Editing geometry

Object editing mode

Various types of complex objects are edited within a special editing mode in which you edit the components that make up the object. When this editing mode is activated, an Edit window with a colored border displays in the drawing area. Once the edits are complete, exit the object to return to the regular drawing mode.

Depending on the type of object being edited, the Edit window can show the edited object in context with the other objects in the drawing.

The Edit window shows only the object being edited for the following types of objects: extrudes, multiple extrudes, tapered extrudes, sweeps, meshes, floors, roof faces, and symbol definitions edited from the Resource Manager or from a sheet layer.

The Edit window can show other objects from the drawing while the following types of objects are being edited: groups, solids, viewports, and symbol definitions that are edited by clicking a symbol instance in a design layer. To enable this feature, select the option to Show other objects while in editing modes in the Display pane of the Vectorworks preferences (see Vectorworks preferences: Display pane). To show the other objects in a less obtrusive way, also select the Gray other objects option.

The Show other objects while in editing modes preference does not work when editing a symbol definition from a flipped symbol instance; an alert message displays when this operation is attempted.

To set options for the object editing mode, use the Data Bar and Edit Group Options list on the Tool bar, or select Window > Edit Group Options. See Data bar and edit group options for details.

To edit an object:

Select the object to edit.

Select the command that applies to the object (for example, Edit Symbol or Edit Extrude).

Alternatively, double-click the object, or right-click on the object, and then select Edit from the context menu.

For symbols, viewports, and path or profile objects, only one component of the object can be edited at a time. When one of these objects is selected, a dialog box opens to allow you to select which component to edit. Select a component to edit and click OK.

Alternatively, right-click on the object, and select a command from the context menu to edit the component directly or, if permitted by the object type, to switch from editing one component to editing another. For example, to edit the path or profile of a plug-in object directly, select Edit Path or Edit Profile from the context menu.

The Edit window displays the item to be edited. A colored border around the drawing window indicates the editing mode is active. The Exit command becomes available from the Modify menu, and the Exit button is visible in the top right corner of the drawing window.

For some specialized workflows, such as editing the 2D or 3D components of a symbol or plug-in object, sculpting or editing the contours of a site model, and others, an additional palette or tool set becomes available in object editing mode. Use of these specialized palettes and tools is described in the appropriate sections of the Vectorworks help system.

Make the changes to the object.

If other objects in the drawing are displayed, the objects on other layers respect the layer options settings (for showing and snapping to objects in other layers) and the layer visibility settings. Other objects on the same layer as the edited object are snappable. One exception to this is when editing page-based (green) symbols, which are edited at a 1:1 scale; other objects which are not at a 1:1 scale are not snappable.

Click the Exit button to return to the regular drawing mode. (If a nested object is being edited, the Exit button exits back to the next level.)

Editing a group

Editing symbol definitions