A way to explode 'Plants in array' modes into "Plants at Poly vertices" mode.

[hollister design Studio]

I love the 'Plants in array' Modes.

...but there is almost no instance where at least one plant needs placement adjustment.

 

Currently:

• I use the "Plants in triangular array" mode.
• adjust my spacing value.
• snap over this with a "Plants at Poly vertices" mode plant object.
• delete the original.
• now I can move individual vertices to fit.

 

To be able to "explode" an array plant mode into a "Plants at Poly vertices" mode would be so helpful.

[hollister design Studio]

I just found 2 workarounds for anyone who would like to explode a "plants in array" or "plants along poly edges" plant groupings.

 

1. If you add one more plant object and "change plant groupings"/"combine plants into one single plant" Vectorworks converts the complex mode into the simple "plants at polyvertices" mode.

2. Just use "change plant groupings" twice in a row - this changes grouped plants to individual plants and then changes them to "plants at polyvertices" mode.

 

Both methods allow you to use the auto layout features of these modes, and afterwards easily adjust individual plant locations - moving or deleting as necessary.

 

 

...I would still love a button to do this.

 

But at least it's a fairly easy workaround and shows that VW could easily implement this as part of the "change plant groupings" dialog.

[Jonathan Pickup]

I'm not sure I can make a button do this, but you can assign the command to a keyboard shortcut. That would make it easy to activate the command. The only thing I did find was that my polygon displaying between the plants would not show up until I had used the reshape tool to move one of the plants. 

 

[hollister design Studio]

thanks @Jonathan Pickup  (I always love your videos!)

 

FYI - I submitted the polygon display issue as a bug for 2023 and was emailed that's it a known bug and they are working on it 

[Jonathan Pickup]

3 hours ago, hollister design Studio said:

thanks @Jonathan Pickup  (I always love your videos!)

 

FYI - I submitted the polygon display issue as a bug for 2023 and was emailed that's it a known bug and they are working on it 

thanks, I appreciate that. if you have any ideas for movies, let me know