Vectorworks Tip #248 - Site Modelling - Site Modifiers - NURBS Road

The NURBS road is useful for creating a smooth curving road. It is also very useful in that you can adjust the elevation of each station point. the other road types allow yo to edit the start elevation and slope, but the NURBS road is more flexible when editing the elevations.

Introduction to the Archoncad Website April 2015

When users join this web site, it's possible that they might find the extent of the information on the site daunting. I have been using this site for years (after all, I created it), so I know my way around. But what if you are new? I thought it would be nice (and useful too) to have an online session to show all the new users around.

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Vectorworks Tip #247 - Plants - Default Plant Classes

Many of the plant objects that come standard with Vectorworks have a class structure already. You could call this the default class structure for plants. Generally the outline of the plant is on a specific class (Plants-Component-Outline) the color fill is on a specific class (Plants-Component-Color Fill) and the line work is on a specific class (Plants-Component-Interior Linework). Having parts of the plant on different classes allows you to choose which parts you want to be visible in the various viewports.

Vectorworks Tip #246 - Using Levels to Create Short Walls

Levels are a great way to create short walls, you can create a level to control the top of the wall, then set the top bounding of the wall to that level. Any time you need to adjust the height of the walls, or you need to do is to adjust the level in the walls will automatically update.

Vectorworks Tip #245 - Attribute Palette - Assigning Line Types

There is more than one way to assign a line type to an object. The first way is to use the attributes palette. This method requires you to choose line type first, then choose the actual line type require. Some users suggest that this is too many clicks.

Vectorworks Tip #244 - Site Modelling - Site Modifiers - Roads Concept

Roads can be used as a site modifier. On the Object Info palette are options to make the road a site modifier, add the Grade Limits, and the set the offset for the Grade Limit.

Vectorworks Tip #243 - Plants - Plant Shadows

Plant shadows can be individual to each plant, or can be connected to the document preferences. If you connect the plant shadows to the document preferences, it allows you to control all of the plant shadows on the entire document from one dialog box. If you create your plant shadows with a black color and a 50% opacity, the plant shadows appear to be gray and see-through.

Vectorworks Tip #242 - Levels and Wall Components

As well as using levels to control the overall height of the wall, you can also use levels to control the height of wall components. This will give you the ability to have some components extend beyond the bottom of the wall (as in the case of the Bottom of Cladding) or to control the absolute height of the wall component (as in the case of the skirting).

Chromebook Tips #003 - Shift Select

When you are selecting a objects or text on the screen, use the shift key with the arrow keys.

Vectorworks Tip #241 - Attribute Palette - What are Line Types

There are many times when you drawing linear objects in Vectorworks where you do not want to have solid line. In this case you would want to use a Line Type. There are two sorts of line types, simple (dashed) and complex (lines with graphic editions). Earlier versions of Vectorworks called them Line Styles, but they lacked the ability to create complex line types.
This image shows several different line types. You will notice that the line types can be simple dashed lines or they can be more complex like batt insulation or footprints.

Chromebook Tips #002 - Delete

The Chromebook has a backspace key which is used to delete object. This key always deletes the character to the left of your cursor, so it is a backspace. If you want to delete the character to the right of your cursor (like delete on a windows machine) use the alt+backspace key combination.

Chromebook Tips #001 - Help

To get help on a Chromebook, use the ctrl+/ key combination. This will open the Help Window. It has useful tips and tricks, and the Help Search area.

Vectorworks Tip #239 - Site Modelling - Site Modifiers - Multiple Pads

You can add more than one pad inside a Grade Limits (boundary). This allows you to create several site modifiers to create the changes you want inside a single Grade Limits.

Vectorworks Tip #239 - Plant tool - Mass Planting

When you place a group of plants you have a choice to turn on Mass Planting. If you activate the mass planting option, Vectorworks will group your plants together removing all of the lines with the plants overlap. In the image you can see two groups of identical plants. The left group of plants has Mass Planting activated, the group of plants on the right has Mess Planting deactivated. You can see the difference between the two groups of plants one just shows a large shape, the other shows individual plants and it shows them overlapping.

Vectorworks Tip #238- Levels and Simple Walls

Levels can be used to control the elevations of walls. If you set up the required levels, you can use the Object Info palette to connect the walls to the levels. If you change the level elevations, it will update the walls.

Vectorworks Tip #237- Attribute palette - Creating a Tile

Tiles are substantially easier to create than hatches. Where a hatch uses repeatable lines, a tile uses a repeatable set of lines, polygons, circles, rectangles, etc. This means that instead of trying to figure out how the lines repeat you can just draw what you want. Because tiles contain objects like rectangles, circles etc., you can also add colors to your tiles, making them extremely graphic.

