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Tom G.

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Posts posted by Tom G.

    Worst things in VW 2010

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Bring back the manual but rewrite it to be context based and not the unconnected bits of information it is/was.

    Charge $100 for the manual. We recycle so the tree argument seems weak.

    Regardless of how good it is or isn't, the Help file will always feel like learning Vwks through the small end of binoculars.

    Layers and Perspectives

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    No, Layers is better.

    What version of Vwks do you have? If 2010, use Unified View, if 2009, 2008 use Stacked Layers to assemble everything.

    Put a Renderworks Camera into one of your visible layers while in Top plan.

    Set your view. Dbl click the camera icon to show a perspective view. If you want isometric, use the Standard Views choices or the fly-around tool.

    Make sure each layer you want to show has been set to one of the visible options. Cancel out of your perspective view back to Top view by hitting Command + 5 or Ctrl + 5.

    You can also make a viewport of the visible assembled layers and make changes after the fact using the Object Info palette choices.

    There is no need to set a view for each layer.

    If you are on an older version of Vwks, read up on using the Model View tool to assemble the layers.

    If you have more 3d trouble you can see my 3d videos here:

    http://www.viddler.com/explore/Tguy/videos/

    Watch 3D Tutorials 1 through 3, then Viewports Tutorial.

    Exporting into Piranesi

    in Rendering

    Posted

    I'm exporting from design layers in wireframe and getting a rendered, jaggy model displaying in the Piranesi window. Do I need to run the Piranesi tool which turns the rendered model into lines? And will that reduce the jaggies? My export rendering dpi is set high. As is typical, the Help file is devoid of practical advice on exporting.

    Mac Snow Leopard

    MacBook Pro 2.5

    4 Gigs Ram

    Vwks 2010 Designer, updated

    Piranesi 5.1

    How good is Vectorworks modelling?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I would suggest that some want Vwks to be a high-end renderer and it's not. I design a whole lot of structure; only a small part needs to be carefully rendered. So it works great for me.

    If your needs are reversed and you prefer the majority of your work rendered as best as possible, by all means add a more robust program. I'd love to try one too but the cost in time and money will have to wait.

    fix the Galleries

    in Wishlist - Feature and Content Requests

    Posted

    For some time now--years, really--the Galleries have suffered from what I think is a lack of manpower to help Webmaster Randy.

    As a result the Galleries are currently no longer accepting submissions which means models built or rendered in v2010 cannot be seen by potential purchasers. With HDRI getting a rework--that is to say made easier to find--more realistic models should be seen but won't. (I got way into it and went back and re-rendered my last two v2009 projects which improved them no end.)

    Since the real goal of the Galleries is to sell copies of Vwks, the weaker content should be moved to a second tier of folders. (I understand quality of content is one of their issues.) Another way of saying this is that all content submitted should be accepted and displayed except that certain models which best suite the PR needs of NNA should be given a display priority.

    Two sets of folders would seem to solve the problem. Now if Randy can only be given help to maximize this sales tool.

    Is Layer Linking Dead?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    No one has mentioned Model View Tool in v2010 which is layer linking just more intuitive.

    Strangely, while the Legacy Folder in Workspaces contains the Model View Tool, it is still on my Visualization toolset in the Design Series. (It's the dog house with photo tabs at the corners.)

    3D Render Engine/system

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Got it, billtheia, thanks! I re-rendered following your suggestions while turning off my sun and ambient lighting. I got rather interesting lighting patches which look like dappling except there were some horizontal streaks which were unnatural plus my strong shadows become too soft, even after turning up lighting to 150%. My sky, having changed location via rotation also lost drama. My interiors were now too dark and obviously needed separate lighting to give depth to the image.

    So I guess I like my original rendering better although this has opened some big doors. Lots of experimenting ahead.

    3D Render Engine/system

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Shaun said: "I strongly disagree renderworks is moving forward."

    In my last paragraph I said Renderworks has taken a huge step forward in EASE OF USE which I stand by. The "implementation" of HDRI is NOT the same as in v.2008 if by implementation we mean "a practical means for accomplishing something."

    To Billtheia: Thanks for the tips! My HDRI option was ON and set to my preferred background. I indeed did render earlier with ambient lighting off as a test but my model was too dark for my tastes. I did want the model bright as would happen when sun peeks through storm clouds.

    I'll definitely follow up on your suggestion to experiment with individual exterior lighting.

