eric.rktek
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Posts posted by eric.rktek
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Katie,
We use a regular mac G5 with an external hard drive attached. It has 10.4.7 system software installed. People just network to it to access files, no special server software is being used.
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Katie,
We are in a Mac/Windows environment, but we only run VW on Macs- no VW on the Windows machines.
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We just upgraded everyone to 12.5 and run into an issue related to warning users if someone else is in a file. We have one computer that I work on with a external hard drive that stores all our VW files. Everyone else is networked to this machine/external hard drive to access files. When I try to open a file that is open elsewhere with my computer, I get a read only warning, do I want to open up another copy? This is great, normal, and expected. When someone else tries to open up a file from another computer that I already have open on my machine, no warning is issued, and they can open it right up. This is a big problem.
Is there a new setting in 12.5 that needs to be selected to stop this, or is this a new problem that needs to be fixed?
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Is there a way to assign a class to a wall component? If not, I think this would be a really useful feature to add. I would really like to be able to assign class attributes to the lines and would also like the ability to turn the components on and off in viewports (so the could components could be turned off for smaller scale plans).
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David,
Your exercise sounds a bit like trying to draft with one arm tied behind your back. You may want to try using additional tools that VW has to offer, like the locus tool, the duplicate command, the move command, the Object Info Palette. Using these tools should make you a faster, better drafter.
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Jonathan,
I hope this doesn't sound lazy- but here is the deal. We changed our directory set up a while ago. I often have to enter an old file to grab a piece of information, but I don't have a particular need to go through and spend the time to repair all the reference links. I just need to check a measurement or copy some info. I also don't want to go in and break the links should I ever need to go back to the file and update something, say while the project is under construction. We typically can have several links in each drawing so it can take a couple minutes to click through all the cancel buttons to actuall open a file. This is the reason I am asking for a "Ignore All" type option when the dialog process starts for ref files when I open something.
A corallary (sp?) request/suggestion would be to have reference files with broken links show up differently in the WGR window. Say with red text instead of the regular black. I know many programs (InDesign to be one that comes to mind) that clearly shows you that a link is broken to a referenced file at a quick glance.
Another way to handle my request would be to provide a pop up window asking if you would like to go to the WGR window when the file opens if there are broken links. If there were clear markers for broken references, it would be very easy to repair links, or select the cancel button to exit the operation and get on with the file.
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Pete,
My 2 cents for what it's worth. We used to use a separate file for each sheet with the appropriate drawings referenced to it. This was a carry over from how we used to work in AutoCad. We just switched to have a few drawing files, similar to what you listed above, and have multiple sheet layers in each drawing. It may seem obvious to some, but it is amazing how much faster and easier this setup is working compared to the old setup.
A couple people in our office are at a VW training sesson right now. I'm half expecting them to come back and tell us we need to go to the full building model approach and have everything in one file. Have to wait and see.....
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It would be really nice if VW included an option that let you choose to not locate all the lost reference files when you open a drawing. We had to reconfigure our server setup a while ago. This broke the path of reference files on a lot of our old drawings. I often have to open up one of these files, and click through several times do choose not to locate each individual reference file. I really don't want to spend all the time to fix the links, just track down a little bit of data in the file in question. I think having the prompt is helpful, but providing a button that says "Ignore All" or such would really save a lot of time.
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I appreciate the comments and support. Hopefully NNA will listen. We are constantly reviewing our CAD status in the office, VW versus Revit, etc. etc. We are mostly happy with VW, but really hope they can make improvements to several of these key areas so that VW can really stand out as a great program that meets all are needs for a diverse range of project types.
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Pete,
Exactly as Mike states, we often link multiple layers, unlock them, group them, then move, rotate, mirror, etc as needed. I really believe that improving the UCS and linking/referencing capabilities will do a tremendous amount to increase the power and usability of VW.
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Arch.Ken-
Couple things- your list of workaround steps includes a viewport at the end- sometihng that is only available in paper space- not in design layers. Improved usability in design layers is a key part of the discussion. Also, you list several steps to achieve something that should be accomplishable in a few clicks.
