michaelk

There is a default class that controls the attributes of the section. Called "Section Style", I think. You can change the color and pen weights of that class. Or in the OIP of the viewport click Advanced Properties > Attributes Tab > and you can set the Section style to use any class you like hth mk

Make a 3D poly or extrude along path to represent the LED tape and give it a texture w/ a plain color and constant reflexivity. If you're really want longer rendering times you can also make a line light. hth mk

Sam A sample file would help mk

Petri I'm not sure it's possible even for Tiresias to come up w/ a key everyone will like... For example: Unlike Kevin, who groups by manufacturers, I group the key by types. All the conventionals first. ie. Ellipsoidals by manufacturer, then beam -widest to narrowest (or narrowest to widest), then zooms - then Pars (widest to narrowest or...) - then fresnels (largest lens to smallest or...) -then strips/cyc lights, then movers by manufacturer ... then accessories... But I think everyone does it a little differently. It resists solutions that use classes or alphabetical order, - although symbol folder is an interesting idea... Sometimes I find it useful to include symbols that haven't been used because I want the option to add them later w/o reformatting the key. As you say, many potential logical problems... The trick is getting the key to do things (that the current Key to Instrumentation command doesn't even attempt to do) like ~total all the parts that make up multi circuit units correctly ~count the total number of Pars - and the total number of lenses/lamps ~count the total number of S4 ellipsoidals - and the total number of each lens tube ~format in an easy-to-read and attractive way It's not difficult, it just means tweeking the key worksheet for each drawing. (unless you use the same equipment for every drawing.) It's not a new wish, but I wish there was a way to insert symbols into worksheet cells. The best alternative is to insert the instrument symbols as regular symbols on top of the key worksheet. (so the key symbols don't get counted in the key!) [or if regular symbols are being keyed, then converting the key instances to groups] And I agree wholeheartedly that a VW-wide key tool is needed. mk

Should be in user/Applications/Vectorworks 2010/Libraries/Objects-Entertainment/Lighting-Altman.vwx Navigate to it in the Resource Browser. It has the 1KL10-5, 1KL6-12, -20, -2040, -30, -40, -50, 1KL8-10, and 1KL8-1424Z The Etc stuff will be in Lighting-ETC.vwx hth mk

It's in the OIP under the Render tab. You can also use the attribute mapping tool in the basic tool palette to move, rotate and scale textures. hth mk

If your programming skill are limited, I fear for the rest of us. It would be interesting to see how other lighting designers make their keys. I tend to use a basic standard key that I adjust for each project. The equipment varies so much from project to project that I've found it difficult to make a key that works for everything. Even with the philosopher's stone, isn't it 12 really complicated steps to turn a report into a golden key?

I'd like to know, too. I've wrestled with the ID tool a couple times, but always lost. mk

Hello Petri Yes, reports can be sorted and summed. But the Key to Instrumentation is a command in the Spotlight workspace. Instead of a regular report, it produces a group of text blocks and symbols - not a worksheet. So there is very little ability to customize it. Unfortunate, since it doesn't count some instruments in a real world way. mk

I believe it uses the order that they were inserted into the drawing. So the first instrument you used is the first instrument on the list. Not terribly helpful. It also does a very poor job of summing things like PARs - 4 or more symbols for the same fixture with different lenses or lamps. And S4 ellipsoidals - many times venues will have more lens tubes than bodies. The built in key tool can't handle that at all. You're better off making your own. imho mk

Grant I've been spending a lot of time w/ audio system designers lately. So I've been able to observe how they do it. I don't think there is any way to get VW to calculate the SPL for any given seat in the house. Most acousticians / sound designers I work with use something similar to EASE http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/mechanical/articles/17017.aspx to design audio systems. VW is a much better cad system, but it can't calculate sound absorption / reflection off different surfaces. Much the same way it can't calculate light absorption / reflection off surfaces -even the Spotlight photometric grid fakes it. If you put a brick wall between the lighting instrument and the photometric grid, the footcandle levels remain unchanged! (VW+RW will render light bouncing off surfaces, but won't analyze it.) Neatworkz is truly mind blowing. It does everything from drawing schematics to producing schedules to laying out racks to calculating cable lengths to.... But it won't help calculate the acoustic performance of a speaker or array in a space. mk

Would turning off the 3D loci help? Preferences > Display Tab > Display 3D Loci : Never

Select the wall(s) In the OIP select the render tab. In the Part pull down select the Left or Right side. In the texture pull down select the texture. If you are making custom wall styles you can define the textures into the wall style hth mk

Can you post a file with the symbols and classes?

If the elements that make up the symbol are in the class that is being set to invisible, the the symbol will seem to disappear. You might try making sure the elements inside the symbol are in the "none" class. Then set the symbols to be in a class. hth mk

Are you trying to put an image texture on the extrude? Is it your own image? Or a texture from the default texture library? Or are you trying to apply a decal to a wall? Do you have just 2010 Spotlight, or do you have Architect as well? Renderworks? mk

If this happens again, I've found that creating a dummy layer with a dummy piece of 3D geometry - just a large flat plane bigger than the building and very low to the ground - maybe 3' - and running the Fit Walls to Roof command using that layer causes the walls to "reset" to that very low level. Then you can run the command again, but use the real roof. hth mk

Mr. Dunning has a plug in that you may be intereted in: http://www.landrudesign.com/DefaultFrameSet.htm?index.htm~LandruMnFrm

Sorry... ...different from regular light objects. VW doesn't know or care if they are line or low voltage. mk

Great idea for a list... Agreed. But have there been any improvements in origin moves? I haven't tried it for several versions because it was such a bucket of hurt. Interesting... Are you thinking of a non-drag mode on the selection tool or a preference? (I would vote for a mode.) I strongly disagree about this. These two features are quite powerful when used together. While I think a couple changes in defaults would be helpful, I don't agree that Nudge should be disabled or the Grid Snap should be trashed. (btw, I'm the one who uses the snap-to-grid - every day!) I do agree that Snap to Grid should be OFF by default. Even more important - I think most problems with the snap to grid would be avoided if the default snap distance wasn't 1/8", but something much bigger and more useful. GREAT idea. mk

Brian I'm hoping to have 4 or 5 symbols that all use the same record format, and I want to be able to swap one symbol out for another - much the same way spotlight instruments do with the "Replace w/ active symbol" button in the OIP. I want to be able to start with one symbol, and as the project grows too big (or too small) for that _____ (distro, or dimmer rack, or junction box, or wall plate...) be able to swap it with another symbol from the RB. - and keep the data I've already entered. Creating a new symbol wouldn't work - I need the replacement to be a symbol that already exists other places in the drawing. I might have to go wash Pat's car... (as many times a week as I use his "find fields" script, I should probably buy him a car...) mk

Is there any way to do the following: Start with a symbol with an attached record and text linked to the record. Duplicate the symbol. Change some geometry in the symbol, but not the text link. Insert the first symbol. Create a worksheet to show the data... Enter data for the inserted symbol I want to change replace the symbol with the second symbol and still keep the data. It works for Spotlight instruments. But I can't seem to get it working for symbols. Any ideas? Example file attached.

How would the low voltage tool be different? Just curious... mk

Bryan Is this what you are trying to do? mk

That might be part of the problem. 12.5 isn't supported on OS 10.5 or 10.6. mk