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So far, So Good. VWD 2011


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Well I just upgraded from 2009 to 2011 and all went well. What a surprise to find "NO Dongle Required" and that you can run it on a limited number of machines through your new online registration in the UK, and to top it all of you have actually started to work more closely with your sister company Maxon and have included there superb render engine in VW 2011, Wow what an update!

Thanks to all at Nemetschek you have made some major improvements and fixed some of my biggest gripes. I see you have also greatly improved the stair and wall tools and included Velux Roof-lights in the resource objects, Thats another 3 of my list. I Haven't had a chance to go through all the package's new features yet, but what I have seen this is the best upgrade yet... So... whats next? Well perhaps a couple of suggestions.

1: The Roof tool needs to have the same features as the stair, window and wall tools were you can apply a number of components/layers to the roof and apply different thicknesses, fills, textures and hatches to them as well as altering the projection of each layer so you could create a tile layer that projects over a batten layer and the batten can project further than the insulation or the rafter layers etc. It would also be good if the roof framer tool could be incorporated with the roof tool so you can truly and easily build and visualise the roof before applying it to your design or model.

2: The ability to import photo corrected images such as Kubit"s PhoToPlan or similar software for true-to-scale digital image rectification of plane objects. The software should work inside VectorWorks perhaps as a plugin to provide a versatile image plan, which allows for easy measurement of areas and distances for creating 2d plan drawings & 3d models and designs, This would dramatically improve working on historical or conservation projects that require detailed info from your digital survey to create your designs.

http://www.kubit-software.com

3: And finally, can you improve and add the ability to import and edit raw or native file survey and point cloud data from all major brands such as Trimble, Leica and Topcon's Total Stations as well as Faro's, Trimble"s and Leica's 3d scanners. It would be really good if you could get Pointools to provide a plugin for VW Mac/Win as they already have plugins for Windows Rhino, AutoCad and Scketchup. Good for VW, Good for Point tools, Good for Us!

http://www.pointools.com

Well Thats it for now

Edited by Carl Newton
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Petri,

I understand what your saying in reference to Long/Lat, and I do quite well with importing and exporting data with my Total Station. My issue with this is I have to jump through hoops to get the data from one device to another.

For instance Trimble generates a native .cnx file for it's data, I then have to save as a .dxf down load to the PC side of my machine using VM ware (Yes I have a Mac) then Import to Mac, then import the .dxf into VW where I have even more work to do to make it a workable file.

If VW could import .cnx directly the info in the native file would be easier to manipulate from the get go.

And you don't want me to start on exporting files.

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Petri, I do agree with you whole hartedly, the problem however is (And I use them only for dialog) that if left to Trimble to do it it wont get done. If left for VW to do it they cant support every native format but us being end users should be able to request this of VW, and in turn they should contact Trimble on the matter with a request for joint or generic data, together they can make it happen they both win in this scenario which makes the end user the real winner. When One big company like Trimble jumps on board with VW then others will eventually follow. We then have simple solutions and we can stop this thread and move on to the next issue.

I know its a little bit of a rosy outlook but hey I'm a little tired and hungry.

As for .cnx the data recorder uses has many embedded features that seem to get lost in the malay of file transferring. I can only assume this would be better served working natively. It least I would have many fewer steps in transfer. Time is money!

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Thanks Robert.

Any idea how you scale a photo imported into VW? Is there an easy way or tool were you can click at two different points in the pic then set the distance between the 2 points and the picture would scale automatically to that distance. Currently I create a line at a set length then push and drag the pictures features to meet. I also fine tuning the layer scale. Very prehistoric, Must be a better way?

Edited by Carl Newton
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Many thanks for your interest in Pointools for point cloud model reuse. As a past user of MiniCAD on a Mac in the early 90's (yes I am that old) I see Vectorworks has come a very long way!

At Pointools it is our mission to enable reuse of our Pointools POD model file format in every major CAD application.

As you probably know, these point cloud models are HUGE ? so you want to be able to reuse the same point cloud model in every CAD and modelling app you use - without paying the time-consuming penalty of translation every time you move from one app to another.

We enable this kind of efficient point cloud model reuse by either writing plug-ins (as we have done for a handful of Autodesk apps, Rhino, and SketchUp) or by licensing our platform technology to CAD app developers (as we do with www.Bentley.com, www.safe.com, and others we have yet to publicize).

Knowing that a Pointools offering for Vectorworks is in demand by users like you is music to our ears.

All the best,

jc

Edited by Joe Croser
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