VW2023 SP5 Door tool does not work

[MGuilfoile]

Pretty simple. I create a door with the Door Tool in the Tool set. I double click on it so I can make it a 15 light door.The door settings box opens and I am delighted with all the options I see that I can use to customize my door. Pretty simple, right? Wrong.

 

Too bad most are grayed out.

 

In particular, the "LIghts" do not work. "Muntins" is grayed out. "Vertical Bars": 0 Can I fill that in with two? No. It does not work. Can I fill in the horizontal bars with four? No. It does not work. 

 

Big, fat sigh here.

 

So much of these customization tools are either grayed out or useless (kick plates, who cares? But I bet that one works.)

 

I want a 15-light door. I want the tools to work. I DO NOT want sidelights.

Why is this not working? This is VW ARCHITECT. We use a lot of doors, you know. What am I doing wrong?

[Tom W.]

Is this what you want?

 

 

When you say most of the settings are greyed-out is it because your door is Styled rather than Unstyled?

[MGuilfoile]

I actually found a way under "leaf" to make my 15 lights, but the glazing is supposed to be clear and it is solid. In fact. I don't really see a way to put texture maps on this thing. You know what, I'm just going to build a door with proper glass panels that I can add textures to and easily place a lock set (which is not possible with this door tool) and make my own symbol. This door tool is a disaster for me, so I'm dumping it for now. The next time I have a half day to try to figure it out, I'll give it another try. Clearly, I need to study up on how it works.

[MGuilfoile]

Styled or unstyled? I don't know. I think this is a big problem with the tool. There are these non-intuitive categories that really should not be in the way, at least not at the start. Look at classes. You don't really need to use them, but as you work, you figure out good ways to fit into your work flow. Thanks for the help. Someday when I have time I'll try to figure it out.

[Tom W.]

3 minutes ago, MGuilfoile said:

the glazing is supposed to be clear and it is solid. In fact. I don't really see a way to put texture maps on this thing.

 

Classes tab:

 

 

 

[MGuilfoile]

Yes, it says "clear," but it's not. Besides, I want to pick my own glass for the glazing. Doesn't everyone? There are an infinite number of glass types out there.

Also, this is a HUGE deviation from the standard way texture maps are created. Doors and windows should not be handled differently. It is disruptive to the rendering workflow. 

[E|FA]

Create a new Class for the glass and configure its Texture as you desire.  Then go back to the Door settings shown in @Tom W.'s post, and select your newly created glass Class for the Glazing of your door.

Edited June 26, 2023 by E|FA

[MGuilfoile]

The problem with using classes to place textures is this: As far as I can tell, you can't change the attributes of how the texture is applied. Size, rotation, mapping adjustments, UV, Planer, etc., none are available--unless I'm missing something. But that begs the question: why should I have to re-learn how to use texture maps? Sure, if you want to use classes for mapping then go ahead, but don't remove the adjustment ability from me. When using classes, I don't see an easy way to manipulate the texture map. Basically, you get whatever VW decides is the default. What am I missing here?

MHBrown

[MGuilfoile]

Yet another problem with the Window/Door tool and the oddball way of applying textures. In addition to not being able to adjust the mapping, if the texture class is turned off guess what happens? What SHOULD happen is that the object--for example the door frame--should lose its texture and revert to the default white that any object lacking a texture would render. What DOES happen? If the texture class is turned off the object disappears. Completely. It is gone and does not render. This means the visibility of an object is controlled by two classes: the object class and its texture class.

 

FIX. THIS.

[Tom W.]

21 minutes ago, MGuilfoile said:

if the texture class is turned off guess what happens? What SHOULD happen is that the object--for example the door frame--should lose its texture and revert to the default white that any object lacking a texture would render. What DOES happen? If the texture class is turned off the object disappears. Completely. It is gone and does not render.

 

How many other classes can you make invisible + the objects assigned to those classes remain visible? The Door components - the geometry forming the jambs, styles, rails, etc - are assigned to those classes so if you turn them off, those objects will naturally disappear. If you don't want a component to have a texture, remove the texture assignment from the class. Then it will display whatever solid fill is assigned to the class.

[MGuilfoile]

I suppose I'm not explaining myself very well, so I'll try again. When using the Door and Window tools, the only way (as far as I know) to place textures on their various parts is by making a class with an associated texture and assigning that texture via the OIP: "Settings" then "Classes" and then assign, for example, "interior trim," to the class that has the color you want (in my case, "Paint, gloss white). As far as I know, this is the only way to apply a texture map to a door part--and there are around 20 door parts whose textures are controlled this way. You can't use the Texture Tool nor drag and drop a texture from the Resource Palette. I assumed this class would not affect the visibility of the object, but just of the texture map itself. I mean, why would I want my window sashes or interior trim to vanish. It is much more likely that I just want them to be a custom color. So, my problem is this: if this is the only way to add textures, it would be nice if I could make it affect the visibility of the texture map itself, not what it is applied to.

 

I would be very grateful if someone could explain an alternate way to apply texture maps to the parts of a door or window that would allow me to use the tools available when applying textures to everything else. It is particularly bad that I can't adjust the size, rotation, or location of placed maps. I seem to be stuck with whatever the default is.

Thanks!

MHBrown

[Tom W.]

Yes the only way to apply textures to Door components is by class. But another option - and what I do most of the time - is to use Custom Leaves. This way you can control the texture mapping on the leaf at least yet still benefit from most of the PIO functionality of the Door object.

[MGuilfoile]

I find not being able to apply texture maps to doors and windows in the same manner as everything else an unforgivable mistake.

 

[Tom W.]

You've obviously not used Slabs then... 🙂