Layer Plane in 3D view, can't snap after first click

[Christiaan]

Do others find that if you try to draw an object in 3D on Layer Plane you can't snap to anything after the first click?

I find also if you just draw the object and then drag the selection handles you can snap.

Bug, wishlist item?

[Christiaan]

What's interesting about this is that VW is so good at snapping in 3D when you modifying an object. Just not when you're creating one as above.

[Alan H]

What's interesting about this is that VW is so good at snapping in 3D when you modifying an object. Just not when you're creating one as above.

I found this to be the case as well, it is quicker drawing the shape roughly and then modifying it rather than trying to get it to align first time.

[Dieter @ DWorks]

True, found this too. I also do what Alan H says.

[AndiACD]

Forgive my ignorance, but, Are we talking about 2D Objects in 3D space or 3D Solids here?

[Christiaan]

2D objects in 3D space.

[AndiACD]

In that case, Agreed.

Needs fixing.

i couldn't get it to work so i just considered it another half bakeded aspect and threw it in the "Bad Planes Bin" and carried on working in 2D on the chosen view not 3D.

[Benson Shaw]

OK, make me feel like an idiot. . .

I'm not reproducing the fail in a new drawing with a few objects.

If I draw a couple rectangles in Top/Plan, shift the view to iso or flyover, I can draw more objects on the layer plane with any of the 2d tools and snap to any of the rectangle points or extensions of them or to points on the new object as it is drawn. Obtains including polyline tool for as many vertices as desired. Snaps are working fine after the 1st click. No fail in the snap identification or placement at 1st or subsequent snap attempts.

Same if orig rectangles are drawn in flyover or iso views instead of Top/Plan.

Same if wall or other 3d objects are present.

Same if rendered in OGL.

Can snap to points of 3d objects on layer plane.

Works fine if layer plane has z height and other layers at z=0 are present.

Snaps work in ortho or perspective projection.

?

-B

[Christiaan]

Try the attached example. There are two rectangles. Try drawing a polygon by snapping from one to the other in Front view.

[Benson Shaw]

OK, the snaps don't work, but those objects are not on layer plane. Switch to screen plane, or draw two new ones in front view (they will be on the layer plane), and snaps work fine.

-B

[Christiaan]

OK, the snaps don't work, but those objects are not on layer plane.

Yeah, sure, but you can snap to them when reshaping a polygon. Why not when drawing one too?

Switch to screen plane...

Good tip but an extra step that shouldn't be needed.

[Benson Shaw]

Yeah, sure, but you can snap to them when reshaping a polygon. Why not when drawing one too?

Only your programmer knows for sure. Seems like this should work at least for the ordinal planes (is that what they are called? - Top, Front, etc)

It's pretty quirky. Your example rectangle, the smaller one, lays on the Front layer plane, and all snaps work on it, even if 1st click is on larger rectangle (not on Front plane).

Create a new poly in Front view which does not touch either of the rectangles. Skew the view 10 or 20 deg with flyover. Now reshape - snaps to larger rectangle actually find the virtual points projected onto the Front plane! Not clear if that is ever useful.

. . . extra step that shouldn't be needed.

Agreed that this is annoying and inconsistent. But are we asking for 2d objects to behave exactly like 3d objects? Aren't these weird, 2d/3d hybrids on fake planes?

-B

[Kevin McAllister]

Agreed that this is annoying and inconsistent. But are we asking for 2d objects to behave exactly like 3d objects? Aren't these weird, 2d/3d hybrids on fake planes?

-B

That's exactly the problem. Everything should be 3D period. And snaps should be smart and helpful. Often you want to snap in some visually logical way and can't. Vectorworks is missing basic snaps that other programs call "2.5D" snapping. It amazes me you can't just hold down shift to constrain and drag an object across the ground plane in a 3D view. 3D should be simple and intuitive not complicated and convoluted as its become with the transitional Vectorworks approach.

KM

[AndiACD]

That's what you get when you mess with what works perfectly well for most other CAD packages.

Adding a "Pointless" aspect to a working format is a waste of time for both it's users and the programmers!

Vectorworks NEEDS fixing, not the way that we look at the virtual 3D CAD world.

[Buckaroo]

Hi,

I'm not sure if I'm having the same problem, but this is killing me.

I've created a 3d drawing of a building and everything was working great until a couple days ago.

The problem is in the settings of Vectorworks, not the file. The attached file shows a 3d column with lines spreading out from the base of the column. Every time I try to draw a line from the top of the column I get a line from the base going out into the 2d plane not to another object. For some reason I can not get it to snap to any 3d objects except the base of the object within the 2d plane.

[michaelk]

Try this:

Go to a 3D view.

Select the line tool.

Set the Plane pull down at the top of the drawing window to Automatic.

As the cursor hovers over an object its faces will highlight in blue.

If you click on a smartpoint (or probably anywhere else on the object) while the blue face is highlighted you will be drawing on that plane.

The trick is to have a tool selected that is "eligible" for the automatic plane.

The manual alternative is to set the working plane before selecting the drawing tool. 3D tool set > Set working plane. > click on the face of an object. (or Shift 1)

Then the next 2D object drawn will be on that plane regardless of where the first click of the object creation occurs. (Plane pulldown will read "working plane")

hth

mk

Edited August 26, 2012 by michaelk

[Buckaroo]

Thank you for replying.

I tried what you suggested, and it worked, but it is not the way that I used to create the attached drawing. I didn't have to worry about a face highlighting in blue. BTW, the highlighting in blue does not work if you want to select a surface that is in the background. Something changed, and it sucks.

Try this:

Go to a 3D view.

Select the line tool.

Set the Plane pull down at the top of the drawing window to Automatic.

As the cursor hovers over an object its faces will highlight in blue.

If you click on a smartpoint (or probably anywhere else on the object) while the blue face is highlighted you will be drawing on that plane.

The trick is to have a tool selected that is "eligible" for the automatic plane.

The manual alternative is to set the working plane before selecting the drawing tool. 3D tool set > Set working plane. > click on the face of an object. (or Shift 1)

Then the next 2D object drawn will be on that plane regardless of where the first click of the object creation occurs. (Plane pulldown will read "working plane")

hth

mk