C. Andrew Dunning
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Posts posted by C. Andrew Dunning
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I see this issue quite a bit. I've concluded that (at least @ my end) the problem is linked to the quantity of menu items in a given Workspace. I reach a point at which switching between drawings no longer works; I delete a few items from the menus; all is good again.
FWIW, my "every-day" Workspace is from-scratch custom and includes items from the different Designer modules; commands from several 3rd-party packages, one of which adds 50 or 60 commands; and several items of my own.
If you've recently modified your Workspace, you might consider doing a little pruning.
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Gents -
In terms of setting screen height, both the Landru Design version (what you're calling "stand-alone") and the Spotlight version work exactly the same way: Video Screen (or VS4-Projection) consider the Active Layer Plane as the "floor." As David explained, the "Z" value in the OIP sets the measurement from that floor to the bottom of the screen, including the screen's border. Stands, such as a screen's "Goalpost" stand or a projector's scaffolding, also see the Active Layer Plane as the floor. The only exception to this is if you enter a different value into the "Floor Height" parameter. Save for the new concept of Layer Planes in 2010, this is the way the VideoScreen tools have always worked.
I hope this helps clear up any frustration or confusion...
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Sam - I thought I has a flash of brilliance this morning that was to be THE solution to your problem. It turns out I was mistaken - but I'm not giving up...
Tim - Lookin' forward to seeing you in Orlando...
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Greetings from Landru Design!
A quick bit if news for you:
If you're a user of the VideoScreen 4 tools we released back in September, we've posted updates. They address some minor bugs in default text placement - and I know that many of our users like to stay up-to-date. The updates are free-of-charge. Simply use the link and password you used for your initial download.
If you aren't a VideoScreen 4 user and are interested in more info, visit http://www.landrudesign.com/VWPlugIns.htm
Thanks!
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Sam -
We CAN assign an instance of a Symbol to a specific class. The Symbol simply retains it's "creation" Classes. What I think you're wanting (and what has been discussed before) is to have the ability for drawing Class attributes to be able to over-ride "creation" Class attributes. For example, regardless of "creation" Class attributes assigned in a Symbol definition, any time that Symbol is placed in Class "Sam's Super Ballet" the line color is changed to red. That what you're wanting??
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Jumping in...
Sam, I don't believe I'd agree w. you on your conclusion. Though perhaps not implemented 100% to everyone's liking, this current system is quite usable. I use different Classes within Symbols to great benefit. For example, I might have a truss Symbol that gets placed in a "Flown Truss" Class. BUT, the Symbol contains:
- A Loci Class so I can turn Loci on and off.
- "Simple" and "Complex" Classes so I can view truss as either a simple box - or in full detail.
- A couple of Classes that aid in creating entertainment rigging plots.
I can then turn all flown truss on or off - or control the appearance of the truss Symbols contained in that Class. Piece of cake...
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Wes -
Thanks!
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Wes -
Would you share the link to the Tips and Tricks movie for Spotlight?
Thanks!
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OK... 5th question:
If you click the triangle/arrow next to "All Tools" or "Recent Changes" in the Workspace Editor, do the video tools show up?
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PowerPC -
I'm sorry you're having difficulty.
First off, your contacting NNA directly w. the issue was the correct avenue to pursue. They are supporting all of the tools that are part of the Spotlight package - including Video Screen and its siblings. Landru Design will support the tools purchased directly from us.
That being said...
What you're describing sounds like an installation problem - though an odd one. A few questions for you:
1) Did you set up User Folders for VW2010? If so, did you include those in what you erased in-between installs?
2) Are both the student VW version and your commercial VW version either Spotlight or Designer?
3) Are you using the stock Spotlight Workspace that is provided when you install Spotlight or Designer?
4) Did Tech Support walk you through editing your Workspace? If not, I'd try deleting the 3 wayward tools from your Workspace and then re-adding them.
Let's start there...
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Greetings from Music City!
Exciting things are going on here!
First, VIDEOSCREEN 4 IS NOW AVAILABLE! Significant changes have been made in all of the tools in THE Plug-In suite that allows users to insert dynamic models of video devices, like projection screens, plasma televisions, and low-resolution LED arrays into their drawings.
The biggest changes include...:
- Custom images and models are now MUCH easier to add and use.
