Constraining!

[former Revit user]

Well, I'm trying a simple exercise using constraints in a simple 4 rectangle, 4 line drawing:

Picture an elevation of a cabinet front with 2 rails and 2 stiles, each represented by a rectangle. There are then 4 boundary lines that i would like to constrain the rectangles to w/ simple point constraints, or should I be using a diff. constrain command?

I do realize btw that there is a 3d cabinet tool, but for the sake of a simple exercise.....

I would like to constrain these 4 simple rectangles together so that when I drag a boundary edge the rail and stile widths remain constant, should I be using VS? I also tried constraining the width of the rectangles....but no luck, crashes, crashes and more crashes with a simple 4 rectangle 4 line drawing?

Am i missing something,

sry for no pic, thought this was simple enough...

thks for any advice and direction

[jan15]

It sounds like you're using "constrain" in a way that I'm not used to, something other than the Constraints palette. "constrain these 4 rectangles together" sounds like you should be making a Group out of them, by selecting them and issuing the Group pull-down menu command, so that they become a single object that can be moved, re-sized, stretched, given attributes, etc.

And VW is crashing? That's very strange. Maybe you should call tech support.

[VectorGeek]

Not sure if I understand what you are trying to do, but often the 2D Reshape Tool can be the best solution for these types of situations.

1. Select all the objects.

2. Select the 2D Reshape Tool.

3. Draw a marquee around the points you wish to move.

4. Drag or use the Move command.

If a rectangular marquee doesnt work for your condition, hold down the Alt key (Option on Mac) and you can draw an irregular marquee.

HTH.

Edited August 16, 2007 by VectorGeek

[Pat Stanford]

I can confirm a crashing bug in VW12.5.2 using constraints. My example is even easier. Two rectangles, one an offset of the other. I put distance constraints between the top left corner of the inner rectangle and the top and left side of the outer rectangle. When I try to move the left side of the outer rectangle, VW crashes. (later: When I went back to try to document my exact steps to file a bug report, I could not get it to crash)

In general, constraints have not had much done with them (nor are they used much) since they arrived in MiniCAD 6 (?) Other than associative dimensions, they do not seem to be very reliable. I think you will continue to have problems any time you try to apply mutiple constraints to the same objects.

If you want to learn VectorScript, this would be a fairly easy PIO to write. You would only need three parameters, the height, width and rail/stile width. Let me know if you would like some pointers.

The other suggestions about making a group, using the 2D reshape tool to move, and my suggestion of using the offset tool will probably serve you better than trying to use constraints.

If anyone out there is actively using constraints, I would love to hear from you about how you use them and what you use them for.

Pat

Patrick Stanford

The PodCAD Podcast

www.podcad.tv

pat@coviana.com

[cbaarch]

try using the wall tool for simple elevations of cabinets

then you can join heal etc....

the z value is not used in that case

[former Revit user]

Thanks for the advice all.

The fact that constraining is a vestige was truthfully the answer I was looking for. The serious troubles I had trying simple procedures in the palette options told me this probably wasn't the right place to be, thanks for the confirmation,

so on to VS it is!