Landmark_SIG_081 Special Interest Group October (pm) 2015

Main topics:

• creating a site model from an image
• importing a shape file
• using GIS information from a local body website
• site modifier contour mode
• hardscape changes in Vectorworks 2016

Vectorworks Tip 344 - Vectorworks Angles vs Survey Angles

Vectorworks, like all CAD programs, uses 0° for the angle of a line that is horizontal (X direction) and uses 90° for a vertical line (Y direction) surveys on the other hand start measuring the angles from North (which is 0°), through East. So a survey angle that is 200° would be shown in Vectorworks as an angle of -120°.

Vectorworks Tip 343 - Site Model Cut and Fill

Every once in a while a client will get confused about what is cut and fill when dealing with a site model. Cut volumes are the parts that are removed from the site model, fill volumes other parts that are added to the site model.

Vectorworks Tip 342 - What is BIM?

In its most simplest terms, BuildingInformation Modeling allows you to create plans, sections, and details from the 3-D model of your project, along with reports on the objects in the project (number of plants, the areas of landscape, the areas of hardscape, etc.)

Posted with Blogsy

Vectorworks Tip 341 - Align and Distribute Command

This command in on the Modify menu. It is designed to allow you to align or distribute selected objects. This means that you have to select the objects before you use the command.

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Vectorworks Tip 340 - Wall Wall Textures Overall

If you dont like assigning wall textures by components, you can use Overall. This method requires that you choose a texture for a part of the wall (top, left, right, etc). If you are using unstyled walls without components this will be the best way, but you do have to watch out for the direction of the wall, as this will affect the left and right of the wall. If you are not careful you might get the textures on the wrong side of the wall.

Vectorworks Tip 339- Assign Wall Textures by Component

If you use wall styles (with components) it is a lot easier to assign the wall textures to the wall comonents, then on the Texture Settings, choose to have the textures By Component. This will asssign the texture to the entire component, but it makes it easy to get the textures on the correct side of the wall.

Vectorworks Tip 338 - Site Model Settings - Graphic Attributes

In Vectorworks 2016 there is now a faster way to set the graphic attributes on your site models so that it uses the class settings for the line weights, colours, and line styles of the class. This will allow you to usual classes to change the graphic style of your site models after you have created them.

Vectorworks Tip 337 - Creating a Plan Viewport from a Clip Cube

In the same way that you can create a section viewport from a clip cube face, you can create a plan viewport. This is actually called a section viewport but the section viewport is parallel to the ground plane, and therefore it's a plan viewport. This will allow you to choose where to create the plan when you have a complex building that might have windows at several levels.

I use GoToMeeting to run my webinars, but if you are using an old version of rhte Mac operating system, you will have to join via the web app. 

Vectorworks Tip 336 - Design Layer Section Viewports

You can create a section viewport and place it on a design layer.

Adobe Acrobat Reader updated

 I got a notification this morning that Adobe Acrobat reader has bee updated. This is a new version of Acrobat Reader and it has a new interface.  Like the earlier versions of Acrobat , it allows you to open and save PDF’s, annotate them , and mark them. But it also is designed to integrate with dropbox and Adobe’s own Document Cloud, or Creative Cloud (if you subscribe to this service).

download it here:

https://get.adobe.com/reader/

Vectorworks Tip 335 - Project Sharing - Save and Commit

When you are working on a Working File and you save your work, this work is not automatically sent to the project file. This gives you the option of trying out some of your design before committing it for others to work on. if you want to send your work to the project file you need to use the command Save and Commit. This command will save your work And it will send your changes to the project file. If you do not save and commit, no one else will see your changes.

Vectorworks Tip 334 - Adjust the Site Model Settings to Make Snapping Easier (2)

If you are going to use the Snap to Contour, you might want to adjust the Site Model Settings to give you the correct contour to snap to. The second method is to adjust the Start Contour Offset to change the elevation of all of the contours .

Vectorworks Tip 333 – Changing the Angle of a Clip Cube

When you start a clip cube it is always orthogonal, but this often does not line up with the model. Rotating the plan does not help, but there is an easy solution. If you select the clip cube with the selection tool, you will see four blue dots at the bottom center of the clip cube. Use one of these to rotate the clip cube to match the angle of your project.

Vectorworks Tip 332 – Using a Clip Cube to Make a Section Viewport.

After you have set up your clip cube, you can use it to create a section viewport. Use the selection tool on the clip cube, and when a side of the clip cube highlights, right-click on it to bring up the Contextual Menu. At the bottom of the menu you will find Create Section Viewport...

Vectorworks Tip 331 – Project files and Working Files

The concept behind project sharing is that there is one Project file, but eveyone that wants to work on the project has a working file. The data is stored in the Project file and the working file, but the data is only sent to the Project File when you Save and Commit the changes. Until then, the changes are only kept in the Working File. 

Vectorworks Tip 330 – Adjust the Site Model Settings to Make Snapping Easier

If you are going to use the Snap to Contour, you might want to adjust the Site Model Settings to give you the correct contour to snap to. The first way to adjust the setings is to change the coutour interval to give you more contours to snap to.

Vectorworks Tip 329 – Adjusting the size of the Clip Cube

It is unlikely the Clip Cube will be the size that you require, but you're allowed to change the size and the easiest way to do this is to use your selection tool. When you click on the edge of the clip cube, then move your cursor around the cube, you will notice different sides of the clip cube highlight. Click on one of the sides and drag to move it.

Vectorworks Tip 328 – Section Viewport

Section viewports allow you to cut a section through an object, or several objects. After activating the Create Section Viewport… Command from the view menu, click once to start your section viewport, then click once more for the other end of the section viewport. Click once to define the direction of the section viewport (don't worry if you get this wrong, you can always change it later) and click once more to finish. Remember to name your viewport and choose the sheet layer for it.

Vectorworks Tip 326 – Snap to Contour

This is a great addition to the Site Modifier tool. When you choose this mode, Vectorworks reads the elevation of the countour that you are snapping to and sets the elevation of the site modifier to this elevation. This saves so much time when placing site modifiers. No more guessing or placing 3D loci to get the correct elevation.