Plane Mode Options

[Bruce Kieffer]

Has anyone played with these new 2013 settings? For the type of work I do, I'm leaning towards setting it for just screen mode, and then when I need a 2D object to act 3D I will set the OIP to layer plane.

This screen plane/ layer plane/ 3D plane/ working plane/ my brain exploded plane stuff is still a huge mess. I really have no idea how they all work. Has anyone found resources that help explain the settings and uses?

[Tamsin Slatter]

I usually recommend that you work in Layer Plane or Automatic plane. Screen plane is really only for elements that should appear in Top/Plan. So, for example, if you create a hybrid symbol, the screen plane elements will be displayed in top/plan whereas layer plane objects will behave like 3D objects and will display only in a 3D view. A working plane is quite simply the plane on which you drawing. So that could be the screen, or the layer, or any other plane that you choose to define with the Set Working Plane command, or the automatic plane that will sense planes below the cursor.

Hope that helps a little.

[Kevin McAllister]

I recommend screen plane. The snaps are just so much better behaved. Until this is addressed I can't see changing the way I work, even though everything I do is entirely 3D.

Kevin

[Bob Holtzmann]

I've been looking at that, too, and it's really helpful for the Plane Mode to be in the Document Settings. This allows the file to only draw in the Screen Plane Mode, as you suggested.

I am more inclined to set the document to the Working Plane Mode, because my sheets are set up with viewports, so that all of the 2D stuff is in the Annotations Layer, which is all 2D objects, and has no plane mode.

[Bruce Kieffer]

I recommend screen plane. The snaps are just so much better behaved. Until this is addressed I can't see changing the way I work, even though everything I do is entirely 3D.

Kevin

Exactly why I think I'm going screen plane only. I draw all my objects as 2D and extrude them. I don't necessarily work in any particular view. I was drawing in front view and trying to trace over an extrusion, and no way would the snaps work until I switched to screen plane.

[Kevin McAllister]

Bob,

I don't have any 2D objects in the design layers, they are all on sheet layers and in annotations. My decision is purely about snapping. I work in a similar way to Bruce, and extrude in various views. Once and a while, I'll set a custom working plane if there's a specific need. Vectorworks needs 2.5D snapping, much like Cinema 4D. Often the 2D lines I draw are guides to create a shape. They can only exist is the screen plane or VW gets confused in its current form.

Kevin