Fence tool, can't see posts

[Marcus bLD]

Hi,

Could anyone tell me why I can't see my fence posts? I've worked out how to get the mesh to show (adding texture in Render under OIP). I've coloured the posts black but they keep showing as the fence mesh.

I always find I can get 90% through this type of thing and always get stuck on the last step, I feel I am missing part of a workflow.

Thanks

 

[Tom W.]

2 hours ago, Marcus bLD said:

I've worked out how to get the mesh to show (adding texture in Render under OIP).

 

You should be applying the textures to the different parts of the Fence in the 'Attributes' tab of the 'Fence Style' or 'Fence Settings' dialog. In fact I'm not sure whether the OIP render settings affect the object at all in VW2024 so does that mean you're actually using the previous Railing/Fence tool...? You should include your VW version in your signature. In VW2024 the Railing/Fence tool was replaced with the separate Railing + Fence tools. But if you are using the VW2023 tool the same thing applies: you need to apply the textures in the '3D Attributes' tab of the settings.

[Marcus bLD]

Thanks, yep I'm using 2024. I've just watched the coffee break tutorial on it, but still no luck. The posts below are grey when you zoom in and the rails aren't showing but they are all black in the attributes (the rails don't show up in the preview in attributes which is interesting) but they show up in the Infill tab.

 

[Jonathan Pickup]

you have given the posts a black colour but no texture. give the posts a material with a texture

 

[Marcus bLD]

They are steel gal posts but for some reason they are greyed out in the Attributes so can't be changed.

[Tom W.]

2 minutes ago, Marcus bLD said:

They are steel gal posts but for some reason they are greyed out in the Attributes so can't be changed.

 

Are they are taking their texture from the 3D symbol?

[Tom W.]

For the posts you can either use a profile in the form of a 2D-only symbol or a 3D object in the form of 2D/3D hybrid symbol. If you use a 2D-only symbol the PIO extrudes the profile + uses the attributes as specified in the settings. If you use your own 3D-modelled hybrid symbol the attributes come from the symbol + therefore those attribute parameters are greyed out in the settings.

 

(If you use a 3D-only symbol the post will have no Top/Plan representation so you need to make sure it's a hybrid symbol.)

[Marcus bLD]

I've just removed the texture from the symbol but it's still greyed out

[Tom W.]

Just now, Marcus bLD said:

I've just removed the texture from the symbol but it's still greyed out

 

As above if you want to specify the texture in the Fence settings you need to use a 2D symbol for the post

[Marcus bLD]

Not sure if this is a silly question, but why would I want to specify the fence texture anywhere other than the fence settings?

[Tom W.]

16 minutes ago, Marcus bLD said:

Not sure if this is a silly question, but why would I want to specify the fence texture anywhere other than the fence settings?

 

It is just the way the new tool works. Using symbols actually makes it far more powerful than the previous tool. You just need to create different symbols for different posts then switch between them in the settings ('Posts' tab). So duplicate the steel post symbol you are using, change the texture in the new symbol to black paint then use that symbol in the Fence.

 

Or if you're happy for your post to just be an extrude, use a 2D profile. Then you can set the texture in the Fence settings.

 

It's a bit like when you use a Custom Leaf in a Door: the leaf takes its textures from the symbol, you can't edit them from the Door settings. But Custom Leaves give you far more flexibility than the leaves the PIO creates.

[Marcus bLD]

Thanks Tom (and Jonathan), I'll be playing around with it this morning.

[Marcus bLD]

Sorry, I'm still not quite getting this.

I go into the fence tool, choose the type of fence I want, which has pre-specified posts, rails and infill already configured but these won't show up on my drawing unless I then go in and add a texture for each of the already pre-determined materials? So you are kind of getting the fence style but then need to customise the textures?

I tried a different fence out of interest, it's called a fence wood split rail and it is just outlines so I assume this is the same, there are currently no textures.

Which leaves one question, where/how do I apply the texture? I know it's not through the fence tool, so is it through the Render tab in OIP, or do I need to find it in the Resource Manager, import it and then customise it and save it as a symbol?

Thanks again

 

[Tom W.]