    3D Render Engine/system

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by tguy

    Billtheia:

    The settings I used were:

    Custom Renderworks

    Ray traced transparent shadows

    No Final Gather

    Ray Tracing on

    Anti Aliasing on

    other settings set to High

    Lighting:

    Ambient light set to on at 26%

    Sunlight set to 75%

    Color temp: Daylight

    I re-rendered the image with Final Gather on at 20% and it was not much slower than the original 9 min. render. I did not see a significant difference in quality.

    I re-rendered with same Final Gather settings but with Specular Highlights on.

    The image showed softer detail but since I wanted a sharp image, this worked against me. This setting might be better employed on an interior view. Rendering time was not recorded but it was not more than 15 minutes.

    The HDRI backdrop doesn't have an OFF setting that I'm aware of so all of them affect lighting of the model to one degree or another. In rendering using different HDRI's I found that many really affected how much light was reflected off the front windows. I liked this HDRI background better than most for its less intense reflections. Also, faces of elements which would have been vague in renderings without the HDRI background now rendered with crisp detail. The set of stairs that face the viewer head on are an example of this. Previously, they would have rendered without clear demarkation between the treads.

    Renderworks, while not a competitor to the renderers that have been mentioned above, has take a huge step forward in v.2010 regarding ease of use--in my opinion. Given the return on investment, I think HDRI as implemented will be judged an important step forward for VectorWorks for those users who don't need the more sophisticated, high-end renderers.

    3D Render Engine/system

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by tguy

    Here's one.

    This is a Vwks 2010 Renderworks rendering.

    Mac OS Snow Leopard

    2.5 Gig MacBook Pro

    4 Gigs of RAM

    Vwks 2010 Architect

    Custom Renderworks

    (3) lights, 1 sun, two interior

    HDRI background

    9 minutes to render

    Annotations-Structural Information

    in Architecture

    Posted

    Jeremy:

    I'd follow Wes' suggestion and use the 2D sheets to convey specific beam info to your contractor. I suggest creating a layer to which you send misc. 3D elements. A beam such as you've described would fit the bill. That way it will show up in the model--assuming its visibility is set to on--and it won't tend to clutter your Top/Plan view where you could use a simplified line to indicate the beam or header or other structural member.

    The beam(s) would not need to be classed unless you wanted to show a variation/alternative or hide it for some reason.

    Vwks newsletter Convert to Lines #38 available here

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Thanks, Shaun, I appreciate your input. It is an appealing image--SketchUp on steroids. Siemens doesn't own the market for push-pull technology, given the examples of competition noted in the original Community Board thread, so what's true today--lack of license--may not be true tomorrow. As markets mature, technology moves downward, especially toward existing partners. So in time, maybe things change.

    I don't expect SketchUp to sit still either.

    2010 - 3d Dimensioning

    in Wishes Granted / Issues Resolved

    Posted

    J Lucas:

    >Off the original topic a bit, but what do you all make of this?:

    >Siemens & Spaceclaim

    >Siemens Synchronous Technology

    [the following is from a draft of my next Convert to Lines newsletter. Comments to explore this topic welcome]

    Can we see Vwks? future? VectorWorks 2010 encompasses several features which seem to point the way. They are:

    ?Unified View

    ?3D snapping and working plane graphics

    ?Planar graphics (which might yield associative 3D text and dimensions eventually)

    ?Parametric constraints (locking relationships between various components)

    ?Wall sculpting

    The decision by NNA to invest in Siemen?s Parasolid kernal could eventually extend the push-pull methods of Siemen?s Synchronous Technology into VectorWorks and thus bring forth a massive improvement to the user experience.

    Elevation line weights

    in Architecture

    Posted

    "One of the great benefits of using 3d based CAD is that you shouldn't need to draw 2d except for details and notes"

    I agree with Bozman's comment above but I don't think we're there yet. Some advisers suggest that the user class all his elements then manipulate the classes on the viewport to get lines to show correctly depending on the view presented. The work needed for many, many users to get to a class-based system of line control is huge and largely unnecessary--in my opinion--for certain classes of user. This is because Vwks allows one to make a DLVP of the model and that image, on a design layer, can be converted to lines and edited with relative ease compared to starting out having to do the same thing structurally.

    If the model changes, the DLVP updates allowing for fast regeneration and minor editing to reflect those changes. This is a work-around but one that offers quite a lot of fast line control.

    If you are interested in looking at this in tutorial form, see the following:

    http://www.viddler.com/explore/Tguy/videos/7/

    And particularly

    http://www.viddler.com/explore/Tguy/videos/4/

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