brudgers Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 (edited) Frankly someone needs a reality check. Hit "HELP" in the upper right of the VW Menu Bar. (I have it Bookmarked in my web-browser too.) Hit "SEARCH," type "door," the first link tells you everything you need to know. Three clicks. Yes, always room for improved documentation, but take your frustrations to the Help files, or call NNA Technical Support, not as an excuse to go postal on the Tech Forums. Please. The settings for the door tool will be based on the settings of the PIO, regardless of how many times the OP changes them by double clicking on the door tool or the icon in the tool bar. The PIO settings remain sticky...or at least that's how it worked on my machine until I changed the PIO to get rid of the sidelight as a default... So although the default settings can be changed in one place (the PIO editor) the process is completely assinine in my opinion. Changes to the settings using the toolbar icon (or a double click on the tool) should stick...tayloring the software should be a simple and logical process, in my opinion. And in this case Vectorworks falls well short of the mark. Edited July 11, 2008 by brudgers Quote Link to comment
gmm18 Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 You bring up a slightly different issue, rather than setting the default for the session (which is what happens the first time you use that PIO in a session, or if you use the settings icon on the tool bar or dbl-click on tool), but these settings are gone next time you start VW. You are talking about setting the overall default from application start-up. I agree, rather than having to go into the Plug-in Editor to change the default settings for that PIO, there could just be a little check-box in the Object-Info-Palette that says "Make These Settings Default." That way you can set the system default in the same way as you would set up a door or any PIO, without having to enter the Plug-in Editor. Quote Link to comment
maarten. Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Changes to the settings using the toolbar icon (or a double click on the tool) should stick...tayloring the software should be a simple and logical process, in my opinion. Has been asked here. Hopefully it will be in VW soon! Quote Link to comment
brudgers Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 You bring up a slightly different issue, rather than setting the default for the session (which is what happens the first time you use that PIO in a session, or if you use the settings icon on the tool bar or dbl-click on tool), but these settings are gone next time you start VW. You are talking about setting the overall default from application start-up. I agree, rather than having to go into the Plug-in Editor to change the default settings for that PIO, there could just be a little check-box in the Object-Info-Palette that says "Make These Settings Default." That way you can set the system default in the same way as you would set up a door or any PIO, without having to enter the Plug-in Editor. Changing the settings on the tool icon has no long term effect despite it being the obvious place to change the settings...why on earth do they even exist when they don't change the PIO nor stick to the tool? To blame the user for lack of training is a cop out. Even Pickup's manual doesn't adress this sort of issue. Quote Link to comment
mike m oz Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 The ability to have saved Preferences for Tools and Processes is essential. It is a logical need that should have been part of the program long before now. I've wishlisted it here: http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=106583#Post106583 Quote Link to comment
brudgers Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 I just don't expect it to happen. There are too many arbitrary distinctions between, tools, PIO's, and core components...not to mention external databases in multiple formats. The impediments appear to be architectural. Quote Link to comment
billtheia Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Oh, sure, blame it on the architect. Quote Link to comment
brudgers Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 If you wanted to cover up your mistakes with drywall you picked the wrong line of work. But it's the act of publishing my mistakes in duplicate on large sheets of paper that makes me ask, "what was I thinking?" Quote Link to comment
gmm18 Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Saved preferences would have to just be included with each individual PIO, to account for the differences between them. I am not a VectorScripter...but I imagine someone could make a PIO that has a check-box that says "Make These Settings Default," which would save this as a new door.vso in our User > Library > Application Support > VW > Plug-in Folder. Maybe??? Quote Link to comment
