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Sam Jones

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Posts posted by Sam Jones

  1. Harder to describe than actually do.

    1. Create a record format called "Circuit Box Record", or "Circuit Tail Record", or "Circuit Paddle Record", or any other name you prefer.

           a) The record should have at least one field call "Number", or something else that will tell  you that the field is holding the circuit value number.

    2. Make a symbol to represent the circuit

    3. Make a text field part of that symbol and place that text field in the symbol definition where you want the circuit number to show up.

    4. With the text field you created selected,  go to the "Modify" menu and select the "Link Text to Record...".

           a) In the resulting dialog select the name of the record you created and select the name of the field that will hold the number value.

           b) Select "OK"

    5. Go to the layer on which you wish to place the circuit box symbols.

    6. Assuming the circuit boxes are in rectangular array on the grid , place one of the symbols in one in one of the corners of that grid.

    7. Duplicate the symbol you just placed using the "Duplicate Array..." command.

    8. Select all the symbols you just placed.

    9. Go to the "Spotlight" menu and use the "Spotlight Numbering..." command to number your symbols

            a) In the resulting dialog, select the name of the record field that will hold the number and type in the starting circuit number

     

    There are variations to this that depend on how your circuits are actually laid out.

     

    HTH,

     

    Sam

  2. 59 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said:

    It sounds like the Cable Label is a child object of the Cable. So when you hide the Cable class you end up hiding the child (children) also.

     

    It's not a child.  In the new power planning cable tools the cable end is just a line end marker defined in the cable style.  Any thing that hides the cable path (the nurb) will hide the cable end.  Normally the cable would end connected to a distributor object which represents the end of the cable, the breakout box or tails.

    In the legacy tools it might be able to class the cable run differently from the symbol representing the cable end, but we need to know which version of the cable tools he is using.  Even then it is difficult to hide the cable path.  Use the new power planning tools and use distributors, or use the AutoPlot version of the cable tools.

  3. If you are using the cable in the new power planning the cable should be connected to a distributor.  You could class hide the cable and not the distributor.  If you are using the legacy cable tool, probably the multicable, you are out of luck.  AutoPlot Tools for Spotlight has a much updated version of the legacy tools that gives you the option to hide the cable path.

  4. In the procedure I call for the kObjOnAddState event has the following set of lines

     

     

    EventMessage := vsoStateAddCurrent(PIOHan, EventMessage);

    IF EventMessage = 14 THEN {Cable Instance is DELETED}

    BEGIN

    {Gets rid of stuff in other objects}

    END;

     

    However the EventMessage that is returned when I move a cable from one layer to another is also “14”.  This results in the {Gets rid of stuff in other objects} code being executed.  Clearly I don’t have a good understanding of what’s happening.

     

    Is there a way to distinguish between moving a cable from layer to layer and deleting the cable?

  5. 4 minutes ago, Mark Aceto said:

    My trigger words

     

    You would need to have a script made for each one, maybe more if you don't want to toggle, but specify. Make command for each script, install each command in the workspace.  After that it would depend on what Stream Deck needs, a keystroke or a menu command title.

     

    Want to talk?

    • Like 2
  6. 2 hours ago, Pat Stanford said:

     @Sam Jones Any ideas on Truss vs Hanging Positions and counting?

     Lots, but it is unclear what kind of counting is desired. 

    1. Do you want a total count of each truss length at each Hanging Position?  If so, using the In plug-ins check box, I'll you have to do is sort by Position, and you are done.

    2. If you want the total of each length in the drawing, If so, using the In plug-ins check box, you have to delete the Position column, because the Position names are different which screws up summarizing, the Position column is not needed, since youa are wanting counts for the whole drawing.  Once you delete the Position column, summarize the Length column and sum the Count column.

    3.  If you want to do both 1 and 2 in the same database, I don't know how to do that, but you could, just as you have put both of the above versions in the same worksheet.

    image.thumb.png.a913edcabf998cd4a06d55b58ecbce76.png

     

    For all of that, I use scripts to count truss pieces.

  7. 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.

     

  8. 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.

    • Like 2
  9. In almost all things VW, I will defer to Josh, but

     

    2 hours ago, JBenghiat said:

    etc. should assume that the entire weight of the cable applies to the position.

     

    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.

     

  10. 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?

  11. 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.

     

    image.thumb.png.878b257dffa8cdf8f15a7ab3f454f664.png

  12. 7 hours ago, MullinRJ said:

    While you can't force a dialog into a known state via script, if you use the dialog once, it will remember its last state. Subsequent calls will open with the same settings as the last time. This memory doesn't persist across VW sessions, but it will remain as long as VW stays open

     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.

  13. @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.

  14. 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

  15. @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

     

    image.thumb.png.bc6c85e23fb4b00fff98400f033c5edb.png

     

     

  16. 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

  17. 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.

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