Jump to content
  • 0

My top wishes for 2016


Kizza

Question

For anyone who cares to listen :)

1) Live sections (i.e. possible to make adjustments to model in a section view)

2) Section attributes assignable within a class (or a new "materials" feature)

The above two are the achilles heel in my workflow.

3) 3D reference planes or levels, which can be given a vertical height and show in elevations and section views. One way to possibly achieve this - a checkbox next to a storey layer which generates a visual 3D level.

4) Better stair generation and a useable handrail tool

5) Ability to attach a class and layer visibility preset to a design layer i.e. WYSIWYG design layers (saved views should be just for uniques views IMO)

6) Default Hidden Line render mode

7) Pictorial Window and Door schedules

8) Windoor or similar tool

The Marrionette and Subdivision tools are all well and good, but not at the expense of everyday productivity improvements.

Link to comment

24 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

  • 0
  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Far too late for any new requests to be added to 2016 specifically, the cycle goes about 18 months behind a wish even if it was picked up and slated for inclusion immediately but once I have time to fully flesh out the requests I'll be going back over this list (as well as the other dozen or so that have accumulated since I started release work) and get them all properly logged and detailed for future versions.

Link to comment
  • 0
7) Pictorial Window and Door schedules

It's implementation is far from perfect (see link below), but isn't this one already somewhat possible with the Worksheets + Image function added in Vw2013?

[url:http://app-help.vectorworks.net/2015/NNA/eng/index.htm#t=VW2015_Guide%2FWorksheets%2FInserting_Images_in_Worksheets.htm]Vw 2015 Help - Inserting Images in Worksheets[/url]

Link to thread of issues with [url:https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=210564]Window/door schedules using Worksheets & Image Function[/url]

Link to comment
  • 0

Not really wishes, it is more what I expect for 2016 to use it for coming projects ...

- Docked OSX User Interface

(like Rhino for OS X or so)

- Renderworks included

(like Allplan and Archicad have C4D engine now too, even if I paid for it)

- no more Double-ENTER for numeric input

(One is enough)

- Cursor direction gives direction/+- values in any tools not just Move by Points

- separate Move + Copy Tool

(No more move 15 copies)

- Push Pull with object selection first, face selection after

- No more lag when opening Stair/Door/Window/... Tools

(And if I compare those BIM tools with Archicad or Allplan, I wish a bit more)

- direct Preview for changes in BIM Tools like Stairs, ...

- Icons for Boolean Operations

- Boolean Operations without History

- never again single solids that contain more than one independant/non touching volumes

- Short key for "convert to generic solids"

- Editing of more than one object in OIP also for 3D elements, like GS solids

- Meshes with object selection first, point selection after + proper texture mapping

(perimeter)

- Autoplane with manual input "T" = top, "F" = front, ....

- SHIFT locks restricted to 90°, even there is a snapping point near

- "T" locks reliably in cursor direction/90°, even there is some geometry under

the cursor and will not loose the lock even when zooming

- opening a dialog will not stop the UI and allow to navigate in the drawing window, ...

Link to comment
  • 0
Not really wishes, it is more what I expect for 2016 to use it for coming projects ...

- Docked OSX User Interface

(like Rhino for OS X or so)

2016

No UI

Palettes at least dockable

- Renderworks included

(like Allplan and Archicad have C4D engine now too, even if I paid for it)

- no more Double-ENTER for numeric input

(One is enough)

- Cursor direction gives direction/+- values in any tools not just Move by Points

- separate Move + Copy Tool

(No more move 15 copies)

- Push Pull with object selection first, face selection after

- No more lag when opening Stair/Door/Window/... Tools

(And if I compare those BIM tools with Archicad or Allplan, I wish a bit more)

- direct Preview for changes in BIM Tools like Stairs, ...

- Icons for Boolean Operations

- Boolean Operations without History

- never again single solids that contain more than one independant/non touching volumes

- Short key for "convert to generic solids"

- Editing of more than one object in OIP also for 3D elements, like GS solids

- Meshes with object selection first, point selection after + proper texture mapping

(perimeter)

- Autoplane with manual input "T" = top, "F" = front, ....

- SHIFT locks restricted to 90°, even there is a snapping point near

- "T" locks reliably in cursor direction/90°, even there is some geometry under

the cursor and will not loose the lock even when zooming

- opening a dialog will not stop the UI and allow to navigate in the drawing window, ...

