WhoCanDo

Nice to hear from you Hippocode, On my Tuesday post I requested ideas that did not include scripting. The reason being that thousands of VW users out there don't know how to script. Even so, if I were to write a script, I think the variables would be too great since sometimes I want to select an object with a record to change a field, but not all objects with that record (Digressed slightly). So, if I wanted to remove the records from half of my example, I would have the monotonous task of selecting some from many and then Kevin's idea will work, however annoying VW makes it.

Thanks Kevin, No.2 sounds the go. I'll use that while everyone is waiting for the attached records to be put back into the OIP for quick and easy deletion. 🎉

This is still hindering our drawing process enormously. Maybe I should approach this with some questions. If I have 230 objects on my layer (some lines, some walls, some polygons, etc., each with a different record attached, and half with the same record attached, how do I delete all the record attachments except for the common one? No scripting answers please 😉

Hi, I want to create layers that have names like H-1, H-2, etc. Once the layer is created, then I want the layer name to reflect in my title block (I am not using the VW Title Blocks, etc.) However, I don't want the whole layer name since my drawing title already has the prefix job number. I only want the 1, 2, etc. I was thinking a worksheet that had the formula =copy (ActLayer, Pos('-', ActLayer) + 1, Len(ActLayer-Pos('-',ActLayer))) I didn't want to use a macro since the title block is on a layer of it's own at 1:1 and the drawing layers maybe 1:25 or something else to the location of the layer number could change per layer. What thoughts do you have?

VW is changing in leaps and bounds but what about ScriptFunctionReference.html. It's always behind the times and doesn't offer explanations nor examples. Thanks Pat

Nice one Julian, This got me onto the right track. Regards

I thought this was easy but alas it's not. I want to x := Count ((Sel = True)); Message (x); However, if I have a group of 3 objects and only this group object selected then x := 4 Some of my selected objects will be polygons, rectangles & groups of them.

Hi Mike, nice to hear from you I like that idea. I may be able to use that elsewhere. However, a little off topic. All I am trying to say is that the change of pick priority regarding hierarchy is wrong. We liked VW2016 version which, as far as I remember, goes back 23 years to the day I first used MiniCad. I am trying to pick three objects using Alt-marquee and Shift-pick. The task is to pick two lines and a rectangle. The two lines are on two sides of a rectangle. The two lines are on a layer above the rectangle. I can't pick them all with a marquee because of other objects within the area. I would like to Alt-marquee over one line and the rectangle edge, then Shift-pick the other line. When I pick the second line, it results in deselecting the rectangle. This was capable in VW2016 because the line is on a higher hierarchy level and also possible when the line was on the same layer but at a higher hierarchy than the rectangle (the line was drawn second or bought forward at some time). If the line and rectangle are on the same layer then I will have to work with it because someone in the above posts says it's an innovation, but not for different layers

I just tried the "J" command again. If I have two rectangles on top of each other and select them both, then J-pick lists two rectangles. Correct but useless to know which one is which. If I have one rectangle and two lines on top of the rectangle (as in previous example) and select them all, J-pick lists one rectangle and one line. Does "J" really work like it should?

Hi Tom, our classes are allocated at the end of the process as a "Mark" number. Hi Alan, "J" allows me to select one on the list but I want the bottom line + the rectangle + the top line. As stated, other objects in the area doesn't allow for selecting all. Going back to VW2016, I could Alt-marquee the bottom line and rectangle, then I could shift-pick the top line. Now, I can Alt-marquee the bottom line and rectangle but when I shift-pick the top line, I deselect the rectangle. This shouldn't happen because the rectangle is on a layer below the line. I can understand the argument for this happening on the same layer (even though I hate it) but what's the point of having shift-select if it doesn't add to my selection. The old system had more rights than wrongs but the new system has more wrongs than rights. At the least, resurrect the hierarchy.

It's been a while trying to get a hand of this regression and it still doesn't work. If I have a drawing with two layers. I draw a rectangle on the bottom layer. I then draw a line, matching the top edge of the rectangle, on the top layer. Repeat this for the bottom edge of the rectangle. Very simply, this is what we are drawing in our process. Keeping in mind that there are other objects within the rectangles area so a rectangular marquee selection won't work without picking them too, how do you pick all three? Well it use to be as simple as alt and select overlap on the bottom edge picking up the line and rectangle, then shift select the top line. Now, using the above process, when I select the top line, the rectangle is deselected. 😒 I can understand the reason for this change on a single layer but surely the hierarchy should be a priority so I can choose something on the layer above without deselecting something below. Also, the new design doesn't always work. I am often drawing the line (as above) and then ctrl picking up the line to duplicate it to the bottom. Sometimes, however, I will draw the line and then ctrl pick it up, only to find that it picked up the rectangle instead of the line. Not happy so far.

Thanks Guys, so I was on the right track with .. GroupPanelCount := Count (Concat ('''Group-A''', '.', '''Mark''', '=''', Mark, '''')); except that I was over nesting it for VW. This works .. crit := Concat ('''Group-A''', '.', '''Mark''', '=''', Mark, ''''); GroupPanelCount := Count (crit); What was confusing me was that Message managed to handle (Concat ('''Group-A''', '.', '''Mark''', '=''', Mark, '''')); but Count couldn't. Regards to all.

