A bit of a Vectorworks Newbie Needing Advice

[Jack Memoria]

Basically, I'm having trouble rendering one particular piece for a set I'm redesigning for a final class project. I simply can't figure it out, and I have to have it ready by Tuesday. The set is for the play "King Stag." It's a large platform meant to roughly be the center piece of the set. The platform has an incline.

I don't have the measurements on me, but I don't think I really need to provide them, I just need an idea on how to approach it.

Here's a few pics of the piece.

http://tinypic.com/r/15f6hwi/6

http://tinypic.com/r/30w5npw/6

http://tinypic.com/r/2lmuyau/6

http://tinypic.com/r/33tp6ao/6

Thanks in advance.

[Jonathan Pickup]

draw the platform from the side and extrude it. then copy it to make several of them

[Jonathan Pickup]

create a texture for each one and apply it

[Jack Memoria]

ah, the texture isn't the problem. just extruding it in a way that it has the incline as shown.

edit: also I'm designing it as one piece, rather than three separate ones.

Edited December 6, 2009 by Jack Memoria

[Kevin McAllister]

Hi Jack,

Its not entirely clear from the photos the details of the rake, but assuming it rakes in one direction I suggest the following method-

- draw the platform in plan view as a surface, including the curved corner. (If you're unsure how to do this, I would suggest drawing an arc and a polygon and then using the Add Surface command in the Modify Menu).

- while in plan or plan/top view extrude the surface using the highest point on the rake as the delta Z value.

- switch to a side view. Draw any guidelines over the extrude that may be helpful in laying out the rake angle. Using the Split Tool (it looks like a #11 X-acto Knife) draw a line along the angle of the rake. If you select the extrude first and hold down the option key, the Split Tool will only cut through your object. If you don't, it will cut through any 3D object along the line you make with it.

- delete the un-needed piece.

Cheers,

Kevin

[Jonathan Pickup]

if you have time, there is a 3D modeling manual at the NNA web site:

http://www.nemetschek.net/training/guides.php

[Jack Memoria]

Hi Jack,

Its not entirely clear from the photos the details of the rake, but assuming it rakes in one direction I suggest the following method-

- draw the platform in plan view as a surface, including the curved corner. (If you're unsure how to do this, I would suggest drawing an arc and a polygon and then using the Add Surface command in the Modify Menu).

- while in plan or plan/top view extrude the surface using the highest point on the rake as the delta Z value.

- switch to a side view. Draw any guidelines over the extrude that may be helpful in laying out the rake angle. Using the Split Tool (it looks like a #11 X-acto Knife) draw a line along the angle of the rake. If you select the extrude first and hold down the option key, the Split Tool will only cut through your object. If you don't, it will cut through any 3D object along the line you make with it.

- delete the un-needed piece.

Cheers,

Kevin

I extruded the shape at the highest point, and have attempted to use the split tool, but it's failing to make any cuts. It's on a 1/2 scale, 2'0" extrude, the whole shape is there, it just needs the incline. Am I missing something?

[Kevin McAllister]

Jack,

Look in the Mode Bar at the top of the screen while the Split Tool is selected. Make sure the second icon (Split By Line) is selected. I suspect the first, Split By Point, is currently active.

You could also use Trim By Line, which is the last option. It will trim away the un-needed portion of the trimmed shape.

Sorry that I missed this in my original instructions.

Kevin

[Jack Memoria]

Bah.

Alright, I tried both, but rather than cut it in half, it seems to make a duplicate, and both appear like a sloppy wireframe model. I can see that its made the cut, it just hasn't separated.

Edited December 8, 2009 by Jack Memoria

[Kevin McAllister]

Sounds a little strange. Maybe post a file of your result.

Here is an example done as I described....

Kevin

[Jack Memoria]

Is that the 2010 version? I'm still on Vectorworks 2009.

[Kevin McAllister]

Here is a 2009 version of the same file...

K

[Jack Memoria]

Here's a look at what I've got at the moment. The majority of the set I have under control, this one platform is just a major roadblock for me here.

[Jack Memoria]

Oh, and the curved corner is at the high point of the rake, not the low. And the other corner of the high point curves inward, as shown here:

http://tinypic.com/r/30w5npw/6

I am not talented with a camera.

[mike m oz]

Your problem is due to the extrude's 2D base shape not being a single polygon (it is actually three polygons). Drill down to the 2D shapes, Select All and Compose. When you exit the Split you will have two objects. Delete the top portion and the remainder will be the object you were trying to create.

[Kevin McAllister]

Very true. When you work with Vectorworks, it helps to think of most 2D objects as surfaces, not as collections of lines and curves. This way of working is what sets Vectorworks apart from Autocad.

I would suggest going back to your base three objects and giving them all a very visible fill or hatch. You will see they are three distinct objects and don't form a surface. Join them together using the Compose menu command as Mike suggests and then extrude. You could also use the Paint Bucket mode of the Polygon Tool to create a shape within the boundaries you've drawn, and then extrude that.

You can edit your existing shape but double clicking on the bottom object, and then double clicking on the extrude. This will take you back to your base shapes.

KM