GIVE BACK LINE PATTERNS IN HIDDEN LINE!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dieter @ DWorks 24]

Before VW2011 SP4, when we rendered in hidden line, objects that are in a class that has a line pattern, those lines would be drawn in that pattern.

From VW2011 SP4, those line patterns are gone and are all solid.

So give this back to us, because we need it. Now our trees and hadges are looking really bad, see pic attached.

I'm really getting more and more discontented with Vectorworks.

It seems that this problem only happens with viewports that were made before sp4. So the fix is to remake your viewports! This isn't really acceptable, even more so because it's in one major release!

It happens randomly, but it happens a lot! AAAHG, it's so frustrating!

Edited October 12, 2011 by DWorks

[Andrew Bell@NV 0]

Vectorworks intentionally forces objects with dashed line styles to draw as solid lines in hidden line, so objects can have a dash style in plan view but show as solid lines in rendered views. So the backdoor you discovered, allowing class styles to avoid this change in viewports only, was not intentional.

An ugly workaround, at least for your example, is to duplicate your underlying viewport, set the duplicate to hidden line, update, convert to group, and then enter that group and change the line styles to your desired style. Of course that won't update automatically.

I've added an enhancement request that links to your post and pic for Vectorworks to have more flexibility in allowing dashed lines in hidden line, possibly as a Line Render Option.

[Dieter @ DWorks 24]

I don't get it. What you are saying is that there are objects that you can give a dashed line and these will show dashed in plan view and solid in 3D views?

As far as I know, VW doesn't has any of these objects. The objects are 2D (or planar since VW2011) or 3D. 2D can show dashed lines, 3D doesn't.

But the thing is, a hidden line render in a viewport is actually just some group of lines, so these are 2D objects. So I think it's only normal and logical that these can be represented in dashes.

Thx for the enhancement request, but I think that 3D objects that have a dashed line as line attribute should always render in dashed lines in hidden line.

And if NV could find the time, maybe instead of just enhance the thing, just make it possible that 3D objects can have dashed lines. It's on the wish list for a very long time.

[Andrew Bell@NV 0]

Walls, pillars, floors, and roof faces can show as dashed lines in plan view, but show as solid lines in 3-D views.

[grant_PD 246]

Except for when you are rendering with dashed hidden line, so clearly it's possible.

[Dieter @ DWorks 24]

Walls, pillars, floors, and roof faces can show as dashed lines in plan view, but show as solid lines in 3-D views.

That's my point, these are parametric objects and use a 2D object to represent their 2D part and a 3D object for their 3D part. So it's actually an intelligent group of objects and each object should has it's own class, therefore the intentional solid line force isn't needed.

[bc 89]

This is absurd.

Set you line style to dashed.

In iso view draw a rectangle. There it is with a dashed line.

Pull the face up to form an extrusion and.....it turns into solid lines and the attributes palette still says it is dashed.

VW can't handle it...unless it is dashed hidden line but then only those lines are dashed.

I tried once to create dashed-line solid subtractions for footings and saw then that VW just can't handle it.

Someone please prove me wrong.

[Dieter @ DWorks 24]

This is absurd.

Set you line style to dashed.

In iso view draw a rectangle. There it is with a dashed line.

Pull the face up to form an extrusion and.....it turns into solid lines and the attributes palette still says it is dashed.

VW can't handle it...unless it is dashed hidden line but then only those lines are dashed.

I tried once to create dashed-line solid subtractions for footings and saw then that VW just can't handle it.

Someone please prove me wrong.

When you render hidden line in a viewport on a presentation layer, that extrude will show in dashed line, when you use class attributes. That's what we used always, but from vw2011 sp4, this seems not to be working always. Or it is the file that's corrupt.

Edited October 14, 2011 by DWorks

[bc 89]

Thanks for that tip DWorks.

Upon further investigation, when rendered in unshaded or shaded polygon, even objects with attributes NOT set by class will render as dashed.

Good to know but not as usable as might be rendered in a design layer or using wireframe.

[Andrew Bell@NV 0]

Those objects predate parametric objects, and viewports, and I think even by-class overrides, as does the decision to force lines in hidden line rendering to solid. The (intended) behavior certainly could be changed, but needs interface consideration (we don't want to break old files that depend on the old behavior), etc., and thus would be an enhancement.

[Dieter @ DWorks 24]

Those objects predate parametric objects, and viewports, and I think even by-class overrides, as does the decision to force lines in hidden line rendering to solid. The (intended) behavior certainly could be changed, but needs interface consideration (we don't want to break old files that depend on the old behavior), etc., and thus would be an enhancement.

If this predates for so long, then maybe no one is ever using this. I don't see how this behavior can be a benefit to use now. I don't think it would be a problem for old files if all pio can be set a class for the 2D part and one for the 3D part, then you don't have to worry about it. And yes, the user then have to change a thing or two, but I think that getting the program right without silly things from the past is a higher priority then worrying about a file where the user have to change a thing. And most users work on their documents in one version and only start new ones in a new version.

Edited October 14, 2011 by DWorks

[maarten. 1]

And most users work on their documents in one version and only start new ones in a new version.

I wouldn't be so sure about that...

But yes, supporting things from the past does slow new things or adjustments down, so sometimes it's better to not support those things any more and just move forward.