Some newbie frustrations on vectorworks

[jorrie]

Hi Guys,

I have played around for a day with vectorworks reading the most basic tutorials and toying a bit I however have some frustrations with the software I hope you can help me with:

1) Moving IF I move <- or -> it slides way to fast and far to the left or right ( im using OSX latest vectorworks trail E btw ) Can I make this sliding smoother or less?

2) I tend to loose my 3d/2d models a lot when i zoom around, used to autocad and it feels unconvienant nagivating my objects, im sure there must be something I can set to fix that like some center in middle function?

3) I work in CM / MM (Europa ) but the same would apply for inches: The zero line 0 is always positioned in the bottom left, Can I click an object and then set that as the "base" for the zero 0 line?

4) Some way to stick the toolbars and floating panels to the sides of the screen? Coudent find this I tried the most simple options from the menu's but my workspace is still kinda a mess

5) Last but not least, I would like a 1cmx 1cm grid so I can snap my objects to that, but whatever I tried the grid always gets bigger as I zoom in and does not stay 1x1cm, is there a setting to make it always 1x1 ?

Anyone can recommend me some video tutorials / screencasts for free or payed for the recent cinema 2011 or 2010? Or any good Ebooks or books on vectorworks, I have basic knowledge of cad/cam I just need to get used to vectorworks, which is amazing in itself!

Edited March 4, 2011 by jorrie

[Benson Shaw]

Some ideas

1. Those sliders are useless as far as I can tell. Explore the other navigation tools:

Hand tool (Cmd H), Fit to Objects (or selection), Fit to Page, Scroll wheel with Option or Shift keys, Scroll and key zoom, Snap Loupe (press the z key and view zooms to cursor location, then zooms back out with next click), Key zoom (Cmd 1, Cmd 2, Cmd 3, more). Search Keyboard Shortcuts in VW Help. More

2. Fit to Objects (or Selection). Use this with the Fit to Page.

3. Not sure what you want here. Drawing Origin defaults to center of page, but can be moved. But I think what you are after is the little widget in the Object Info Palette (OIP). Select an object and look at that little array of dots near the top of OIP. The highlighted dot is that object's temporary origin- say lower left. That is the point described in the OIP location info. Click one of the other dots, say the center. Now that object location info refers to the center point of the object. etc

4. Sorry, the toolbars are floating. Search the Wish LIst forum for lots of discussion on this and other user interface design.

5. In File>Document Setup>Drawing Grids you can change grid parameters. Or dbl click any of the cells in the Snap Palette to access the grid parameters and other snap controls. The grid will zoom along with other objects in all views. When view is closer to grid, the cells appear bigger. In File>Doc Setup>Units you can set up the measuring system for the doc.

HTH

-B

PS, check your forum private messages

[Mark Taylor]

#2 - There is a "Fit to Objects" magnifying symbol at the top of your page. This will put everything into the window.