Joining walls in 2D plan

[jcrock]

I am wondering if there a particular method for using the wall tool in order to achieve seamless joins?

 

Am I alone in finding the execution of seamless T junctions and right angles frustratingly tricky after editing or moving a wall configuration.

It is sometimes simpler to delete the whole wall or the network of partition junctions and start again in order to achieve a seamless connection at the point where the walls intersect. This can be an onerous task sometimes taking several attempts before resulting in clean joins. When all attempts fail, I resort to using the 2D polygon tool to clean up. 

 

Perhaps I am not fully understanding the left and right control modes when using this tool, and am doing something counter-intuitive

 

Is there a keyboard shortcut for changing between these modes?

 

Any help, or tips, would be much appreciated, thanks.

[Pat Stanford]

Remove Wall Breaks is the tool you want to get rid of unwanted graphics from where walls were connected.

 

Are you trying to get it correct using just the wall tool? Or are you using the Wall Join tool? That might help.

 

The Left/Right/Center mode of the wall tool is in the first Mode set. You can step through these modes while drawing by using the U key.

 

Line Control/Component Control are the second mode group and can be stepped through with the I (eye) key.

 

Polygone/Rectangle is the third mode and set by the O key.

 

Settings is the 4th mode and can be opened by the P key.

 

The U/I/O/P/[ mode keys work for the 1/2/3/4/5 modes of every tool in VW.

[jcrock]

Thank you Pat. That is really helpful info.

 

I briefly tried the wall breaks tool to heal 2D lines from one wall crossing into another, but without any result. I’m not sure why, but I have another problem at present.

 

I've inadvertently made the file I am working on into a 'Master project file' and need to undo this status as I'm not collaborating with anyone and I'm getting a dialogue box popping up each time I do something saying “This operation will require the following objects to be checked out…”

 

In answer to what you ask, I have been trying to get the walls correct by just using the wall tool which is fine most of the time until I want to edit a wall, or partition, and insert a break (such as an opening in the wall with a raised threshold). A break line in the wrong place suggests a join or change in the height of the wall where I don't want it instead of where I do. Complicated to explain, but I see if I can sort it before coming back to you.

 

In the meantime I'd appreciate if you could save me time trying to undo having made my file into a 'Master project file'. Thanks in advance.

 

[Pat Stanford]

I don't think you can Undo the project file, but you can certainly open it and do a Save As and adjust the file type at the bottom of the window to a regular Vectorworks VWX file and replace the original once you have checked that all the data you need is there.

[Pat Stanford]

The Wall Heal tool is not required that often any more. The native intelligence of the walls is much better than 20 years ago when the wall and wall heal were added.

 

The Wall Join and Component Join can be extremely useful to get walls to combine the way you want them to.

 

[jcrock]

Yes, with more practice I notice the native intelligence of the wall tool is highly developed and more forgiving. Thank you for the Tip regarding changing a project file back to a regular VWX file.

[Jim Smith]

On 1/8/2020 at 11:07 AM, Pat Stanford said:

The Wall Heal tool is not required that often any more. The native intelligence of the walls is much better than 20 years ago when the wall and wall heal were added.

 

The Wall Join and Component Join can be extremely useful to get walls to combine the way you want them to.

 

Haven't update to VW2020 yet but in VW2019 I'd say yes & no. I still get some glitches such as:

-when a wall that's joined at 90º to another is moved, the plan may look OK but a wall heal reveals the old join is still there on the stationary wall

- using the Join command doesn't always join components or leaves a line in a join at 90º

- some components just don't join properly and so in some cases walls have to be deleted & redrawn or a wall has to be grouped first as a work-a-round so the wall looks correct

 

Overall, walls in 2019  were very buggy, but that seems to have been fixed in the later SPs

 

Now if we can only have the Quick Key back that was removed in 2014(?) that allowed one to use a key command to align replacement walls rather than having to use the mouse I'd be much happier. 

[jcrock]

Thank you for this. It fits precisely with what I've been experiencing when moving walls.

Some components don't join easily, and it is often easier to delete the wall with its heal lines under the surface of existing junctions and right angles and start again. However, this can be more time consuming than it should.

 

[David S]

You think you've got problems @Jim Smith my walls have ears 🙂 

[Guest Wes Gardner]

Here's a bit on wall joining...

 

 

Wall Joins.docx

[jcrock]

Thank you for that Wes. Very helpful.