- Users have a LOT more control over text settings - including things like visibility, color, size, and alignment - all now independently changeable for each text element.
- For projection screens, users can now specify a screen size and the projection distance and let the tools suggest a lens, in addition to the previous projector placement method. In some models, projectors can even be dragged to new locations and the tool will report back projection distances and suggested lenses.
- VS4-LED (formerly, VSx-LED) is now part of VideoScreen 4Plus. In addition to the features many have come to appreciate, VS4-LED now creates domes and capped tiles and disks.
- And, many more...
Second, versions of the VideoScreen tools are part of the currently shipping version of Spotlight 2010. These tools are the result of several months of our working closely with Nemetschek in an effort to bring high quality, stable, and productive video tools into Spotlight. Our partnership was a logical and efficient way to combine resources to raise the quality level of an already solid set of tools, making them more unified, more powerful, and even easier to use. We are all incredibly pleased with the results of this joint effort.
Landru Design will continue to develop, sell, and support the VideoScreen tools alongside those included in Spotlight. Though the Spotlight tools represent a bulk of the new features and the core functionality that has so boosted many users' productivity over the years, additional features in Landru Design's VideoScreen 4 provide even more value, giving you great reasons to upgrade and continue using our tools.
For more details about the tools, their new features, and the differences between the different versions, see Vectorworks Plug-Ins page .
Finally, for those of you who own a license to one or more of our plug-ins and who did not receive our announcement e-mail similar to this one or one with SoftGoods and StageLift update information, would you let me know? More than a handful of the messages bounced.
Thank you!
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Robb -
This may be more than what you're requesting, but our new SoftGoods tool has a scrim option. It'll build curtains and create the scrim texture on-the-fly. See http://www.landrudesign.com/VWPlugIns.htm for a rendering sample and mroe info about the tool.
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Alex -
I can answer the VSx-LED question. At this point, no - unless an array of flat disks representing the spheres would work for you.
Regards -
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I see from another post that you have things working as you like. If you care to pursue this, though...
As to the specific calls not working...,
- Orso is quite correct; the eventing article on VCOR is a must-read as you work through this. What you're wanting needs eventing enabled in order to work.
- What you're wanting (if I'm understanding your question correctly) is quite doable.
- As part of your code, do you have a line similar to: resultstatus := SetObjPropVS(4,False);? A "True" there will hide the dialog, but I had to include this line in my scripts in order to control parameter visibility in the Prefs dialog.
- GetCustomObjectInfo doesn't work (at least, it doesn't @ my end) for the Prefs dailog. My assumption is that the reason for this is that, at the point of displaying the dialog, the PIO isn't actually executing, so no handle is available.
- I also had issues w. IsNewCustomObject working to determine Prefs parameter visibility. Checking for a Nil handle or embedding a trigger parameter was the work-around for that.
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What Pat said is true - except that things work a little differently for the Prefs dialog.
SetParameterVisibility needs the handle of the PIO instance in order to function. When the Prefs dialog is shown, no such handle exists.
If "PIOH" is handle you're using for SetParameterVisibility and "PIOName" is the name of your PIO, try adding the bits below before your visibility calls:
If (PIOH = Nil) then
Begin
PIOH := GetObject (PIOName);
End;
Hopefully, that will help.
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Originally, the idea was just improving vectorworks by shortening the to do list for programmers at NNA.
While a few additional code examples might generate an another scripter or two, it's not really going to have a major impact.
You are probably correct. By bringing up the scripting examples, I intended simply to make the point that there are a few examples floating about. Not that many, but they are there.
This thread really has two related, but distinctly different directions:
1) Opening locked PIOs and scripts so that interested parties in the VW community can help to improve/fix them.
2) Opening locked PIOs and scripts so that interested parties can learn from them and develop additional tools and commands.
Both have merit...
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Happy July to you!
I trust you're all staying busy and safe...
A question that occasionally comes up here that of dealing with curved curtains. I've also gotten inquiries about creating something to handle pipe-and-drape runs.
Therefore, we're happy to announce the release of another tool: SoftGoods.
SoftGoods is a Plug-In Object that allows you to insert hybrid models of straight and curved curtains and borders, as well as straight pipe-and-drape runs in your Vectorworks drawings - either from-scratch or based on existing geometry.
