Entertainment Design in VW Spotlight Webinar
March 30, 2010

presenter: C. Andrew Dunning


Here is a recording of the Webinar if you missed the original airing or would like to watch it again:
(please be patient as it loads...)


Below are some answers to a few of the questions that were asked. I've tried to stick to questions specific to the Landru Design tools, consolidate similar questions, and clarify the meaning of everyone's on-line short-hand. Please forgive me and let me know if I missed your point...


The VideoScreen tools

For the projection and blended tools, to what specific part of projector is the throw distance measurement - the front/center/back of the lens or the projector body?

The throw distance is measured from the screen to the front face of the lens.

 

Can the projector tool help designers figure out the necessary lenses when keystoning is involved?

Though VS4-Projection doesn't make image keystoning compensation calculations, it does give designers the option to let the tool recommend lenses based on projection distance - including situations in which projectors are not on-center with screens. With this option, specific distances can be entered or users can drag projectors do desired locations. This feature is not included in Spotlight's® Video Screen tool.

 

Can the Coverage Zone angle be edited?

Yes, the Coverage Zone angle can be changed. See the "Viewing Angle" parameter in the Object Info Palette.

 

For the Coverage Zone, can you "clip" the coverage area with a polygon?

No, at this point the coverage area can't be clipped.

 

In the previous version of VideoScreen, you were able to select a projector and change all of the text options (font, size, color) using the text menu, which was much faster than going into a separate dialog. Is that something that could be implemented in the new tool and/or VS4+?

Granted, the "old" way was a little faster, but many users were wanting far more control over our tools' text attributes than was allowed through the text menu - therefore the "Text Options..." button and dialog box. The font can still be changed through the text menu - but now users can change text color, size, and alignment for each individual text element. Judging from the bulk of user feedback, the "new" approach is probably here to stay.

 

When specifying a stand for a plasma, where is the stand symbol located, so the geometry can be modified?

VS4-Television's stand is not a symbol, but is geometry created on-the-fly. The only way to modify it is to convert the PIO instance to a Group and then to edit the resulting objects.

 

Is support for LED walls available?

If you're meaning high-resolution LED screens, VS4-Projection and Video Screen can simulate them by hiding all projector elements if you choose the "LED" under "Screen Type" in the Object Info Palette.

If you're meaning low-resolution LED arrays (like VersaTube®, ColourWeb®, SoftLED®, and MiPix®), our VideoScreen 4Plus suite includes a tool called VS4-LED that generates those, and other, similar, objects. See our Plug-Ins page for more information.

 

Can you build curved arrays with VS4-LED?

At this point, VS4-LED will only build "straight" arrays.

 

Can you adjust video placement on VS4-LED objects?

Like the rest of its VideoScreen siblings, VS4-LED images can be scaled and moved horizontally and vertically.



The Audio ToolSet tools

Are the AudioBox objects generic boxes or specific Symbols? If generic boxes, are manufacturer specifications available for size & dispersement for the Audio ToolSet objects?

AudioBox objects are not detailed Symbols, but are basic models that are created on-the-fly using dimensions and dispersion data available from each manufacturer. This way, changes can easily be made and simple tools can fill a broad need without having to create a large speaker library. Also, once the measurements are entered, users' settings can be quickly saved and retrieved using functionality built into the tools.

 

Does the Audio Toolset include line arrays?

The Audio ToolSet includes a tool called AudioArray that quickly generates line arrays with a single button-click.

 

If you know the specific coverage of your audio speakers, can you enter that to see how many you need as opposed to using the presets?

Once a user has placed an AudioBox object in a drawing, he/she can easily change the dispersion values and add or subtract objects to evaluate coverage.


Computer Questions

How much RAM is in the computer you are currently using?

The computer used for the Webinar was a custom machine based on an AMD Athlon X2 Dual-core 4400+ with 2GB of RAM and running Windows XP Pro, Service Pack 3.


Template Question

Will his template be available for download?

An older version of the Vectorworks Template used for the Webinar is available on our Downloads Page. Though the actual Template used in the Webinar has been refined somewhat, the downloadable version will still demonstrate most of the core concepts addressed in the presentation.


General Landru Design Tool Questions

Are the non-Spotlight tools being demonstrated available for purchase and, if so, what are the price point differences between buying these tools through Landru Design vs. upgrading to Vectorworks 2010?

All of the Landru Design tools mentioned in the presentation are available for purchase through our Plug-Ins page. Pricing for our tools is on that page. You'll have to contact Nemetschek North America directly at (888) 646-4223 to get pricing for Spotlight 2010.

 

Can the Landru tools be used with earlier and non-spotlight versions of VW - including Vectorworks 2009?

All of the Landru Design tools mentioned in the presentation will run within any Vectorworks® version, 2009 or newer - including "basic" Vectorworks® and educational versions. Only the Staging ToolSet tools and StageLift will run within Vectorworks® 12.5 or newer.

 

Are your tools VectorScript based or do they use more in-depth code?

All of the tools are VectorScript Plug-In Objects. If you're interested in creating your own tools, you can download the open samples of the different types on Nemetschek North America's VectorScript Example page.


If you have any more questions, feel free to contact me through the addresses on our Contact page or post a question on the Vectorworks Tech board.