Walls

[Bruce Kieffer]

I'm just learning how walls work. I'm trying to draw my home. I have drawn the footings. Can someone please explain how I draw the basement walls on top of the footings? VW wants to continue the footing (wall) when I place the wall tool over the drawn footing. Do I need to use separate classes or layers to accomplish this?

[CipesDesign]

You can (but dont need to) use separate layers OR classes OR both. If you think of Layers as the levels of the building (which is *one* way to think of them) then I would say that you should use a new layer. Make sure you understand how to set the "Z" values of each layer. If you need more help, just post your questions here :-)

[Bruce Kieffer]

You can (but dont need to) use separate layers OR classes OR both.

Please explain how I would get the wall to sit on the footing if I don't use layers or classes. Thanks.

[propstuff]

VW wants to continue the footing (wall) when I place the wall tool over the drawn footing.

Bruce,

What do you mean by "continue"

You can control the heights with the Bot Z setting in the OIP.

EG; 2 coincident walls: a footing wall Bot Z of -450 and a height of 450 and a wall wall of BotZ 0.00 and a height of 2700.

HTH

N.

[Bruce Kieffer]

By "continue" I guess I mean extend. I click the wall tool, reset the thickness and height, click OK, move the insertion point over the already drawn footing and that footing is highlighted and the wall tool wants to extend that footing.

[propstuff]

Although it becomes highlighted, that doesn't mean you are extending the existing wall.

At least thats never done it for me.

You should just end up with a new wall sitting on top of the other. Even if the new wall is identical to the old one and entirely co-incident with it in all dimensions and Z position, it will still be above it in the stacking order.

N.

[Bruce Kieffer]

Nope... I can't get it to draw a wall on top of a wall.

[propstuff]

Sorry Bruce,

I can't reproduce your problem. Mine always makes new walls regardless of what they snap to (or not).

What do you mean by "extend" the existing footing?

N.

[CipesDesign]

Bruce, try this: 1) create new design layer with ALL of the same settings as your existing layer (eg: same scale, same starting z and delta z). 2) Make sure that the layer visibility options are set to "show, snap others". 3) In the new (blank) layer draw the stem walls by using the footings as reference (snap) points. 4) Select the new wall(s) and group them 5) With the group still selected go to EDIT>CUT, 6) change to the original layer, (and-optional-change the visibility to back to "active only"), and then go to EDIT>PASTE IN PLACE. 7) With the newly pasted gropup still selected switch to FRONT (or SIDE) view. 8) Move the grouped walls UP so that they sit on top of the footing as desired. 9) Now, if you want, you can ungroup the walls to be able to play with them more.

Like other said, you shouldn't (and I hardly ever) need to go to this length - it is a workaround - but it will hopefully get you the result you're after.

[NickB]

Hi Bruce, is it that you need to turn off Auto Join Walls in the VectorWorks Preferences under Edit? It will mean that you will have to make joins manually, but VectorWorks won't try to do extend/ add on to existing walls.

Personally I would always choose to use different layers for walls on different floors, but then seeing the model becomes a bit more complicated especially with Fundamentals.

HTH, Nick

[Bruce Kieffer]

Nick, You are a genius! Turning off Auto Join Walls in the VectorWorks Preferences did the trick.

[CipesDesign]

Oh yeah. I almost NEVER have autojoin on because it creates such bizarre results sometimes. I had forgotten all about it :=)

[NickB]

I'll let the genius comment stand...

Edited May 27, 2006 by NickB