You can use the contextual menu to activate Align/Distribute, but the results depend on which object you right-click on.
Podcast 224 – Align/Distribute (Contextual Menu)
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Category Archives: podcast
Podcast 223 – Roadway (Custom Kerb)
I think that this tool is one of the most flexible roading tools that Vectorworks has. It allows you to change the width, add an intersection, and make all sorts of adjustments.
Saving Favorites/Bookmarks
When you use websites,especially my web sites, there are often pages that you want to go back to. The way to get back to these pages is to save the location as a bookmark or favorite. If you are using Google Chrome, Opera, or Safari, then watch the YouTube video. If you are using Windows 10 Edge, then click on the link below to read about saving favorites with that web browser.
Podcast 216 – Full Screen Window Macintosh Yosemite
I recently upgraded my computer to Yosemite. I have a habit of wanting to see my drawing window full-screen. However, when I click on the green button to make my drawing wonderful screen I have been losing my menubar. In this movie I will show you how to change this. I am sure the little people know this trick already but when I found that I was very happy.
Podcast 215 – Test Yourself Exercise – 7
Chapter 7 is an introduction to 3D modeling. 3D modelling 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.
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.
Podcast 213 – Test Yourself Exercise – 5
Chapter 5 was all about organizing information in Vectorworks. It is very important to learn how to use design layers, classes, sheet layers and viewports to create drawings. These concepts are extremely powerful and a fundamental to using Vectorworks effectively. In this exercise you should open up the test file and create the drawing shown.
Podcast 212 – Duplicate Along Path
This is a great technique for duplicating objects so that they follow a path. You can choose to have a number of objects evenly spaced along the path, or you can choose the spacing between the objects. The objects can be planar or 3D; they will still duplicate along the path.
Podcast 211 – Test Yourself Exercise – 4
I am the author of the Vectorworks Essentials Tutorial Manual. I was recently talking to a university tutor that uses this manual with the students. They wanted an exercise that would extend the students’ knowledge of basic tools and commands. At the end of the fourth chapter of this manual the students should be able to draw a simple detail using basic tools and commands, including dimensions and annotation.
Podcast 210 – Why is my Vectorworks Plant Schedule Wrong?
When you use the standard Vectorworks Plant counting schedule, it does not always count the spacing, height and spread accurately. The problem is that Vectorworks multiplies the values of these by the number of plants or the number of plant groups that you have in the file. The solution that I use is to create my own record format that uses text rather than numeric values for reporting these. In this movie I show you the difference between the standard Vectorworks report and my edited report that shows the accurate spread, height and spacing. This movie will not show you how to create the record format.
Podcast 209 – Test Yourself Exercise – 3
I am the author of the Vectorworks Essentials Tutorial Manual. I was recently talking to a university tutor that uses this manual with the students. They wanted an exercise that would extend the students’ knowledge of basic tools and commands. At the end of the third chapter of this manual the students should be able to draw simple objects using basic tools and commands.
Podcast 208 – Test Yourself Exercise – 2
I am the author of the Vectorworks Essentials Tutorial Manual. I was recently talking to a university tutor that uses this manual with the students. At the end of the second chapter of this manual the students should be able to draw simple objects and extrude them to create an object. The students sometimes forget just how much they have learned from the simple exercise, so I have created a Test Yourself exercise to allow the students to taste their knowledge from the second chapter. Continue reading
Podcast 207 – Test Yourself Exercise – 1
I am the author of the Vectorworks Essentials Tutorial Manual. I was recently talking to a university tutor that uses this manual with the students. At the end of the first chapter of this manual the students should be able to draw simple objects and dimension them. The students sometimes forget just how much they have learned from the simple exercise, so I have created a Test Yourself exercise to allow the students to test their knowledge from the first chapter. This movie shows you how to complete this exercise. If you have bought my manual and you would like to test the knowledge from the first chapter, try this exercise.
Vectorworks Tip #194 – Site Modelling – Stake Object
To create a Site Model you require 3D data for the spot levels of the site. There are several ways to do this. One way of creating your site model is to import an image file showing contours, then trace along the contours of the polygon tool. There is a command that will convert your 2D polys to 3D contours.
Podcast 206 – Creating a Butterfly Roof in Vectorworks
A client was asking how to make a roof that has a low point in the middle. Some people call this a butterfly roof. The answer is to use a standard Vectorworks roof and edit it to make just half the roof. Then mirror the roof to create the other half. This works for most versions of Vectorworks.
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Podcast 205 – Create Polygon – Clip Surface with Vectorworks
I have recently been working on a lot of 2D detailing with Vectorworks. One of the issues that I came up against was the look of plaster. The person who drew this plasterwork originally had a very nice style for drawing a wiggly line. I am editing these areas of plaster and I want my areas to look identical to the originals, but my way of drawing the wiggly line makes it appear different. I found the technique that allows me to quickly draw the plaster and completely replicate what has already been drawn, using create poly from inner boundary and clip surface. Watch the movie to see how I do it.
Podcast 204 – Add Solid, Subtract Solid, Intersect Solid
I have been working on a project that requires quite a bit of 3D modelling. To make this quicker, I use a combination of Add Solid, Subtract Solid and Intersect Solid. Using these tools makes it extremely quick to model this complex situation. Somebody asked me why do I use these particular techniques when I could use other techniques like Taper Face or Section Solid. The Intersect Solid is an interesting technique. It is fast, but more importantly it allows you to go back and adjust your work quickly.
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podcast 203 – Quick Solar Study
Solar studies seem to be getting more popular with building professionals and building authorities. I am hearing a lot of my clients are being asked to provide a solar study showing the effect of their building on the surrounding properties. Of course the other reason to use a solar study is to see the effect of those surrounding buildings on your project.
podcast 202 – 3D Polygon Tool
3D Polygon Tool – Vectorworks has some really cool 3D tools and it’s tempting to always look at these instead of some of the basic 3D tools that Vectorworks has. The 3D polygon tool can be used to draw a polygon between 3D objects. You don’t need to use automatic working planes, you don’t need to set working planes, you just need to draw the 3D object and snap to the 3D geometry you already have.
podcast 201 – Loft Surface Tool
This tool is so useful for creating complex curving shapes. There are three modes – No Rail mode, One Rail mode, and Bi-rail Sweep. Each mode has a use and each has very different results. Watch the movie to find out more. In the fist mode you use series of cross sections to create the object. In the second mode you use a profile and a single rail. In the third mode you use two rails and a profile.