You create a new tile by using the Resource Browser. Right-click in the Resource Browser, choose New Resource…, name the tile and then draw the repeating tile passion that you require.

Vectorworks Tip #236 - Site Modeling - Site Modifiers - Pads with Slope

When you create a pad you can choose to set that pad to a slope. You can control the start and direction of the slope using the slope indicator on the pad object. The bottom of the slope will use the elevation from the object info palette.

Vectorworks Tip #235 - Plant Tool - Placing Plants in a Triangular Array

Use this mode when you want to place multiple plants in a triangular array Vectorworks will use the plant size and spacing from the plant definition, and the plants will be placed orthogonally on the screen. Use the rotate plan tool to rotate the plan to suit the site boundary if you need to.

Architect_066 Architect Special Interest Group March 2015(pm)

In this session we looked at how to create a window with a sloping (raking) head and a sloping (raked) sill. It is possible to make a window or windoor object that has a sloping or raking head, but not a sloping or raking sill. If you create a symbol for the 3D component of the window you want, it can be used with the Vectorworks Window (Use Symbol Geometry). 

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Vectorworks Tip #234 - Levels and Stairs

When you create your stairs, you can choose to connect the start (bottom step) and the end (top step) of your stair to levels. This will allow you to create several levels to control the starting and stopping of stairs so that they matched the various levels in your project.

Architect_065 Architect Special Interest Group March 2015 (am)

In this session we looked at note databases and how they work with the Callout tool. This includes how to place a callout, how the callout can get the text form a database, how to place the callout as a keynote and how to connect the callout to a legend. 

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Vectorworks Tip #233 - Attribute Palette - Modifying the Local Mapping of a Tile

There are times where you want to change the rotation or the scale of your tile, but just for one object. In this situation you can use the attributes palette to change the local mapping of the tile assigned to the object. You can also use the attribute mapping tool to change the local mapping of a tile on an object.

3D Modelling Special Interst Group - March 2015

In this session we looked at as many of the standard tools on the 3D Modelling toolset. Many users do not know what the tools can be used for, so this is the first session (of several) that will look at the tools in detail.

Vectorworks Tip #232 - Site Modelling - Site Modifiers - Pads.

These are your first type of site modifier. They are usually flat, but you can add a slope to the pad if you want. Use pads to create flat or sloping areas on a site model. Pads can be square, rectangular, round, polygonal, any shape you want...

Vectorworks Tip #231 - Plant Tool - Place Multiple Plants in Rectangular Array

Use this mode when you want to place multiple plants in a rectangular array. Vectorworks will use the plant size and spacing from the plant definition, and the plants will be placed orthogonally on the screen. Rotate the plan to suit the site boundary if you need to.

Vectorworks Tip #230 - Stories and Levels - Slab Levels

Levels can be used to control the setting out of your slabs (the Z reference level). If you set this up carefully, this can be a very powerful setting to automatically control the height of your ceiling relative to the structural objects.

What is the Archoncad Website all About?

This is a short introduction to the archoncad website. We will be looking at the resources that are there and how to use them. If you are new to my website you may find that this introduction will allow you to get a lot more from this web site.

There are several manuals, movies, podcasts, and library files here. This webinar will help you to find where things are stored and how they are tagged.

Please register for Archoncad Subscription Webinar on Mar 16, 2015 9:00 AM NZDT at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5359338897038500097

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

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Vectorworks Tip #229 - Attribute Palette - Assigning a Tile

Like the other attributes, you can use the Attribute palette or the Resource Browser to assign tiles to your objects

Vectorworks Tip #228 - Site Modeling - Site Modifiers Concept

Site Modifiers are used to modify the site model. they are a few tools that can create a site modifier. you generally need two parts to the site modifier, the modifier itself and an object to limit the extent of the modification.

Kensington Plug-in Keyboard

I ordered this new keyboard because I am planning on travelling again. I could use the nice little Apple bluetooth keyboard, but some planes do not allow you to use any wireless technology. This keyboard is not wireless, it plugs straight into the lightning connector, and it uses the power from the iOS device. It is marketed as suitable for the iPad, but I am using it on an iPhone 6+.

Unboxing

On unboxing the keyboard, i realised that it is substantially bigger that the keyboard that I am used to, the Apple bluetooth keyboard. I also thought that the design wasn't as nice either. 

The keyboard is sold as a full-sized keyboard, so that will control the actual size and placement of the keys, but there is a bezel around the keys that adds to the size of it. I'm not sure I will be able to carry the keyboard with me everywhere I want to. 

