RickR

The navigation pallet does a similar function. One of our long time users does very simple work has been turning things on/off via the current class/layer pull down or going into the full organization dialog. The navigation pallet is a quite speedier tool for him now.

Sounds like a job for a database worksheet and a custom record. I haven't tried this myself for scrollers but I do a lot of worksheets and records. Either a record that lists the string as a whole or one that lets you put in the colors individually should work. A whole string record might have a name and scroller type fields and then one for the color string. It would just be text that lists them out. "R33, R26, L133" etc Individual fields for colors would require a record that has as many fields as the longest string. Then just add color. Once that's all set up you attach the record to each scroller and build the worksheet to format it nicely. Naturally everything is editable there as well so keeping organized is pretty straight foreword. Lightwright makes use of this functionality and expands upon it rather dramatically. Keeping everything linked up gets more important the busier you get and the more complicated the job. Just use the flyswatter on flies and the hammer on the nails.

+1

Further help from a related post To fix other lights you can do the same sort of process. - Edit the 3D of the symbol. Mine or one with a body you like for the new symbol. - Delete the parts you don't want (clamps, yoke extras, etc) - Draw, change or import replacement parts. My base is a circle extruded, very simple. I 3D rotated the yoke. I have a symbol clamp which most of the libraries don't. - Note that the body still must point down. Very important! - Make sure your 3D locus is correct. - Make sure the texture on the body does not cast shadows, it will block all light! "default instrument texture" is good. - Set the Parts record values for each piece. I usually group all the elements for each part. This seems to simplify the rotation process. - With nothing selected but still editing the symbol, add or correct the lighting device record. These will be the default values for the fixture. Note that the candela value can not be changed anywhere but here. - Edit the 2D parts Test your symbol and save it in a safe place. You can also use this one to make similar ones, cyc ends and middles for example.

I suspect your 'None' class is off. The actual lines making up most symbols are on the None class. The symbol itself is on a different class so you have multiple-confusing possibilities. (think Layer 0 in ACad) This is the class that you never turn off. Quick check, turn ALL your classes on and see if you're OK. If so it's a class problem.

So far none of the Python samples are really working for me. I installed the files exactly as directed at developer.vectorworks.net. (I'm new at this so I'm being very careful.) Menu command shows nonsense Point Objects both give script errors Path tool won't respond to the segment parameters Web image won't activate the URL (regular link tool works fine) Seeing that many of the errors are path related I set paths for all the the new sub-directories. Now the ObjectPt2 gives very different errors. ObjectPt3 works fine, except that the total height doesn't change if you edit the arms and legs. Admittedly that's a fine point. I must be missing something simple! You would think the samples would be pretty idiot proof. Is there a true beginners guide?

Well I sort of built it. I stole many parts from elsewhere and put them together the way I wanted them. No one expects you to use only the provided libraries. You will want to make many symbols for yourself. Just remember the first rule of CAD - "Never draw anything twice." To fix other lights you can do the same sort of process. - Edit the 3D of the symbol. Mine or one with a body you like for the new symbol. - Delete the parts you don't want (clamps, yoke extras, etc) - Draw, change or import replacement parts. My base is a circle extruded, very simple. I 3D rotated the yoke. I have a symbol clamp which most of the libraries don't. - Note that the body still must point down. Very important! - Make sure your 3D locus is correct. - Make sure the texture on the body does not cast shadows, it will block all light! "default instrument texture" is good. - Set the Parts record values for each piece. I usually group all the elements for each part. This seems to simplify the rotation process. - With nothing selected but still editing the symbol, add or correct the lighting device record. These will be the default values for the fixture. Note that the candela value can not be changed anywhere but here. - Edit the 2D parts Test your symbol and save it in a safe place. You can also use this one to make similar ones, cyc ends and middles for example.

I often "lock" my pdf and bitmap imports. That prevents all sorts of mischief.

Spotlight fixtures assume they are hanging. Here is a sample unit that sits on the floor. From here you can freely customize your own.

Please separate the loci for 3D rotation and for the light source. These two elements have nothing to do with each other. The light source should be part of the body and rotate freely with it. If one places the source outside the fixture then a texture that casts shadows can be used. Many other opportunities for realism and accuracy will be possible if this minor shortcut is removed. The insertion point is also separate and should remain so.

My apologies for sending a v2014 file when you clearly stated you use v2013. You may also want to review parts of the help and tutorials that detail how to build a custom light fixture. A "Parts" record determines which elements (base, yoke, body) rotate when the fixture is aimed at a focus point. Anything with base=true will not rotate; yoke=true only rotates about Z; body=true aligns to the focus point. There must be 3D locus point that serves as the rotation point and as the light source point. As you have seen the 3D rotate feature is not as complete as using focus points.

I think you are looking for something like the fixture in the attached file. You should be able to edit the fixture parts to suit your needs. Remember to keep the "Parts" records on the correct parts. Then edit the lighting values of it's records to match your exact unit. I hope the change in country versions does not confuse the data file.