SoftGoods models are easily resized by dragging Control Points and making adjustments in the Object Info Palette.
Other things like curtain openings, track visibility, pleat sizing, and curtain images (including scrims) can also be changed on-the-fly.
For pipe-and-drape runs, the tool calculates spacing and tracks slider lengths and hardware and drape counts.
Like other Landru Design Vectorworks tools, select text can be displayed in each SoftGoods instance.
If you're interested in more information or in downloading the manual for SoftGoods, visit http://www.landrudesign.com/VWPlugIns.htm .
Also, feel free to ask questions here.
Regards -
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Thomas -
I'm hoping that by now your quest for a scrim in Vectorworks has been successful. If you're still seeking a solution, I've just released a softgoods tool that includes a scrim option. Pop by http://www.landrudesign.com/VWPlugIns.htm for more info.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Regards -
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Is it a fair assumption that those following this thread have seen the script examples at http://www.nemetschek.net/support/custom/vscript/example.php ?
I've found taking a peek at some of them to be helpful - at least in terms of understanding how the basic PIO types work.
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A few more comments:
1) The more I think about it, the more the idea of some of the Fundamentals tools being opened has appeal. That would, at least at some level, serve both those who want to learn and those who want to modify. I know the folks in Columbia are slammed, but it would be interesting for one of the powers-that-be to chime in on this.
2) Though VW should include a healthy set of tools, I don't believe that, in every case, it is a wrong expectation or asking too much for users to develop tools. Yes, there is some effort involved, but users would then end up with tools to their spec.
3) I believe that scripting is far more in-reach than a lot of VW users perceive. Yes, things can quickly get complicated (no question of that), but a lot of VW users are much more capable in this area than they allow themselves credit.
4) There are some incredibly talented scripters in the VW community who, if they could get some return on their investment of time and effort, might be interested in creating tools.
Back to work...
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I think it would be somewhat difficult to make a 100% direct link between the quantity of third-party PIO development and the locking of PIOs. I DO, however, find it a bit odd that, for a software package w. as many users as VW has, one can count on less than two hands the number of developers creating commericially-available third-party tools/commands/PIOs. The number gets even smaller when one counts only those developers who are aparently currently active.
The effect I DO see, however, has been (and tends to be) on my learning curve. I have learned syntax, calls, and general technique primarily from the incredible graciousness of other developers and from a ton of trial-and-error. There have been several instances in which I've had to start something from scratch - instances in which having a starting-point would have been a HUGE time-saver. There are also cases (where I believe this thread started), in which I wanted to adjust or fix one of the stock tools and simply had to live it w. as it was.
(Also, and I'm not sure where this fits in the conversation, but one of the variables that can't be ignored is the evolution of PIOs in recent years. Unless I'm mistaken, weren't the "open" scripts primarily tools and commands?)
Thoughts??
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I've been following this thread w. some interest. I was fortunate enough to begin using VW in the pre-encryption days. I remember learning a lot by looking at the script code. I also was one of those who voiced frustration/concern/annoyance when things initially got locked down - though now, w. my own PIOs, I appreciate being able to encrypt the code for my tools. I've got WAY too much time/effort invested not to do protect them. That being said, I was (and remain) slightly mystified about the total lock-down.
If anyone from NNA is following this discussion and can chime in, some questions for you:
- What instigated the initial locking of all of the stock scripts?
- Were the stock scripts being "borrowed" and adapted for other CADD packages?
- Was it an effort to protect tools licensed from developers out-side of NNA?
- Was there any discussion of encrypting some of the scripts/PIOs and leaving some open?
- I'll assume that this came down to a business decision. Seeing that the scripts/PIOs run only in VW, how was their being open hurting sales?
- Were there tech-support headaches resulting from users making modifications and breaking things?
I'm not trying to resurrect an old fight, here. I just feel that a little general understanding might help to settle this discussion.
Thanks!
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Carl -
You are quite welcome. I appreciate the appreciation... ;-)
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Here you go...
Beam Draw 3 released
in Entertainment
Posted
Josh -
Congrats on the new release! I've found your tools to be pretty valuable in my day-to-day work and look forward to the update.
BTW, good to meet you @ LDI. This was definitely a year for conncting faces w. names I've known on-line for years.