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Yea it's been a great insight into the workings of proper software/plugin development. I haven't been able to implement it properly (git forks/branching) as that is where I'm currently at in learning. I'm an architectural designer by trade and have had a recent increase in interest of programming ever since dabbling in python scripting for vectorworks when it was introduced. At the moment I've developed quite a few object plugins for our firm in-house with plans to release them for sale when I feel comfortable with their capabilities. Going back to you library, before you had shared it, I had no idea that a git/version control system ever existed. So I've taken a break from writing plugins to get my head around Git/VCS's. There are other areas of python that also go over my head, such as singleton's, class methods/static methods when to use them and when not to, and the overshadowing plugin/packaging stage for public release..(read: daunting) Seeing the potential though of learning code I'm almost considering switching professions! ha! But again, thank you and to everyone who shares selflessly, the journey continues..

Awesome news Jim, Tapatalk support?

Multiple Extrudes are your friend... 1. Draw Polygon/Polyline Extrusion Profiles on Plan View 2. For a single MultipleExtrude Object you'll need two Polygons 2a. A single polygon profile x2(Duplicated) with the duplicate object moved along the Y-Axis to match the roof pitch(a bit of trignometry) and then select both pieces and run the Multiple Extrude command. I will endeavour to follow up with a proper workflow, as I did this in haste before the work day started here in NZ....and work just started!

Hi Alan, The Window/Windoor object in vectorworks is a plugin object. (Type = 86) The wall, is well, a wall object. (Type = 68) Vectoworks object types can be identified using the vs.GetTypeN() call. Further info can be found at Also, vs.--- calls are python specific, not vectorscript (as you are posting in the vectorscript section; no biggie really).

Good idea Jonathan, Thanks

Thanks Jim, which part? The Project Sharing / Third Party Development part?

ahh ok, well if its running from a module(.py file, in your case 4.6-04.py), I believe you have to call the 'print' function to display it in the python command prompt. If you're entering commands directly in the prompt, calling a variable like f100 will display its value on the next line, regardless of calling print or not.

Hi Alan Where are you running your script? In the script editor for vectorworks? or the Python IDE? If in the script editor, the print function displays only if an error has occured and you inspect the error. I normally use the vs.Message() or vs.AlrtDialog() calls to query variables in code. both need whatever variable to be of string type. in this case it would be: vs.Message(str(f100)) or vs.AlrtDialog(str(f100)) If in the IDE: I'm running your script from the Python 3.3.3 Shell (Windows 10) and both methods work. ie calling f100 and also print(f100) shows the list of the Fibonacci sequence

Found it! On the same vectorlab website : http://www.vectorlab.info/index.php?title=Category:VectorScript_Subroutines Many useful routines, am in the process of converting them to python, trying to figure whats the best way to setup the modules, via classes by category or modules by category.. will post updates when done, thankgs again Orso. The subtype was actually a workaround? i think { Orso *********************************************** } { returns the type or subtype of an object as integer } FUNCTION H_SubType(h : HANDLE): INTEGER; BEGIN H_SubType := Str2Num(EvalStr(h, (IF(((ST)=-1), (T), (ST))))); END; my conversion attempt to python def sub_objType(h): crit_check = "IF((ST)=-1, (T), (ST))" num = vs.Eval(h, (crit_check)) h_subtype = int(num) return h_subtype

Greetings There's a great resource on the vectorlabs website, regarding object types; http://www.vectorlab.info/index.php?title=Object_Types_Commented The article talks about Object Types and Object SubTypes, how do you get handles to subtypes? or subtype objects? For example, from the dev wiki http://developer.vectorworks.net/index.php/VS:Function_Reference_Appendix_D A table shows that, Sheet Layer Viewport,Section Viewport have subtypes of 506, 507. However if you check the handle type of a Sheet Layer Viewport using vs.GetTypeN(h) it still returns 122, how do you check the subtype of a viewport? Kind regards Tui

That's awesome Hippothamus, looking forward to seeing it. cheers Tui

+100 to all of this. In addition, - we need a to be able to draw the grid in plan (2D on the Design Layer) and have an option to show it on certain viewports as vertical representations (elevations/section sheet layers), the same way section lines work.