Using the Keyboard

When I connected the keyboard to my phone, it started working straight away. There is no software to install, no bluetooth connection to make, you just plug it in and start typing. 

This keyboard will make it substantially easier to write long notes, reports, and blogs. 

When you use a keyboard connected to an iOS device, you can use many of your familiar keyboard shortcuts, like copy (command+C) and paste (command+V). There are other shortcut keys that are inculded on this keyboard, like the Home key (that will take you back to the home screen), the Alt/Option key that changes the delete key to delete right. 

Conculsion

This is a great keyboard if you need to have a plug-in keyboard that is not wireless. After using it for about 30 min I got very comfortable with it. It is cheaper than the Apple Bluetooth keyboard. 

Vectorworks Tip #227 – Plant Tool – Placing Multiple Plants by Spacing

Use this mode to place multiple plants. This mode uses the plant spacing from the plant definition, rather than the click, and it places the plants along the path between the clicks. You can draw a line or a polygon and Vectorworks will place the plants along it for you.

Vectorworks Tip #226 – Stories and Levels – Levels and Columns

Levels can be used to control the bottom bound and the top bound of columns. The levels can be in the current story, in the story above (the top of a column), or the story below (for the bottom of the column). This gives you a lot of flexibility to control the height of your columns automatically.

Vectorworks Tip #225 – Attributes – Tiles

Tiles are a great way to create graphic fills for your drawings. Tiles allow you to draw lines, polygons, circles, rectangles, etc. to make repeatable patterns.

Vectorworks Tip #224 – Site Modeling – Simplify Polys

When you import polygons for site modelling they often have too many vertices. This command will simplify the polygons and make your site models faster. 

Vectorworks Tip #223 – Plant Tool – Place Multiple Plants by Clicking

Use this mode to place several plants. Each click places one plant (one of the group). Double-click to finish. This mode allows you to adjust the spacing between the plants but still have all the plants in one group.

Vectorworks Tip #222 – Stories and Levels – Creating New Levels

If you want to create new levels, click on the New Level… button. You can create as many levels as you need to complete your design. Keep the level names short and concise.

Vectorworks Tip #221 – Attributes – Editing Patterns

Although patterns are an old technique, they might still be useful. Vectorworks can only present about 64 patterns (due to the size of the palette) but you can edit the patterns that are there. The command is in the Edit menu.

Vectorworks Tip #220 – Site Modelling – Stake Objects

You can use a stake object to place a point for site modelling. I use a stake to place a 3D point to match the survey points.

Living With a Chromebook - 8

I have been without a Chromebook for several months now, but I bought one of the new HP ones yesterday. They have two models, so I made sure that I got one of the latest ones with the longer battery life. So today is my first day back with it. When I logged in, the new Chromebook had all my settings from the previous one, and all of the apps and extensions as well.

OK, i agree that the Chromebook is cheaply made, but then it is less than half the price of some other 11” laptops.

I believe that if you use google for your calendar, contacts and email, you will find the chromebook very easy to get used to. 

Vectorworks Tip #219 – Plant Tool – Place Single Plant

Use this mode to place a single plant. Click once to place a plant.

Vectorworks Tip #218 – Stories and Levels – Editing Default Levels

If you do not like the names of the standard design layers and levels in your story set up dialog box, you can edit them by clicking on the Edit Default Levels… This dialog box allows you to change the default layer names, level names and level elevations for the current project, but these do not change the overall default layers and levels for every project.

Vectorworks Tip #217 – Attributes – Changing the Colours on Patterns

Patterns have a foreground and a background colour and each can be edited separately. Click on the appropriate button to edit the foreground or background colour. This allows you to create other colours by combining the two colours.

Living With a Chromebook 7

More manufacturers are getting into the Chromebook market now and Samsung have dramatically improved the battery life. I am very interested in the HP Chromebook, it has a claimed 9 hr battery. This is now enough for a student to last all day at school, without recharging it. My previous Samsung chromebook did not last that well, it would only get 4-5 hours before it needed recharging. 

Vectorworks Tip #216 - Site Modelling - Grid Entry Method

For some users, this is the default way of recording information on site. If you are going to use the grid entry method, it is very important that you survey the site using the same strict grid on site.

Vectorworks Tip #215 - Plant Toolhttp://learn.archoncad.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/image041.png

There are two ways to add plants to your plans. The first (and easiest) way to do this is to use the Plant tool. This tool is specifically designed to place plants and it offers 5 different ways to place plants. These different modes should suit most situations. 

