Rotating Issues

[jmccain8]

Hello - I am a landscape designer and new to Vectorworks, working with version 2019 in Windows 10.

 

I would like to import a PDF of a site plan (exported from AutoCAD), and another PDF of a house floor plan (also exported from AutoCAD, so both PDFs are vector-based). The site plan includes a simple outline footprint of the house, but it is at a different scale and a different angle than the floor plan PDF. 

 

I've figured out how to import each PDF into separate Vectorworks files, and get them at the same scale I wish to work in (1/8" = 1'-0"), and calibrated, etc. I realize that I can then copy one to paste into the other so that they can each be on their own design layer within one Vectorworks file. My goal is to do that and then align them so that I can trace lines from each imported drawing to create my hardscape and planting plans (on different layers from the import layers I've created).

 

QUESTION: How do I rotate the site plan so that it will align with the floor plan. The former has a different orientation than the latter, which is parallel with the sheet border/title block. When I use the Rotate Plan tool it rotates everything (all layers). Once I rotated the site plan I thought I could copy it over to the Vectorworks file containing the imported floor plan, but it doesn't maintain the rotation. 

 

Thanks for your help!

James

 

[michaelk]

Welcome to the forum.

 

You can import them into the same vw file and put them on different layers in the same scale.

 

Make sure that Snap to Geometry is checked in the OIP for each PDF.

 

Use the Modify > Scale Objects > Symmetric By Distance > Click on the first unlabeled button that looks like a dimension object.  Then in the drawing click on two points whose distance is known.  Then type that known dimension into the highlighted field.

 

You pdfs will now be in the same scale as the design layer.

 

 

To set the rotation:

 

Put the floor plan on the top layer and set it's opacity to 50% in the attributes palette.

 

Got the site plan in the layer below and grab a corner of the building and drag the pdf so that one corner aligns.

 

With the pdf selected, switch to the Rotate Tool in the basic tool palette.  Click on the aligned corner, then click on one adjacent side of the building and move your curser up to the desired angle and click on the line you want to line up with.

 

Then you can set the opacity back to 100%.  Double click the floor plan pdf to get the Edit Crop.  Draw a polygon around the building to crop the pdf to just the building.

 

hth

 

[Benson Shaw]

@michaelk advice is great, as always.

 

another approach is to use Design Layer Viewports:

The pdf files are not imported into the project file

 

Use your 3 vwx files, but leave the imported pdfs in original rotations - Site.vwx, House.vwx, Project.vwx

Work in the Project.vwx file.

Create a Site layer.  View Menu>Create Viewport. In the VP dialog ---

•Create on the Site layer.

•Select the External File option and browse to the Site.vwx File.

• Name this new DesignLayerVP something logical and click OK to create.

 

This DVLP can be scaled, positioned and rotated as needed.

 

Repeat creation of new Layer and DVLP for the House.vwx file.

This DVLP can also be scaled, positioned and rotated as needed.

 

If you receive updated Site or House info, replace them (or create new layers) in the respective Site.vwx or House.vwx.  Update the references (Org or Nav Palette) in Project.vwx.

 

HTH

 

-B

Edited April 14, 2019 by Benson Shaw

[Benson Shaw]

Adding a few more comments:

 

Importing the pdf files into the project file:

•Advantages - Everything in one file.

•Disadvantages - Need to rotate/scale every update to the pdfs. PDF files can slow navigation, may radically increase project file size.

 

Separate files with associated layers and DVLPs:

•Advantages - Scale/rotate only once (the dvlp).  Updates just go as received into the source files.

•Disadvantages - More things to manage (several files, references need to be updated)

 

In either scenario, the PDF or the DVLP should probably be locked in place once it has correct position.

 

ALSO - Cool thing about PDF in Vectorworks

One can extract the geometry objects from a Vector based pdf imported into a vwx file:

Import the PDF - Result is a PDF Page objects.

Select (a copy of) the Pdf Page.

Ungroup - result is a Group.

Edit (dbl click) the Group

The Group usually contains 2 objects, sometimes more.

Usually top of the stack is a rectangle which is the former page.

Usually there is a group containing vector geometry: site contours, wall edges, etc, etc.

This geometry is close, but not exact in dimension, location, etc - so test, don't trust.

There are usually thousands of Objects in this group, because everything is broken into component facets & line segments.

Text, curves become a bunch of little straight line segment facets. Doors, windows, etc are broken into component lines

It can be useful as is, but Select/Compose all or parts is very helpful.

 

OK Give it a whirl

 

-B

 

 

[jmccain8]

@michaelk Thank you very much! This is exactly what I needed. Unfortunately, I won't have time to try this until tomorrow morning, but it gives me peace of mind that i can make more progress with this great info.  Cheers!

[jmccain8]

@Benson Shaw Thanks for the clever Design Layer Viewports option and for the comparison with the more straightforward solution. I'll likely play around with both. In my case, I know that the site plan and house plan are not going to change. Given that I won't need to maintain reference to potential future edits on the PDFs, would it be best to follow Michael's process and then delete the imported PDF layers if they make the vwx file too large/slow?

 

Thanks again!

[michaelk]

For the beginning of a drawing's life I just import the PDFs and get going.  Some PDFs have so many layers that they slow the drawing down right away.  In that case, blow them away right away.  Keep the bitmap part just for information.  In big PDFs I almost always find that the vectors are in groups and duplicated many many many times.  So it sometimes takes a little digging to get the lines you're interested in only once.

 

Later on, when you have a ton of textures and the file size is growing bigger than your computer is happy with - that's a good time to start deleting PDFs.

[jmccain8]

@michaelk @Benson Shaw Thanks for the clever Design Layer Viewports option and for the comparison with the more straightforward solution. I'll likely play around with both. In my case, I know that the site plan and house plan are not going to change. Given that I won't need to maintain reference to potential future edits on the PDFs, would it be best to follow Michael's process and then delete the imported PDF layers if they make the vwx file too large/slow?

 

Thanks again!

[jmccain8]

@michaelk Thanks, Michael. I took your advice and am well on my way to completing the tracing of info I needed from both PDF imports. Wonderful!

 

James