In addition to all that, I've written several times for a need to improve the control and functionality of Layer Links. We often find that after we have moved, mirrored, and or rotated a Layer Link that we need to add a layer to it. Imagine how much easier it would be to simply add or subtract layers to it just like a viewport. Right now you have to recreate all the steps of positioning the original link to add something to it.
The ability to quickly and easily rotate your view on screen allows you to always work in an X/Y fashion, and eliminates the need to include an I-J grid in move or array. However, one of VW's strengths is its flexibility of use. It would be nice if the program offered more control over default settings for tools and commands, including move and many others.
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I've heard the Revit uses a Course, Medium, Fine approach to controlling lineweights based on what you need to show in a certain drawing. Something like this may or may not help this issue.
It is probably a lengthy setup process if not already done, but we have started using classes for all our stuff in plan. Our wall class could have a viewport specific override for line thickness to control the apparence in an elevation viewport in VW right now.
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You can exercise a little more control over fills in VW12. It has the option to set what resolution the fills will print at. You might want to try to adjust that and see if it effects the results. There is also an option to print fills at on screen resolution, which I stay away from.
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Drake,
I didn't see that option in the print settings. Is it possible that is only an option for Windows machines or something?
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Katie,
I'm using the Adobe Acrobat 7 Distiller to make the pdfs. I did a test and tried the Mac pdf creator. The Mac version did not experience the blur/shift in line appearance that occurs with Acrobat. However, I often have trouble successfully printing pdfs on the HP 130 that are created with the Mac version. Something gets screwy on the Postscript side of things and parts of a drawing will end up skewed, and print that way consistently. That problem doesn't happen when using Acrobat. I'll keep trying different things, as I'm guessing NNA will say this is a problem outside of their responsiblity.
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Pete,
That sounds like a great option, and could be coordinated with saved views, etc. etc.
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I run into a problem with the transparency layer function when trying to print to pdf. The function looks great on screen, and has the ability to help put together some really great looking drawings. However, every time I make a pdf of a file using transparency, linework that is being overlayed by the semi transparent objects comes out blurred in the pdf. It also shows up in the printed file (off of a HP 130 Designjet). I have seen this happen in numerous different files. The problem goes away immediately if the layer opacity is changed back to 100%. Anything that can be done to help address this problem would be greatly appreciated.
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Microstation had a tool that quickly rotated everything on screen to a user definable angle, allowing you to always just use X&Y when drafting. It kept track of the original grid rotation, and could get you back to it quickly. I found it a lot easier to edit and work on things that way than having to deal with another coordinate plane like I-J when trying to move things. Rotating the screen in this matter would also allow one to keep using the tab key to enter into the X & Y fields in the bar at the top of the drawing window. I'm sure it might present some interesting challenges as to how things are displayed in the OIP for rectangles for instance, but maybe they should all just be polygons anyways.
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That would help the UCS issue to some degree. However, Microstation used to have a little rotate grid button in the lower left next to the zoom in and zoom out, etc. and you could rotate your grid in a matter of 3 clicks. It was so, so easy- way easier than Autocad's UCS commands. A move about I-J is a nice option, but I believe there are better solutions to these challenges. As this is a wish list board, I am going to push for as much as possible. I also appreciate any other positive ideas and suggestions that come out of it. I just hope some of them make their way to the powers that be at NNA.
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Pete,
These are two separate, but extremely related issues. One big weakness in VW's referencing capabilities is the lack of being able to rotate, clip, copy, or mirror referenced layers. Layer linking is the workaround that lets you do the move, copy, and mirror. However, Layer linking has a lot of short comings in handling this. A lot of my comments focus on these short comings. I feel they could be considered shortcomings of referencing too. I do think some expansion of layer linking capabilities could provide a solution to these issues. They have already included a shortcut to provide a layer link when you reference a file in the WGR window. It might be better in the long run to call a layer linked reference layer(s)/viewport in design layer type component a new term, so as not to spread the use to layering link too far and wide.