The only feature I know that does that is to link some text to the data field. Generally that means making a symbol that includes the text. Here that could be rough. Perhaps duplicating all your polygons (Select All; Edit, Duplicate) and replacing them with a custom tag symbol. (Modify, Convert> Replace with Symbol) Make sure they keep the data! This should give the tag symbol the same data as the polygon and so allow it to show the data in text. Then you would need to group the tag and original polygons, or only change the tag data. This sounds similar to an ID Label symbol. Since I don't have the landscape piece I'm not sure. From what I can see it would require that you manually place every ID object. For a one shot process it is doable, but not fun! The best way to learn about customizing tools is to try it. Do a dozen variations and it will make sense.

I've been playing around with the new features to make sections do what I want them to do. Mostly that means a classic theatrical centerline as per the attached drawing. The new "flattened" sections seem to work well. I get a nice clean viewport that I will be layering with other viewports of the base architecture. Still not upright drawing on a live view but it solves several earlier limitations. As others have mentioned it is stuck in the layer rendering mode. Noticed an odd thing in DWG references. When the sheet viewport was set to hidden line the DWG disappeared except in Top/Plan mode. Just to confirm, I placed a VWX viewport next to it and it did fine, at least for layer plane objects. Anything in either viewport in sheet plane wouldn't show up in a 3D view. This may make me abandon the sheet plane altogether. I also noticed that the DWG reference wouldn't rotate in 3D. It claimed it was a hybrid object. But the VWX rotates fine. Seem as though VW is building an internal object with the DWG. I had high hopes for skipping shuttle files. Still in search of a true live section I messed around with clip cube and added layers. Sheet viewports still don't let you show different layers in different views. Since design section viewports follow their layer I'm having trouble mixing 2D & 3D. Seems close Then I tried putting an imported drawing at the cut plane where I would like to put my other annotations. Neither the DWG or VWX viewports would show up on the sheet. Probably because the sheet viewport is a section from a clip cube and it only does hidden line or OGL. Settings for screen and planar objects didn't help. Neither did shifting them inside the clip-cube. On my last project I used a shuttle file in a section layer, duplicated on the sheet layer with a regular section viewport with annotations aligned on top. I also managed a view that imitated the sheet setup but actually let me work on the 3D in 3D, but not in section. :confused: So it seems I'll be sticking with the flattened sections and then going to sheet layers. This will require jumping back and forth between the 2D & 3D layers. I still want to have a live 3D hidden line section with very complex annotations. I think I've gained something with the flattened sections and clip cube viewports, but not much. Suggestions?

A clear and concise tutorial on the new Python scripting and how to make a few sample object types. It's a steep curve for those that are better designers than programmers.

I too had this happen frequently in V2013 far more than v2012. Just starting to work in v2014 so no report yet. It seemed to be snapping issues as Kevin mentioned but sometimes that just wouldn't explain it.

FYI It does not calculate inter-reflections or shadows from objects or even smooth fall-off. It's great for "How much light does this fixture add?" or "How even is this group lights?" Otherwise I export my 3D to Dialux.

I think you are talking about basic referencing. Create a new design layer viewport and select a file as the "source". Then it will sit as an object much like a sheet layer viewport. If you have "Service Select" there are some videos on this. DXF/DWG Part 3- Shuttle File Concept and Part 4 Referencing both go through this in some detail. They talk about DWG but really first you import into vwx and then use it the way you want too. I do this all the time with my architects drawings and often have to include structural and electrical as well. I'm also looking forward to the new DWG direct referencing in v2014.

A procedure to find problem or broken objects? Start it up and I suspect someone will jump in to automate it.

The new (2014) displacement mapping might do this for you. Otherwise I would make a piece and use repeating objects along a path.

I place all my favorite ones in a file by themselves. That way I can get them easily and not be bothered otherwise. Same goes for worksheets, hatches, etc.

I just noticed that space improvements are listed as a Spotlight feature. We haven't had space objects before. Error or new feature to me?

I'm up for the Flattened DL Section Viewports. I have to mix 3D sections with 2D imports and then draw on top of that. Going in and out of annotations is a pain. Add in true elevation markers (finally!) and sections become far better. Yes, stability is a BIG point. Waiting to see if this version is solid, while seeing the hopefully cool new stuff is frustration defined.

Try a free tool from Landru Design Since the text is in the OIP it is available to worksheets without a separate record format. =('LandruNoteBox'.'TxtStr1') in a database header will get you the text for Note #1 of 10. My only complaint is that the text lines won't wrap so it's only good for short tags. If you're any good with worksheets you can do quite a bit from there.

We need a procedure for cleaning up a corrupted file! Many times in the past few years I have had issues where some elements have been corrupted. They show and function in bizarre and unpredictable ways. Usually the answer is copying elements into a new file. This is very incomplete as so much of the file structure can't be copied and pasted. (viewports and their annotations, references...) Naturally the more complex the file the more likely to corrupt and the longer it takes to fix, just as the deadline arrives! An other CAD program I'm familiar with uses their backup files. Restoring from a backup runs a checker on the data and supply defaults for missing data. Something might change but you know you have a good base for cleaning it up. Perhaps a combination of the two: An external program that copied all the elements from one file to new one. It would have to start with preferences then move on to layers, classes, resources, references and objects. Then it would have all that's needed to do the viewports.