Ability to decrease level of precision

[Christiaan]

I'd like the ability to decrease the level precision that Vectorworks works at so at all times no object can be a size or angle that is more than 0, 1 or 2 decimal places.

Designing buildings requires a maximum of two decimal places. Any more than that is not only unnecessary but a hindrance. It's crazy the hoops we find ourselves jumping through to be accurate, all because we're working to a unnecessary level of precision.

[bcd]

I like the Teutonic approach of using cm for building dimensions rather than ISO mm.

[michaelk]

How would you handle incommensurate measurements?

Draw a square 1m on each side. You can't draw a diagonal that is both coincident with two corners and have it's length accurate if the length is confined to 2 decimal places.

ie., If the length of the diagonal was restricted, it wouldn't actually meet the corner.

Currently VW will round the value off to 2 decimal places, but it actually draws it to a length that is coincident with the corners.

mk

[Christiaan]

How would you handle incommensurate measurements?

Draw a square 1m on each side. You can't draw a diagonal that is both coincident with two corners and have it's length accurate if the length is confined to 2 decimal places.

ie., If the length of the diagonal was restricted, it wouldn't actually meet the corner.

Currently VW will round the value off to 2 decimal places, but it actually draws it to a length that is coincident with the corners.

Of course, didn't think of that. Do you know how ArchiCAD deals with this? Because in ArchiCAD you can set millimetres to one decimal place in a dialogue called Working Units. And as far as I know they don't have the same problems with accuracy that we do, such as lines coming through in renders because a wall is 0.000000001 out of alignment with an adjacent wall.

[AndiACD]

Guys,you may be interested in a similar thread started about the same time . . . . . .

http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=34146&Number=168673#Post168673

[VincentCuclair]

Do you know how ArchiCAD deals with this? Because in ArchiCAD you can set millimetres to one decimal place in a dialogue called Working Units. And as far as I know they don't have the same problems with accuracy that we do, such as lines coming through in renders because a wall is 0.000000001 out of alignment with an adjacent wall.

I think that has to do with the level of accuracy within the program i.e.. at what level of accuracy the program acknowledges objects as being aligned /joined etc.

[Christiaan]

I think that has to do with the level of accuracy within the program i.e.. at what level of accuracy the program acknowledges objects as being aligned /joined etc.

If that's the case (regarding lines in renders) then that's what I'm asking to change. Just that I don't understand the underlying processes.

But on top of that I want to be able to work in an accurate way to one decimal place. I don't want to have to work to 10 decimal places to in order to work accurately.

For instance if I'm working on a long building with repetitive spaces I don't want to have to work at more than 1 decimal place just to ensure that my dimensions all work out correctly. There's got to be a way, surely?

[michaelk]

Christian, I have the same issue trying to stay vigilant keeping perfect alignment with walls and slabs. It's especially tricky with interior volumes that span floors.

It might be helpful to have a constraint tool or command that constrains the edge of a wall (or component) and the edge of a slab accross layers/stories....

So a polyline could be the definition of a constraint and walls/components and slabs/components could be assigned to the constraint.

Same idea with constraining centers of columns.

mk

[Christiaan]

Some sort of constraints depending on what you're working with might be useful but surely there's a simpler way that works in the background without creating more work for us.

For me it's all objects because anything that isn't a whole number is generally a sign that something's not quite right.