be done on a grid pattern. I really need the rulers to set to inch fractions. Who knows how to get there? I am happy to see the stock markets abandon fractions because money should be strickly decimals.

Thanks, jfmarch. I do set the class before drawing objects and it has no effect on the class of the group. Caleb pointed out that all groups become class "none". My belief is that we should have the option of presetting a class so parts & groups go in. Then we don't have to waste the time resetting class for each group. Maybe I am using groups too much? Is there another way to accomplish the same thing? (Please see my reply above)

I too am a long time ClarisCAD user and I really miss some of the great functions we used to have Samsa. Nudge with arrow by grid increments would save me a lot of time. I also miss the simple "duplicate by control/d then drag the duplicate, then control/d again as many as you like, for an equal dup & offset with each." Lets keep asking VW to add these great ClarisCAD functions. You can do that at the wish list page.

I have a similar request re: HARDWARE & DRAFTING AIDS pallets. Why not leave the screw as it was last used? I almost always need to go back to adjust the length or something to get it just right, but VW clears everything back to the default & makes me start all over each time. This is lost time. You tend to repeat similar fasteners & holes, so it should retain settings for next startup too. ------------------

Would someone please tell me how to predetermine the class of a new group. I have to edit the class after each group command. Thanks. ------------------

Pull down menu "design", "drafting aids", "spiral" for 2-D. See http://www.zeta.org.au/~jbcarr/ for 3-D. ------------------ [This message has been edited by Machine Designer (edited 06-03-2000).]