Plan View with Dashed Information Above

[farwest2]

Hi,

We're trying to generate a dynamic model where objects above the plan cutting plane would be shown dashed (roof lines, soffits, openings), as in a traditional drawing set.

Is there a way in plan view to show dashed objects above (sort of like a negative depth range in the "section viewports" tool)?

Right now we're shown everything on a given floor layer, including beams at the top of the floor layer, which would normally be dashed.

[gScott]

make 2 viewports, on top of each other.

the "bottom" one one showing the normal plan view,

the "top" one showing only the items to be shown

dashed, using either different layers or classes

to represent this stuff. then edit the viewport

display characteristics for the visible classes

of this viewport so that they have no fills + are

dashed + weighted to suit your needs....

the simplest example would be a ground plan viewport

+ a roof viewport with trusses, beams, roof lines etc.

you can also do the opposite for roof structure plans,

showing the roof structure viewport with solid lines,

and a dashed, thin line, structure/wall plan in a

viewport on top of this to give the roof layout plan

a structural context...

hope this makes sense...

[farwest2]

Thanks Gideon.

I know that in some other programs, you can set the "depth of field" to show things behind. I'm assuming that's not possible in Vectorworks?

[Dieter @ DWorks]

you can do this but only for the things you see in the section, not for those in the opposite direction

[gScott]

VW can't do this, but it would be nice in viewports.

architrion had this

feature many years ago, you just ticked "show above/behind"

and entered a distance "above/behind" to show dashed.

[Dieter @ DWorks]

you can make another section viewport on the first one but in the opposit direction, then mirror it and set all the lines to be dashed, it is a nice workaround.

for walls of the level above, make a vp to show the walls above, then set them dashed, and you have what you want