Caster PIO

[td4stage]

Hello All,

I am just wondering if there is a Caster PIO anywhere in V2008? Importing caster files from other programs make HUGE file sizes! If there isn't a PIO, there should be!

Thanks,

Pat

[Ray Libby]

What do you mean by caster? Are you talking about what would be on an office chair?

[td4stage]

Hi Ray,

Yes, in the simplest terms. In the live production world, nearly everything that moves onstage uses casters, either swivel or straight. Casters also have many different varieties of ways to "connect" to the object they are under, ie, plates, smooth pins, screw pins, etc.

Hopefully this helps,

Pat

[michaelk]

Patrick

I just make my own 3D symbols. I made one accurate 3" fixed and swivel caster with plates, and I modify those as needed to get different sizes. I've never checked to see if a 4" caster is 4/3 the dimension of a 3", but it hasn't come back to bite me yet.

Michael

[td4stage]

Hey Michael,

Would you care to share!?

Pat

[michaelk]

Pat

Sure. Send me an email.

Michael

[Ray Libby]

How about posting the file to the Resouce Sharing forum?

[michaelk]

Ray

Great idea. I just posted it in the Resource Share - Symbols list. A little spooky being the first one to actually post a symbol there.

Hope it helps, Pat.

Michael

[michaelk]

Now that I've gone and posted them, I should say a little bit about how I use them...

When I submit a drawing to a shop, I never intend for the casters to be real-world accurate.

I put them in the drawing for 2 reasons:

1) so VectorWorks can count them. I can get an idea of what the shop's bid might be if I can count things like casters.

2) so the shop will see them and know where I suggest casters might go.

With most of the shops I work with, there is some discussion later on about exact placement of the casters, and then the guy holding the welder just puts them where he wants to anyway.

I DON'T use them to calculate the height of a rolling platform or road case. I just indicate what I would like the overall height to be and the shop deals with the difference between the caster height and the platform height.

I'm not a caster expert. But it seems to me that the sizes of the plates and the placement of the holes are not standard across manufacturers. So the only caster you can accurately draw is one you already own.....

Ok. That's way more discussion than I ever thought I would have about casters.

Michael

[td4stage]

Thanks Michael!

Those symbols will work great!

Pat