I am not aware of any of the stock VW Fence styles displaying without textures. They should all work out of the box. It would be easier to diagnose what's going wrong for you if you posted a file

[Jonathan Pickup]

If you have use a 3D post profile, you might find that you have to edit the 3D post to add the texture. 

[Marcus bLD]

Hi Tom, yes that was what I couldn't understand, I assumed they should just work.

Please see One Drive link below. As you will see the fence is there and sitting on site model, but rails are only showing as outlines.. and I tried adding a gate but that didn't work - it was wooden and too high, no option for a chainwire/fabric one - even after I changed all the settings. I watched a 1.5 hour coffee break session on the new fence tool from VW Europe, and they didn't encounter these issues, I appeared to do everything the same.

Also having some issues getting a couple of items to attach to the site model but that's tomorrows problem. I've spent about 8 hours working on this fence now, ouch.

Thanks 

 

Share copy SE fence issue.vwx

Edited March 5 by Marcus bLD
one drive link issue

[Tom W.]

Unfortunately the link didn't work...?

[Marcus bLD]

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AiKGnIIvNkiJg_kqY3KCVw6ewyijkg?e=cPhQme

 

Try this one?

[Tom W.]

The problem is that your None class is set to have no fill. The 3D symbol you are using for the rail has its geometry in None class + is set to take it's fill by class therefore it has no fill. And because it has no fill it is not displaying its texture. So the problem is with your file, not any of the resources. Objects need to have a fill in order to display textures.

 

The galvanised post symbol also has its geometry in None class but this time is not set to take its fill from the class, instead it has a solid fill in the attributes palette. This is why this symbol is showing its texture.

 

Edit None class + change fill from None to Solid + you get this:

 

 

Or edit the 3D component of the rail symbol + give it a fill in the attributes palette.

[Marcus bLD]

OK, that's really helpful thanks Tom, I've now changed the Class, and will play around with that a bit more. Really appreciated mate.

[Marcus bLD]

Hi,

Does anyone know why my gravel board I have managed to change the colour but the fence panels it won't let me? It's greyed out. Classes are set to solid as per above advice. You can see the infill shows wood and is greyed out, obviously if it wasn't greyed out it would be so easy to change.

Thanks

 

[Tom W.]

If the Fence Style is using a 3D symbol for the Infill Profile (check settings 'Infill' tab) then the 3D Infill will take it's attributes from that symbol: that's why it's greyed-out in the Attributes settings. Basically the way the tools works is you either use a 2D profile symbol for the components (+ the tool extrudes them) or you use a fully formed 3D object symbol. In the case of the former you set the attributes in the style/tool settings. In the case of the latter the attributes are defined by the 3D symbol geometry.

[Marcus bLD]

Ok yet again thanks Tom. So.. if I want one of the already styled fences that is a 3D symbol already in the RM I can't change the colour or texture (but for some reason still can the posts and gravel board), and if I want my own custom coloured fence I have to create the panels from scratch as an extrude of a 2D object and then save as a 3D symbol?

[Tom W.]

14 minutes ago, Marcus bLD said:

if I want one of the already styled fences that is a 3D symbol already in the RM I can't change the colour or texture

 

Yes you can but you need to do it by editing the 3D component of the symbol. Check the 3D geometry + see if it gets its texture by class or by object. If by class you can edit the texture outside of the symbol by editing the class.

 

15 minutes ago, Marcus bLD said:

but for some reason still can the posts and gravel board

 

As explained, you have different degrees of control with the tool. If you're happy with simpler geometry extruded from a profile you can control the texture from the PIO settings. If your fence is more complex you can create custom geometry in the form of a 3D symbol: this might include multiple components using different textures so obviously it wouldn't be possible to control this from the PIO.

 

The best thing is to set up a test file + just try loads of stuff out: see what does what. It's better to create your own styles than use the VW ones. It is a complex tool but very versatile + so much better than the pre-2024 version.

[Marcus bLD]

I tried editing the Class of a 3D symbol but then it edits everything for that Class, so I have to create a new Class every time I do a new fence with different finish in that case.

 

I created the extrude and then was able to change the infill to my new extrude, however I still can't edit the infill as it is still greyed out in the attributes.

 

Yes it is complex! I just need a charcoal colour fence, and it seems like it's much harder than it needs to be for this.

 

Cheers