Fill issue with symbol

[Simon Allan]

Hi all,

I have created a symbol (lighting fixture) and I am having trouble with the 2D component and getting the fill to work correctly.

I am guessing it is down to how I have created the 2D part but I dont know of an easy way to fix it.

I have tried Combine into surface and it does not give the desired result.

I have included the file where I have placed two lights on a truss. You can see the truss through the product and this is why I want the symbol to have a fill to it.

The symbol showing the grey fills is my attempt at using the Combine into surface command. As you can see it does not really work.

Can anyone help me with this please as I would rather not have to redraw the 2D component.

Any help much appreciated!

[Tamsin Slatter]

Hi Simon

The filled symbol 2D element is draw with lots of arcs. When you fill them, they are filling to their centre point, like a piece of cake.

You need to select the different elements that make up the edges of the symbol and use Add Surface to bring them together. In some cases though, where you have simply used lines to denote the edges, there is nothing for Vectorworks to fill. You could use the Polygon tool in its middle mode to fill a shape in those voids. Once those shapes exist, you will be able to use Add Surface to bring them together into one object.

Alternatively, use the Polygon tool in its third mode - drag a marquee around the entire symbol and Vectorworks will create a new Polygon based on the outer boundary of the shapes you have drawn. The original objects will still be there, so you will to decide what you are going to do with those, but you will be able to fill the new object.

Hope that helps.

All the best

Tamsin