VisualARQ 2 - Version 2.13 released

enric · April 4, 2023, 11:06am

Hi,

VisualARQ 2.13 is now available for download.

This release includes some new features and solves most of the issues reported by users. Please report any problem or suggestion here or send us an email to visualarq@asuni.com.

Here is the list of changes:

NEW FEATURES

Grasshopper: Components:

#11569: Deconstruct Roof component retrieving the original surface when a roof has been created from a surface

#11458: Component to get start and end cut planes of a beam

#11382: Component to get start and end planes of a beam

Grasshopper: Player:

#11067: Reference VisualARQ objects with the Grasshopper Player

Grasshopper: Style:

#9791: Set values on GH styles parameters of type plane

#9725: Accept “Plane” as insert point in definitions for Element and Furniture styles

Help:

#4202: Add voice to the video tutorials

IFC:

#11423: Add IfcSpace in the IFC Types list to tag Rhino geometry

Installer:

#9525: VisualARQ installing error due to problem loading Tibidabo.rhp

Object:

#8186: Make vaFillet command sensitive to the wall edge side you wish to join

Object: Section:

#11881: Add vaSection commands to Help

Telemetry:

#10230: Collect telemetry analytics

IMPROVEMENTS

API: Script:

#11930: Methods to get and set section attributes to objects

#11196: API method to get and set attributes of styles and components

#10473: Get Material attribute of VisualARQ objects via API

#10356: Methods for SubtractSolids, AddSolids and ExtractSolids

#9490: Method to get the Description of an element

#9412: Method for stairs

#9163: Add methods for Spaces

Dynamic Section:

#11232: Section hatches very dense makes display very slow

Grasshopper: Components:

#12467: Add “Components Filter” input to the Explode component

#12213: Add Plan View as an Object Class in the Is Kind Of? component

#12204: Conversion from VisualARQ walls to Guid when they are retrieved as hosts

#11855: Add the “Autoupdate” output to the Deconstruct Section View Options component

#11854: Add the “Autoupdate” input to the Section View Options component

#11853: Add the “Top Cut Height” output in the Roof Options component

#11852: Add the “Top Cut Height” input in the Roof Options component

#11849: Add the “Edge Cut” output to the Deconstruct Slab Options component

#11848: Add the “Edge Cut” input to the Slab Options component

#11838: Add the “Max Aperture” output in the Deconstruct Window Options component

#11837: Add the “Max Aperture” input in the Window Options component

#11836: Add the “Max Aperture” output in the Deconstruct Door Options component

#11835: Add the “Max Aperture” input in the Door Options component

#11834: Add the “Cut Depth” output in the Deconstruct Window Options component

#11833: Add the “Cut Depth” input in the Window Options component

#11832: Add the “Cut Depth” output in the Deconstruct Door Options component

#11831: Add the “Cut Depth” input in the Door Options component

#11830: Add the “Insert Mark” output in the Deconstruct Column Options component

#11829: Add the “Insert Mark” input in the Column Options component

#11826: Add the “Mirrored” output in the Deconstruct Column Options component

#11825: Add the “Mirrored” input in the Column Options component

#11824: Add the “Profile Mirrored” output in the Deconstruct Beam Options component

#11823: Add the “Profile Mirrored” input in the Beam Options component

IFC:

#11640: Show a message in the command bar when you try to open an IFC 4 file

Object: Annotation:

#12344: Allow writing text longer than the visible text box

Object: Curtain Wall:

#11207: Use of non-planar Curtain wall’s path

Object: Openings:

#11216: Allow to scale in 1D openings with any profile

Worksessions:

#11378: Access to objects parameters in a worksession from Grasshopper

#11304: Access to objects properties, parameters and attributes in a worksession

CHANGES:

Grasshopper: Components:

#12438: Remove the old Space Style Grasshopper component from VisualARQ toolbar

#12335: Change icons in the VisualARQ Pipeline component

#11276: Abbreviation for the “Font” input in the Text Style component

#11202: Remove input “Color” in Hatch Options component

Grasshopper: Player:

#12116: Changes in the list of objects in Get Object component

#12115: Do not repeat the Get object question after selecting objects with the GH Player

#12094: Leave just one object type selected in the Get Object component

#12093: Rename “Block” as “Element” and “Annotation” in the Get Object component

IFC:

#8217: Remove the “VaIfc_” prefix in properties category name when they are exported to IFC

Object: Tag:

#11295: Create tags with the Clipping status checked by default

Object: Views:

#11268: Change “Tolerance Factor” to “Length Tolerance” in plan and section views

