JustinVH

Did you click on the arrow to expand the folder that you have highlighted?

Go into the Vectorworks Preferences and make sure that the following items are checked.

The libraries should only be updating with Updates to the software(previously called Service Packs before VW2024). If you are still on Service Select or on Subscription there are five Premium Content updates a year which also trigger the update dialog but that will be a different message. I would follow Pat's advice and try running the repair option in the VW updater.

Scott's video will definitely help and the magnets aren't that difficult, just have to add them into each group so they move with the hinge.

There are some internal documents that were written for the developers when teh hinges were implemented. I will see if I am allowed to let that stuff leave the building so to speak.

@WoodCenter pivot truss hinges only pivot up and down and that is how the code is setup for safety reasons. Only book hinges can pivot left to right. In order to make your hinge pivot left to right you need to setup the symbol as shown in the diagram as a pivot up and down hinge. Then when you insert the hinge you use the roll field in the OIP to roll it 90° which will strip the 2D geometry and then redraw a properly oriented 3D version. From there you can use the settings in the OIP to pivot the hinge as you desire. Did you assign the proper BrxHingePart record to both the left and right portions (which should be groups) of the hinge in both the 2D and 3D? Once that record is attached you can set which part of the hinge you are labeling with either left or right and 2D or 3D. This is how you get the parts to pivot. If make all the truss symbols that ship with the software so if you have more questions let me know as I know it is confusing sometimes to setup hinges.

@livespace josha It is a combination of all three depending on the relationship. The process starts in one of two ways with either a user requesting a specific manufacturer/content be added or a manufacturer directly reaching out to us through a trade show or our content partners email. If a user requests the content then Vectorworks reaches out to the manufacturer to get what is needed and the content is produced. If the manufacturer reaches out directly then they usually provide what is needed in the initial email conversation so in both cases we are provided the CAD/CAM files and data directly from the manufacturers. Once a company has established a good relationship with us then we can do yearly or semi-annual updates of new products, this happens a lot with lighting companies as there are always new models being made. We space those new releases out over the course of the year with our five Premium Library updates and that is how the users get new content. Keep in mind though that there is just one developer for Spotlight and a lot of the planning for updates is planned about 3-4 months in advance so that we can gather what we need and make sure that it is not too heavy on one specific type of product group. This is why there will always be a mix of lighting instruments, truss, and either speaker, LED screens, or other Spotlight object with each release. I urge everyone to be patient because there are over 300 requests for new Spotlight content that I am trying to whittle down and put out as much as possible each release. This list constantly grows due to the fixture request form in the customer portal and this forum thread which I monitor daily and enter into our tracking system as well as the emails I receive weekly from manufacturers . We are listening and we are working so your content requests are not being ignored. One more note as I know that this is probably a much longer answer than you were anticipating is that if a user files a request for new content using this thread it helps tremendously if they are able to provide us a reliable contact with the manufacturer. Having a contact that we know will reply to our emails and get us what is needed dramatically improves the turnaround because we know we will get accurate data in a timely manner. Sometimes getting the contact is the biggest hurdle as info@... email addresses often are ignored if you are not seeking to buy something.

Your request has been noted and has been entered into the Content Development tracking system with the ticket number CD-4549.

@Trenton ThiedeThis is not possible yet as the magnets are connected to the Truss objects as Pat states. What I do when I build the scenic frames for the content libraries in the RM is to use 3D loci and make them Master Snaps. I place them on the NonPlot class and turn the class off so the loci are not visible if desired. When I connect the frames together the master snap points find each other first and can be used to snap the scenery together. You can see examples of this in the Quest Events and Aluvision products in the RM.

Just adding that the 16" ground support truss has also been completed and will be released in the November 2023 premium library update. As mentioned above, there will be no Braceworks data.