Unfortunately, this returns zero as my code did. Your loop added too many quotes. But you gave me a good idea. This works .. FieldValue := '2001'; crit := Concat (Chr(39), 'Group-A', Chr(39), '.', Chr(39), 'Mark', Chr(39), '=', Chr(39), FieldValue, Chr(39)); Counter := Count (crit); Message (Concat ('Total Count = ', Counter)); Good work. Thanks

Thanks twk, Unfortunately, I'm not into Python yet, and the count is part of a 660 line macro in VS so I can't just fit this into what I have. Any other great ideas

Hi, I wish to count objects which have a field value in their records of 2001 (ie 'Group-A'.'Mark' = '2001') This works .. Message (Count ('Group-A'.'Mark'='2001')); This doesn't work .. Mark := '2001'; GroupPanelCount := Count (Concat ('''Group-A''', '.', '''Mark''', '=''', Mark, '''')); Message (GroupPanelCount); This shows that the string is correct but count won't see it that way .. Message ('''Group-A''', '.', '''Mark''', '=''', Mark, ''''); How can I count objects with a changing field value if I don't want to select them prior to counting. Regards

Great idea Alan, I've panned through those keyboard shortcuts a few times and must have missed a few. Thanks

Ok. I'm thinking you have a good argument for intersecting objects on the same layer , but not while they are on different layers . Show layer modes won't help if I have one object selected on layer two and I want the other on layer one. If I hide layers and pick the layer one object and then unhide layers to re-position this object in relation to the layer two object, I just get both objects moving together. eg. if you draw a 50mm line on the second layer down and then a 20mm line, centrally located over the 50mm line, on the first layer, then when you pick the end of the 50mm line it should select but when you try and pick the 20mm line, even though it's up the stacking order, you can't select unless you de-select the 50mm line first. Yes, you can marquee or shift+alt marquee but I thought VW pride in stacking sequence was the priority. I am mostly working in 2D with layers for different types of components, even though they are all lines and polygons. This makes it easier to select all one layer and know I have one component type. This also means that the are stacked on top of each other. I know their layers by the layer colours so I know which one is on top. It's just frustrating that now I have to de-select a lower layer item to select the one above it I guess I will get use to it if it benefits the greater community. Thanks for the wider viewpoint.

I can sought of see your point of view if the objects are stacked on the same layer but if they are on different layers, do you still have the same opinion. I think you are drawing differently to us :-) since VW is so flexible.

I have just loaded VW2018 SP2. I have upgraded from VW2016 and somewhere in between we seem to have lost the picking function when objects are stacked. If I have two objects on top of each other, whether on different layers or the same layer, I can't pick the object at the top of the stack when I have the object at the bottom of the stack picked. It seems that I have to deselect the all objects before picking the one at the top of the stack. Why did this change? What's the benefit of the extra process of deselecting before selecting?

The Ctrl+Tab button opens a menu list with the drawing titles on the right side. I wish it were wider. Our drawing numbers start with the customer name then a prefix to designate what type of drawing it is, then the job number, then more and finally the sheet number and revision. We cannot see the sheet numbers because they are off the menu list and even the header title is cut short. This menu seems like a great idea if we could use it. In the mean time I guess we will continue to use the Window tab within VW.

Yes thankyou :-)

Nice one Art, Love your understanding. In the 22yrs I've been drawing in VW, I never had a client using VW, so integrity of data records is not an issue for us but I can see the need in the future. Even when other CADs are exported to .dwg or .dxf for me to use, there is no relevant data (BIM) that is conveyed. However, you get the point :-) Here's another quick analogy for other CAD users in other employment fields .. a landscaper has many plant and trees with the Record "Plant". Some plant will be Walnut and some Rose. When Select All or Marqueeing some areas of Rose, maybe a Curb or Grass or Feature Rock or Gravel will be within the selection and therefore no Records will be listed. You can't Custom Select "Plant" because you don't want the trees. I could liken the above with lighting mixed with scafolding or seating. Some installers may have the Record "Client" and fields "Job Number", "Order Number", "Red Light", "Fixed Light", etc. so they can reserve lighting for a client job. You can't custom select "Client" so Marqueeing is the option and if selecting a busy area of lights you may pick up other objects and get no Records listed for revisions. Here's hoping for a return to vw2016 flexibility.

In the above example I have selected all the walls, panels and grid pattern by Alt-Marqueeing the top. In vw2016 I would see Panel Record and Wall Record and I would change the start on the panels but in vw2018 I would see no Records because I have Walls, Panels & Grid with different Records.

Thanks Art, I think you are seeing my view. It's more complicated than that Hippocode. I tried to simplify things to begin the discussion and it's very hard to explain uncommon processes so I also used examples that I thought people could relate too. Using the above example of two squares and a line. If the squares had horizontal lines at 50mm apart but I didn't want the lines to pattern match when placed beside each other then the first square would have a start of 50mm and the second would have a start of 25. Each square has the same record so Custom Selection would select both and if I changed the start then it would make both the same start which is what I don't want. Imagine this with a jigsaw puzzle. The top and bottom rows have a straight edge so I could say the start was the same if I wanted to pattern match but I don't want to select all with the same record. Hopefully the attached will show our actually process. Panels 2 to 11 need a start of 32 and 12 to 15 need a start of 10 even though they all have the same record of "Panel". I need to marquee the top panels so I can change the starts. In vw2016 this could be done because I would see all items with all records and know that only "Panel" records will be affecting panels. A tough one I know but this is our daily process so this is a need rather than a want because creating Custom Selections to pick only panels with marks 2 to 11 or 2, 5, 7, 10, etc. would be a nightmare.

Sorry Matt, I don't quite understand what you meant. However, this is and example only. Take two squares and a line. One square has data A & B and the other has A & C. If you select all you will see no records attached because the line is selected, and that has no records attached. Now de-select the line and you see both squares have A but you wont see B nor C.