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Spotlight- Instruments insertion problems.


Joan67

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Newbie here. This question may have been answered before but Im afraid I couldn't find it by doing a search

 

I have borrowed a laptop with Vectorworks 2020 SP3 for a project. The owner doesn't use spotlight so no help there.. For some reason, I cannot insert lighting instruments. I select an instrument via the resource browser and I can see the doted instrument ready to be inserted but when I click on the document and click again after selecting the angle nothing appears. It's not invisible because I can't select it either.

 

However, when I convert an object to an instrument via Spotlight/Object Conversion. I can select it, buts its invisible. I have made sure that it has 2d and 3d info. I have even tried to import old projects done on VW2015 which has instruments, all become invisible once imported...

 

All classes and layers are visible and I have them in Show/snap/modify.

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

Joan.

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Is there a chance that the version of VW2020 that you are using is just the Fundamentals or Landmark version and doesn't have the Spotlight module installed?  To quickly check, click on Help - About Vectorworks (on Windows), or About Vectorworks under the Apple menu on Mac (I believe, don't have an Apple machine in front of me).  There is a category for "Licensed Products" and should include Spotlight.  If Spotlight isn't there, then VW might not have the Lighting Device plug-in object necessary to handle the lighting fixture, though it's odd that you have the Spotlight menu options....

 

The other thing to look at is that your Class Options under the View menu is set to Show/Snap/Modify Others.  There's a chance that you're on Active Only, so the different classes that make up the fixture symbols aren't visible.

Edited by Jesse Cogswell
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Thank you for getting back to me.

 

Licensed products are Designer and Renderworks. Spotlight is not listed. That would make sense as my friend doesn't use Spotlight. As it appeared on the workspaces available and the spotlight menu showed up when selected,  he thought it would work. I'll get the monthly license instead, only need it for a couple of weeks!

 

Thanks anyway!

 

Joan

 

Edited for grammar.

 

 

Edited by Joan67
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@Joan67 Not so fast!  Designer is the full-featured version of VW, so it includes Landmark and Spotlight.  So you should be covered as far as that is concerned.  It also explains why you have the Spotlight menu commands.

 

Did you check your Class Options?  I'm trying to think if there are any other things that might cause this issue...could you try opening a new file and testing it there?  Or you could upload a file and we could take a look at it.

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Ah ok.

 

Yes, I have tried to open a new file and attempted  to insert instruments. It goes from a doted outlined symbol to nothing when dropped in. I have created hanging positions in case that was a new thing (like in the old WYSIWYG)  All class and layers are visible. Class and Layers options are in Show/Snap/Modify others. 

 

I have imported some old projects done in VW2015 and all the instruments that were on the plan disappear. I can select them, there is definitely something there as edit handles appear, but they are invisible. I can't even select it and check the properties.  

 

I have VW2015 on an old computer, I exported the file from 2020 to 2015 and the instruments reappeared. I might just go back to the 2015. Haven't done much design work in the last few years and wanted to take this opportunity to get my head around on whats changed in VW.

 

Thanks anyway!

 

Joan

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

Hi Joan

 

Have you gotten in contact with your local distributor about this issue?

I see from your signature that you are in Spain so you local distributor would be TechLimits ( info@techlimits.com) They will be more than happy to help.

If they are unable to help, please pm me

 

Gruße

Jesse

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