@kdenhamHere is the corrected file. I just used your simple demo and corrected the wrong dimensions. You most likely will have to convert the document back to Feet and Inches as I switched to millimeters as I only draft in metric. Once Jesse's bug arrives in the internal tracking system I will have a look and schedule a fix. JBL VRX 932 LAP array issue demo Fix.vwx

They are in the coffee breaks section. Here is a link to the lighting device video. https://university.vectorworks.net/mod/overview/view.php?id=4947

@t.sanchezThe 'Customize Truss Symbol Data' from the right click button after inserting a piece of truss is where you edit this data. This brings up the Truss Properties dialog which you have also done as a screenshot. If you change the total weight in this field and then click OK this will fix the problem at the "root" as you say. From there you have to delete the truss from the Design Layer and then reinsert it in order to "reset" or "burn the new data" as I say into the symbol. Once that is done then the correct weight should insert when you insert the truss. If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out to me, I am the employee at VWX that makes the truss symbols and sets them up for loading into the Resource Manager for users to import. You can reach out by DM and I will be glad to lend a hand. The screenshot I attached is the Truss Properties dialog that is revealed when I right click on the piece of truss that you have in your drawing. Just change the total weight and click OK.

@DAZZERHave you explored Vectorworks University and the videos that show you how to draw and create your own lighting symbols? It is a great resource and can allow you to customize the existing VW symbols to your liking or make your own from scratch.

The 25" Spigot stacking truss has been completed and will be released in the November 2023 premium library update in the English International version of VW2024. The truss will only have the weights, auto-connect, and magnets setup as Tomcat has told us that they will not be giving us the necessary data to make the Braceworks calculations work.

The funny thing about the bottleneck you speak of Mark is that the past two times the communication turned to crickets Tyler was the one who brought up Braceworks, not me. All I asked for were CAD models and weights.

Yes, please hound Tyler to provide us with more of their models and any missing weights so that I can get them added into the queue and get them released. Every time I reach out to discuss things with them they are very receptive until I start asking for models and weights. Sometimes we even discuss Braceworks and I send them our paperwork of what information is needed and then it is crickets and I need to reestablish the communication again. I think the more users that bug them the better chance we all have of getting what is needed. On a side note, I find it amusing that their website lists CAD models in both DWG and Vectorworks format but every one that I download is just a DWG file. This in spite of me providing them their VWX files in the current format and providing them with a license of the software for evaluation and development work.

After speaking with Jesse earlier today he informed me that the existing HOF HB Pipe cross section is the older name of the HOFBOLT Grid which is in Vectorworks. There seemed to be a name change since the release or it could be that I am in the US and Jesse is in Europe and the naming is different for each continent/country. We have seen this in the past due to either legal reasons or market research that states one country prefers a different name. For what it is worth, now that I know the cross section is in place already I am going to attach it to the corresponding VW truss symbols and re-release the HOFBOLT Grid in the November 2023 Premium update so that users will not have to go in and manually choose the cross section. Keep in mind that this release will only occur in the November 2023 Premium update in the US International version of VW2024 which should release around the US Thanksgiving holiday. Any users who have a localized version through a distributor may have to wait for the change to trickle down through their distributor and localizer. Sorry for the confusion on my part.

Mid-span truss calculations are not functional in Braceworks. The lack of functionality you are seeing is Works as Designed. Did you use the stock HOFBOLT symbols in the Vectorworks libraries? Those are already setup with magnets to make the truss connect but they still will not be able to do Braceworks calculations. Also, there is no Braceworks cross section data for that truss as HOF Alutec has not given us the necessary data so even straight runs will not be able to calculate.

Have you tried changing the ChainLength field in the HoistObjectData record of the symbol? I just did this in VW2024 and changed the max chain length to 40m and I was able to make the chains longer when I inserted the symbol using the high hook height in the OIP. When I tried to make the high hook height longer than the maximum chain length I received a dialog popup telling me that I will need to add a bridle. Keep in mind those lengths are in mm in the record.

When I need to just do a couple of new symbols I copy/paste them into a new document and then run the full command and then import and replace. I will see about a feature request for the command. I never do it piecemeal because I make brand new libraries and just do the whole library in the end but I can see how piecemeal could be beneficial.

In the Truss Insertion tool there is a flyout to insert a magnet individually. This will allow you to place magnets within each symbol instead of running the command. The tool is simply called 'Magnet'.

@Bill_RiosThis is a known issue that has been corrected in Update 2. Simply take the right magnet and in the X coordinate in the OIP move it to the desired length. This is what I have been doing as I have been churning out new truss libraries to be released in the November 2023 Premium Library update. It is cumbersome but it works.

The Light Info Record is still attached to lighting devices. The EntEquipUniversal record is a new record used for the Equipment List command and is attached to all Spotlight symbols.

Applied Truss was not added until after VW2020 was released so it will only be in the Premium libraries in that version. Their truss is included in VW2022 and newer versions in the regular content libraries.