Can't create windows

[shr]

I'm learning Vectorworks and have trouble finding answers to problems I encounter. Help does not have a troubleshooting options and this forum has been unable to solve a lot of my concerns.

I have created doors, but the program won't let me create windows?

[CipesDesign]

shr, welcome to the forum. It is usually very helpful if you create a signature which includes your computer specs, OS flavor and version and Vectorworks version. You can create a signature via the My Stuff pulldown above.

As to your specific question, I'm not sure exactly how you have created doors, but if you have found the door plugin then you should see the window plugin right next to it in the building shell toolset. Usually, but not always, doors and windows are inserted into walls. You should be able to search the help files for "create window" or "window plugin" and find the relevant how-to.

Hope that helps,

[Pat Stanford]

My guess is that you have another object named Window. Only one object in a VW file can have any specific name. So if you have a Layer or a Class or a Saved View that is named Window, the Window tool (which inserts an object of type Window) will not be able to work.

I also agree with Peter about the signature.

[Damon Design]

My guess is that you have another object named Window. Only one object in a VW file can have any specific name. So if you have a Layer or a Class or a Saved View that is named Window, the Window tool (which inserts an object of type Window) will not be able to work.

I also agree with Peter about the signature.

I was just doing some training yesterday for an interior design firm and had this happen to me. I was trying to create a door in a file that was imported from a DWG and nothing was happening, looked into the resource browser and found an object named "door", renamed that and the door from VW plopped right in.

[mike m oz]

Potential name conflicts like this are another good reason why it is prudent to use 'shuttle files' and referencing for DWGs.

Name conflicts like this come up every so often with DWG imports with Door and Window being the most likely culprits. If you absolutely do need the DWG information in your file then use the option for adding a prefix to the Classes when they are imported (see image below). This will prevent Class name conflicts and then you will only need to check for Symbol name conflicts.

[shr]

It was the layer name conflict, and I'm annoyed that this sort of thing cannot be found in the help menu.

Learning VW I have a list of about 100 issues, including these sort of "blocks" and both help and the forum's have been totally inadequate in assisting.

For our workplace we have 2 hours of support time included, but my list of issues goes way beyond 2 hours. Could there be a better help file or a better filtering system in this forum?

[shr]

like just now I type in "object's layer locked" it came back with 2000 entries and not one is relevant.

[_c_]

both help and the forum's have been totally inadequate in assisting

Isn't it unfair that you claim this forum to be "totally inadequate" when as far as I can see you have only three posts on it.

In the forum there are great many top experienced users, from any corner of the world and any discipline, always answering questions, from basic to really tricky ones. The NNA engineers answer too.

Ask. You won't be left unanswered. As long as you don't know the VW terminology you'll find difficult to search. That's where asking others will lead to immediate solution. The "machine" cannot bridge such en-passes.

Personally I find the help system totally adequate.

Mind: in the VW environment "object's layer locked" doesn't have any meaning. A "layer" is a container, objects on drawing are contained by it, not vice-versa. "Locked" is a term that we'd use f.ex. for preventing editing (right-click on an object, contextual menu, lock it). A layer cannot be locked, is a particular container-object with a place on its own in the whole drawing (=document) tree, see explanation of the Blind Expert.

Searching a sentence like that will bring you a huge amount of entries since layers are more or less the basic item in this application, this word would appear countless times. You need to refine it. You'd do the same on a google search.

orso

PS. I added now a file where you find an executable script which will allow you to find/rename any kind of object. You might have a large file and know not where the object to be renamed is.

For basic renaming actions this script will help resolving this naming conflict and let you work -for example- with the window object from the tool palette. The file works from VW 2011. Since you didn't post your specifications, I assume you have the latest version.

[shr]

I have entered into the forum search about 50 different issues I have come across, after consulting the help command and the tutorial books given to us.

I try to use the language of the program as best I know how.

In every instance I type in something simple and am given 2000 results. Searching through the first 25 entries, none are helpful in any way and totally irrelavant. This still occurs with an advanced help

Do you suggest I set up a post for every issue I come across?

what I am saying is there should be a better search filter and help should have a troubleshooting option.

[Pat Stanford]

I have entered into the forum search about 50 different issues I have come across, after consulting the help command and the tutorial books given to us.

I try to use the language of the program as best I know how.

In every instance I type in something simple and am given 2000 results. Searching through the first 25 entries, none are helpful in any way and totally irrelavant. This still occurs with an advanced help

Do you suggest I set up a post for every issue I come across?

what I am saying is there should be a better search filter and help should have a troubleshooting option.

Here are some suggestions for searching for forums:

1. don't use natural language. ie "what is the best way to schedule windows". Try something like "window schedule 2011"

2. Use + signs in front of each term so you only get results that match all of the terms. "+Windows +Schedule +2011"

3. If that is still not enough try doing a google search instead by include a site:techboard.vectorworks.net term in the google search so it only returns terms from the tech board and not the entire web. "Window Schedule 2011 site:techboard.vectorworks.net"

[shr]

Thanks for the support here, but none of these suggestions help.

I type in something like "symbol +class" and I get 1505 results starting with the latest post (usually several from the same day) of which the first couple of pages have nothing with this information in the post... and then I can't be bothered scrolling through the rest.

Really hard to find any answers, so do I post all of my concerns and some hardworking person will repeat the answers for me?