How to model opaque colours panels to window panes

[Christiaan]

I'm modelling a series of buildings which make significant use of coloured panels to windows (e.g. attached). Neither the standard window tool nor WinDoor support this, so I need to add them manually somehow. I have 4x 6-storey buildings, so I need a reasonably quick robust way to do it.

I can't use symbols (including making the WinDoor windows into symbols) because many of them are also corner windows, so I need WinDoor's parametric feature for this.

Am I right in thinking there is a 3D tool that will allow me to just go around clicking on each window pane and create a 3D face over it? I was thinking perhaps the "Extract" tool but it doesn't recognise the windows as having anything worth extracting.

[Christiaan]

I was thinking perhaps the "Extract" tool but it doesn't recognise the windows as having anything worth extracting.

Actually it does work but only if the window is not inserted in a wall! Argh

[cad@sggsa]

So if you do it before inserting it looses it properties when inserted?

If not that seems the one way of doing it.

I also would like to know as I have a church with staind windows and been battling to make it look like stained glass.

[Christiaan]

So if you do it before inserting it looses it properties when inserted?

No, it's just that then you need to line the panel up after you've inserted the window. Not such a problem if you haven't got many to do but otherwise...

[cad@sggsa]

Aha - I see.

You wanting another work around that is less time consuming, which would be helpfull in my case too as I have 40 odd of the same window...

Gotcha!

[Christiaan]

Desperate for a solution here. I have a deadline this evening and have hundreds windows to colour up.

Is there any way I could isolate the windows or trick VW into thinking they're not in a wall (without physically taking them out of the wall) so I can then extract NURBS surfaces from the panes in place?

[cad@sggsa]

Could you not duplicate them, Swith the class off, place the duplicate on a visible class and have them outside the wall?

So in essence you would have invisable windows in the wall and have visable not in the wall and edit those...

Just a thought?

[Christiaan]

Genius, thanks!

[cad@sggsa]

So it works?

Have not tried this to see.

Post some results compared to before pls

[Christiaan]

Not working for me yet. I'm having a problem, possibly related to this one:

http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=166783

...whereby workgroup referenced viewports of models render differently to those in the original file.

My problem in this instance is that 3D surfaces and NURBS surfaces are not rendering in my viewported model (but they are in the original).

I hatesess workgroup referencing!

[cad@sggsa]

Once again VW being a BUG.

Why are we still here I ask you?

[bcd]

Are you offsetting the nurbs surface a little from the glass?

[Christiaan]

Oh it gets better. I managed to find a workaround. You have to convert the extracted NURBS surface into a 3D polygon, then it shows up. So my process is:

1. Duplicate windows and put on class that will be turned off in render.

2. Turn off original windows temporarily

3. Extract NURBS Surface from window panes as required.

4. Convert to 3D Polygon

5. Switch window panel to pre-defined Class with correct attributes

Now all the content in my Section Viewport elevation of all of this has disappeared and I can't figure out why...

Should have done it in Artlantis.

[cad@sggsa]

I have had a similar problem there C

I did ask on here but no reply...

http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=33743&Number=166381#Post166381

Comes down to a drawing being corrupt. so start a new one after you have shut down and let your computer cool abit.

I found that when the CPU and the other internals get to hot from working hard, VW gets problems with it's processing and goes AWOL.

So no more Out of Memory msg, just (a problem cuased the program to stop working....)

http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=33777&Number=166591#Post166591

2012 is not coping with itself - where it is made to create big files and work on multiple levels it can't handle the output it has produced.

Like it is Exporting PDF files of +/-15MB but battles to render them without crashing.

Good luck and hope you come right before deadline.

Keep Well

[bcd]

This works on a test file - not sure about a larger/more complex drawing.

Select all windows, Duplicate & place in a new layer

Show this layer only - extract colored panels & set correct classes.

Be sure the nurbs surfaces have a solid fill

Move the nurbs surfaces a fraction off the glass

Select all the duplicate windows - delete.

View & render using this new panel's layer.

If using planar objects be sure Display Planar Objects is checked in the Viewport's OIP

[Christiaan]

Thanks guys. Deadline's looking good. Not looking forward to editing these colour panels in the future though.

[bcd]

The Select Similar tool

via Fill colour will get you there in a jiffy.

[VincentCuclair]

Perhaps you could use the filler wall option in Windoor to solve this Christiaan!?