Truss Symbol problems 2d/3d Hybrid objects

[Metalox]

Forgive me if I am being ignorant here, or missing the obvious...

Using Spotlight 2010 SP3 on MAC OSX

I need to rotate 3d Truss symbols, for example the supplied Eurotruss symbols, in 3d space on a daily basis. When I try to do this a dialogue appears stating that one can only rotate hybrid objetcs (2d/3d symbols) around the Z axis.

I have found a helpful thread in this forum stating that one must first edit the symbol to remove the 2d part, ie creating a 3d only symbol. This 3d symbol is then rotatable in 3d space. This workaround indeed works fine, but...

I wanted to ask if anyone out there can explain this bizarre behavior? Supplied symbols designed to create 3d truss systems that cannot be used as supplied? Why don't these truss symbols have a "Hang Angle" attribute like the trusses created with the truss maker tool? Why doesn't the program automatically do the conversion to a 3d symbol when I click the rotate 3d button in the object info window?

Once again, forgive me if I have missed the obvious, (I did check the help and the forums before posting) And thanks in advance for any advice :-)

Ben

Edited April 21, 2010 by Metalox

[Pat Stanford]

Use the Hanging Angle field in the Object Info Palette to set the angle. Not as freeform as using the rotate tool, but it works.

[michaelk]

I wanted to ask if anyone out there can explain this bizarre behavior? Supplied symbols designed to create 3d truss systems that cannot be used as supplied? Why don't these truss symbols have a "Hang Angle" attribute like the trusses created with the truss maker tool? Why doesn't the program automatically do the conversion to a 3d symbol when I click the rotate 3d button in the object info window?

Ben

They don't behave the same way because (even though they are both trusses :grin:) they are fundamentally different kinds of VW objects.

The Eurotruss symbols are symbols that represent actual real world objects: Trusses of specific dimensions, lengths, cord diameters, lacing, etc. The behave exactly like a symbol for a piano or car would behave.

The truss built w/ the Spotlight truss tool are parametric objects, created and edited w/ a piece of magic code under the hood that makes a mythical truss that may or may not exist in the real world. They behave in a similar way to doors and windows in VW.

It's like the difference between using the stair tool to build a escape stair and using a symbol of an existing escape stair. Same thing to the carpenter who is going to place the stair, but totally different to VW.

Or maybe a better example is the difference between an instrument inserted w/ the regular symbol insertion tool - just a hybrid symbol of a real object - and an instrument inserted w/ the instrument insertion tool - lots of data and behavior gets attached to it.

As to why hybrid symbols don't rotate around the X or Y axis. That's one I'd like to see changed, too. I think the obvious reason is that the 2D part would become inaccurate and misaligned to the 3D part.

hth

michaelk