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better import of c4d, 3ds, .dwg, .dxf, .ai files


grant_PD

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I second this wish. Some things I would like to see improved myself -

- import should be smart enough to detect a file's extension and choose the correct import module to use (i.e.. only Import should appear once in the File menu).

- VW generally needs to deal with polygon based objects better. It should understand UV textures and proper smoothing on an object by object basis. It should understand open and closed meshes. Importing one high polygon mesh shouldn't bring things to a crawl....

- AI import needs to be better. Curves can be the most troublesome. There's nothing quite as frustrating as rebuilding a bumpy, mis-formed client logo.

Kevin

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Yes, you can bring in all of these sorts of files with no trouble, that's not the problem.

The problem is that the files are generally unusable once they are in. .ai files are lumpy and awful looking. A real treat since illustrator is a vector based program, so I'm at a loss to understand how the translation got corrupted. As Kevin says, good luck working with a client's logo.

ANY 3d file from any other program comes in as a bunch of polygons or meshes, and is beyond working with. One cannot work with it in any real way at all. It needs to come in and resemble something that was built in VW. OR, VW needs to improve it's 3d modelling tools so that it can work with them.

I hate to keep referencing C4D, but it really handles all of these file types quite well. It's modelling tools are superb, and it's support of .ai files makes it the industry standard for broadcast motion graphics.

Without these changes, VW becomes a standalone program in an ocean of other industry standard software, unable to share information freely back and forth. As we all know, such isolation is a bad thing in today's world.

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I suppose drag and drop is great if you work that way (ie. perhaps a second monitor with the desktop showing) but for most things I use the file dialog. I wish that the Import menu command was as smart as drag and drop :-)

I also fully agree with Grant's new comments. If VW can't do it internally then make the C4D back to VW pipeline seamless.....

Its amazing what you discover when you try out other software....

Kevin

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Semi-unrelated to the feature request:

If you aren't using Expose` (Though it may be called Mission Control after 10.6?) on OS X you really should give it a shot. Having a hotkey (or a screen corner, in my case) to quickly whip to the desktop is priceless on a Mac, since so many Mac apps are oriented drag/drop.

One corner for "All Windows" and one corner for the Desktop saves my sanity.

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