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JeffPPI

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Everything posted by JeffPPI

  1. THanks Kevin, I will try that in the future. I was able to recover my uncorrupted file from a system backup, and only lost about 3 hours worth of work. I thought that my sheet layer/viewports had become corrupt, and had given up on finding the problem when I searched out my backup.
  2. Thanks Grant, Usually when I run out of memory, it tells me that. This is just kicking me out of vectorworks with no explaination, it just closes the windows and I'm staring at my desktop again. Usually, i can make the adjustments you've suggested, close VW, restart VW, and go about my business. Not this time though. even after a computer restart, still had the same effect.
  3. Hi all, I'm still in the dark ages with '08, but I'm having a problem that I didn't have yesterday. I have a fairly simple model, lots of truss and textures, and whenever I tell it to use renderworks in a sheet layer viewport, it does the geometry, then sits for a while, then shuts down without any error messages. any thoughts? Thanks!
  4. Also, I don't put viewports into design layers, since i only print viewports from sheet layers, so that confusion has never come up for me.
  5. To input my two cents, I've solved this particular class issue by creating a class called vports and a keyboard shortcut to get me there. when I want to use a viewport, i use my keyboard shortcut (in this case ctrl+shift+alt+V) to get me into vports class. Then, I draw my viewport, hit alt alt v to get into the create viewport menu, put it on whatever sheet layer i want, and done. vports class is always on, since i only draw viewports in it. I have it set to create objects with 0 line weight and no fill, so that if i try to draw in my vports class later, i can't see what i just drew. (my crop object is still highlighted orange so i can see it after i've made it if i don't select anything else). then i call myself a bonehead and switch classes. since you only need to double click an oject in your viewport, not the crop, this gets me invisible crop objects without going to edit crop all the time to set my line weight to zero. Andrew, you don't have to be disciplined, you just have to get into the habit of doing it. way quicker and way less frustrating this way, imo. HTH, Jeff
  6. Hi everyone, I'm trying to match a pantone color from my book to a pantone color in my color manager. I've found the color I want in the book, DS 225-6 C, but no such color exists in my Pantone Colors in the color manager. I don't need it to be an accurate match, i.e. I'm going to tell my printer the Pantone Color Number, but i'd like to get close. IS there something I'm missing, or should I just look up the RGB conversion and create custom colors? Thanks!
  7. Un-install then re-install, see if it keeps happening.
  8. Hi all, Sorry if it's a stupid question, but is there a way to use the 2010 viewer to convert a newer .vwx to an '08 .vwx? T I A
  9. be sure to save your workspace too, then you can just load it up if that happens again.
  10. Can you still click the objects? If you can, and they become highlighted, then you do have too many lights all on at once. If you have the "Lit Fog" box clicked in the OIP, turn it off and see what happens. If you've put the lights in different classes, turn the classes off and try rendering again. This will confirm the "too many lights" theory. If you've got a couple hours to spare, try running a radiosity or FQ Radiosity. This usually takes my computer a while to finish, but renders lighting very accurately. Did you put side walls on your theater? if you're just using keyboard shortcuts to view FQRW and FRW, then you'll just be looking at the sides, front, back, etc. of your building. Try using a renderworks camera. I've also found that it helps (but not necessary) if everything is on the same design layer. good luck!
  11. Hi all, I'm trying to get a curtain to behave itself. I can create, render, put in openings, etc. just fine, until I change a basic object attribute, in this case line color. then all heck breaks loose and my curtain object "explodes." see image files for reference. The left curtain is straight up using Spotlight's curtain object tool. The right curtain is the same curtain, only I tried to change the line color to black. Anybody experience this? I know i'm still using 2008, but I won't upgrade until 2011, so... thanks!
  12. I agree with Peter, you could use front view extrudes and the champfer the edges to get the look you want, it should render cleanly. like this.
  13. I've found RW to be adequate, except for a few renderings which I touched up in Photoshop. My main disgruntlement is the time it takes RW to achieve the result, not the result I get. (I can't drop 5G's on a render farm, tho. It really does depend on what you want for your end output. I do renderings to give the craftsmen in my shop an idea of what the final outcome of the project is, more than just 2D build drawings. I also do the occaisonal rendering of a project for a client, which go into far more detail, but RW does just fine. I'm not making movie quality renderings, but I don't need to.
