Sam Jones

There is a script solution here, but a better definition of the workflow and functionality is required. I'm just getting confused now. I was thinking 1. collect and identify spaces 2. collect and identify a filtered set of object types in each of those spaces 3. list object totals in each space. The list needs to be able to be formatted and the formatting should propagate across all lists 4. (maybe) provide some worksheet editing capabilities I will watch from the sidelines now.

If so, I'm not understanding the workflow and functionality.

I think there are probably several scripting solutions and which one is used would depend on the workflow. Questions that would inform a solution are, but not exclusively 1. Is there a geometry that defines each space? Space objects or polygons it doesn't matter. 2. Is there a name that is attached to that geometry either by record or the name field at the bottom of the OIP? If not, can there be? 3. In the absence of the above, can all the objects you want to be attached to a space be selected, other than clicking on them one at a time? I think data tags will breakdown under the weight of object numbers pretty quickly, but that would depend on the object numbers obviously. Placing worksheets on the drawing performing the function you want the data tag to do would provide on the fly control of format and location, but there are a variety of display options that can be moved around if the heavy lifting is done by the script. If you want to talk about it, let me know. I'm sitting at my computer nursing a broken foot, toying with a script for a current user. Sam sjones@autoplotvw.com on Pacific time.

In almost all things VW, I will defer to Josh, but Sorry. No. Hard stop. From dimmer beach to FOH? Things are getting better with LEDs; not enough better. If you really think this is up for debate, I'll do that, but for now, no. Hard stop.

How would you like it to work? Would it only select the objects of the same type in the group, or would it select all the objects of the same type that were visible on other layers. If it did the latter you would not see objects that were selected in other groups. They would be selected but they would not be seen as selected until you entered the group. I suspect you only want the fixtures in the group selected and all others deselected. Right?

Peter, your example shows that the entire cable rests on the single hanging position. This is only true for jumpers and data between fixtures. That condition is almost never true for multicables and other home runs. Additionally, if such a multi is dragged onto a hanging position such that only part of the cable run is actually on the position, the Hanging Position and its data tag will both report an incorrect total hung weight. At this time, reporting cable weights on a truss can only be done by manually measuring the portion of each cable that is on a hanging position, computing the weight for those portions and entering that value somewhere to be used. For 3 or 4 - 6 circuit mults the weight difference may not matter, but for some of the movie cable waterfalls that I have been told about, the difference would be enormous. I have even been told about corporate shows with a similar problem. I don't think cable weights will be reported automatically and accurately for quite some time. I would be very pleased to be proven wrong. Even now, a Hanging Positions "Total Hung Weight" requires that the position be carefully constructed and everything hanging from it be carefully constructed or represented with separately placed dummy loads. In the absence of any of that, the "Total Hung Weight" parameter may or may not be of any use.

I was late to the party. If the VW dialog stores the values, they will be retrieved. Some VW dialogs do this, I suspect with "Rpstr_ ..." calls; some do not. As you said, they save nothing between sessions.

I don't think this is true. In my experience, dialogs only remember if the "Rpstr_ ..." commands to save values to the VectorScript value repository, and these values are only remembered during the current VW session. One can use the "SetSavedSetting()" and "GetSavedSetting()" commands to set and retrieve dialog settings during and between VW sessions. I defer to @JBenghiat for the source of all VS truth.

@Peter Neufeld.Your example didn't show any cable on the truss. Can you post an example with cable? I tried to add cable, and I couldn't even get the Hanging Position to recognize that the cable was on it. I'm not familiar with the new Power Planning cables, so I probably got that wrong. All other kinds of cable are transparent to Hanging Positions and are not reported in the Total Hung Weight. Thanks.