Well,

2016 doesn't look very good for me using VW in production .... pity.

Link to comment
  • 0

To go in Detail why I can't use VW in production :

I do mostly 3D Modeling and Visualization while my client's design process.

That means,

I import existing Models and/or do a Model myself.

For every deadline I get a set of 2-3 Variants of a part of the building that have

to be rendered from 3-8 camera views.

Just image files (JPEG), that will find their way in a Power Point presentation

which my clients present to their clients.

So nothing fancy.

Complexity of the models is slightly higher than 2-storey residential buildings

of course.

For the modeling, it is not that missing features would limit me in any kind.

It is the weakness of many standard tools in their usage and inconsistency that

wastes much more time than I am used to from other Apps.

Weak Selection lets me not select what I want in any case.

The important Push Pull Tool does not always allow to reach the needed face.

The limitation of being able to edit only one (3D) object at one time.

And many others force me to Rotate View or spend extra time setting Layer/Class

Visibilities in a way that makes me really slow.

And those little errors in exports don't let me get those models out later.

Rendering Quality in VW was sufficient in most cases even in 2014.

But there is still no convenient way to save these renders out of VW as image files.

So I bought a C4D to do my demanding (more than average) Rendering Needs there.

But the broken "Send to Cinema" overwrites all my work done in C4D every time,

so no chance with my ever changing geometries.

When I made my purchase decision for VW,

I studied the VW feature set and was promised all what I need and was used in other

software before.

VW runs on OS X, 3D, Parasolid Modeling Core; BIM-Light Tools, Basic Rendering, DWG/DXF,

Cinema Exchange, Dimensions, Sections, .... and a few others.

Even some more that seemed useful.

I have never thought that one could implement those features in a way that they are less usable

than I was used to work with them over a decade before.

I think I am in a deep Software Identity Crisis ;)

Am I really forced to go back to Windows one time ?

Link to comment
  • 0

Rendering Quality in VW was sufficient in most cases even in 2014.

But there is still no convenient way to save these renders out of VW as image files.

I always have good success creating SLVPs of RW camera views and exporting it as a PNG with File > Export > Export Image File.

So that the images are always a consistent size, I put 2D Loci at two opposite diagonal corners of the SLVP to which I can snap the 'Export Image' marquee. Then I can also copy these 2D Loci to another SL to make sure the SLVPs are a consistent size between different SL views / design options.

Link to comment
  • 0

Thanks rDesign,

so many people now told me to use viewports for cameras.

I think that this is the way you must go in VW.

But is there any way to not need to set a marquee manually.

I mean, everywhere else, it ist just as easy as :

1. Push Render Button (with all settings included)

2. Save Image As

Done

Which saves much time.

Someone mentioned to put all viewports in the Publish Manager

to save all Renders in one go.

I tried this, set the wanted Pixel Resolution,

but got a thumbnail of the Rendering with a large white border ;)

Maybe the workaround ist to set a DPI setting that may result in

the correct pixel size then, without paper borders (?)

The next Problem with Viewports are my Variants with different

Class/Layer Visibility sets.

I'm not sure if I can get a viewport to always use my current Class

settings ?

Link to comment
  • 0

All of these

Not really wishes, it is more what I expect for 2016 to use it for coming projects ...

- Docked OSX User Interface

(like Rhino for OS X or so)

- Cursor direction gives direction/+- values in any tools not just Move by Points

- separate Move + Copy Tool

(No more move 15 copies)

- Push Pull with object selection first, face selection after

- direct Preview for changes in BIM Tools like Stairs, ...

- Icons for Boolean Operations

- Boolean Operations without History

- never again single solids that contain more than one independant/non touching volumes

- Short key for "convert to generic solids"

- Autoplane with manual input "T" = top, "F" = front, ....

- SHIFT locks restricted to 90°, even there is a snapping point near

- "T" locks reliably in cursor direction/90°, even there is some geometry under

the cursor and will not loose the lock even when zooming

- opening a dialog will not stop the UI and allow to navigate in the drawing window, ...

I would definitely agree with all the ones that I've copied above.

The autoplane option described sounds very similar to how accudraw works in Microstation. In my experience its one of the fastest input systems to use for setting axis rotations, distances etc, using 2 letter input codes.

