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C. Andrew Dunning

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Posts posted by C. Andrew Dunning

  1. Make the following into a menu item and asign a hot key to it. I think the source was a collection of toggles someone posted a few years ago.

    Procedure TogglePref;

    VAR

    PrefID:INTEGER;

    PrefStatus:BOOLEAN;

    BEGIN

    PrefID := 35;

    PrefStatus := GetPref(PrefID);

    SetPref(PrefID, NOT PrefStatus);

    Layer(GetLName(ActLayer)); {succeeds where ReDrawAll fails ****}

    END;

    Run(TogglePref);

  2. Mickey -

    Not a bug. They're not supposed to print or render (when exporting).

    FWIW, another CADD package had what were called "Standard Points." They were class-less/layer-less and had their own visibility toggles. I missed that approach and approximate it by creating a class called "Loci" and a toggle script to control its visibility. That class is set to use a given color for objects created in it. Assuming I remember to put all of my loci in that class, all works well.

    A possible wish-list item here?

  3. Jonathan -

    You're right... I should have thought (and read) a bit more carefully before I typed. The blocks themselves DO live on the Sheet Layers. It's some of the content that I VP in. And that's for the legend/key only...not the title block...

    - Andy

  4. Understood...

    The approach that I take is to create a VP just for the key/legend items. That VP's scale is then set to match that of the main VP whose symbols it is "explaining." I have a script or 2 that automate this somewhat...

  5. ...don't some data entry points...have both a slider and a numeric input.

    Pat

    Some may, but many just have the slider. See, for example the many texture settings when defining things like reflectivity. Just a slider w. no aparent numeric value. Makes copying values from one texture to another a little interseting, sometimes...

  6. Pat -

    I'd agree w. your first wish. I have a current project that includes both "wash" and "gobo" sources. w. the current approach, either the "wash" beams look right and the "gobo" beams are blown out - or the gobos look right and the others have no beams.

    As to your second comment, I really prefer actual numbers. The difference between things working and not is .0001. I don't know that a slider would have shown that. Also, knowing an actual number allows me to try specific settings in multiple drawings - instead of "the slider postion just under the "E" in the text above...

  7. I know that this has been mentioned many times before but it bears repeating: We need a kwy (or combination of keys) to stop processes, like rendering, THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.

    I'm in the middle of a project for which rendering certain views takes several minutes. Not being able to stop rendering in order to fix something is a huge waste of time...

  8. Adam -

    Though I by no means claim to be a VS expert, you might find one of the open PIOs that I have posted at http://www.landrudesign.com/Downloads_Main.htm to be helpful. Over the years I have found incredible value in looking at what others have done before me and these scripts might do the same for you and may answer your resizing question. The only catch is that the oldest VW version in which they will work is 11.5.

    Regards -

  9. Though the truss PIO is pretty useful in some instances, IMO, in its current state it really isn't a good "end-all" solution / replacement for accurate truss symbols. By using actual symbols, you not only can know where the lacing and such really is, but by creating symbols containing different classes you can accomplish exactly what you're wanting. I've found doing that to be incredibly helpful. My truss symbols contain different classes that not only allow what you're wanting, but also add guides and change the look of the truss for creating rigging plots. Food for thought for you...

  10. In thinking about this particular project, I'd take a look at Panzer's ViewPort Pack @ http://www.panzercad.com/. One of the commands he's created is "Create ViewPorts from Views." This might help you - and, might let you put things on a single sheet.

    Because I don't use any of the architectural title blocks I can't speak as to how that would work.

    If you're at all interested, I have a Template file posted at http://www.landrudesign.com/Downloads_Main.htm. I haven't updated it yet to 12 from 11.5, but you'll get the gist of at least one approach. In essence, a single title block symbol lives on one Sheet Layer (chosen based on paper size). The symbol's text is controlled via class visibilities and Saved Views. All of the drawing elements are placed using ViewPorts - the visibilities of which are also controlled w. classes and Saved Views.

    This works well for me. You might find something there that is useful - even if only to get your own ideas flowing...

  11. But...

    Using your approach, you'll end up w. lots of Sheet Layers instead of lots of Saved Views. It would be a wash. If you were to use both, you could end up with a single Sheet Layer, simply changing visibilities using Saved Views and different View Ports. It really does work quite nicely...

  12. I'm running VW w. RW on an AMD 64 X2 Dual-Core and really like it. No compatibility issues - at least w. the processor. The only problems seem to stem from switching back-and-forth between 12.01 and 11.5, though that's another story...

  13. Because I use symbols (for my fixtures and truss) having different symbols for different fixture orientations works quite well. Where I depart from the AutoPlot and Spotlight norm is that I then have a record field for "optics." For example, I have a group of Source 4 PAR symbols @ different orientations and change the lens designation w. a simple data change. When I make a change to the bottom-hung definition, all of the bottom-hung Source 4 PARs ONLY change. You could do the same w. Spotlight symbols - though significantly more cumbersome if you use my approach.

    Your idea of adding a parameter to the Spotlight OIP makes a lot of sense and, though it would mean the PIO having to "call" both a 2D and a 3D symbol seperately, it shouldn't be impossible to implement. Things that would have to be considered are questions like how the insertion points for the different symbols would be tracked. Not a bad idea, though...

    Where this idea may cause dificulty is when rigs are raked. For a given truss and its fixtures, rotating it off of horizontal involves a lot more than simply rotating the iindividual symbols in-place. All of the elements actually move relative to X and Y on the ground, as well.

    As I said in a previous message, there is, a lot of times, a big difference between a legible light plot / shop drawing and a 3D drawing showing how things hang in space. Several of my rigs have had NO elements that hung level. I would have never have wanted to send my vendors drawings that didn't have things "flattened out."

    It is for this reason that I've really grown to appreciate VW's hybrid/2D/3D options. For some drawings I want hybrid. For others, I need 2D-only and for others 3D only.

  14. Another super-annoying part of this is that the 3D symbols for the Martin fixtures are all set up to sit on the floor, not hang from a truss.

    I'd consider this a MAJOR flaw in this application. I'll use the array trick to fix this, but it's pretty stupid. Stupid enough that I may stop using this app for anything other than simple 2D plans.

    Though I've admittedly been a pretty vocal critic of Spotlight, to call a few symbol rotation issues a "MAJOR flaw" is REALLY pushing it. Of all of the reasons not to use an app, that is a pretty lousy one. Is it that hard to take a minute to fix the symbols?

    Also, the folks @ NNA will respond to your concerns, but I'm sure would appreciate a little respect in the process. There are better ways to voice cocnerns...

  15. The approach that I've taken is to have different symbols for the different hanging orientations. Working that way does 2 things for me:

    1) The 3D part of the symbol "hangs" (or sits) correctly relative to the "Z" value. A fixture w. a "Z" value of 25' will hang correctly from a piece of truss trimmed @ 25'. A side-hung symbol will do just that @ whatever "Z" value I've given it.

    2) For a lot of my symbols there are differences in the 2D representation. That way, someone reading the plot knows, for instance, the difference between an x.Spot hanging from a truss and one placed on top of a tower.

    Your comment about 2D plots looking bad is one of my chief complaints against WYSIWYG. Folks seem to have missed the fact that there is a HUGE difference between a legible light plot and a top-view of a 3D model.

  16. Good morning!

    If any of you are current or past VideoScreen customers and did not receive an e-mail regarding this new version and our free upgrade offer, please contact us as soon as you can. The e-mail went out to all of the addresses that we have in our records but, judging from some of the e-mails we've gotten, a few of you are not getting that message. You may have changed addresses or used an address for the order other than your usual address.

    Have a great day!

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