Convert 3D viewport to Objects

[Jake DeGroot]

Hi,

I have a drawing with many many 3D Viewports arranged in a very specific way to form one compound object from all the different 3D components. Now. I want to make that whole assembly into one object which I can copy between files, move around, etc.

So, what I want to do is find a way to convert each of the 3D viewports into the plain 3D geometry that makes it up. Make sense?

Convert to Group doesn't work. Convert to Mesh or Convert to 3D Poly does work, but makes the geometry way to complex and vertex-heavy. I want it to be the same way it is drawn on the design layer which the Viewport is referencing - simple extrudes and sweeps.

Any ideas? Is there a function that I'm forgetting about?

Thanks!

[bc]

Doesn't make sense to me, although I didn't know Viewports had 3 dimensions.

Maybe what you are trying to do is Add/Subtract Solids?

If so you will have to ungroup any groups to get it to work.

[Jake DeGroot]

Thanks for the thoughts, but I don't think that would get me where I'm trying to get, Plus, Add/Subtract solids will not work on Viewports.

I really just wish "Convert to Group" would work on viewports....

[bcd]

I think creating your assembly using viewports is inappropriate.

If what you are trying to achieve is to have all your referenced object assembled together on a single layer why not convert the objects to symbols and then assemble the symbols.

You can then place one instance of the symbol on a separate layer for annotation.

[Benson Shaw]

OK, I am also trying to understand. What you are describing is not common practice. Vectorworks sheet layer viewports and design layer viewports are 2d objects. They can display 3d views of objects in design layers.

If you want to keep several viewports together to move them or paste them to other layers, they can be grouped via Modify>Group (Cmd G).

Modify>Convert>Convert to Group (Cmd K) is used to "unsymbol" a symbol instance or to take certain other high level objects down a notch. As you found, it does not affect VPs.

The Convert to Lines command will turn objects in the selected vp in to 2d lines, except text which is deleted. The command does not affect the source objects on the design layers, only the representations of them in the VP.

You probably know all this, but just in case:

Usual practice is to create 2d and 3d objects on one or more design layers, set view as needed, then create viewport(s) of these objects/views. Dbl click a Sheet Layer VP to enter Annotation mode. In the annotation space, one can create text and objects to overlay the design layer objects in the view. Although some 3d objects (eg extrudes) can be created in annotation space, they always show up in plan view, so are not generally used. 3d objects created in design layers can be pasted into VPs, but this is not usual practice. Also, 3d objects in the annotation space are stuck in wireframe - no color fills

Prior to your post, I had never considered applying Convert to Group or to Mesh or to 3d Poly to a VP. In my setup, these commands delete the VP or return an error message. Please describe how you are converting VPs to mesh or 3d poly. I am curious!

-B

[Jake DeGroot]

Hey Benson,

Thanks for the thoughts. And I know it's a bit of a unique situation and somewhat hard to explain.

So yes. Viewports are technically 2D objects. But they can display 3D views in a very fluid, integrated way. I am using Design Layer Viewports. I have drawn a bunch of individual 3D components of my drawing (many individual PVC pipe assemblies) in a flat, convenient layout in a design layer. Then, I have made viewports of each component, and arranged those viewports (67 of them total) in a complex array with various angles, etc. When I pan, orbit, and zoom around the drawing, it all functions beautifully and the viewports project the 3D geometry just as if it were actual 3D objects in the same design layer.

The problem comes when now I want to copy the whole compound object into a new drawing and you're not allowed to copy viewports. So I want to find a way to convert the viewports into the simple geometry they are currently displaying. I want to do what "Convert to Group" does to symboles, but do it to a VP instead. Am I making sense now?

Regarding your curiosity about "Convert to 3D Polys" and Convert to Mesh", when I apply this command to a viewport which is projecting 3D geometry, it does actually work and it gets rid of the VP and turns the geometry into a group containing upwards of 45,000 3D polys.

[Jake DeGroot]

In the meantime, I have begun doing this the long way. I am just double-clicking on each viewport and editing the design layer it is referencing using VP attributes. That gives me just the geometry I want, at the proper angle as it have the VP aligned. I can then select all, copy it, exit the viewport, paste, and use the move by points tool to align the copied objects to the viewport, move the new objects to their own layer, and finally delete the viewport.

It is not the most streamlined approach, but it will eventually get me there. Only 48 viewports left! I still wish Convert to Group worked on VPs though.

[bc]

This seems quite convoluted. Can you post a screen shot?

[Jake DeGroot]

Sure. 2 Screenshots attached.

The first is the side view of a bunch of the individual components drawn on their own design layer.

The second is a shot of the top view with all them projected via viewports and arranged to form the complete object.

Make more sense?

[bcd]

I'm not sure if this is genius or madness.

Rolling with it though have you tried to group your assembly of viewports and copy/paste that into a new drawing?

Alternatively you can reference the assembly using DLVPs and set your assembly drawing as the source.

[Jake DeGroot]

Haha. I vote genius! This whole copying to another drawing thing was not part of the plan when I originally created this drawing last fall, but since then, new circumstances have presented themselves. If I had known I was going to have to do this at the time, I may have done all these as symbols instead of DLVPs.

When I try to copy them into a new drawing, I get a "A viewport cannot be pasted into a different document" error message.

I did think of referencing. In fact, originally, the layout (form screenshot 1) was actually in a separate file referenced from the assembly in screenshot 2. Since then, I have deleted the reference and thus merged all the info into one file. The problem with referencing again is that I then have to export from that drawing to some pretty specific software using a custom plug-in and I don't think it will take kindly to referenced viewports.

[Benson Shaw]

I still can't get the DLVPs to convert to mesh or 3d poly or anything other than lines.

If this work flow is good for you, go for it. There are probably lots of reasons not discussed here to use your methods. But it seems to cause problems, at least with transfer of the VPs to other drawings. (you could duplicate the file and add other objects to this new file.) There are always many ways to do stuff in VWX.

Looks like your VPs are sort of a cards bounded by the VP crop, standing on edge in a radial array. As you say, symbols could work. You already have all the 3d geometry. The symbol would contain the pipe and rack elements (these would be symbols, too), text on the working plane if needed, and maybe even a planar 3d poly on the plane of the "card". Classes assigned and named to control visibility and help with ID. Add color codes for the 3d Loci or hub rims?

These symbols can then be rotated into place using the corners of the cards for easy alignment. Card class can be turned on and off as needed.

Anyway, cool drawings in your screen shots.

-B

Edited June 23, 2012 by Benson Shaw