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Pat Stanford

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Everything posted by Pat Stanford

  1. It seems to have worked for me. New blank file based on the Spotlight(Imperial) template. Imported PDF. Rotated to get to read from bottom of screen. Changed Layer Scale to 1:96 (1/8"). Zoomed in on the 16' dimension at the top right. Selected the PDF and went to Modify:Scale Objects. Selected Symetric by Distance. Clicked the "dimension" button to the right of Current Distance. Used the Snap Loupe to zoom in on the left end of the dimension and clicked to set the starting point to measure from. Moved the cursor to the right end of the dimension and sued the Snap Loupe to zoom in and click on the end point. The current distance measured 2' 3.855". I then entered 16' as the New Distance and clicked OK. I then used the Constrained Linear Dimension tool to "measure" the revised width of the dimension and got 16' 1/4". Pretty accurate based on the width of the lines and random clicking without snap points. As I said in an earlier post, you can then go in and scale again if you need to get it more accurate. I recommend always scaling in a new drawing. I you accidentally check the Entire Drawing button and don't realize until you have run out of undos it is really hard to go back. Ask again if you still need more help.
  2. OK. Let me take a crack at this: ;-) Parametric means any object that allows the user to change a setting (normally in the object info palette) and change something about that object. Using this definition, basically everything in VW is parametric. Line, rectangles, polys, circles, doors, windows, walls, spaces, extrudes, nurbs, etc.). The more common understanding is that Parametric normally applies to higher level objects, things like doors and windows rather than simpler objects like lines and rectangles. Plug-In means something that is not part of the basic code of Vectorworks. Lines, polys, extrudes (etc.) are all basic objects that are a base part of VW. Plug-Ins take these base object (and other plug-ins) and make them into unified "higher" level objects. Again, something likes Doors and windows, or even simpler object like drawing labels or call outs are Plug-Ins as they are not part of the base VW software but functionality that is added by additional code. Plug-ins can be written by VW. Or by distributors. Or by any third party. Or even by an end user who wants something specific to their needs. You can see all of the things that are Plug-ins by going to Tools:Plug-ins:Plug-in Manger. There are three tabs, Built-in Plugins (created by VW and shipped as a base part of the program), Third Party Plug-ins (developed by someone and added to your system. Things like Reshaper and InteriorCAD, the Landru version of the Entertainment tools, or Sam Jones AutoPlot Tools for Spotlight would all end up here). Finally, there is Custom Plug-ins for items you have created locally. There are multiple types of Plug-Ins, but the main three are Plug-in Objects, Plug-in Tools, and Plug-in Commands. Plug-in Tools existing in a Tool Palette after you have added them to your workspace. Normally a Plug-in Tool allow for user input, typically with the mouse to get the size of an object and then uses that information to generate an appropriate Plug-in Object. Think about the cabinet tool. You use the tool to draw a rectangle the appropriate size and then a cabinet of that size if created. Plug-in Commands are menu commands that you add to your workspace. These can do almost anything, but are intended to either create objects that don't require user input into the drawing or that modify existing (normally selected) objects. Most of the Export functions (DXF/DWG, OBJ, Publish) and most of the other menu commands are Plug-in Commands. They often open a dialog box for user input, but don't require explicit placement on the drawing. Finally are Plug-in Objects. To me, the abbreviation PIO actually only applies to Plug-in Objects, but it is often used more generically to mean any type of Plug-in. A Plug-in object is effectively a script that will draw some object at a specific location in the drawing. Most Plug-in Objects are also Parametric Objects, but you can also generate a Plug-in Object that will make an object that does not have any parameters (unless you consider the location to be a parameter) At the lowest level, VW is a framework that can be used to build more complicated objects. These objects are called Plug-ins. There are Plug-in Objects, Plug-in Tools (normally used for creating Plug-in Objects), and Plug-in Commands. Normally Plug-in Objects are also Parametric Objects, meaning that something about the object can be changed (normally in the OIP) and the object in the drawing will be modified to reflect that change. PIO is an abbreviation meaning Plug-in Object, but is used more generically to mean any type of Plug-in. HTH.
  3. 1:96 is 1/8" scale, so that is right. Something does not sound right. Can you post the PDF so I can try it?
  4. I don't use Landmark very much so am not very familiar with the Planting reports, so I may be wrong, but I think you will need to duplicate and edit the database criteria for the standard reports to get what you want. Under the Worksheet View menu make sure Database Header has a check mark. Right click on the database row header (3, not 3.1, 3.2, etc.) Click Edit Database Criteria. Click the More button and enter the layers and classes you want on the report and click OK.
  5. What you are doing sounds correct. Like I said, I often have to scale several times to narrow it down to the accuracy I want on bitmapped images. If you are really concerned, try using a different measurement, maybe something running in a different direction. Is it possible that either your imported image was not truly to scale? Or that it somehow got stretched or compressed at some point?
  6. I think what you are looking for is under Model:Volumetric Properties or Model:Engineering Properties. What do you mean you can't get into vector support? Do you mean you can open the help files? Or something else? There is certainly a local version of the help so that should not require a cloud connection.
  7. It will depend a lot on the scale of the drawing and the size of the object you are measuring. If you are off by a couple of feet over a 100 foot distance you are accurate to a few percent. If you are off by a couple of feet over a 6' wide door you have probably done something wrong ;-) You want to zoom in a lot to set the end points of the measuring line so you can be as accurate as possible. This is especially important if you are working with a bitmap that you can't snap to. I find that I often have to do the scale several times so that as the image gets larger I have a better ability to locate exactly where the measuring line end points should be. I am typically looking for 1mm resolution over a distance of 1,000 to 20,000 mm.
