Architect Special Interest Group Feb 2019

In this session, we covered how to make a Clip Cube viewport from scratch and modify it, how to change the layout and linked data of a title block, and how to mark and reference sections.

There is an introduction to clip cubes on the knowledgebase website

Architect Special Interest Group February 2019

Topics Covered:

• 00:15    We opened a file of a house model so that we could cover how to create a Clip Cube viewport. I’ve found that clients often cannot visualize what a project is going to be like from 2D plans. However, when I open up a Clip Cube drawing, they can suddenly picture themselves in the new structure. We demonstrated step-by-step how to turn a Clip Cube view into a viewport. To start with, I turn on all of the layers. We covered how selecting an object on the layer can make the Clip Cube zoom in. Next, we went over how to make the Clip Cube line up with our house when we use the Selection tool in the Clip Cube Mode. We resized the Clip Cube to show exactly enough context. The interior of the space was too dark, so we use the Visualization palette to add some light. We made sure that the Clip Cube was selected and then used the Create Viewport command.

• 11:32    We changed the DPI to 150, which made the image sharper but took longer to render. If you’re looking at your viewport and see that you need to change some things, don’t enter the design layer from the viewport, because you’ll end up moving the Clip Cube that you just worked so hard to set up. Navigate to the design layer some other way. One helpful tip is to save how you set up your Clip Cube on the design layer as a Saved View. That way, if you mess it up, you can easily get it back. You can only have one Clip Cube in the design layer, but you can copy the Clip Cube viewport of the cellar and make Clip Cube viewports for the other floors.

• 23:09    Title blocks have changed a lot in Vectorworks. Unfortunately, the Title Block Border tool and the Title Block tool icons look similar, so it is easy for the user to mistakenly think that they work in the same way—but they are completely different. I suggest that you choose a Vectorworks title block border that already has all the fields that you want. It is easier to edit that border than to create one from scratch. Remember that an object style now controls how title blocks look. To change it, you need to find it in the Resource Manager, or there’s an Edit Style button on the Object Info palette. We demonstrated how to change the layout and how to work with Title Block Data, linking layout objects to data in the Title Block Manager (for example, a revision number) and from the rest of your project. We also discussed how to set up an issue register.

• 40:21    We finished the session by discussing ways of marking and referencing sections. You can use the Reference Marker tool, but the Section-Elevation Marker tool in Unconstrained Mode gets around a bug and allows you to link to a viewport—which is a magical timesaver! Remember that sections have a Section Line Instances button on the Object Info palette that allows you to choose which layers and viewports the section lines show up on.

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Architect December 2018

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