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That is good news. I saw the video of latest D5 release and it looks great. I always thought it would be just a Rendere like VRAY or Corona. But realized now that is a complete real time render solution like Twinmotion, Enscape, Lumion, ..... And it supports Blender ! (But so far have not looked how deep that support or exchange will go in reality) Unfortunately I also realized that D5 is Windows only !? Bummer.

Esteemed Vectorworks Friends: I have imported via DWG 3d building objects into an existing Vectorworks file that has viewports. I am trying to get all objects to display with black lines, but the objects imported do not change color from the default colors that they were modeled in before DWG export. I have tried to override the display of these imported classes with a black line and black fill, to no avail. Is there another place I can use to control the color displayed by these 3d objects imported via DWG. I would like to do this in Vectorworks via viewport overrides for graphics via reimporting objects and changing their colors to black. Thanking anyone who can help in advance. Art in Seattle

If you are doing Layer Referencing, then I believe this is the expected behavior. When the layer reference updates it deleted all data from the layer and brings in the new data. So anything you have manually added to the reference layer will be lost. You will need to add a non-referenced layer to place your objects on.

@lkr241 Oh, my bad...I didnt read your post carefully enough. You wanted just an earth as a texture instead of more of a map.. Perhaps you can still use it and texture map it with a different texture..??

This may help I don't really know that much about VW texture mapping, but this is a VW's 3D file with texture file. I can't get it to close, but I am sure someone else can help. File enclosed. VW EARTH.vwx

Thanks for posting this. I've been battling all day to get this working on a project. I got the Coordinates for the site from the Lead BIM Manager at the Client Offices. E/W - 529808876.6 N/S - 180310450.2 True North - 328.93 Vectorworks wants these in metres due to SPSG 27700 being a Metres Standard. So I enter the numbers with a 4 decimal place adjustment, and it rounds up the last bit on the Northing and Easting to the following: Easting (X) 529808.877m Northing (Y) 180310.450m Angle to True North 328.93000000 I'm not sure if that matters. It does come up at the right place on the Geoimage Tool. I can also import the Shared Coordinates File, and it lands in the right place with the right location, I think... The problem now is that whenever I import a Revit from the various BIM guys doing the Plant and Ceilings etc, they just land with the wrong rotaion. If I go into Revit 2021 (The one they're all using) and export to a DWG, I get the option in VW export options to enable Georeferencing for the import., You don't get that option with a Revit import. Does someone know if it's possible to import a Revit to land in the right place please? It must be something I'm doing wrong.

Hello All, I have a drawing that is using a referenced VW file holding a IFC of a rather large venue - Done this way to keep the existing Stories structure We have added systems with new classes to those layers to place them in the correct physical space - however when we re-open the file and the reference file does its update - it appears that our drawn items within VW have disappeared . The classes still exist but trying to change class option to show active and selecting all does nothing. Running VW 2024 - SP3.1

File is attached. I am working left to right. You will see that I extracted the contours, added my new 3D polys to them, and then pasted them in the 'proposed contours' model to attempt to create the landscape - the result was a mostly flat block. Even when using those contours to create a new landscape from scratch (the last site model on the right) you will see that it does not 100% follow the contours, and is flat at the bottom. Thanks for any help. Site Modelling VW.vwx

@lkr241 This work for ya? Feel free to tweak any materials. Consider it an early Christmas present 🙂 -Santa 🙂 World Globe v2024.vwx

Post the file so we can see what you did here. Likely the source of your issue.

In VW, Image Props, to follow the Camera, will rotate around Z axis only. (Which usually makes sense for cut out people or plants, even for slight bird eye views) In 3D Apps like e.g. Cinema4D they can rotate about all axes by default. (In C4D I had to lock mine to Z axis only manually for my purposes) So an image prop may not the best solution for your purpose. An option would be a 3D mesh globe with earth texture applied that you may find on google warehouse or somewhere else, in a 3D format that VW can import.

I've tried using an image prop of a globe to make a 3D earth in a drawing I'm doing. It works in front view and side view, but it doesn't work in any axon view. Is there another way to make a sphere look like the earth other than an image prop, or can you tell me what i'm doing wrong on my image prop that it foreshortens when I look at it in any kind of axonometric view?

I'm in Mac OS 14.4.1 Sonoma. What I ended up doing is copying and pasting everything from one file to a brand new blank file and that solved it (many, many hours later).

Hi all, I'm working with the 3D site model tools for the first time. I've gone through tutorials pretty extensively but haven't been able to find a solution to this issue. I have an existing site model, provided by the client. I'm attempting to model some new berms and swales on this model. When I add these in 'Proposed Contours', the model does not change. My view is set to show 'proposed' so it's not a phasing issue. Would appreciate any help. I can use the 'validate 3D data' tool and get an error, but there is nothing useful about a message that says 'something is wrong' - I need to know what it is. There are no overlapping lines that I can find. Existing contours Proposed contours - new in pink

For the first question, there are a number of items in the Channel Parameter Record that we have no idea of HOW they are being used internally in the object. I think it is to save the data so when you switch from one type to another it is already populated correctly. And yes, it is just kind of trial and error to figure out which field has the data you need. I don't understand the last question. Can you post a small test file with a couple of objects with your different record formats and the spreadsheet that is not doing what you want and I can take a look.

