Schematic Views versus my personal boom style

[NickSolyom]

Hello!

 

I wanted to share my personal style of drafting booms and ladders, and get feedback on how people are integrating schematic views.

 

This would appear to be a perfect candidate for schematic views because I have 3 separate pieces of 2D geometry that I have to remember to keep updated. However, the single most important element of a fixtures symbol, the calibration circle, is not present in 3d models. I need that calibration circle to determine the ladder dimensions to make sure the unit will actually fit!

 

A second problem is that moving lights will have a speed rail that is 2" tall, then the clamp attached to that. I have modified all my symbols to show that speed rail so I can build my ladders precisely and tightly. To my knowledge the 3d models don't show that speed rail.

 

I am proficient at 3D, and would love to have one set of geometry for my ladders, but I just can't use them if it provides LESS information than 2D.

 

Thoughts?

 

[Kevin Allen]

So, have you incorporated additional 2D Views into your lighting device symbols?

[TomWhiteLight]

Hi Nick

 

 

"However, the single most important element of a fixtures symbol, the calibration circle, is not present in 3d models. I need that calibration circle to determine the ladder dimensions to make sure the unit will actually fit!"

 

I personally would not want the calibration circle to be visible in my 3d model of light plots. When I hang fixtures on a ladder I check to see that the required drop vertically is equal or larger to the horizontal space available in terms of if the calib circle fits. However each to their own, you could easily create a 3d sphere for a calibration visual, centred around the 3d loci of the 'head'. It could have a class which you could grey out. You could also copy and paste the existing 2d calib circle into the 3d attribute and extrude along path a small shape through it to make the geometry display in 3d.

 

A second problem is that moving lights will have a speed rail that is 2" tall, then the clamp attached to that. I have modified all my symbols to show that speed rail so I can build my ladders precisely and tightly. To my knowledge the 3d models don't show that speed rail.

 

In terms of a vertical offset from the base of the fixture and any hook clamp/rigging hardware, we are aware of this issue and hoping to address this within Vectorworks soon.

 

I am proficient at 3D, and would love to have one set of geometry for my ladders, but I just can't use them if it provides LESS information than 2D.

 

For reasons of hardware efficiency I have always kept more of the detail at the 2d level so that when I go to a 3d view it is uncluttered and a realistic presentation of my rig. Also when you export to a visualiser, everything is exactly how it should be in real life.

 

It sounds to me like if you're pursuing a mostly 3d workflow then using 3d label legends combined with a vigorous use of the clip cube tool to create to create your viewports might be more efficient and give you the look and detail level that you are after.