Greetings all, 1.Third Party Development -would be great to have a section somewhere on the Dev Wiki or here on the forums where third party plugin developers can goto, to request for additional procedures/functions to the existing API calss (eg Viewport Class Overrides!), and also to see a roadmap of upcoming changes to the existing API (eg a number of calls are dropped from version 2012). To help us prepare for the yearly releases. Unless this is already available that I don't know of. 2. Project Management. -our office has just started using the Project Sharing feature, and it has been running smoothly so far. With the ability to comment on every change/commit a user does has been a great way for us to track what everyone doing. It would be great if this commenting feature could be added to non-project sharing files as you can add comments/notes/remarks to your file that your working on, and go back through the history of that particular file and see what you've done and when. Cheers Tui

Thanks for the input guys, -Hippo, the fact that you're created/learnt C++ with VW and no blog post to hold your hand, is beyond me. I salute you. -Josh, I've gone through the SDK doc on the Dev Wiki and there are a good number of calls that are not available in the VS set. I think at the moment I will be deveoping in Python until I have a more comfortable feel of the OOP overall; at the same time thanking Dieter with his awesome Python VW Library.. The journey continues.. Cheers, Tui

Thanks for your comments Josh. My question of whether python was a lesser able language than C++ was in the scope of its use/ability in Vectorworks and not the actual languages themselves. Which you addressed very well for me. I started coding in VS object plugins and a couple of menu commands. And always wondering whether it was worth looking into C++. Hippothamus had started posting on his blog, steps for developing with the SDK and as I was starting to go through them , almost everything went over my head (Coming straight from VS). Then python got supported and, as you mentioned, coding in python is much faster to setup and rework your code with. You did mention though, the payoff with C++ is that the actual code is faster/smaller and can handle multi-threading etc. So would you know if there's a list anywhere of what the SDK can do that the basic python/vs modules can't? Or maybe list out here ones that you know of? I'm really trying to see whether there are some things available there that makes it worth jumping into the C++/SDK world . Thanks again Tui

hehe, good spotting Alan, these were turned off by default for all our files from now on until we upgrade our server hdd capacity. I haven't actually compared the amount of file size differences with either option. But as our server was nearing its limit and upgrading not in the forseeable future, these were one of the measurements taken to save on file size. Together with turning off "Save Referenced Cache to Disk" for our referenced files, and setting our incremental Backups folder to each users personal PC.

Greetings All, So I stumbled upon an XML file in the location below that stores information on the color coding of the Script Editor Window in vectorworks. Called "scripteditsettings.xml" C:\Program Files\Vectorworks 2016\Plug-Ins\Common\Data Playing around with values in that XML file allows me to change the color coding in the Script Editor Window. Mildly interesting. I'm wondering why this wasn't documented or made known? Or maybe I'm just "out of the loop" of dev things. So I was curious, as I'm wanting to get into developing plugins for VW, is there an avenue that developers take (like separate information streams eg Dev Newsletters etc) to get this info? Or is it just trial and error? Questions I have are: 1. Are there upcoming changes to the Python/VW calls in the 2017 VW that other third party devs know about that the general userbase doesnt? 2. If so how do we find out about this type of info, to prepare for the coming releases? Thanks Tui

Hey Josh, The "Drawing Label" tool can auto fill it's Drawing Title parameter if the documents Automatic Drawing Coordination option is turned on. However the Drawing Label's title will be pulling its information from the Viewport. Attached is a screenshot. HTH Tui

Hi Guys, apologies for overlooking this thread, totally missed it! Your thoughts are much appreciated. --Thinking to use a list of handles instead. --That is an alternative --Thats sound insight Josh, thanks. It seems like this little side project will be abandoned seeing the upcoming new Resource Browser for 2017 (Hopefully). I wonder if they got the idea from someone?

I think the SavedSettings.xml in your user preferences folder saves pallete positions. Not sure though. Worth resetting. (Renaming this SavedSettings.xml file, don't delete, in case you need to revert to it) (DISCLAIMER, backup!)

This looks great Giovanni. Not something we'd be looking at purchasing at the moment, but from the looks of the Demo and what it can do, they look like sure time savers. All the best Tui

Hello there.. It looks like whats happening is the WD-ID text in the elevation is getting rendered with the background render (and the hidden line render (foreground) options at the same time. For this reason as well we've strayed away from showing any text objects that are on a 3D plane. A work around would be to have 2 viewports. One viewport will have only the background render using that current setting you've got ("Renderworks-Style Real..."). And another viewport on top of that with the background render set to Hidden Line Hope that helps Cheers Tui

Greetings all, its been a while since I have posted here. Have been developing some plugins for a while now in python, and the workflow has been quite good so far. There are some roadblocks I have hit with regards to the internal workings of vectorworks (ability to add and delete control points on the fly for a PIO, show error messages in the task bar, and other Event related stuff). My question is, is python a lesser able language than the C++ SDK? Will it be updated in the future to have more calls/functions to the VS SDK? thanks Tui

I believe you'd use the Remove Wall Breaks tool. Not sure what the standard short cut key is. Our workspace is totally different than the original one. Heres a screenshot of what it looks like. [img:left]https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=14457&filename=Remove%20Wall%20Breaks%20Tool%20ss.jpg[/img]

Thanks James!.. couldn't figure this out for the life of me.. we also need a make "Make All Attributes by Class" button for Roof/Wall/Slab Style components