placing a lighting device in an upright position

[cadix]

Hello everyone,

I Createt a light position from a box truss with 4 chords,

Can anybody tell me how I can place an instrument on the top chord in an upright position ??

ideally it should keep al the abilities (light on when rendering)

thanks for any helpful response

Andreas

[mdaszenies]

Hi Andreas,

for top-mounted fixtures I duplicate the original symbol definition (and add a "_floor" or "_top-mount" suffix to the name).

Then you can edit the symbol in 3D-view and use 3D tools to rotate everything around the insertion point, so it appears correctly in renderings.

hth,

Mario

[michaelk]

I depends on what version of VW you are using.

In recent versions, you can change the orientation of an instrument by clicking the 3D Orientation button at the bottom of the OIP. Then enter rotation angles.

Try it in a 3D view and it will quickly become clear.

hth

michaelk

[cadix]

Hi Mario, hi Michaelk,

I am using VectorWorks 12.5.3

you mean the symbol definition in the resorce browser ??

if I do so ...and edit the symbol...the original symbol changes in the same manner, seems like a bug

best Andreas

[michaelk]

12.5 does not have the 3D orientation in the Object Info Palette.

so you need to duplicate the original symbol and edit the duplicate.

Use the original for the standard orientation and use the duplicate for the inverted orientation.

hth

michaelk

[cadix]

thats what i tried several times,

but when I change the duplicate, it will cause the same changes on the original, I tried rename it but still, when I edit (in this case a PAR 64, changes are made on both symbols.

When I try to insert the original VW askes If I want to rename it, replace it or use it, but in either way....changes always are made on both sympols, the new one and the original ??

seems to me like a bug

??? andreas

[mdaszenies]

This looks like if your duplicated symbol contains an instance of the original symbol.

Make sure that if you edit the duplicated symbol, you edit its contents (i.e. lines, extrudes...) right away. (There must not be any other group or symbol levels which you could dig inside)

[michaelk]

I went back to VW 12.5 and tried it.

This is what worked for me:

1. Make a duplicate of the "body symbol" ie. Right click on ETC Source 4 Body in the resource browser and chose duplicate. Name the duplicate.

2. Edit the duplicate > 3D > then flip the instrument to the orientation you want. (Be sure to rotate it around 0,0,0 to get predictable placement of the symbol)

3. Duplicate the instrument symbol you want to flip - say ETC Source 4 36?. Name the duplicate.

4. Edit the duplicated 36? symbol > 3D > Select the instrument body.

5. In the Object Info Palette you will see that you have selected a 3D symbol called ETC Source 4 Body. Click Replace in the OIP and pick your new "body symbol". Exit the Symbol

Your duplicated 36? symbol will now be flipped to the orientation you want.

Needless to say, this is MUCH easier in VW 2008, 2009, and 2010. Just check a box and enter the angle. Each instrument can have it's own angle w/o having to edit 2 symbols.

hth

michaelk

[cadix]

Thanks a lot mchaelk, it works...is a long way ...but...

now annother problem occures the beam in the original instruments has his starting point not in the body, it starts where th clamp is??

do you have an idea about....what can cause this..or how I can change this ??

best andreas

[michaelk]

That was the way it worked back in 12.5. The light source was placed at the insertion point.

All versions after 12.5 had the light source in the center of the instrument body.

michaelk

[michaelk]

I've never tried this, but it should work... (and you've already walked a long way down the work around highway...)

You could edit the 3D component of the symbol so that the the center of the body of the instrument was at 0,0,0 in the symbol definition.

That would put the light inside the body of the instrument. Now you will have to adjust the Z value of each instrument to put the C-clamp at the right height.

viel gl?ck

michaelk

[cadix]

at 0,0,0 in the symbol definition. ???

I dont understand that

you mean the z0 x0 y0 ??

[michaelk]

Yeah, I probably could have phrased that better...

What I meant was this: When you edit a symbol, and choose to edit the 3D portion of the symbol, the point x=0, y=0, z=0 will be the insertion point of that symbol.

So in the case of instruments, the C-clamp falls at 0,0,0.

When the OIP of an instrument reports the height as a Z value, it is measuring from the current layer Z=0 to the symbol's Z=0 that you see inside the symbol 3D edit space.

For example, say you were to edit an instrument symbol>3D and move all the 3D geometry up 10 meters in the Z direction and then exit the symbol.

Now insert that instrument on a drawing w/ no lighting positions. Normally the instrument would have only part of it's C-clamp sticking above the floor. But this one will have it's C-clamp 10 meters in the air even though the OIP for that instrument says that its Z value is 0.

I hope I didn't just make this more confusing. All I meant was that when editing any instrument in 3D you want to keep track of where 0,0,0, is - because that is the insertion point of that symbol.

hth

michaelk

[michaelk]

at 0,0,0 in the symbol definition. ???

I dont understand that

you mean the z0 x0 y0 ??

At the risk of further complicating things:

In VW 12.5 and earlier, the light object is placed at x=0,y=0,z=0 in the symbol.

By default, this is also where the C-clamp is placed.

This is also the insertion point.

I believe that placing the body of the instrument at 0,0,0 will cause the light to come from the body of the instrument.

I know that doing so will cause the height to the C-clamp to be incorrect in the instrument's OIP.

hth

michaelk