Screen Plane Lock - Please

[onyhus]

Is it possible to lock the program to only use the Screen Plane? For some reason the program seems to keep changine the plane to Screen Adjusted and Layer Plane, even after changing the Document Settings.

 

Problem is that suddenly objects have moved into the third axis without us knowing, which in some cases can be catastrofic if not spotted.

[Gerard Jonker]

Hi Onyhus,

 

We ran into the same problem and found no standard solution for it.

As a workaround we made a menu command that runs through your document and puts everything on ScreenPlane. The Set to Layerplane command was just a small change so we made that, too.

 

Set_to_Screenplane.zip

 

Kind regards,

Gerard

[onyhus]

Hi Gerard, @Gerard Jonker 

 

How do I use vsm files? I get them to show up in the plug-in menu after adding them to the plug-ins folder. Can I add it into the tools?

 

Best regards,

Ole

Edited November 7, 2018 by onyhus

[Gerard Jonker]

You can add them to the Vectorworks menu using the workspace editor. (dragging them from left to right). .vsm file are menu items and .vst are tools.

[P Retondo]

There is a known issue that causes the preference to change from "Screen plane only."  If you edit a crop in a sheet layer viewport, it will change the setting and it has to be changed back.  This has been known now for at least 2 years, and as far as I know nothing has been done about it.  I just automatically reset the preference every time I edit a crop.

[Kevin McAllister]

6 hours ago, P Retondo said:

There is a known issue that causes the preference to change from "Screen plane only."  If you edit a crop in a sheet layer viewport, it will change the setting and it has to be changed back.  This has been known now for at least 2 years, and as far as I know nothing has been done about it.  I just automatically reset the preference every time I edit a crop.

 

This is useful to know. Confirmed that the bug still exists in VW2019. Set to screen plane in the design layer. Switched to a sheet layer and edited a viewport crop. Switched back to the design layers and the active plane has switched to layer plane. @Jim Wilson is this an active bug or should we refile it?

 

Kevin

 

[PVA - Admin]

Looks like this was recently re-filed as VB-148577, adding this thread to the case.

[Kevin McAllister]

1 hour ago, Jim Wilson said:

Looks like this was recently re-filed as VB-148577, adding this thread to the case.

 

Thanks Jim!

[BG]

Let's hope this is fixed in the next service pack.  This drives me crazy having to constantly change the settings back to screen plane, plus all of the objects that have inadvertently ended up on the layer plane by mistake.

[P Retondo]

Yes, I might even start using 2019 if this is fixed!

[David S]

Hello All and @onyhus. Jim is aware of this. It's not perfect but when I open a file and go file/document settings/preferences/plane mode (and switch to screen plane only) VW seems to stay on screen plane in a far more stable manner than using the tab icon I have attached below. I cant explain why. I admit there are a few operations with do make it switch back to plane mode, but nevertheless I find this execution a far more stable option. Hope this helps.  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BenV]

What are the advantages of keeping objects on the screen plane? with the exception of temporary construction geometry, I always find myself putting items on layer plane or a 3D working plane.

 

And for the life of me I cannot understand the value in Screen Aligned Plane. I am always changing from that to Screen Plane.

 

I also frequently have a need to convert an entire file that I have received that is all drawn on screen plane across multiple layers and convert all to flat layer plane. It seems like there is a script for this??

[P Retondo]

22 minutes ago, BenV said:

What are the advantages of keeping objects on the screen plane? with the exception of temporary construction geometry, I always find myself putting items on layer plane or a 3D working plane.

Those of us who have worked with VW for a long time have developed systems and workflows that depend on screen plane objects.  You may work a different way, but bear in mind that others may not.  For my part, I have no use at all for layer plane objects.

 

As you point out, the power of screen plane objects is that they can be copied into a different view and used as geometry to inform design - transferring geometry from plan to section, for example.  Think of it like having a layer of trace over your 3d view.  If all your plan geometry is layer plane, you can't use it this way.

Edited December 20, 2018 by P Retondo

[zoomer]

On 12/20/2018 at 6:34 AM, P Retondo said:

transferring geometry from plan to section, for example.

 

Hmmh,

 

what 2D object that fits for a Top Plane would also fit for a Section ?

Beside things that I would call Annotation and would add in Annotation

Space of a Sheet Layer.

Or if I would 2D only, I would do it on Design Layers only and everything

is oriented in XY anyway and so can be exchanged.

 

I can imagine 2D Labels and such over a real 3D Isometric or Perspective View.

But would do that in annotation Space too, as Screen Space objects won't follow

the 3D Models for potential view changes anyway. As the stich - on screen.

 

Sheet Layers are called using Screen Space, but aren't they just XY oriented

(or maybe XZ if you are a painter)

 

 

On 12/20/2018 at 6:34 AM, P Retondo said:

If all your plan geometry is layer plane, you can't use it this way.

 

Unfortunately no.

Screen Plane will stalk and find you nearly anywhere in Object Edit Modes and such.

Which makes it very tedious to reuse it again in other cases.

 

 

The problem is more that VW doesn't think in 3D but prioritizes Top Plane View

for comfortable 2D drawing and does not offer adequate vertical 2D Plane Control.

(No reliable lock for 3rd dimension you can't control, no Grid display and Grid even

page based, not respecting your settings in all none-Top Plan Views, 2D/3D behavior

non-globally differently baked into each single Tool, ...)

That is why people need to draw their Profiles for Extrudes in Top Plan Mode and

rotate afterwards and such things.

 

Yes, you can, when you switch to a vertical orthogonal view switch back to Wireframe

and activate "Screen Alined Plane" manually, each time.