Vectorworks Tip #214 - Stories and Levels - Default Levels

Vectorworks comes with standard design layer and level settings. These design layers and levels can be used in your building projects to control the elevations of the building elements, especially walls and wall components.

Vectorworks Tip #213 - Attributes - Editing Hatches

If you want to change the scale of your hatches, use the technique to change the local mapping, then save the locally mapped hatch as a new hatch. If you want to change change the background fill, line colors or line weights, use the Resource Browser to edit the hatch. 

Podcast 215 - Test Yourself Exercise - 7

Chapter 7 is an introduction to 3-D modeling. 3-D modeling is important in Vectorworks (as you will notice from chapter 2). Chapter 7 covered techniques like extrusions, add solid, subtract solid and so on. You can use those techniques to create the bracket showing here.

Living With a Chromebook - 6

I finally sold my chromebook, because i didn’t see a need to keep it. I got a good price for it. I still think that for students at high school (that do not need to do any CAD work) the Chromebook is very useful. 

Living With a Chromebook 5

I have been reading a blog from Techsmith.com (http://blogs.techsmith.com/for-educators/chromebook-not-interactive-whiteboard/). They are betting that the chromebook will make a lasting and substantial impact in the classroom, unlike interactive whiteboards. The difference is that chromebooks are affordable for most parents (unlike a MacBook Air), but they will give most students the tools and applications that they need to work in the classroom. My daughter’s school required all the year 12 and 13 students to have a laptop computer. The recommendation was for a windows laptop (except the battery life sdoen not meet the required duration) or a MacBook. The MacBook Air greatly exceeds the required battery life, and so most students ended up with one. I’m disappointed that the chromebook was never one of the recommended options. Its a shame because it would easily fulfill my daughter’s requirements.

She needs to be able to write reports with images and photos, search the internet, and share the reports with the teacher. She also wants to watch online TV and movies. She could do all of this on a chromebook. 

Living with a Chromebook 4

When I bought this chromebook, the seller said that it had been his wife’s computer, but they were selling it because it didn’t completely replace the tablet they were using. I can see this now. I have an iPad mini. It has loads of storage, it’s connected to the internet, I can do everything that this chromebook does, and much more. The only thing that this chromebook does better than the ipad is typing, because it has a full size keyboard, and you can attach a mouse to the chromebook.

For writing reports and proposals the chromebook is better than my ipad. But for checking email, the ipad is much more capable, because it allows you to check multiple accounts in one place. The chromebook has the same problem as the android smartphones, it is great if you only want to use Gmail, but it’s a pain if you want to use Gmail and iCloud at the same time. 

iPhone 6+ as a Replacement for an iPad Mini

I've had an iPad Mini for over two years now, and i love the size and flexibility of it.  But lately i have been thinking about being able to repalce it. I wondered if i got a bigger phone, if I could stop carrying my iPad. 

I have just bought an iPhone 6+ and i thought is would be a great replacement for my ipad. In hte past i have thought about getting rid of my ipad, but the phone never seemed quite big enough. I think the iPhone 6+ is about the size where you could get rid of the ipad and just have a phone. 

I an very surprised at the size of the 6+. I knew it would be big, but it's only when you start to carry it around that you realise just how big it will be. 

Vectorworks Tip #211 - What is a Plant?

A plant in Vectorworks is a special object that has a plan representation, a model (or 3D) representation, and plant data. All these parts are bound together inside the object called a plant. When you place a plant, Vectorworks places all of these parts together in the drawing. This allows you to see the plan view, see the 3D, or create a report that shows the data.

the leader in Vectorworks training: http://learn.archoncad.com

Vectorworks Tip #210 - Stories and Levels

Design layers might be the container for holding all of the building elements, but levels control the elevation of these elements.

the leader in Vectorworks training: http://learn.archoncad.com

Vectorworks Tip #209 - Attribute palette - Patterns and Printing

There is a check box that you have to choose if you want to print the patterns as they appear on-screen. If you don't choose this option, the patterns will not print the way you want them too. Even when you do choose this option, the sizes of the patterns are a bit hit-and-miss relative to what you see on the screen.

the leader in Vectorworks training: http://learn.archoncad.com

Podcast 214 - Test Yourself Exercise - 6

The purpose of chapter 6 is to have an exercise that brings together many of the drawing tools and techniques that you need into one exercise. This exercise is designed to reinforce the flow of tools from start to finish. It will use techniques that you have learned in chapters 1-5.

The object shown here is a picnic table, and is just drawn using 2-D techniques. You can use the sizes shown on this image or you can make up your own sizes. In this exercise you will start with a blank file, check the units, check the layer scale, then draw the the table. Remember to use all the techniques you have learned to speed up your work.