simple question from newbie

[gregorfindlay]

This is from the dyslexic wife - Thanks Chris this has now become clear - your fantastic !

[Kevin]

What may be easier still is to create a wall to a certain length rather than try to edit the created wall.

Choose the wall tool and then hit the tab key. The first box of the menu bar will highlight. Enter a dimension and then tab or hit enter. That value will now constrain the wall tool.

Of course you need to tab to the appropriate coordinate box.

I use this method to draw existing plans. BTW, hold down shift+tab to reverse the tab order through the boxes.

She will have to experiment some, but I think she will find this to work well.

[Kevin]

BTW, the "G" key is handy too. Place your cursor at a point and hit G. This will create a datum and the menu bar will call that point zero.

This will allow her to begin or offset walls a fixed distance from other walls or points. You can also enter a number in the appropriate box to constrain to that dimension.

[alanmac]

Nice tip Kevin

Alan

[Conrad]

the wall tool works in conjunction with the wall join tool

example

draw a rectangle

draw a wall on each side shorter than the sides

the letter U on keyboard move the start side (win version)

then select wall join tool

select the first wall move the mouse the second wall and they will join either at 90 or L

then fill the rectangle with a solid colour to make it look good

then change the colour of the wall to a darker colour to make it stand out.

[gregorfindlay]

Kevin,

great tips - thanks - will have to try these out.

Conrad - not sure if i understood your post but will try it out

Great forum

[erictorola]

To change the length of a wall with the mouse, you have to have the 'Enable Interactive Scaling Mode' button in the mode tool bar enabled. Then when you hover of the end point of a wall you get the double arrow instead of the crossed arrows. Left Click and drag. Just make sure only one wall is selected or you will get unexpected results.

Eric

[gregorfindlay]

Hi there,

Please don't laugh but I have an embarrassingly simple question. My wife bought Vectorworks some time ago and took some initial training. However she is quite dyslexic (has problems with the manual) and somewhat of a technophobe. I've been trying to help from the manual and even though I've learnt lots about using Vectorworks (certainly does alot!) We can't do one very simple thing. Please help! How do you change the length of a wall after it's been drawn? To be more specific, how do you set the length of a wall without gripping the mouse with all your strength and straining your eyes trying to get it to just the right dimension! I've looked everywhere and this simple thing eludes me!

thanks in anticipation

[alanmac]

There is what is called the object information pallette, refered to as OIP in many posts here, which should be floating around your workspace somewhere. This will give you all the information on an object selected.

Type in the changes there. It can even add and subtract.

If starting a new object once you've started to move the mouse go to the length box, in the top coordinates bar (see it changing as you move the mouse) click in that and type in the size there, hit enter and then all you've got to do with the mouse is position the end location.

Alan

[ 10-27-2005, 12:25 PM: Message edited by: alanmac ]

[gregorfindlay]

Alan,

thanks though I'm still confused. For a line or an object you can clearly define the dimensions in the OIP but for a wall you don't get these options (in the OIP showing when the wall is selected) - you get the options delta (symbol) Z and BofZ, thickness and you can modify the cavity dimensions but you can't set length. Do people just end up drawing walls with lines rather than using the cavity wall function? thanks

[alanmac]

Sorry

I may have been speaking out of turn a little, and showing my ignorance of the wall tool, which I rarely use.

In my work I tend not to use that tool, and if you look at the oip it has a series of buttons above the Z figures, small ones that if you select give the details, but it looks like this is based on the wall in relationship to the orgin point in your drawing. Somebody with use and knowledge of this tool needs to chip in.

What are you using VW for, to do what with would answer if you use the wall tool. It's very good but I just don't use it.

Alan

[gregorfindlay]

Thanks Alan, In terms of use of VW - my wife (Tricia) wants to use it in her Interior Design business, mainly for floorplans and elevations, starting off with 2D, then 3D for projections. she's currently next door, racing ahead using objects and lines!

Thanks again

[alanmac]

Me again

Looking into it further it appears that because you can draw walls at all angles and continue with a mouse click for each point then thats were these buttons work.

If I draw a wall using my typing in method I mentioned before, then it does show the length.

By the way you can use the tab button to move along the boxes to the length box you don't need to move the mouse and click in the box.

The minute you go off in another direction then of course its seeing another wall in the OIP.

I'll say no more for fear of confusing you still further and hope somebody else jumps in.

Good luck

Alan

[ 10-27-2005, 12:44 PM: Message edited by: alanmac ]

[Chris D]

Wall length can be changed from the OIP just as for lines.

Select a single wall and it's properties appear in the OIP. Just below the two lozenge buttons for Cavities and Reverse Sides you have two toggle buttons, one with a cross, one with a circle. These allow you to toggle between changing the X and Y values, or changing the Length and Angle of the wall.

Chris