Hybrid 2D/3D Hanging Positions and Lighting Devices

[Lucas Inman]

I am trying to update some of our university shared "base" drawings of out theatres. One thing I am trying to update is the 3D elements in the drawing to implement more modern Vectorworks Spotlight systems. However, I have hit a logistical barrier with portraying FOH catwalk Top and Bottom beams in both 2D and 3D effectively. See the attached images below.

Ideal 2D view for spacing and labeling purposes.

 

3D pipe in real location, and needs lighting device to go along.

 

I know that schematics view in Spotlight somewhat solves this issue. But I have found that the process of adding and removing lights from a schematic view is too complicated for beginners. And this drawing needs to be accessible to a variety of experience levels over the next few years. How does one have a Hybrid 2D/3D Hanging Position that automatically assigns the hybrid 2D/3D location for the lighting device as well.

[TomWhiteLight]

Schematic Views or Design layer viewports would be the way to go.

 

 

[Lucas Inman]

1 hour ago, TomWhiteLight said:

Schematic Views or Design layer viewports would be the way to go.

 

 

Now looking at both options, it seems to be working backwards from what is actually needed. Neither option really provides the 2D as the "master" pipe of the drawing, and allows it to recieve its data from the 3D location. It's working in the opposite direction where the 3D pipe needs to be the one that is drawn on, and the schematic view/design layer viewport is the 2D representation. Is there no other way to work opposite, where the 2D view is what controls the 3D view?

[klinzey]

In order to render lights properly, calculate beam spread, throw distances, angles, etc. we need to have the 3D in the correct location and they you can created a 2D view and organize things so they will be represented in a 2D layout.

[Cookie_NZ]

Hi @Lucas Inman.  My personal solution to this is to reply heavily on classes & saved views. 

 

Our FOH fixtures are all classes by position, and also by bar if there are multiple stacked bars in a single position.  So our Advance Bridge has the following classes:

Lights-FOH-Advance-Top

Lights-FOH-Advance-Mid

Lights-FOH-Advance-Bot

 

I make saved views which isolate just the position & bar for ease of editing.

 

I then use schematic views to clearly display all the lighting positions in the plan, without them overlapping each other.:

 

Hope that helps.  

 

Cheers,

 

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