  14. If you have renderworks with your VW,(I use Designer, I'm not sure what fundementals carries), use a Renderworks Camera. (Visualization pallet) with this, you can play with persepective rendering, focal points, etc. Plus, you can create a viewport around your camera view and put it on a sheet layer for presentation. A good way to make sure you're always looking at your model from the same point or same multiple points. If you don't have Renderworks, get it. it's awesome Sorry I can't be more helpful.
  15. that's true about the super-imposed objects, and sending forward/backward would be a way around your problem. also, in the preferences, is a snap/selection tolerance. adjusting this might solve your "cursor not near it" selections, unless the thing you're selecting is across the screen. Also, if your objects have any sort of fill (tough to tell if your objects are white and you use a white background), clicking anywhere inside them will select them. Make sure you're drawing empty(no fill) boxes/circles/dodecagrams. HTH,
  16. Attached is my desired result, achieved by using two viewports: one for the PDF, and one for everything else, then stacking the two together. a minor work around, but is there a way to achieve this result without using two viewports? Thanks!
  17. thanks, that got the PDF into my viewport. New problem: when I tell it to draw a hidden line rendering, I can only see 2D objects, not the 3D ones. My 3D objects are all visible in wireframe, and I used the "Send -> Send to Back" tool to make sure the PDF was at the back of the drawing. All of my 3D objects are above the zero plane in my design layer. Is there any way for the Viewport to put the 2D stuff behind the 3D stuff? see attached. TIA
  18. Hi all, I'm trying to put my groundplan on top of a PDF recieved from a client. it prints and exports as PDF from the design layer just fine (see attached). But, when I put it in a Plan View Viewport, the PDF disappears (see second attached.) both the PDF and my GP are in the same design layer, all classes turned on in the viewports. (I tried having them on two different, but it didn't work out either.) does anyone know of a solution to this problem? thanks!
  19. I agree. I work in Custom fabricatiopn in the entertainment industry, while I don't use all that VW has to offer, improvements could be made in the machining department. I find that I need to custom build, using every 3D modifying tool in VW, well over half of the things i draw, since I just can't get it any other way. I agree also that the hardware lists could be better. Also, there's no corner block option in the straight truss tool for putting in a corner block without downloading something from a manufacturer. there's my $.02. Have a nice day.
  20. there is a 3D power pack that I installed as a plug in called "Unfold 3D Triangles" that did the very thing you ask about. I used it to make a crown for PBS's Camelot a couple years ago, and for parts of a very complex ramp that couldn't be done another way, all parts cut on a 2D CNC router. You would have to convert your sweep or however you got to your lamp shape into a 3D polygon first. might be the same thing KM was talking about. i'm still partying like it's 2008.
  21. I had to reinstall quicktime when I loaded 08 onto my powerbook G4. Works fine now, and the reinstall took a few minutes.
  22. I've always liked Arial Black. nice, big, easy to read letters.
  23. you can also tell it the angle to travel, or the width and height of a rectangle, the radius of a circle, etc. all in all, an awesome feature!
  24. sono, it fits your needs for show lighting. it begs the question, maybe for the Mythbusters: does a PB G4 on an airplane (i.e., Jet) process faster than one of it's counterparts on the ground? what if you duct tape a rocket to your powerbook?
  25. Hi all, I'm encountering a problem with my angular dimension snaps. in the attached image, I have placed my angular dimensions on the same interesection. The bigger arc (50.75) is the correct angle. The smaller one (52.4) is wrong. it is snapped to a point just off the line. I was under the impression that the constraints on the angular dimensioning tool required it to snap to an object, i.e. it yells at you if you click on nothing. I've tried zooming in really close on the object, but it still snaps to a point just off it. All of the objects in the viewport are no fill polygons. All of my object snaps are what they should be (point, interesection, polar, snap to grid is OFF) Anybody else having this problem, or have a solution to it? Also, while I'm on the subject, is there a way to have the tool display the supplemental angle? (what the carpenter would set the saw to?) I can put trailing text in the dimension, but i was wondering if there was a way for VW to just put it in there. I have posted an image and a file. THANKS!
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