Visibility control when modelling 3d

[LarryO]

I created a steel framework for a floor pit with two hinged gate panels. Wanting to show one of the gates open in one view and closed in another.

Are groups not an option for making objects invisible when rendering 3d objects in shaded mode?

I'm referring to using classes and assigning the group an invisible class to make all the objects within disappear.

One class being open gate and the other closed gate.

 

I think I can answer how to achieve the end goal. Use a symbol instead of a group because the rendering engine recognizes when they have an invisible class assigned. Task: try this tomorrow.

[BartHays]

Check to see if the Group is in the None Class. If I remember, keep the group in the None class but the Objects in the group in the Class that you want to change per viewport.

It does sound like two symbols would be the more robust option. 

 

Bart

[Pat Stanford]

@BartHays is probably correct.  

 

You will likely need to use three classes to accomplish this.  You need one class for the objects in each gate position and then another class for the group containing the two gate positions.  In order to be visible, both the Group (Parent) class and the class for the gate position need to be visible.

 

If you make the class of the group invisible then the objects inside the group (or symbol) will also be invisible.  This is why we (me) usually recommend that groups be put in the None class and that None is always left Visible.  But it does not have to be None. There is nothing special about None except that there are some VW PIOs that use it as part of their default settings. It could the the class that the overall frameworks group is in just as well. Or any other Class that makes sense to you. As long as you know that two classes have to be visible to see your gate positions.

[LarryO]

28 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said:

If you make the class of the group invisible then the objects inside the group (or symbol) will also be invisible.  This is why we (me) usually recommend that groups be put in the None class and that None is always left Visible.

Hi Pat,

It is actually the opposite that is the problem. My objects within the group are a mix of types (and potentially classes); symbols, extrudes, etc, but all 3d. So rather than create a symbol that had no other purpose than grouping them to assign a visibility class I grouped them. One group for the open gate and the other for the closed gate. But in a viewport rendered as shaded I cannot get either of the groups to be invisible when I make the class invisible. And interestingly when I go into edit layer mode from said viewport both groups are not selectable but are visible at approx 75% which is, surprise, then attribute of the class assigned to most of the objects within the group. When I make the parent group's class visible and select the object the attributes that appear are not the ones assigned to the class of the group but reflect those of the majority of the 3d objects within said group. Actually I think all of the objects in this current grouping are assign ed the same class, one i created to represent steel objects.

[LarryO]

I'd attached the VW2023 file to the forum but it is 9.5MB.

edit:

Never mind, I sourced the problem. Two layers were showing and the historical layer didn't have the visibility class assigned to the two groupings but it was behind the current layer so I couldn't select the groups in question. Duh!

Edited October 25, 2023 by LarryO