If you are using the new Power Planning cables, you are correct; the command is not reporting the Cable Run ID correctly. The same is true for legacy cable objects like the Multicable. The cable ID fields will need to be specified in the code of the command, and I will fix that today. If you are using another cable object, I would need to know what that is. Objects that the command does not explicitly know about will only have a field called "ID" reported, but I would be interested in collecting other VW ID field names. As for cable weight, that is a whole other matter. It is unlikely that cables will have any weight values to retrieve other than a "distributed weight" value like 0.74 lb/ft. There is no way for the command to know how the cable weight is distributed, for example how much is laying on the cable, how long the cable drop is if it exists, or how the weight is distributed by any cable pickup. You are going to need to figure out cable weights yourself and plug those weights into the worksheet. I doubt that ConnectCAD computes cable weights. It would need an undetermined number of fields to report different weights on different hanging positions that the cable path would run. If this is all a deal breaker for you, so it goes, and keep us informed as to the results of your quest for automatic cable weight reporting. It is possible that the new power planning cable will report weight to Braceworks in the future, but I am not seeing that happening yet. If you want to Zoom and talk about all of this, I'm in LA and 8 hours behind UK time, but I'm nursing a broken foot and can talk any time after 3PM UK time Sam sjones@autoplotvw.com

@stevenmorgan94method will work well, but only with objects that are recognized by the Hanging Position. The AutoPlot (AP) command will list every object that is selected and its weight. It will flag objects that have no listed weight and allow you to enter a weight value to be included in the weight total if you wish. Also it is unclear to me how the Total Hung Weight field collects weight for Video Screen and Blended Screen objects. Below is a screen shot of worksheet created by the AP command. I have also attached the command here. You will need to put it in the Plug-Ins folder that is inside your user folder and then add it to your workspace. The command should be fully functional for 2 months after you install it. You can download the full suite of AP commands at www.autoplotvw.com. Drop me a note if you have any questions or problems. Sam sjones@autoplotvw.com AP Collect and Total Weight.vsm

Try the attached plug-in by putting it in the Plug-Ins folder inside your VW user folder and then adding the menu command to your workspace. It is an AutoPlot Plug-in, but it is fully functional for 2 months from the first time you try to use it. It is faster than the Instrument Summary, and it reports the selected mode, but it is not a plug-in object, so you will have to re-run the command if you want to change the settings. Let me know if you have any questions or problems. Sam sjones@autoplotvw.com AP Instrument Summary.vsm

Using " 'LightPosition Obj'.'Position Name'='YourLPONameHere' " as a criteria is new and exciting. I was expecting to have to use a selection criteria like " ((R IN ['AP Light Position Obj'])) ". I can simplify many things by specifying record field values in the callback. Off to test now.

Thanks Pat. Not clear enough; go for it.

If I can get the name of a Light Position Obj (LPO)(Hanging Position), how can I get a handle to the LPO. Is the only option to cycle through all the LPOs until I find a match using a "ForEachObject() and GetRField(LPO, 'Light Position Obj', 'Position Name')? GetObject(name) won't work, because the name is not put in the "Name" field at the bottom of the LPO instance's OIP.

Please, please, please, is there any way to turn off auto completion in the Vectorscript editor. 90% of the time I do not want what is suggested and the other 10% of the time I can type faster than trying to figure out what to do next, but I'm still presented with ever more and more annoying suggestions as I type.

Try this theater seat plug-in: https://www.verysmallgroup.com/theaterow

Sorry, I don't use those tools. Hopefully, @Jesse Cogswell can help here.

I don't know what the "serie mode" is. Can you tell us the name of the command or give us a screen shot of the mode you are selecting? Also, are you using the current VW cable tools or the legacy cable tools?

@michaelk Very nice.

Since Python is often taught in Secondary school, wait for those who know it to chime in.

What Pat said. Vectorscript (VS) is clearer and easier. Python has better string handling (I'm told), and programming requires a lot of string handling. However, for me, dealing with the lack of a debugger and a lack of requiring explicit variables and variable types, would make my life hell. There are many people who do a lot of really cool scripting with Python, so I have to think that I'm just too old and lazy to learn another program language syntax. I already know Basic, PL-1, Forth, and Pascal, but I would venture into the SDK and the C++ compiler before dealing with Python. Someday I should tell you how I really feel.😊

@Pat StanfordI got noth'n.

I can confirm that this will work. Thanks. FWIW, if VW is going to include the legacy hoist, what would be the effort cost to put such a symbol in the folder mentioned in the shipping version? Hmm?

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