General VW Questions - Things to be of concern ?

[Guest]

David,

If you have a specific case(s), please let me know.

Sometimes there are ways to do it in the software, depending on the situation, using various constraint conditions.

[David Bertrand]

If you have a specific case(s), please let me know.

Katie,

I would like to draw a grid system, you know, A, B, C along the top and 1, 2, 3 along the sides, with grid bubbles. Easy with AutoCad; not so easy with VW.

Perhaps I'm not familiar enough with the constraints of VW.

[mike m oz]

David there is a Grid Bubble tool in Architect that does exactly that.

If you don't have Architect then you can do it manually using the Number Stamp tool for the bubbles, Lines for your grids and Dimensions for your spacings. You may need to edit your Workspace to add the Number Stamp tool.

[mike m oz]

VectorMove from Vectorbits does all of the things that people are asking for here in terms of moving or duplicating an object by vector. It works in both 2D and 3D and it moves, distributes and duplicates objects with an interactive preview so you can see what the result will be. The additional functionality is well worth the 20 Euro cost. Look under the VectorBITS section here: http://www.vectorbits.com/

PS on Pete Retondo's question:

- VectorMove works with all versions of VW from 10.5 upwards.

- I haven't checked whether all of the VectorDepot options work in VW 12.5. They worked in earlier versions so I would expect that they would work in VW 12.5 as well. One way to find out.

[David Bertrand]

mike m oz:

I don't have Architect. The number stamp tool works well however. Is there any way to change the font size from 12 points to something larger?

To draw the grid lines, I first put down one of the lines. Then I go to "edge snaps" and set the "snap to offset" to the grid spacing. Then I draw more grid lines. Is that how you do it? I had been doing it by using the duplicate and move commands which may not be as fast.

[mike m oz]

Before you start change the default Text size to what you want. You may need to do a couple of trial 'stamps' first to get the correct circle size to go with it. Once you have done that you are fine. What the Number Stamp tool does is produce a Group consisting of the 'shape' and the 'text', which like any other Group can be edited afterwards if you need to.

I would use the Offset tool to draw the grids. If they are all the same spacing use Offset by Distance mode. If the spacing varies use Offset by Point mode - tab into the 'L' field and type in the distance as you go.

PS: You should consider upgrading to Architect. There are many additional features and capabilities that will make you far more productive.

Edited July 20, 2007 by mike m oz

[Dieter @ DWorks]

It's remote vector or remote displacement that everybody's talking about. The idea is that the points that define the move vector don't have to be on the object being moved.

So if you have something on an elevation that's x,y above the left corner of a door, and you want to put it in the same position relative to another door, you can click on the corners of the two doors. The object gets displaced by the angle and distance between the two doors.

Other CAD programs' move commands can do that, because they can only move with a separate Move command. VW's system of moving with the Select tool is better, but, as always, we want the VW stuff plus the other stuff.

I don't get you guys??? This is IN VW! Just look better:

you can choose to juts move the object, duplicate it once or duplicate it x times like an array. I use this a lot.

[mralistair]

Mike

yep I want to draw and occasionally model. and yes i know about drag a copy but i find dragging a pain to do accurately, and in the project i'm working on (an existing twisted building) that means clicking point to point.

i fail to see why we should need to mess around with third party solutions for the basics... the lack of rotate copy makes me think that NNA are NOT working on it and/or don't care.

FYI, I've used a mixture of autocad and Microstation, mostly microstation. i'm no acad fanboy

[mralistair]

Dworks... how do you do it without typing in the dims?

[Dieter @ DWorks]

those dimensions are just for showing that the tool works like the pt2pt some people want. This is how I done it:

I first created the line as kind of what movement I want. useally it is something already in the drawing.

Then I select my shape I want to move (here the first rectangle). Then I select the tool 'Versleep' (I do not know how it is called in english). I can then choose to just move it, copy it or copy x of it. Here I have chosen to copy it. After choosing the mode, I just click on point one of the line, then on point two of the line. And the rectangle is duplicated and moved. So that's what many people here want. So it's actually in VW already.

[jeffroyer]

Actually, the rest of us do not have that tool in our version of Vectorworks (that I am aware of). What you have seems to work precisely the same way the Vectormove plugin does.

[Gerrit]

I think DWorks is showing a PIO ('Versleep' meaning 'Drag') that was developed by the Benelux distributor, DesignExpress. Yep, I have it too :-P

Edited July 20, 2007 by Gerrit

[Guest]

David,

I would use the duplicate array to draw out the grid lines. I would convert them to guidelines so you don't unintentionally move them, but can still snap to them.

The Number stamp tool is great for setting the grid bubble ID, as Mike suggests.

If you are doing architectural work, it's really advantageous to use Architect solely for the drafting time taken to create a project with the industry-specific tools.

The cost of the upgrade from Fundamentals to Architect is far less than the cost of the time taken to manually create architectural-related designs.

[drawwhat?]

Humm? I just purchased, (too bad it's not a download) the Vector Move from Vector Bits,, Cuz it is one of those things I really miss from my other CAD, and I used it often. Although in VW, I was almost getting use to having to figure out the 'math' for "Duplicate Array" tool but that is not always appropriate, or fast.. my brain hurts,,, So the shadow preview of VectorMove was appealing and what I am use to, besides it would work so well. That Is a Tool I will use often, now... BUT - I just saw the 'Versleep' and decided to look a bit further at my screen for the English one of those, not found,, but , now, being still kinda new at VW,, I found "Duplicate Along Path [Alt P] near the bottom of the tool pallet,, Different than the "edit - duplicate array Ctl+Alt+Shift+D" I have found other differences in capabilities in 'Edit of File or Modify- Tool' choice, compared to 'Tool Pallet's choices for seemingly the same tool ??? BUT -, gives some interesting results! Draw a line for it to follow and select the object to duplicate, and copies follow the reference line... other modes in the tool send out a bunch o copies that I don't understand yet, but I might be using VB and VW both..

hope that helps some.

Hey,

Thanks for all the Tips you, are a wealthy community

Danny

[drawwhat?]

not sure this is really a "Things to be of Concern" maybe should be under How To, or Tools Use or something? but it got slid over here somehow?

[P Retondo]

Dworks, you're right, this is the capability we want, but not every purchaser of VW has that tool.

[Dieter @ DWorks]

But that tool is very easy to make, so I do not know why it is not in the original version.

[jan15]

... why it is not in the original version.

You can use the VW Select tool to move by remote vector. You just have to draw a temporary line, and drag that line together with the object you want to move. Maybe they thought that's good enough.

For me it is good enough, since I don't need it very often. I downloaded one of the tools that Mike mentioned, but I don't use it. I find it easier to do the workaround than to keep another tool on hand just for that purpose. But I know many people disagree.

[JBender]

Yes, Jan, that is what I do when I need it, so there is a workaround.

Dworks, this is exactly what makes me think the developers might not be listening.

I'm just waiting for one of them to admit it should be included and will be in the next release. Along with copy by base point - also very valuable to me.

[Guest]

Hi all.

Was just throwing a stone in the bush. Thanks for all the input and thank you Katie for revealing some good stuff coming.

NOTE: It was not meant to be too nail VW to the wall, just a tool to open up minds of individuals iro using VW.

Cheers - have a nice day.