tails Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Morning people or afternoon/evening, wherever you are! So hopefully there is an image attached of a simple plan drawing. Currently I produce working drawings in sketchup which is less than ideal. Now I seem to be able to do plan/elevations in vectorworks but my workflow is less than ideal in comparison to AutoCAD. The attached drawing has been produced mainly using the line tool. Should I be using the wall tool? I don't want/need 3D walls at the moment. The hatched areas are windows, but the hatch does not fill the box, why is this? As in autoCAD the hatch/fill always filled the box. Also why can I only fill rectangles and not rectangles created from lines? If I continue to draw using the line tool, should I be grouping each area, example walls are grouped, windows grouped etc. Are there any hard rules that I should be following to speed up my workflow, as time is a bit precious but the vectorworks drawings look so much better than sketchup. Thanks for your advice. Andy Quote Link to comment
tails Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 Also should I put all my measurements on a separate layer? Quote Link to comment
Dieter @ DWorks Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Stop drawing like you do in AutoCAD. VW has another way of working it. You should use the objects that go with VW like the walls etc. These can be changed with simple clicks or changing parameters. You can't do that with lines. Also, VW can have an object that has a line style and a fill. So don't use the hatch seperate. Apply the hatch to the object. Also don't use lines, Use polylines or polygons. I recommend you to take a look at the manual for the basics of drawing, you'll learn a lot to work faster and better in VW. Quote Link to comment
tails Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 Thanks d works i'll have a look. One quick question, to change the arrow size you go to attributes click the small arrow and change, edit marker etc so why when I do change the arrow size they are still HUGE ahhhhh!!! Quote Link to comment
VincentCuclair Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 (edited) Andy, start off by using walls, columns, windows, doors, stairs etc in 2D only. Forget about the 3D to start with. Doors and windows create their own openings in walls, walls join automatically and all objects can be easily edited and the changes show in all other objects as well.......anything you find too hard you can draft using lines, polylines etc afterwards... Put each story in it's own Design Layer, put objects ,dimensions etc in their own Class, ie dimensions in dimension class, exterior walls in Ext. wall class etc, this will give you the best/most flexible control over everything. Hatches can only be created in closed objects ie lines are not closed objects....you can however use the 2D polygone tool, using the 'polygone from inner boundary' mode to create a hatch object inside an area enclosed by lines, walls etc. Edited October 25, 2010 by Vincent C Quote Link to comment
VincentCuclair Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Thanks d works i'll have a look. One quick question, to change the arrow size you go to attributes click the small arrow and change, edit marker etc so why when I do change the arrow size they are still HUGE ahhhhh!!! In VWs drawing scale is only a way to view your models on screen, check that you have a scale set according to the scale you want your drawing to be when you print it. The units in Document settings set the 'size' of your file. Ie set units to inches all drawing will be done in inches regardless of drawing scale. etc etc. many objects are developed to show different at different scales ie dimensions, Quote Link to comment
tails Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 That sounds good to me, I'll give it a go. Why classes instead of layers? i'll report back on how I get on. . . Quote Link to comment
VincentCuclair Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Why classes instead of layers? Design layer = AC Model Class = AC Layer Sheet layer = AC Paperspace Quote Link to comment
Christiaan Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Why classes instead of layers? Three main reasons (the 1st one of which you're mainly concerned with): To control the visibility of objects within a layer. To predefine attributes (hatches, colours, etc.) so you don't have to manually edit each object. And to edit those attributes later, again without needing to manually edit each object. To identify types of objects Quote Link to comment
VincentCuclair Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 (edited) To predefine attributes (hatches, colours, etc.) so you don't have to manually edit each object. And to edit those attributes later, again without needing to manually edit each object. Classes can be assigned their own attribute settings eg AC bylayer, all objects in that class then assume these settings (if 'use at creation' is checked in the class attributes) Edited October 25, 2010 by Vincent C Quote Link to comment
tails Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 I'm getting it a bit more now, the tool sets palette is more important than the basic palette. Well at least for what i'll be using it for. I'll try to get the hang of the layers/classes. I used classes today to "turn off" my title block which I did not want to be effected by the scale of the drawing. In the attached image is my current classes palette. Am I correct in thinking 0 is the small piece of wall I have drawn. dimension is dimensions G8..... are all the lines and text of the title box I made prior to know what classes is. Thanks again guys great help. Quote Link to comment
VincentCuclair Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Andy make sure you are in Top/Plan view as opposed to Top view shown in your screendump, Top/Plan view is the one you use to see how plans look on 2D, the others show your modell in 3D from different angels. PIOs and Symbols show different in this view and wall joins show etc etc Quote Link to comment
tails Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 Please see attached, I did this with the wall tool, windows, doors. I def see the advantage of this, although this particular effort took a long time. If I click bottom or right I see different elevations can I get these all on one sheet like a standard Plan and Elevations drawing? Quote Link to comment
CipesDesign Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 You can use Viewports to place the various different views of your design onto one or more Sheet Layers. See VW's Help for more on Viewport creation, etc. Quote Link to comment
Jonathan Pickup Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 viewports are very powerful. if you choose not to use them, you will find it hard to use Vectorworks effectively. If you are having trouble getting up to speed with layers, classes, viewports and the productive use of Vectorworks, try a good manual. There is a place in the UK to buy Vectorworks manuals. Click here Quote Link to comment
VincentCuclair Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 (edited) Yes using View>Create Viewport and View>Create section viewport and use the hidden line render mode in these. Edited October 25, 2010 by Vincent C Quote Link to comment
tails Posted October 26, 2010 Author Share Posted October 26, 2010 Oh dear those viewports dont like me. think I'm going to have to seek a tutor or ask my boss to get me AC!! Thanks for all your useful help, I shall try to look through it in time. Quote Link to comment
VincentCuclair Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Andy, with all due respect....you're giving up trying to learn VW after 2 days while most of us on this forum are still learning after years of use, isn't that a little naive? If it helps there is a free DWG app called Draftsight.........good luck! You'll see the error of your ways in a year or so....... Quote Link to comment
tails Posted October 26, 2010 Author Share Posted October 26, 2010 No I intend to plough on and get to grips with classes, layers etc, just when I learnt AC it was at college with a tutor and other students. I then used it in the workplace with other designers. I'm now working at a company as the only designer, the company are windows based but bought me a mac as they "heard it was good for design" I have no one to ask question to, the other staff have no idea about 3d/2d modelling, hell I have been doing working drawings in a 3D modelling program for near to 12 months. Plus I still have to finish all my work whilst trying to learn VW. No I am going to learn it and you lot are very very helpful, I just feel very stupid when it takes me 45mins to change a dimension size for it only not to work, when I know in autoCAD how to do this. ) Quote Link to comment
VincentCuclair Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Most importantly, try to unlearn as much AutoCAD as possible! Exactly, forget as much as possible of AC ie line weight handling, layer handling, workspace handling, 3D handling? etc etc, then image how you would like it to be done....then your set to start with VW....... Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.