Direct preview I would extend to any tools that bring up a dialog box - I want to see exactly what is going to happen without clicking a preview button or having to exit out of the dialog.

Push-Pull with selection first would definitely be useful - there is nothing worse than being able to see the item you want to move, but being unable to select it to modify.

Other options that I would find very useful are:

A lathe solid type option that allows you to specify an axis by 2 points. At present I have to rotate items to the correct orientation, place a locus, form the surface & then rotate them back to the original position. Other CAD programs used a simple 2 click system to pick the axis when I started using CAD 20 years ago (that statement makes me feel really old).

The ability to dimension across 2 viewports. I have tried various solutions for this, but none of them work that well. If you are dimensioning something like a large glazing system with various break lines, there should be an easy way to do this, without manually having to enter the dimensions.

Having more than 8 files open at the same time.

Having more than 100 undo levels.

Finally - and this is probably a far more major thing, I would like the ability to work on files in their native formats. Both for Vectorworks files & other files.

e.g. I should be able to open a file from an older version without having to convert / re-save it. It could give a warning about new items that might be converted on saving, but most of the time, items like lines are going to be the same from version to version. The same should also apply to working with DWG / DXF files - it would be great it it was possible to open them, edit & save, rather than importing. Similarly for referencing them into drawings. Microstation has managed this for quite a few years now & it seems to work fairly seamlessly, despite aspects of the way their program operates being very different to AutoCAD (e.g. viewports, layout tabs etc).

Link to comment
  • 0
^

+1

Ha, didn't know that the Undos are limited.

I had only 64 as we were warned it will slow VW down.

If you set it to more than 100, you can't close the setting window by OK.

No warning what you've done wrong.

I don't like things like that (there are a few other settings that have a similar issue), where it gives no error, just sits there until you correct the number. From a programming point of view, number like 50 & 100 always feel like an artificial limit that has been set. If it was actually a hard limit in the code, it would be more likely to be 128 or 256 for instance (or possibly one of these number minus 1). Microstation used to have a limit of 63 levels for instance, which made more sense that it was an actual limit in the software / file format, rather than an arbitrary number.

Link to comment
  • 0

Having more than 100 undo levels.

Even though I can think of situations where this might be needed (lots of small modifications) having more than 100 undo levels is a bit cumbersome without additional features as having to undo a 100+ times is just not convenient.

In that case it would nice to have an undo history palette such as e.g. Adobe Photoshop where you can click on a certain edit and then have everything done after that edit to be undone at once, or even better have only a specific edit/action at some point to be undone (i.e. have the option of doing one or the other).

Link to comment
  • 0

Finally - and this is probably a far more major thing, I would like the ability to work on files in their native formats. Both for Vectorworks files & other files.

e.g. I should be able to open a file from an older version without having to convert / re-save it. It could give a warning about new items that might be converted on saving, but most of the time, items like lines are going to be the same from version to version. The same should also apply to working with DWG / DXF files - it would be great it it was possible to open them, edit & save, rather than importing. Similarly for referencing them into drawings. Microstation has managed this for quite a few years now & it seems to work fairly seamlessly, despite aspects of the way their program operates being very different to AutoCAD (e.g. viewports, layout tabs etc).

Assuming you would not have the software to edit these other files (e.g. AutoCAD or other dwg based software for dwg/dxf files) then my guess is that Vectorworks would in that case import the file into a temporary Vectorworks file, make the edits and then export the file again.

If the file is a referenced file it opens up all kinds of possible issues regarding placement etc. which is why I prefer to import the files into Vectorworks and then reference to that instead of the original file.

When edits are needed then at least I don't have to worry about the fully automatic temporary import/export messing things up, especially if coordinates and units are involved.

Link to comment
  • 0

Having more than 100 undo levels.

Even though I can think of situations where this might be needed (lots of small modifications) having more than 100 undo levels is a bit cumbersome without additional features as having to undo a 100+ times is just not convenient.

Yes, there are always Tools that eat a lot of Undos.

there are about 10 Situations per Year where the undo level was not sufficient and

I get annoyed. It doesn't need that long to click 100x Undo :)

But I also think it is more important to show what will be Undone,

before you Undo.

Microstation at least showed what you can Undo,

Modo has a complete List of operations.

Especially if these are in near Undo past for actions that took a lot of time

like Imports, Level deletes, ....

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Answer this question...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...