Floorplans on every sheet page without slowing it down too much (caching graphics)

[serge_01]

Hi all,

 

In our projects, we like to put a little 1:500 floorplan in the top right of a sheet page to show where the subject of that drawing is situated in the larger space. However, doing this slows down the sheet pages tremendously while caching graphics, because it has to render all these floorplans with so much information. I was wondering if there is a way to have an updated floorplan on every sheet layer without slowing the drawing down. It can of course be a simplified version of it, it is just to show the general location. 

 

Thanks!

 

[Jesse Cogswell]

Assuming that you are using a Viewport on a Sheet Layer, you should look into the Detail Level parameter in the Viewport's Object Info Palette.  When you are editing a symbol, the Object Info Palette for each object will have a field called Display at Detail Level, with checkboxes for Low, Medium, and High.  What you would need to do is to find the details that are lost at that size and uncheck the Low checkbox in the OIP or build simplified geometry and make sure that only Low is selected.  Then, you'd set your Viewport to Low Detail.

 

I can understand that this may be very tedious at this point, as you seem to have a finished model, so it would mean editing a good number of symbols.  But, this can be a very valuable thing to incorporate in your workflow if you find yourself working with big and complicated models.  There's even an option in Document Settings called Auto display detail levels for design layers that will set the viewed detail level of design layers based on the scale settings.

 

EDIT: I see in your signature that you are using VW Fundamentals.  I'm not sure if this functionality is in Fundamentals, as Fundamentals is very stripped down compared to the other Vectorworks modules.

Edited November 29, 2023 by Jesse Cogswell

[Elite Exhibits]

7 hours ago, serge_01 said:

we like to put a little 1:500 floorplan in the top right of a sheet page

 

@serge_01 is that floorplan a variable ? ie: will it change ever ? (Is it geometry? - 2D / 3D ?

 

Something similar in the past - the floorplan was a PDF that was static (did not need to render)

Added to each Sheet in the Title Block or as another Viewport

 

Peter

[serge_01]

@Jesse Cogswell

Sounds interesting! I will look into this for future projects, thanks!

[serge_01]

@Elite Exhibits I've done something like that in the past as well, however, our floorplans are subject to change even in the late stages of the project, so therefore it is nice if it updates with our changes.

[line-weight]

Typically when I use these kinds of keyplans I turn off the classes that contain things like loose furniture and sanitary fittings, because they are the ones that tend to contain complex geometry, and these items clutter the plan visually in any case. But that approach might work better for architectural plans than plans that are mainly about furniture layouts.

[Tom W.]

16 minutes ago, line-weight said:

Typically when I use these kinds of keyplans I turn off the classes that contain things like loose furniture and sanitary fittings, because they are the ones that tend to contain complex geometry, and these items clutter the plan visually in any case. But that approach might work better for architectural plans than plans that are mainly about furniture layouts.

 

But have you found that keeping those classes on slowed things down? I don't think I've ever experienced that. The only times I've had sluggish Top/Plan viewports is when they've contained really complex hatches or recently I had one with hundreds of Data Tags that was incredibly slow (possibly because they were sending data to the objects...). But never just because it contained furniture symbols like in the OP. I wonder if there's a difference between Top/Plan or horizontal sections in this respect + which type it is in the OP...

[line-weight]

2 hours ago, Tom W. said:

But have you found that keeping those classes on slowed things down?

 

I just did an experiment on a drawing I'm currently working on which has a keyplan. My keyplan is for a much smaller building than the one @serge_01 is showing.

 

Adding in those classes does slow it down a bit - but in my case it's maybe the difference between a quarter and a half second so it doesn't really matter. It would have a noticeable impact if I updated all vports in the file I guess.

 

That's using a horizontal section. And with "display 2d components" off. So it is drawing the actual 3d geometry rather than the 2d components. Many of my symbols don't have a 2d component anyway.

Edited November 30, 2023 by line-weight

[Amanda McDermott]

@serge_01 are you on Mac or PC? I suspect those of us having trouble may be on Windows...

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Amanda McDermott

[serge_01]

@line-weight interesting! my drawings are all in 2D, so it only draws 2D geometry. Would 3D geometry be faster than 2D, i cant imagine!?

[serge_01]

@Amanda McDermott Mac!

[Amanda McDermott]

2 minutes ago, serge_01 said:

@Amanda McDermott Mac!

There goes my theory...

[serge_01]

5 minutes ago, Amanda McDermott said:

There goes my theory...

At least you know you don't have to switch your computer out 😉

[line-weight]

16 minutes ago, serge_01 said:

@line-weight interesting! my drawings are all in 2D, so it only draws 2D geometry. Would 3D geometry be faster than 2D, i cant imagine!?

My guess is that 2D ought to be much faster than 3D because it doesn't really have to calculate very much to show it to you.