Style:

#10159: Order object types alphabetically in import-export styles dialogs

Toolbar:

#10409: Missing icons and commands in the VisualARQ Main toolbar

FIXED BUGS

Attributes:

#12275: Section attributes are not displayed in a wall

Crash:

#12358: Crash when trying to insert an Shed Roof

#12100: Crash after clicking on the Top viewport’s tab

Display:

#12221: Wrong representation of an elevation using VisualARQ display modes and sections

#11942: VisualARQ control points are too small in a HiDPI display

#11886: Japanese text cut off

Grasshopper: Components:

#12483: Baking walls with the Geometry Cache component doesn’t create window holes

#12474: Geometry Cache component bakes walls unextended

#12370: The Object param returns referenced objects as blocks

#12338: VisualARQ Pipeline component recomputes the definition when the current layer is changed

#12287: Walls are baked without hole for hosted windows

#12266: Update Property component cables are always displayed in green

#12265: Update Property component cannot be moved

#12252: Section attributes properties don’t work with the Set Property component

#12234: Cannot get or set “intersectionLinetype” and “intersectionPattern” properties

#12231: Trying to create a parameter in a style component deletes the existing objects

#12212: The component Is Kind Of? doesn’t accept section view as a class

#12195: The property Style doesn’t work with the Set Property component

#12142: Wall extend component returns the “1. Solution error: eInvalidInput” error

#12140: Referenced objects defined inside a cluster cannot be baked from the main definition

#12105: Set Property Value component cannot set a value for the “name” property

#12087: The Geometry Cache Grasshopper component doesn’t bake the Ifc properties or parameters

#11970: Deconstruct Section View Error: Object reference not set to an instance of an object

#11903: Position elevation is not taken into account if you define a host wall

#11891: Unexpected Grasshopper warning after adding a new input/output parameter to a GH component

#11536: Deconstruct parameter component is not returning names in the “Name” output

#11418: Slab Add Boundary component doesn’t take curves which are not directly intersecting the original slab

#11417: Section names cannot be changed if you are using the Trigger component in Grasshopper

#11413: Errors in Deconstruct Beam component

#11412: It is not possible to reference multiple VisualARQ objects in Grasshopper

#11369: Param component can’t reference any object of the specified type

#8101: Bake option “Group” is not working with VisualARQ objects

Grasshopper: Player:

#12341: Rhino crashes after running the vaMatchStyle command (Labs)

#12331: Object disappear running the Undo command after running a Grasshopper player definition

#12328: VisualARQ objects become Tibidabo custom objects after running the GrasshopperPlayer command

#12327: Rhino crashes after running the GrasshopperPlayer command with this file

#12322: Crash after running a GH Player script that extends walls to a wall

#12261: GH file run with the GH player runs again after command ends

#12154: The Grasshopper Player doesn’t ask for the second selection of objects

#12092: The Grasshopper Player doesn’t work well with the selection of multiple VisualARQ objects

#11236: Ifc Type and custom parameters are ignored when baking VisualARQ objects with the GH Player

Grasshopper: Style:

#12377: Door created with a Grasshopper style is placed wrong in a curtain wall

#12138: Grasshopper styles with a point or plane input are not correctly scaled when the definition uses different units

IFC:

#12514: Write “Always” instead of “Allways” in the IFC Import Options

#12269: It takes 12 minutes to open this IFC file

#11972: Crash opening an IFC file

#11791: IFC file cannot be imported: “IFC does not comply with format”

#11583: Some objects data is placed in the wrong level after exporting to IFC

#11400: Mesh cannot be tagged as IFC

#11343: Furniture changes its position after exporting and importing IFC file

#11300: Space names are not read from IFC file

#11150: VisualARQ does not read the geometry in these IFC files

Interface:

#12475: Components selection is not highlighted in styles dialog preview

#11879: Preview area in styles dialog is no longer visible after resizing the dialog

Menu:

#11464: Missing link in VisualARQ Menu > Properties > Document Parameters

Object:

#11637: Wrong solid subtraction on a slab with a 0 thickness layer

Object: Curtain Wall:

#11805: Door is not performing the opening in a curtain wall completely

#11520: Wrong opening at curtain wall

#9541: Panel gap values don’t work when the curtain wall is nested

#5918: Error in a non-linear curtain wall

Object: Door:

#12476: Solid subtracted from a door doesn’t get linked to the door

#12242: Door openings are not displayed if the detail view is not perfectly vertical

Object: Element:

