Vectorworks 10 and Art-Lantis

[alanmac]

Hi Colin

Not used Vectorworks 10 with Artlantis but have used VW 8.5 with Art 3.5 no real problems. I export by "class" option making sure to assign classes to everything. It comes in fine, although you may find the camera not in an ideal postion, but it's only a starting point anyway, and easily changed, added to etc.

What version of Artlantis do you have? It should be the latest 4.5. I believe they changed the file format in version 4 but that was long ago and bugs should be well gone by now.

Mac or PC ?

It's good but has limitations when pushed on complex file sizes and lighting can be a struggle with white surface material.

If you go right off it take a look at Cinema 4D with it's plug in to export from Vectorworks. It's my chosen route once I get to grips with Cinema. Its so much more than a render program unlike Artlantis and it's not wildly more expensive.

Best of luck

regards

Alan

[colin smart]

Has anyone experienced problems imorting VWorks 3D drawings into Art-Lantis?

We have tried and tried, but the file comes in to very small scale and sometimes just a line or a smudge in the corner.

We are exporting wireframe - do we have to render somehow before taking it into ART-Lantis - or are we wasting our time with Art-Lantis. It was sold to us as being better than RenderWorks and on the face of it looks to be the case, but we can't even get started.

We have downloaded all the patches from Abvent site - but still no use.

Help....

Colin Smart

[klaus]

Hi Colin

I use VW 10.5.1 with ArtLantis 4.5 and have few problems

make sure you have the 'class' radio button selected in Artlantis preferences in VW (if you are exporting by class), also make sure all your 3D objects have a 'fill' so that they are solid ...... it is also important that any polygons etc you extrude to make 3D objects are 'closed' (check in the obj info palett)

[lowden]

Hello. I use VW 10.5.1 with Artlantis 4.5. Major problem when I revise 3d model in VW and re export to Artlantis I get 'error reading file' when opening Artlantis file. The file in my documents has odd square symbols after the .atl.

Anyone else got this problem and know a cure?

I have downloaded patches for both softwares but still no good. Costs alot of time. I am running XP pro.

In reply to Colin - have you got Artlantis set up in your workspace editor? if so you need to choose what format you export in ie pen forecolour or background. Like Klaus says make sure all 3d objects are solid and assigned a colour and name in Artlantis menu . Cheers

[alanmac]

Hi lowden

sorry can't help you with your problem. I suppose you are trying to find the solution from other users which is understandable. Don't think you'll get help from Vectorworks as they really have nothing to do with this plug in. i know it's obvious and you've probably already done this, but I think Abvent would be the best people to get on to regarding this. Grasping at straws, have you upgraded to what for many has been the troublesome Service Pack 2 upgrade for Windows XP or has this been a long standing problem?

Hope you get it sorted as I was thinking of going to 4.5. I know that with large files (70mb +) on my old VW 8.5 Art 3.5 set up would kill Vectorworks with a runtime error message on trying to update file.

All the best

Alan

[ 10-20-2004, 08:22 AM: Message edited by: alanmac ]

[jezscott]

as above, but maybe try the following as well. (make sure you duplicate the model, or back up before you try this)

- View your model in any 3D angle with or without perspective

- Select All

- Model>Convert to 3D Polys

- export to artlantis as usual

this works especially well if you are using layerlinks and symbols.

also make sure you haven't got any geometry miles off centre.

(apple-6)

also, once the model is in art-lantis, you need to go into the material editior and reduce the smoothing angle on materials which are supposed to be flat.