Renderworks / Sheet layer DPI

[Chris D]

When I'm in a design layer, with Open GL turned on, my textures look great (brick, roof tiles etc). - crisp and clear.

When I go to my sheet layers, I'm having to set the sheet layer DPI to 2400 just to get anywhere near the crispness of the textures I get in the design layer. This takes ages to render (Open GL only, no foreground render, no lighting).

I can't understand why this discrepancy exists:

Design Layer: instant Open GL rendering, really crisp clear textures

Sheet Layer: really slow Open GL rendering, fuzzy textures

Now some experimentation leads me to believe this is simply inefficient programming. If I change my Viewport Scale from 1:100 up to 1:20, I get crisp Open GL rendering at 300 DPI, with pretty quick render time.

This leads to a bizarre workflow, where you are better off doubling the scale of your sheet layer drawing sheets, then printing at 50%...

OR...worse still...it's quicker to screen grab a design layer and import the bitmap back to your sheet layer than to actually let the viewport do the Open GL render.

Why can't VW use whatever technology is making design layers so slick and crisp with Open GL to do quick sheet layers? This is absolutely essential for a BIM workflow.

[Chris D]

Surely I'm not the only one with this problem?

[VincentCuclair]

Undoubtably true, but I've got other more essential issues to bitch about...... :grin:

[Chris D]

I've got other more essential issues to bitch about....

But this is a show stopper - how are people generating 2D elevations from a single building model?? It just isn't practical. This is how the BIM model is supposed to work - you generate 2D info from an intelligent 3D model, but VW can't even do the basic stuff out of the box..

[VincentCuclair]

Sorry Chris... wasn't trying to trivialize your point, there just seems to be more and more basic issues the further we get.....perhaps time to start looking around for alternatives.....it just seems to be harder and harder to justify using VWs.

I'm sure there are some very competent people running the show however one wonders if they have lost track of who they are catering for and what needs these(we) customers have.....

Edited April 4, 2012 by Vincent C

[Christiaan]

I haven't noticed this disparity, yet. But I haven't got round to high-end visuals yet either. Only been rendering planning elevations so far.

[VincentCuclair]

BIM isn't that hard to understand.....3D model to live 2D working drawings and live information take-offs, if there is a hitch in this workflow BIM doesn't work! You can't do BIM half way....if one of these doesn't work you need to go back to a complete 2D workflow with 3D as a by product and as a help in presenting ideas, nothing more and that is solvable with a range of readily available free software already ie. Draftsight, SketchUp, Tekla, Solibri etc......starting to sound like Christiaan now

A good existing example of this problem is doors and windows, every single building project has the need for Door/window schedules, however there is no such solution available?????

Edited April 4, 2012 by Vincent C

[Chris D]

Only been rendering planning elevations so far.

It's planning elevations we can't replicate. We've always done our 2D drawings in colour using hatches...but of course hatches don't work in 3D (grrr)...so we have to use textures...but textures don't render cleanly unless to set the sheet DPI to 2400...

[Chris D]

I can understand NV Inc staff not monitoring these forums but why can't I get an answer to this most basic question:

Can Vectorworks produce 2D elevations at 1:100, in colour, from a single building model?

BIM test number 1. Result = fail.

Next question - do we switch to Revit?

[bcd]

You've probably already considered this but on the off chance, have you set the the Open GL-Background Render Settings for the Viewport to Very High?

[VincentCuclair]

But this is a show stopper - how are people generating 2D elevations from a single building model?? It just isn't practical. This is how the BIM model is supposed to work - you generate 2D info from an intelligent 3D model, but VW can't even do the basic stuff out of the box..

I do Chris without too much hassle.....problems starts when I need elevations in black and white (among others for exporting to dwg). Check out this thread for some tips, I'm still trying to improve the workflow and make it more effective and less customized......

http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=33808&Number=166714#Post166714

Edited April 4, 2012 by Vincent C

[Christiaan]

Chris, do you guys have VSS? Highly recommend it if you don't. Great for priority support.

I've emailed you a PDF example of one of our eles.

[Chris D]

Thanks for the tip on VSS support.

I do have my background render setting on Very High detail, but it's still fuzzy at less than 2400dpi. I know it isn't to do with low res textures or anything because it's fine in the Design Layer - although do you need to match the JPEG resolution of your original texture source to the intended output DPI ?

Your example file seems to be less fuzzy than mine but it could be your foreground hidden line render providing the sharp lines - if you zoom on the brickwork it's noticeably less crisp than if you zoom in on a brickwork texture in a Design Layer

[Christiaan]

We're using the shader textures rather than image-based textures.