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Part of the reason for my requests are based upon the way we set up and handle drawings. It is based upon working on several different CAD platforms and taken the setup the has worked best for us in several different work environments. We make separate sheet files for each printed sheet with the associated vector data referenced in. This makes it very managable for multiple people in an office to locate and work on projects. One problem with using a layer link as a substitute for a rotated UCS is that you have to recreate the layer link in our sheet files, which is a pain and a problem. If layer links were referencable, this wouldn't matter, but I don't think that is the best solution to the problem.
The reason I am asking for control of which layers are shown or linked in a layer link is based upon the following: I think the use of the layer link tool has grown to compensate for some basic reference capability deficenies in VW. I used it for years to link layers in a file to work on models, etc.-works great for that However, we now use it extensively when working with referenced files, etc. in all our projects. It works so-so at best, and somewhat weakly when compared to the referencing capabilities of VW's competition. I think the tool could be modified in the way I've described in posts above to help VW play catch up to some of the other CAD programs. I wouldn't care if they made a new tool that basically provides some viewport capabilities to the layer link tool -minus the scale feature because it would be for design layers. I keep talking about upgrading the layer link tool because that is all that is available right now.
A good example of a problem we face is that we are trying to work on our template files. We have our plans files pre-layer linked to other files for elevations and sections. We have to guess that we have every possible layer in place in all files beforesetting up the multiple layer links we use in every file. If we eventually have to add a layer down th road, we have to go through an extensive process of updating our referencing, adding a new layer link, and positioning it the multiple times in the file accordingly. Part of my comments are driven by the power and benefits that robust linking and referencing capabilities provides in other CAD environments. I tend to see the most puzzlement or resistance from users who only have experience with VW and not other platforms. It is sometimes hard to understand the benefits of something if you've never used it before. Once you try it, it can be hard to imagine how you ever worked in the past. I feel that VW is far superior to the competition in many, many aspect of the program. The referencing area is the one where there is so much work to be done.
I know that some of these issues go away if you use the BIM approach to project design. We haven't made the leap to that yet. We also believe one of the strong points of VW is that it allows you flexibility to work in different manners depending on preference and desire. I strongly believe that the improvements to referencing/layer linking are extremely important to our productivity and ease of use of the program. I also strongly believe that this improvements would greatly help most other users- those that do use BIM and otherwise.
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Either way. Just want to keep the pressure up.
One more thing I'd like to see improvement on-
Date/Issue control in the Issue Manager. I'd like to be able to access and modify this information for existing date/issue stuff without having to go to the data pane of the OIP.
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I am including a couple of my top wishlist issues in hopes that they can be included in 12.5 or sometime soon. I encourage anyone who feels similarly to respond to help keep these items on NNA's front burner.
1) Better Referencing Capabilities. I think several of the improvements I am hoping for could be addressed by expanding the capabilities of Layer Linking. Take on some of the abilities of viewports would be great. I'm talking about the ability to turn on and off layers and classes, and clipping as to key features. This would help bring VWs xref capabilities closer to the competitions, as well as greatly help our ability to coordinate larger projects.
2) UCS/Grid/View Rotation. It's been asked for many times, and I would just like to repeat it again. We really need the ability to have a fast and efficient way to rotate a view to take advantage of drafting/working in an orthogonal manner, regardless of the angles involved in a plan. Actually moving the data with a rotate tool is a completely unacceptable solution, particularly when you have that information referenced to different places.
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Has anyone else had the Nav Palette start acting wierd after selecting one of the buttons that resorts the layers list (alphabetical, etc)? It seems to lose some of layers that are in my file, and it sends me to a different layer than the one I click on. I am also having trouble getting back to a layer list organiztion that reflects the stacking order once I (usually accidentially) hit a button to resort the list.
design project split between windows and mac osx
in General Discussion
Posted
Paolo,
I think this is going to be pretty difficult and time consuming. The translation process typically removes some of the special features of VW- doors in walls, symbols, etc. You may end up drawig with just lines, and losing a lot of efficiency.