Beam focus drawn under the lighting object instead of towards the focus point

[Ericsw]

Title says it all. I have a large lighting symbol library that has been travelling with me since 2013. In VW 2023 when I give the light a height in space and a focus point, instead of drawing the beam as expected it draws it as if the focus point with straight under the lighting object.

 

If I import an included symbol the beam function works as expect. I would very much prefer to not re-import and rework my entire symbol library. Any ideas?

 

Thanks.

[markdd]

Can you share a file with just one of your Lighting Instrument Symbols. Happy to take a look and see if there is a problem.

[Ericsw]

Here you go! I really appreciate it.

 

Process:

1. Make New File

2. Add a single focus point

3. Import my old symbol from another drawing

4. Import a default symbol from another drawing

5. Set both lights to 12' on the z axis

6. Assign both the focus point

7. Check the box for draw beam

8. Wonder what is wrong

 

It looks like clicking draw beam changes the default symbols tilt and pan (under the Focus field in the object info). My symbols pan and focus remains 0 for both fields. Manually changing them has no effect other than clearing the focus field. Setting the focus field resets the pan and tilt.

Beam Draw Weirdness.vwx

[markdd]

There is no 3D geometry on the 3D portion of the symbol apart from a 3D Locus. I don't know whether it has changed in recent additions as I can't remember, but you need to have some 3D geometry other than a 3D locus in the 3D component of the Symbol and it needs to have the Parts record attached with the Body field checked.

 

It works fine after that.

 

My advice would be to make a blue symbol with just a simple NURBS curve in it with the parts record attached as above and go through your symbols and add this symbol to any of the Instrument Symbols that don't have anything other than a 3D Locus in them. It will ungroup when inserted leaving the NURBS curve and the parts record in the 3D component.

 

It might of course be a bug, but it's ages since I used 2D symbols so I can't really remember.

Beam Draw Weirdness.vwx

Edited May 9, 2023 by markdd

[Ericsw]

Thanks!

 

I came to the same conclusion just trying to see what was different. I am not sure how to implement the fix your suggested, but I really appreciate the investigation. 

[markdd]

Here is a quick explanation. This is a quick fix which will get you to here you need to be.

[Ericsw]

I grabbed the default Source 4 symbol, copied the 3d symbol, and pasted in place for the handful of symbols in this plot. Looks like I will be editing my symbol library next chance I get. Thanks for all the help!