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dimensions for isometrics


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It's really a shame that after all the years this topic has been discussed on this board and all the current improvements to VW in the area of 3D,that 3D dimensioning, even in its most rudimentary form, is no where in sight.

Come on guys, the whole world is now designing in 3D, not just rendering pretty pictures! Because of this fact alone we do all of our 3D work in others programs. VW is taking a back seat when it comes to 3D, at least for our use, due to the lack of 3D dimensioning.

Even some very cheap programs come with fully associative 3D dimension capabilities. How is it possible that a program such as VW has NOTHING??

Thanks,

Tom in PA

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Have to agree. VW is good but in solids and machine design it holds a third world seat. A shame actually as VW is great. It have a lot to offer.

To overcome your problem in either front, back, right and left you can do the dimensioning of the 3D model and create those dimensions in a class of its own.

Select it and create a viewprt of it as 2D in TOP/PLAN view. In the Sheet layer put the Dimension Viewport to the 3D model of same scale and you have a THIRD WORLD VW version of 3D dimensioning. Still have a typical VW THIRD WORLD alignment problem though.

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clb,

The workaround stated is just that, a workaround of an existing deficiency in the program. Before I would go through all the monkey motions just to say I have a 3D object dimensioned in VW I would just pull out one of the competitors products we use for all of our 3D work and have fully associative 3D dimensions.

I would not even waste the time using VW for anything like this, the other programs make it too easy. It's a no brainer as they say.

When 3D dimensioning does become available in VW, it WILL NOT be available in the basic fundamentals package, I guarantee it. Just like the Sketch option was being touted as the latest and greatest until you read the fine lines, not available.

Enough on the subject,don't hold your breath, as they say.

Thanks guys,

Tom in PA

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Honestly, the idea that VW provides interactive 3d without interactive dimensioning is beyond my comprehension.

Forcing Users to accept flat dimensioning is , indeed, a serious limitation.

This long overdue procedure may be an indicator of a limitation within the core functionality of the program.

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  • 3 months later...

In v12, set your object to top, left, right, or front view. Create a new layer and make sure its in Plan view. Make you objects layer visible and create dimensions on the new layer. Go back to your object layer and turn off visibility for the dimension layer. In the object layer add a layer link to the dimension layer. Unlock the layer link and it becomes a plane you can position and rotate on any axis. You just need to position it next to your object. I used to do this frequently in v12 but then I "upgraded" to v2008 (Lucky 13)and they removed layer links. . . a feature I used all the time. Now you can have Viewports on layers but you can't rotate the viewports on all axis like the layer links. Now I have to down save to v12 to do this. Why did they remove Layer Links? Good question.

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Thanks, I didn't know I could do that. I added Create Layer Link to my View menu. Its difficult to select the Layer Link in anything other than Plan View (I have to use the alt key) and its not as easy to position it as in v12. It does not work as well as in v12 but at least its possible in 2008.

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.... Now I have to down save to v12 to do this. Why did they remove Layer Links? Good question.

What the??? they removed Layer Links in 13??!! So how can one quickly & accurately produce Elevations?

So that I have it straight;

- VW STILL CAN'T Dimension in 3-D (without workarounds)

- VW STILL CAN'T produce a 3-D model as a 2-D elevation (without workarounds)

- VW STILL CAN'T select multiple doors or windows to make changes

- VW STILL CAN'T produce PIO's that graphically produce anything remotely like something from Graphic Standards (without workarounds)

- VW STILL produces files several times the size of other CAD files.

So why do I continue to use & update this programme?

... perhaps I should re-evaluate my 17 year relationship with VW

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Jim, Layer Links have been replaced with Design Layer Viewports in the Design Series (Architect, LandMark, Spotlight, Mechanical and Designer). Think of DLVPs as intelligent Layer Links. ie. they can be managed - Layers and Classes can be switched on and off at will, and they can be cropped.

The old type of Layer Links can be still used if you want to as well (you just need to add the Menu command back into your workspace). The Model View tool still exist in Architect and this provides the ability to produce various 'Layer Linked' views of the model on a single Design Layer.

The better way to create elevations though is with Sheet Layer Viewports (SLVPs).

On your other comments:

- VW STILL CAN'T Dimension in 3-D (without workarounds)
True, but hopefully NNA will respond to the many requests for this capability.

- VW STILL CAN'T produce a 3-D model as a 2-D elevation (without workarounds)
Debatable. The quality of any elevations and sections produced from a model is dependent on the quality and completeness of the 3D model.

- VW STILL CAN'T select multiple doors or windows to make changes
False - this is possible in VW 2008. You can also edit door and window PIOs from the worksheet Door and Window Schedules.

- VW STILL CAN'T produce PIO's that graphically produce anything remotely like something from Graphic Standards (without workarounds)
To understand what you mean by this you will need to be more specific and provide example images showing what you want and what you get.

- VW STILL produces files several times the size of other CAD files.
That is true if you are comparing the file size to an 'electronic drafted' Autocad file. I'm not so sure that it is true if you compare the file size with similar 'parametric object' files in Archicad, Microstation and Revit.
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I hope VectorWorks employees who are monitoring this file understand the imprtance of this major limitation of VW.

Isometric dimensioning has been a staple of many other programs going back 10 years at least!

I wonder how many sales they are losing because of the lack of this feature?

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- VW STILL CAN'T select multiple doors or windows to make changes
False - this is possible in VW 2008. You can also edit door and window PIOs from the worksheet Door and Window Schedules.

Can you explain how to do this for parameters that are only accessible through the 'settings' dialog?

I know I can wrap the object in a symbol, but that has several drawbacks, the most significant being that it doesn't help me make changes to a group of objects that are similar but not identical.

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Seth / MG I stand corrected. I tried it with two windows selected and saw the problem - the first selected window updates and the second window doesn't. Even changing those parameters accessible on the OIP is erratic. Sometimes they both update correctly, but occassionally they don't. Apologies for my incorrect assertion.

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Mike, I have yet to upgrade from 12 & if one can still add layer links to one's tool set that is great. Just so you know, I use a viewport for elevations and "Fix" the viewport in Annotations -rather than trace the viewport I : 1- Layerlink a 3-D model, 2-Cut a 3-D section OUTSIDE the model, 3-Convert four (or more) copies to lines. This allows me to paste lines in an elevation's Annotation much faster & more accurately than tracing. This means changes as the project changes. I'm open to another way, but I have yet - having spent hours on tests - to get a 3-D rendered elevation to look anything like a 2-D elevation.

As for PIO's windows are better-graphically, but stairs- for example- from the posts I've seen regarding vw13 are no better than vw12. Open a copy of Graphic Standards, then look a stair produced by the PIO.

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