Disappearing Data Display on Mac

[billtheia]

Hi all.

I'm a new VW who needs some help.

I'm trying to create a rectangle of fixed size (by double clicking on the rectangle tool) and then place that rectangle using a floating datum (per the "Building the 3D Model" tutorial on the VW Fundamentals CD.) My problem is that the data display bar disappears when I double click on the rectangle tool in order to enter the create object dialogue box. The data display area stays blank until I place the rectangle. The tutorial shows the display bar as active when placing the object so that a relative distance can be entered from a floating datum.

The tutorial is based on the windows version of VW. Does it not work the same way on the mac or am I doing something wrong?

[Guest]

There are two ways to precisely enter measurements for an object like a rectangle.

One would be to double click on the tool, as you are doing, and enter the x and y values for the rectangle using this Properties dialog.

The other method, which cannot be used in tandem, is the Data Display Bar. The Data Display Bar is used when you start to draw the rectangle without using the properties dialog, and enter the measurements in the Data Display Bar.

[VectorGeek]

The Data Display Bar method is used between the two clicks that you use to place an object.

1. Click to place first point

2. Enter Data (using TAB and ENTER to advance through the fields as necessary)

3. Click to finish

As Katie says, alternatively you can double-click and enter data in a dialog.

[billtheia]

Thanks, Katie & Vector but I think that I haven't sufficiently explained my problem.

The VW tutorial shows a series of steps for placing a fixed size rectangle a specific distance from a point already on the drawing. The instructor double clicks on the rectangle tool and enters the size and snap point. He then clicks OK and uses a floating datum to place the rectangle by entering distances in the data display bar.

I try the same thing but my data display bar is blank after I click OK in the rectangle object creation dialog so I can't use it to place the rectangle.

Does the windows version (or the version that is in the VW tutorials) behave differneltly than 12.5.2 on a Mac?

[Ray Libby]

Do you have "Use floating datum" checked in VectorWorks Preferences?

[billtheia]

Yes, "Use Floating Datum" is checked.

[jan15]

Is "Position at Next Click" selected in the "Create Object" palette (the one where you entered the size of the rectangle)?

[billtheia]

Here's some more info. about my problem. It seems that my data display bar will reappear if I hit the space bar.

Here are some images to better illustrate my issue:

1. Here's the screen at the beginning of the process

2. Then I double click on the rectangle tool and enter the dimensions and snap point that I want (notice that the data display bar (near top of screen) is now blank

3. Then I click OK in the Create Object dialog box and am ready to place my rectangle but there are no fields showing in the data display bar in which I could enter distances

4. BUT if I tap the space bar, the fields reappear

5. Then I can enter my distances (from a floating datum) in order to place my rectangle in the desired location

6. Then I can click on the screen and the rectangle is placed a desired distance from the corner of the existing rectangle

SO - am I supposed to hit the space bar to make all of this work or is this a bug?

I'm running VW 12.5.2 on a Macbook with OS 10.4.9 and 2GB of memory installed

[billtheia]

Yes, "position at next click" is checked

[jan15]

A bug. You shouldn't have to hit the space bar. Holding the space bar down should temporarily change to the Pan tool, which affects the display bar, but not in that way.