_c_

January 12, 2023

I worked with Microstation, Allplan, Revit, Vectorworks and am now on Archicad.

Ask me which one I would suggest you to invest your money on.

January 12, 2023

This path of licensing scheme began long ago. You are where you are, people, because you accepted this and still do.

"But what can I do". Sell now, that's what you can do. Better now than later.

Vectorworks is not developing for us, it develops exclusively for its own marketing.

"Features" tailored to show off on a list, never really working. Decades of complaints ignored.

My warning to potential new users, the problem is not the licence system, as ugly and exploitative as it is.

The problem is that the application doesn't actually develop for our needs and, but with major workarounds, nothing really works as you need.

_c_

User since Minicad who sold and moved on. Never looked back.

October 9, 2022

5 hours ago, MullinRJ said:

I tried to attach the file directly to this post, but the forum does not accept the .webarchive file extension. Let me know if the attached ZIP file opens and you can read it. If not, I'll send it to you offline. Are you using a Mac, or a PC?

Dear Raymond, please don't share the webarchives, it includes tons of bad links from Wikispammers. I didn't check this very one, but it might be the case as well.

Delete the attachment, please.

Hello @MarcelP102, I did add the Events article to the dev already some time ago, did you check this?

https://developer.vectorworks.net/index.php/VS:Object_Events

July 9, 2022

Ciao @Gregi,

You can do your own dialog for the Plug-in style, this is fairly easy, you place the call into the event OBJONEDITPLUGINSTYLE (60).

I never tried to add a custom button to the standard style pop-up only.

You must see the whole sequence: In order to fetch the PIO style, you need a PIO handle, but the event 5 (init properties), where you create the button, runs when the Pio handle is NIL.

Whereby the question arises of WHEN and WHEREFROM that Plug-in Object Style palette fetches the parameters, since it doesn't seem to run through event 5. It shows the button as needed, so it must pick the stuff loaded in the code for event 5 somehow.

If you select an object instance on drawing (PIO H != NIL) and click on "Edit Style" in its OIP, you'll raise the events' sequence 65 > 60 before the standard Plug-in Object Style dialog to appear. No event 5. See screenshot below, the button appears as it would be in the OIP, but there was no event 5 loaded (or detected). That is, I don't know how to show that button ONLY on style edit events.

Below a few useful observations about returned events when working with styles (this is an oldish list, there might be more now):

OIP selection Events:
choose "New Plug-in Style from..." :
65: kObjStyleWidgetChosen
the "save sym in folder" dialog appears
61: kObjCreatePluginStyle
63: kObjFinalizeCreateStyle
60: kObjEditPluginStyle
62: kObjUpdatePluginStyleObject
64: kObjFinalizeUpdateStyledObject
choose "Edit Style" :
65: kObjStyleWidgetChosen
60: kObjEditPluginStyle
62: kObjUpdatePluginStyleObject
64: kObjFinalizeUpdateStyledObject
choose "Replace" :
65: kObjStyleWidgetChosen
60: kObjEditPluginStyle
62: kObjUpdatePluginStyleObject
64: kObjFinalizeUpdateStyledObject
choose Convert to Unstyled:
65: kObjStyleWidgetChosen
the "choose a Plug-in Style" dialog appears
75: kObjValidateReplacePluginStyle
62: kObjUpdatePluginStyleObject
64: kObjFinalizeUpdateStyledObject
contextual menu:
60: kObjEditPluginStyle
62: kObjUpdatePluginStyleObject
64: kObjFinalizeUpdateStyledObject

BTW, I wouldn't set view at each regen of a PIO, a PIO has its own environment.

You can coerce the Pio to regen on Top plan only in the Plug-in Properties, set "Projection" to "requires 2D"

If you need to create 3D geometry from within, you might want to use vs.SetPlanarRefIDToGround on the 2D source shape, convert to NURBS or whatever, then turn it around in 3D as needed.

if source2DShape != vs.Handle(0):
	vs.SetPlanarRefIDToGround(sourceShape)
	nurbsCurve = vs.ConvertToNURBS(sourceShape, False)

Example of style access with alerts testing the events :

def execute():
	##	Uncomment the following to run this code in debug mode
	##	For more information refer to: http://developer.vectorworks.net/index.php/Python_Debugging
	
	#import pydevd
	#pydevd.settrace(suspend = False)

	global gPio_N, gPio_H, gPioRec_H, gWall_H, gPioPoly, gPioStyleN, gPioStyleH

	empty = 0
	gCnt = 0
	(ok, gPio_N, gPio_H, gPioRec_H, gWall_H) = vs.GetCustomObjectInfo()

