Lucy Baynes

[Lucy Baynes]

Hi

 

I am working on a design as a beginner where I have constructed everything onto the same layer, I have sunken paving areas & I have figured out how to sink them using 3D mode & changing the z value, however, when I change this back into Isometric view all I can see is the white layer which is the same level as the rest of the plan & not the sunken paving underneath at -0.5m down. I can see it when I rotate the 3D image to underneath I just need to know how to cut that white layer area on top of it, any ideas welcomed please as I have been trying everything for days.

 

TIA

[Tom W.]

@Lucy Baynes it might be helpful if you post some screen shots. And say what the objects in question are.

[Boh]

People on this forum are very helpful but as  @Tom W.says some more details are required.

 

What sort of object is the “white layer” you mentioned.? If it a 2d polygon then changing it to screen plane with the right unified view settings will allow only the 3D geometry to show in 3D views whilst keeping 2d geometry visible in top/plan views.

Edited May 29, 2021 by Boh

[Jeff Prince]

@Lucy Baynes what Tom & Boh said, plus...

Put your 2D & 3D features on different design layers, control visibility as required.  This is one of the greatest features of Vectorworks, the ability to classify features with Classes and organize their location with Design Layers.  Both tools allow you to control visibility as well.

[Lucy Baynes]

Thanks for everyone's responses! Here are snaps of what I am trying to figure out......

So in top plan the square sunken paving shows in 2D, but once I go to 3D it shows this area as white as this is obviously part of my initial boundary that I started with. Then if I rotate in 3D view you can see the sunken paving is underneath that layer but I don't understand if i can now make that white area of boundary invisible in 3D mode? Or do I need to start again 😭

[Tom W.]

Hi @Lucy Baynes like @jeff prince says you would probably be best putting the 2D geometry you're using to lay out the model on its own design later so that you can make it visible when you need to refer to it + invisible at other times

[Boh]

Putting it on another layer will help. Probs need to know what sort of object the white object is but whatever it is putting it on a different class will also allow you to have its visibility switched off in viewports or saved views.

 

I suspect it’s is a polygon that has somehow got “in front” of everything else in the draw order.

 

So you could also try, in a 2d top/plan view , the “send to back” command (ctrl b I think) which should push it “behind” everything else for your 2d view. This won’t effect the 3D view as what is on top is dictated by z values not draw order.

 

If it is a 2d polygon then an alternative to putting the white object on a different layer or class is to put it on the screen plane and then activating unified view with uv settings to not display screen plane objects in. 3D views.

 

This will make it visible in 2d but not visible in 3D.

 

With white object selected, in the object info palette there is a “plane” drop down. It should say “layer”, change this to “screen”.

Then in the view menu putting a check mark next to unified view and just below that select the unified view settings. Put a check Mark next to “hide screen objects in 3D views”

 

Hope these suggestions help.

 

Cheers

[Lucy Baynes]

Thanks @Tom W.

I sound like a complete novice but how do I do this now that this has all already been drawn up on the same layer? Is there a way of highlighting this 'white' area & changing its layer to remove it from 3D? I have been trying to teach myself using YouTube tutorials but they are all so disjointed so I am really missing how to set up each design layer!

[Tom W.]

No worries luckily for all of us everything can be sorted out retrospectively! To move an object to a different layer, select it then either click on the 'Layer' drop-down at the top of the O.I.P. + select the new layer, or right-click on the new layer in the Navigation palette + select 'Assign to Selection' from the context menu. Then you can make that layer invisible (+ thus hide the 2D Polygon in 3D views) by clicking on the 2nd column in the Navigation palette next to that layer: the eye icon will be replaced with a cross to indicate that the layer is no longer visible.

 

I did wonder whether they weren't on separate layers anyway because you have 'Boundary' + 'Hard Landscape' layers...?

 

 

Edited June 1, 2021 by Tom W.

[Lucy Baynes]

Thanks @Boh & @Tom W. you have both been really helpful! One last thing the area I keep mentioning is not a polygon, I drew the polygons for the borders/walls etc on to the boundary layer so I think this is just a blank area within the boundary lines. How do I now convert this space into a polygon so that I can do the above that you mentioned?

 

 

[Tom W.]

If you click on the white area what does it say in the Object Info Palette? It certainly looks like an object

[Lucy Baynes]

From 2D view it says Polyline in Boundary, but this is automatically highlighting the paved sunken layer beneath, not the white area i am seeing in 3D

[Tom W.]

Click on the white object in a 3D view + what does it say at the top of the Object Info Palette? 'Polyline'? That's fine, in this case whether it's a Polyline or Polygon it's essentially the same thing. Put this object on the layer you want to turn off.

[Jeff Prince]

@Lucy Baynes  Learning this software from random YouTube videos is challenging.

Have you tried Vectorworks University?

 

Here are some classes to get you going in the right direction:

Getting Started :the basics

Introduction to layers

introduction to classes

Plane modes

Document organization

 

It will get easier once you have a strong foundation from which to build from.

[Lucy Baynes]

Thankyou everyone for your help, very much appreciated!