M5d

How is this software used with a Vectorworks model?

In Lion the OS is the safety mechanism guarding against lost work due to software crashes. The OS will be handling and improving file saving/autosaving with a new feature called versions. It will be like having infinite undos and the ability to retrieve earlier parts of a design that may have changed. I'd guess that these features will require a software update, but hopefully 2011 will see them implemented in an SP before 2012 comes out.

While we wait for an update, this thread may help depending on your printer model.

I ran into this problem shortly after updating to 10.6.7. I ended up talking to Canon, who had a work around that solved the conflict with their printers. Unchecking the "Fast Graphic Process" in the printer dialog got everything printing again. Maybe there's an equivalent option for other printers.

Something is up with the screen plane / layer plane modes. Inserting a profile symbol, like a gutter for extruding, will work in any layer plane with the screen plane mode selected initially. At some point though, the screen plane mode just ceases to work. The same object and others will then insert as 3d objects with their own 3D plane orientation separate to the current layer plane regardless of the screen plane mode being selected. If the file is closed and reopen, the screen plane mode function returns for a while until some action renders it useless again. Is anyone else getting this?

Thanks Michael, that solved the problem.

Used to use Spaces to report the areas of rooms and buildings into worksheets for different purposes where they were used as numbers. Now in 2011 the areas report as a figure followed by "sq m" making them text that does not behave as a number in worksheets. How do I get them back to numbers so they can be summed and used in other maths functions? It is possible to use =CRITERIAAREA on spaces, but it reports double the actual area (both sides of the polygon?) and needs the Show 2D Boundary to be selected in the Space OIP. This means, because the 2D attributes class is stuck in Space-Main, they will show wherever you want to see your space labels.

Just started with 2011 and I'm having trouble with the classing options in the new space tool. It's not listed as an auto-classing object in help but its main class obviously is, which is fine. Space sub-classes, which appear to be and need to be customisable are behaving oddly though. -2D Attributes switches back to Space-Main (the space object auto-class) whenever changed. -Space Labels can be classed and the class setting remains in the OIP but space labels are only visible and switchable with the Space-Spec class regardless of their class setting in the OIP. -3D Attributes like the Space Labels class can be set and remains set in the OIP but the objects are only visible and switchable with the Space-Patterns class. This means all space labels / objects are either no or off in viewports and cannot have their visibility differentiated by using their class options in the OIP. Is this a bug or is there a nuance I've missed in the new Space tool?

For texture creation from photos PixPlant is also worth a look. www.pixplant.com

Classes are a possibility but I've experienced a similar issue and generally just entering the object as though editing it and then exiting will make it reappear.

I put a request in the wish list forum for the property line tool to have independent units from the drawing some time ago. If you dig it up and add your voice, it may help.

NV seems ideologically opposed to the use of gbXML for the IFC standard. We cannot have both export formats for some reason. In the absence of equivalent IFC solutions, NV's opposition to the established Green Buildings exchange format is by default becoming opposition to Green Buildings. Restricting access to the existing available tools for design development and for assessment purposes is making NV's format agenda a gross inefficiency in itself.

Really like the new options to add view toggle buttons in 2011. One more button that would be nice as an option is Show Grid.

I'm completely ignorant of why this is, I'm sure there are a number of academic or economic reasons why either/or stances evolve, but I wonder if "NOT gbXML" means we are out in the cold when we don't have to be. What software options do we currently have that will accept IFC model data to do designer orientated energy analysis? If Vectorworks supported gbXML export, would that situation be improved?

I don't have photoshop, probably should, but I've purchased Pixplant now and it works great. Looks like we will be able to use the other maps it produces inside VW soon.

I found this software (PixPlant) for creating seamless textures. It looks good, anyone using it or know of any alternatives worth checking out?

You mention two different processors in your post, an i5 and a Core 2 Duo. Just be aware that the 2.66GHz i5's are Quad Core processors and much faster than the 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo's despite their lower GHz.

If the method works for you and is efficient then there's no problem. There is however an elegant solution available in the software that provides good control over wherever you want a section line instances to appear and not appear. Horst M., after you cut a section line and are taken to the Section Viewport by the command, you'll find at the bottom of the Section Viewport's OIP a button called Section Line Instances. At the top of that dialogue is a drop down that allows you to choose either Design Layers or Viewports, place a tick beside all the Top/Plan-Viewports you want the section line to show up in there. After you have done that return to either a design layer or a viewport that you selected for an instance to appear in and edit the section line's appearance. All instances will change accordingly. The advantage this has over the method above is the section line remains live wherever it appears and can be used to adjust the section at any time.

If you're talking about a section line/marker generated from the Create Section Viewport command, you'll fine at the bottom of the section veiwport's OIP a button called section line instances. From there you can activate where the section line appears.

Culturedstone

It's all relative. I'm using a 2 year old imac with a ATI Radeon HD2600 and 256MB Ram, it can do the job, but it gets jittery once the building model starts to get detailed. I'm looking forward to upgrading when the imacs get their next bump in specs. Given the advice in the linked document above and the way VA2010 performs on this machine, I'll be going for the best video card on offer.

System Requirements A video card that has dedicated ram is probably worth the little extra.

I emailed Maxon a couple weeks ago and received a reply on the 8th of March. The plug-in for Vectorworks 2010 & R11+ is coming with R11.530 of C4D and will be available for download soooooo.....n.

Here's a few places to look for texture options: cgtextures Turbo Squid Texturama Dosch Design Texturespace

I've been waiting/looking for an update to the Cinema 4D plug-in as well. The existing plug-in is broken with VA 2010. Currently, I export 2010 drawings back 2009 and then on to C4D. The whereabouts or any news on an update would be much appreciated