#11532: Element from block is always inserted on coordinates origin

Object: Furniture:

#11872: Furniture object from GH style rotates incorrectly with the gumball

bject: Opening:

#12362: Auto Cut Depth value is displayed wrong

Object: Plan View:

#11260: Some walls are not hatched in plan views

#10827: Plan view updates when you move its control points even if Auto Update box is unchecked

#10750: Dimensions are generated in a different scale in plan views

#5806: Rhino hangs when opening the properties dialog of a plan view

Object: Roof:

#11888: Roofs don’t intersect if they are not lined up at the same level

#11571: Roof from surface do not work with some surfaces

Object: Space:

#12558: VisualARQ freezes creating a space

#12030: Space label is located in a wrong elevation

#11868: Space hatch is missing in some parts when the label splits the area in two

#11695: Wrong hatch shape in the text box “splits” the space into two parts

Object: Stair:

#12101: Crash after running the GrasshopperPlayer command with a definition that flips a stair

#12086: Trying to rotate a stair it disappears

#11816: Stair tread slab position bug

Object: Table:

#10594: The Host property in tables gives no data

Object: Tag:

#11425: Tag disappeared after deleting a copied object

Object: Wall:

#12274: all cannot be selected

#12039: Wall joints and door frame errors

#11563: Wrong hatch scale in wall

Performance:

#12303: Pasting geometry causes a big lag auditing objects

#12203: Undoing an explode of a big mesh is slow when Tibidabo is loaded

#12170: Slow performance in “Shaded” display mode when “Tangent Edges” option is unchecked

#12169: Opening file takes a long time

#12168: SaveAs takes a long time

#12099: Slow performance inserting a door into a wall

#11290: Slowness when deleting many VisualARQ objects

Render:

#9268: Textures on VA objects are not displayed in Enscape

Print:

#12289: Printing error of a cone in vector output

#12055: Texts in annotations styles don’t print

Print: Hidden Vector:

#12329: Dimension arrows not shown after printing to PDF

#11351: Wrong print width using “By Layer” and “By Parent” in wall layers

Template:

#9662: Small text size in centimeters template

View:

#12439: 2D plan representation displayed in 3D view

#11498: Print Preview hides the geometry in Hidden display mode

#8817: Raytraced display mode doesn’t show the materials on VisualARQ objects

#8385: Glass material is not shown properly in Raytraced display mode

#8120: Display error when moving VisualARQ objects in Raytraced display mode

#7785: Door opening is not displayed in Raytraced display mode

Worksessions:

#12253: Undo gets broken after updating an attached document in a worksession

#12121: “Overhead display attributes” not working for objects referenced in a worksession

KNOWN BUGS AND LIMITATIONS

VisualARQ objects that are inside a non-active worksession document cannot be copied using the Copy or the CopyToClipboard commands.

NOTES

These are the required Rhino versions to install VisualARQ:

Rhino 5 SR14 or later.

Rhino 6 SR35 or later.

Rhino 7 SR23 or later.

Enjoy!

Enric

miguelayora3 · April 5, 2023, 5:38am

What is the Telemetry function?

enric · April 5, 2023, 6:30am

Hi @miguelayora3,

It’s a feature that allows us to collect some anonymous information about how VisualARQ is used by our users. You can disable it if you want.

Enric

Toni_Osterlund · April 5, 2023, 1:14pm

This is actually a big improvement! I have to test this one.

Toni_Osterlund · April 6, 2023, 8:36am

Hi @enric
just wondering, will VisualARQ be ever present and updatable through packageManager?

Toni_Osterlund · April 6, 2023, 9:57am

Hi @enric
This is huge improvement that the VARQ objects are recognised through worksession. Thank you for this!

I still have one request, that may be minor in your end, but would mean major improvement on my end.

I depend heavily on Elefront to reference objects, byLayer for instance. And more often than not, it’s a mixture of VARQ objects, breps and blocks
The issue is that Elefront converts VARQ objects to blocks, and this conversion cannot be reversed.
And VARQ pipeline only deals with VARQ objects. So I end up doing something like this:

kuva1440×712 79.4 KB

However - if VARQ would allow referencing via GUID in the basic reference components, this would work. GUID referenceing works in vanilla GH components and in Elefront components, but not inVARQ components.

enric · April 6, 2023, 10:50am

Hi @Toni_Osterlund,

Sure, I’ll take a look at it. If it is easy to solve, as I hope, we can include this fix in VisualARQ 2.13.1.