BLINK Design Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 I have been to a few architecture career fairs at my local university and one of the questions I always ask at each booth is what software they use. Almost every one of them say they use Autocad, but are thinking about or actively transitioning to Revit. Everyone says they use Sketch-up. The few who have said they use VectorWorks also said they LOVE IT and don't plan on switching... Vectorworks is like the Mac and Autocad is like the PC. VW maintains a reasonably intuitive interface and gets a little better and more usable with each release. Autocad is a staple with many missing features that cause it to remain more functional than usable if you understand that difference. My gripe with VW has been the 80-90% excellence and the 10% nightmares like the former one-way worksheets and attaching straight and curves walls as well the tendency for wall components to come undone! Just today I learned that the new modeling engine has solved the wall connection problems and v. 2008 created the 2-way spreadsheets. 2009 allows for menu pulldowns within the spreadsheets! The point is that Vectorworks (Nemetcheck) is remarkably responsive and have still managed to keep their prices down. Yes the upgrades are uncomfortably pricey, but the core is half the pice of it's competitors. I taught basic VW at a local university in Los Angeles for several years and had a 100% conversion rate until they graduated and could not find too many firms who used it. The accreditation board opted to drop the course to be more viable. Vectorworks is now offering the software free to students like Autocad did 30 years ago. In a few years, Vectorworks will be like Apple is today with it's usabilty, attractiveness and desirable results and the new firms will use it from scratch.. Autocad, well, will be rather like Vista I suspect, desperately reformulating and remarketing itself as it takes it last gasp before final submersion. I cannot speak for Revit, I have heard very good reviews from PC Users. 2009 comes out Monday...It's new modeling engine is a secret until that time! Quote Link to comment
Christiaan Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 The point is that Vectorworks (Nemetcheck) is remarkably responsive and have still managed to keep their prices down. Yes the upgrades are uncomfortably pricey, but the core is half the pice of it's competitors. Agreed. (For whatever reason I thought it was to be released today.) Quote Link to comment
IanH Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 (For whatever reason I thought it was to be released today.) That will be the iPhone 2.1 update then! In UK, due to time difference, VW will be released from Tuesday. If anyone wants 2008, they have until Friday to get an order in. Free 2008 to 2009 updates are generally not officially available, so if you want 2009, you need to wait until next week rather than getting 2008 and expect a free 2009 update. For UK users on this website, please give me a call if you are thinking about upgrading. I am a CU reseller and I am happy to discuss discounts. I may not have as much dealer discount available to me as some of the large retailers, but I do it for beer money because I enjoy VW and IT and try and help with users problems, rather than to make a big profit. That said, it would be nice to get a upgrade for a whole office - just a shame that my brothers practice is Microstation based. Quote Link to comment
Christiaan Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 Heh, that's probably what it is. Waiting for that myself too. Quote Link to comment
Dieter @ DWorks Posted September 11, 2008 Share Posted September 11, 2008 2009 allows for menu pulldowns within the spreadsheets! Where can I find this info? Quote Link to comment
BLINK Design Posted September 12, 2008 Share Posted September 12, 2008 2009 allows for menu pulldowns within the spreadsheets! Where can I find this info? In the release notes that will come out on Monday as well the big secret regarding who VW teamed up with to include an entirely new solid modeling engine with 2009. In previous releases for example, a wall still considers itself solid when a window or door is inserted. This is not the case with the new engine which resolves jamb issues and (curved) wall connection issues. I learned this on the phone with a VW Tech on 10SEP08. I understand it is not available online as yet. Yes, you heard it here first! LOL Quote Link to comment
Vectorworks, Inc Employee Robert Anderson Posted September 16, 2008 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted September 16, 2008 There has been a longish discussion of default tool (i.e. PIO) settings on this thread, but there is a straightforward (if not so well-known) technique for setting up your preferred prefs for all objects. Here's how: 1. Open a blank file, or the template you normally use. 2. Place an instance of all your normally-used objects in the file. When the Object Properties dialog first appears, set up your preferred settings. Place the object, then delete it. 3. When you've gone through all your usual objects, save the file as a template, then use that template, and all objects will have your preferred defaults. All object defaults are saved as invisible records within the file, and are file-specific. All I'm saying here, is you don't have to go to the VectorScript Editor to change objects. (Note also that some objects are C++ and not VectorScript-based, and so you wouldn't be able to set their defaults. This technique should work for any kind of PIO, no matter the code base.) Quote Link to comment
brudgers Posted September 16, 2008 Share Posted September 16, 2008 Thanks for the insight, Robert. It would be great if all these invisible records were made visible, accessible and editible by the user through some sort of nifty unified interface repleat with documentation. Quote Link to comment
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