	(theEvent, messageNr) = vs.vsoGetEventInfo()
	vs.AlrtDialog(f"{theEvent}") # just test events
	
    # test style access, you need the object var not to be NIL in order to fetch the style
	if gPio_H != vs.Handle(0):
		gPioStyleN = vs.GetPluginStyle(gPio_H)
		gPioStyleH = vs.GetObject(gPioStyleN)
		vs.AlrtDialog(f"{theEvent}\n{gPioStyleN}\n{gPioStyleH}\n{gPio_H}\n{gPioRec_H}")
	
	# 5: the PIO might have extended props, runs BEFORE kParametricRecalculate
    # here is where you add buttons, but here the object variable gPio_H is NIL!
	if theEvent == ke.OBJONINITXPROPERTIES:
		vs.SetPrefInt(590, 1) # enable eventing for this plug-in
		ok = vs.SetObjPropVS(ke.OBJXPROPREDSYMBOLISSTYLE, True) #  Red Symbol of this object can be used to drag drop over existing instances to copy the attributes
		ok = vs.SetObjPropVS(ke.OBJXSUPPORTSSTYLES, True) # adds the Plug-in Style menu in the OIP and contextual menu
		ok = vs.SetObjPropVS(ke.OBJXPROPHASUIOVERRIDE, True)
		ok = vs.SetObjPropCharVS(ke.WIDGETGROUPMODE, vs.Chr(ke.WIDGETGROUPAUTOMATIC)) # uses widget groups

		ok = vs.vsoInsertAllParams()
		ok = vs.vsoAppendWidget(ke.WIDGETBUTTON, BUT_TEST, 'MyStyleButton...', empty)

	# event 3: regen
	elif theEvent == ke.PARAMETRICRECALCULATE:
		main()

		vs.vsoStateClear(gPio_H)

	# event 60, also on edit in res manager
	elif theEvent == ke.OBJONEDITPLUGINSTYLE:
		# enable a custom style dialog
		# if vs.GetCustomObjectInfo(gPio_N, gPioStyleH, gPioRec_H, temp_h) and (gPioStyleH != vs.Handle(0)):
		#	MyCustomPIOStyleDialog(gPioStyleH)

		vs.vsoSetEventResult(ke.OBJEDITPLUGINSTYLEBYDEFAULT) # -10

	# event 41, after selecting an obj, for building its OIP: set widget visib., enablem., fields
	elif theEvent == ke.OBJONWIDGETPREP:
		vs.vsoSetEventResult(ke.OBJECTEVENTHANDLED)

	elif theEvent == ke.OBJONOBJECTUIBUTTONHIT:
		if gPio_H != vs.Handle(0):
			someCode()

956713257_Screenshot2022-07-09at11_48_53.png.1a2f80eda61e4615140a613b288d469e.png

May 19, 2022

Thank you Julian, I think we need that number back. It didn't hurt in the least and there was no reason to drop it.

May 19, 2022

And in worksheets?

May 19, 2022

In case you didn't notice, round walls don't respond any longer to the flag 89. Now they are all object type 68. All your scripts relying on objectType =89 are broken.

Similarly, in Worksheets you cannot restrict your criteria to T=89 or ROUNDWALL.

Searching for some sort of identifier I found this approach with GetArc, do you have any better?

GetVersionEx(major, minor, maintenance, platf, build);
vwVersion := Str2num(Concat(major, minor, maintenance));

{...}
  
IF vwVersion < 2700 THEN 
    isRoundWall := (GetTypeN(wallHandle) = 89)
ELSE BEGIN
    GetArc(wallHandle, startAng, endAng);
    isRoundWall := (startAng + endAng <> 0);
END;

Posted May 15, 2022 · May 15, 2022

Grazie Paolo, I try it now.

May 3, 2022

Thank you Pat

May 3, 2022

@Pat Stanford you are correct, it is not in the site-packages folder, it is in pyhton3.9

I am still not in clear about all path nuances between python/VW/editor, so can't really tell if it's wrong.

May 2, 2022

Very nice twk, thank you

May 1, 2022

On 4/29/2022 at 3:36 PM, Jayme McColgan said:

a down and dirty way is to look at the site-packages folder...

/Applications/Vectorworks 2022/Vectorworks 2022.app/Contents/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/lib/python3.9/site-packages

It's there.

I don't understand what is going on, I file now a report and hopefully @K.Lalkovski can get a look into that.

Edit: no, decided not to file a report. Tkinter is not working easily anywhere, particularly on Mac, and there is even the limit of it being somehow commercial.

April 29, 2022

I tried using tkinter just recently and it stalls VW indefinitely, simply upon loading the import, does anyone see this?

April 5, 2022

I noticed that my old subroutine for parsing the 3D state of an object wasn't reliable any longer.