Enric

enric · April 6, 2023, 3:06pm

Hi @Toni_Osterlund,

Here it is:
http://visualarq.s3.amazonaws.com/download/visualarq-2.13.1.17123-rhino7-setup-snapshot.msi

Please, test it and let me know if it works for you!

Enric

Toni_Osterlund · April 6, 2023, 4:07pm

Hi @enric , works.
Except that the Object component does not recognise the type - it shows as Block.
Only specific components realise the actual type.

A_Mac · April 15, 2023, 5:40pm

Latest VA update appears to have broken correct relationship between print width in model sections and 2D sections.

Please see screenshots below.

fsalla · April 17, 2023, 10:04am

Hi @A_Mac you are right. We have fixed this error in VisualARQ 2.13.1. You can download it here: http://visualarq.s3.amazonaws.com/download/visualarq-2.13.1.17123-rhino7-setup-snapshot.msi

A_Mac · April 17, 2023, 4:57pm

Thank you it works now.

flatform · April 18, 2023, 6:10pm

There are a few bugs introduced with this version (discussed above and elsewhere), but from the little time i have spent working on quite heavy files, the performance difference is in some times gigantic.

We had a serious undo problem with heavy files (a single undo of a VA object, even one that did not affect other objects, while working on a six story, medium size building, we assumed that it is checking all the objects and only the relevant ones, which was the case) could take up to minutes, which now seems to be completely gone (it happened in at least 6 or 7 out of 10 undos, which forced us to simply skip using undo and manually reverting any change…).

Opening, rebuilding, exploding VA objects, screen refresh, random freezing and anything VisualARQ related seems to be way faster or a lot less problematic too.

Hope both undos and performance are really fixed and do not come back again.

Thank you for the update, keep up the good work.

fsalla · April 19, 2023, 6:54am

Hi @flatform thanks for the feedback. We have put big efforts into improving the performance in this new version, and this includes the undo operations. Whenever you experience some bad performance, please let us know and we will see if there’s anything we can do from our side to improve it.

We will take a look at the other issues and hope we can fix them soon.

andrew.go · April 19, 2023, 7:29am

Hi, I’m not yet convinced about Visual ARQ performance. Since you did the work, you must have some “benchmark” scenes. Is it possible that you will show some comparsion data?
I would be very happy to confirm performance improvements.

enric · April 19, 2023, 7:46am

Hi @andrew.go,

In VisualARQ 2.13 we have introduced several performance-related improvements. Here are some of them:

We have reduced the size of VisualARQ data in 3DM. In VisualARQ 2.12, in a standard document with mixed VisualARQ and Rhino objects, the data section of our plugin took up 10% to 15% of the file. Now it occupies about 5% in most cases. The reduction in file size has also improved the document saving and loading time.
We have improved the way we handle import and paste operations: in VisualARQ 2.12, we always audited the entire document to ensure that all objects were valid. Now we only audit the required objects when necessary.
We have improved display performance in some cases, such as the “Hidden” display mode, VisualARQ sections, removal of tangent edges in shaded displays, etc.

And there are more minor changes that help make VisualARQ 2.13 faster than before. We have more pending enhancements that we have delayed for VisualARQ 3, because they require critical changes to the core that cannot be done in VisualARQ 2.

One thing to keep in mind is that not all improvements will be noticeable in all documents, and it is even possible that some operations in some documents will be slower than before, but we do not have reports of these cases yet.

If you think VisualARQ 2.13 is slow (or even slower than before), please let us know so we can take a look at it.

Thanks,

Enric

miguelayora3 · April 19, 2023, 8:15am

What would be the new functions and improvements that visualarq 3 would bring? By the way, I congratulate your good work on visualarq 2.13

fsalla · April 19, 2023, 8:28am

Thanks @miguelayora3 !
we have a roadmap’s page where you can see some of the features that are already “completed”, “in testing” or “in progress” for VisualARQ 3: Roadmap - VisualARQ

Some of the “planned” features listed there might be also released in VisualARQ 3.

Toni_Osterlund · April 19, 2023, 8:59am

@fsalla @enric

Small wishlist:

copy paste or import of Levels between files
beam profile crv editor, or extraction of curve for edit/update

flatform · April 19, 2023, 9:05am

Have you worked with heavy files in VA? In our case, with version 2.13, a single undo dropped from 2 minutes(!!) to 2 seconds max, loading was ar least halved or less than half, and everything feels at least double or quadruple fast. Screen performance, saving, the list is endless and the change in many cases jaw dropping. So, from our perspective, here is the benchmark. The difference is so big we did not bother to measure it.