Or create a single line Vectorscript: WSScript_SetResStr(Date(2,0)); In my case this was named Script-2 So I used a worksheet formula of: =RUNSCRIPT('Script-2') The parameters of the Date Function are for the Date and Time formats. For the first Parameter, 0=Full Date, 1=Abbreviated Date, 2=Short Date For the second Param 0=Date only, 1=Date & Time, 2=Time Only The date is formatted according to your operating system settings. I thought there was a way to enter a single line script like this directly into the RunScript function, but I can't make it work this morning.

Me too!

I’m glad I’m not in the software business 🙂

It sounds like there are various problems with MacOS 14.4.1, but the particular problem on our end (computer rebooting when toggling into Vectorworks) seems to have gone away by having Vectorworks live in its own workspace (or "desktop"). Might be worth a try for others. Basically we are running Vectorworks in Desktop 2 and every other application in Desktop 1.

I have to disagree with a lot of this. Not all curved landscapes must be made from arcs with radii, it’s perfectly acceptable to use curves like beziers and such if your contractor knows how to build them. Is the “problem” you are experiencing with importing AutoCAD splines and arcs into Vectorworks due to bad import settings or perhaps poorly drawn AutoCAD? I don’t have these problems with well made AutoCAD files, but I used AutoCAD for 20 years, so I know how it works. What makes “bad” geo inside AutoCAD? Drawing without tangency…not using snaps…Offsetting splines to create parallel edges… as it turns out, a lot of the same bad practices people have in Vectorworks. Understanding geometric construction, especially with complex curves, is a dying skill. It’s easy for people to blame their softwares, it takes experience and craftsmanship to make things… even in the digital world.

I see your point, Jeff, and generally agree. In fact, I have a 2008 MacPro with twin Xenon processors running OS10.6.8. I maxed out the ram, installed an SSD, and upgraded the video card. This machine and OS are, in my opinion, the most robust Apple has produced. It is, as you say, frozen in time for the sole purpose of running Logic 9 music creation software. It works amazingly well and I would never expect any modern software to run on it. But I feel this is different and I'm actually not looking at what is best for the VW users. I'm looking at what is best for Vectorworks as a company. In all cases like this, the question is where to draw the line. I feel that updating an OS to the next version does not meet the standard of a wreckless action. It is actually promoted by both Apple (or Windows) that you should upgrade. Vectorworks does the same. It's not like the users of 2022 are jumping three or four OS versions and expecting it to work. It would be different, for example, if I expected the 2024 version of Logic to run on my 2008 MacPro. So, I'm suggesting drawing the line at five years for a perpetual license. Not only would that fulfill their promise of software that will work for a reasonable term, but I also think it is very beneficial to Vectorworks to show this level of support for its users. It is a very small price to pay and a great opportunity for VW to show it cares about its user base--and building it. I admit companies rarely think about goodwill being a positive business decision. But they should. Vectorworks has a tiny user base. This is an easy way to help build it. MH Brown

Hi! Could anyone save this file created with 2023 in a 2021 version? Thanks you in advance! Rylevang 3B · D 056 · A 7.10 · Oversigt · Skabe.vwx

Hi, Did you sell all the VW licences? Best rgerads Adam adamlevirodgers@mac.com

That’s a hard position for me to support, especially in the technology space. If I were electing to stay on a previous release in perpetuity, the prudent thing to do is to maintain that vintage of hardware and OS in perpetuity as well. The user has the choice here and if they want fancy new OS features, they should upgrade their other softwares accordingly. I have not upgraded to Sonoma yet because I like my software to work 🙂 I don’t understand why people feel compelled to run the latest of everything and then expect it all to work…. New Release = Beta Tester in the software world.

I assume that those persons using VW2022 purchased a perpetual license, otherwise you would simply upgrade to VW2023 or VW2024, yes? Assuming that is the case, the reasonable--and I feel honorable--thing for VW to do is send a perpetual version of VW2024 to those users. That is the thing about this word "perpetual." Having worked in and for museums most of my career, I can tell you that an accessioned object at a museum is generally accepted with terms that the institution care for the object "in perpetuity." But neither side can predict the future. There may be fires, floods, political unrest, or uncontrolled third parties who change their software in unpredictable ways. And regardless of the calamity, a reputable museum will do everything possible to secure its collection. The reputation of the institution is, in many ways, established in how it reacts to these types of unpredictable events that test it. How do they measure up? Reputation is not only an important thing, it is the ONLY thing that matters. It can be lost in an instant, but take decades to recover--if ever. VW might want to think about that as it considers its options regarding the non-working 2022 perpetual licenses out there. It sounds like neither party is at fault, so what to do? So, here is what I would suggest to Vectorworks: Live up to your promise of delivering a "perpetual" product. Give users of perpetual 2020 through 2022 versions that do not work under Sonoma, a perpetual version of VW2024. Even though it's not your fault, you should live up to your bargain of "perpetual" regardless. This may not mean forever, but, really, I think a reasonable person would say two years is far too short of a term for a software to work. I'd say something more like five years, but whatever it is, put it in writing. Just my opinion. MH Brown