There are various object flags in the SDK (/SDKLib/Include/Kernel/API/ObjectVariables.h) that allow to parse the multiple flavours of objects' 2D-ness .

Surprisingly, though, a layer plane object doesn't resolve as 2D.

For me a rectangle, as primitive shape, is a 2D object, be it screen or layerPlane. And for a multitude of Vectorscript tasks this is what we need to know.

In this file you can experiment with the various flags:

test is3D.vwx

Example: a layer plane object surprisingly resolves as 3D with the flag 651:

Example: a 3D plane object is not really 2D for us but surprisingly resolves as planar with the flag 1161:

(and let's not speak about the surreal fact that this object floats in space without giving a z value in the OIP, a reason for confusion for the user)

Thus:

{ *********************************************** }
{ checks if h is 3D obj, doesn't check NIL status }
FUNCTION H_Is3D(h: HANDLE): BOOLEAN;
	BEGIN
		H_Is3D := (GetObjectVariableBoolean(h, 1160) = FALSE) AND (GetObjectVariableBoolean(h, 1162) = FALSE);
		{ isScreen and isLayerPlane both false }
	END;

or in Python

def o_is3D(h):
	"""checks if h is 3D obj, doesn't check NIL status"""

	return ((vs.GetObjectVariableBoolean(h, 1160) == False) and (vs.GetObjectVariableBoolean(h, 1162) == False))
	# isScreen and is LayerPlane are both false

Try this on any selection:

import vs

h = vs.FSActLayer()
if h == vs.Handle(0):
	vs.AlrtDialog('Select something')
else:
	isScreen = vs.GetObjectVariableBoolean(h, 1160) # obj is screen
	isPlanar = vs.GetObjectVariableBoolean(h, 1161) # obj is planar
	isLayerPlane = vs.GetObjectVariableBoolean(h, 1162) # obj is in layer plane
	isHybrid = vs.GetObjectVariableBoolean(h, 1163) # obj is hybrid
	is3D = vs.GetObjectVariableBoolean(h, 650) # obj is 3D
	is2D = vs.GetObjectVariableBoolean(h, 651) # obj is 2D

	vs.AlrtDialog(f"screen: {isScreen}\nisPlanar: {isPlanar}\nlayerPlane: {isLayerPlane}\nhybrid: {isHybrid}\nis2D: {is2D}\nis3D: {is3D}")

March 13, 2022

Hello, I am working on a brute force Pascal <> Python converter.

This won't actually be much, but will provide a way to resolve the conversion of whole libraries.

Not everything can be fixed though, and a lot of fixes still remain for making the code run properly. And let's not speak about optimising for Python.

February 23, 2022

We closed our standard architectural office already years ago and I should have sold already then, but was using VW for consultancies and CAD management.

Last year I moved to a full BIM Manager position, unfortunately not on VW. ... there are no BIM Manager positions on VW, it is used here mainly in competitions.

February 23, 2022

The licence is sold.

February 23, 2022

Here in Germany we are suddenly and without any warning refused our service select paid VW 2022 numbers.

The licences are paid, we don't get the numbers if we don't give back the dongle.

There have been exceptions, though, some client got them.

February 22, 2022

Thank you @juanP, what I am selling is a dongled version, as they are in usage here, and never required an activation. The buyer doesn't know what an internet activation means, particularly in matter of discomfort while abroad and I don't want to give the impression of cheating selling empty air.

February 22, 2022

Hallo, do you still sell the archicad licence?

February 22, 2022

Bump.

I ask, because since I am selling I am required to inform the buyer.

February 21, 2022

Is this resolved or one still needs to wait for deactivation?

February 12, 2022

Hello,

we are selling our Vectorworks Architect International licences, with hardware dongle, serials covering VW from 2004 (VW 11) to 2021.

VW 2022 is paid but can only be activated if one is ready to renounce to the dongle.

The serials are starting from before dongles: Minicad 7.

We are based in Berlin.

Edit:

On wish, we are also selling BIM Management tools and plug-ins for an extra price together with this offer.

The tools are developed up to VW 2022, the code is not inclusive.

Edit: removed contact data

_c_

2069634849_Screenshot2022-02-13at09_38_18.png.1a94f0999ed2a9b236c39c13b156e988.png

January 25, 2022

I would love to do an article about xml, that was also a pretty undocumented speciality that I shared quite a lot across like-minded friends.

Put together all the things learned, all the precious hints from the VW engineers.

January 25, 2022

You cannot imagine how it was to put that description together, there was no documentation whatsoever.

It is also so complex, that I myself, in spite of having by now quite a lot of list browsers in usage, must consult that article for details.

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