  8. In the Length and Area columns make sure the Sum Values check box is selected. This should add up all of the Summarized values in the sub-row.
  9. Not compatible. See the following article for OS compatibility. Only 2019 and 2020 are compatible with Catalina.
  10. You are normally not going to hear anything back from a Bug Submit. If you want VW Inc. (or your local Tech Support) to be involved you have to reach out to them directly. Bug Submit is not a help request. As I said above, ultimate slowness is not typical. Tech Support may be able to help you figure our what in your system or file is causing the slowness.
  11. You seem to be on the right track with Document List Handling. Basically you need to build a resource list. Since there are your symbols and you should know the name, I would start with BuildResourceListN. This will return a ListID into a LongInt that you will use to identify the list in the laters calls. Then iterate throughout the resource list using GetNamefromResourceList and checking that against the symbol name you want. Once you locate the index of the symbol you want, import it into the current file with ImportResoucetoCurrentFile. And as there are a multiple versions of most of the above functions/procedures, you will have to read the manual and experiment with what works best for you. Ask again if you need more help.
  12. I think the idea was that for something like appliances you would be able to just drop in 2D drawings of Top/Front/Left and end up with something that would be good enough for orthogonal elevations/plans without having to actually do the 3D modeling.
  13. What service pack do you have installed? I think ConnectCAD was not added until SP3 (maybe SP2). Do you have the ConnectCAD workspace? Have you switched to it?
  14. I believe the change was implements so that Hybrid Symbols could have not only a specific Top/Plan view separate from the 3D model, but also custom 2D views for any of the standard Orthogonal (Front/Back/Right/Left/Top/Bottom) views.
  15. For an example of the DatabaseByScript check out: Applications:Vectorworks 2020:Libraries:Defaults:Reports_Schedules:Landmark Schedules:SaveLandscapeAreaBeforePlants.py Not very well commented, but it is a pretty short script and may help. Ask again if you need more help.
  16. Or actually when the worksheet editor opens after you close the Report Builder, you can just choose the "Worksheet on Drawing" option from the Worksheet File menu. No need to go to the Resource Manager unless you close the editor before you put it on the drawing.
  17. Here is the basics of what I am thinking. Place at least one instance of each symbol in the drawing. Create a script to be called by the DatabaseByScript command in the worksheet. The DatabaseByScript command basically lets you specify which objects in the drawing will be in the database by using the WSScript_AddHandle command. Get a handle to the first symbol. Stick that into the database. Get a handle to the symbolDef (GetObject(GetName(ThisSymbol)) Get a handle to the first object in the symbol (FinSymbolDef) Stick that handle into the database Repeat for each object in the symbol Repeat for each symbol in the drawing. If the objects in the Symbol Definition don't show up, then you have to dig into the symbol instances instead. I would set a column for the symbol name, the object type, and the class of the object. You probably don't want to deal with the recursion necessary to deal with nested symbols. Just place them and handle them individually. If you don't get anywhere I will try to make some time this weekend. I need to play with DatabaseByScript commands anyway. ;-)
  18. I would move the backup files to the local hard disk and not keep them on Dropbox. Especially if you are using the Autosave a backup copy to option. I believe that is going to generate a new file each time rather than just make changes to the previous version(s). So on Dropbox with the backups going to have to fully sync every time rather than just the delta in the file.
  19. I think we can generate a report that will list the multiple classes, but you won't be able to change the classes from the worksheet. In order to change the classes you have to edit the symbol definition. Worksheets can't access the definition, only the symbol instance. And if you are actually in VW2012, I think you are basically out of luck. If you are in VW2020 there is a new Database by Script option that MIGHT make it possible to do this. But definitely not tonight. Any maybe not ever :-(
  20. This thread has a lot of information on Dropbox and Delta Sync, but nothing I could see about having to do anything special to set it up. Something strange seems to be happening with your file.
  21. One possibility that may help with the size (especially if you are going to be using them at 1/8" or 1/4" scale could be to set the Sheet Layer Resolution to even lower than the standard 72 DPI. You will end up with less pixels, but when you effectively scale down 48 or 96 times the resulting resolution will go up quickly. Or set the Viewport scale to 1:2 or 1:4 and then scale the group back up after you put on the design layer. Glad it worked. Pretty quick and easy.
  22. Probably, but we need a lot more detail about what you are trying to do to make any good recommendations. More detail is better in asking for help.
  23. I would do the conversion in a separate file and then just bring in the results. I would probably drop the symbol into a new file and then make Sheet Layer viewports for the different views. Set the Viewport Scale to 1:1. Set the Rendering to whatever you need and Update the viewports. Select a Viewport. Go to Modify:Convert:Convert to Group. The viewport will now be a group containing a bitmap of the rendered viewport image. Cut and paste as needed into your drawings. HTH.
  24. If you are willing to not use the Criteria Builder dialog box and manually edit the criteria you could put the Style (or maybe the whole criteria) into a worksheet cell. Then you could change that one cell and all of the databases would update. But can I ask why you are using so many database sections? It looks like you could do a single database and then SUMmarize on the material and get the same result in a single database. Ask again if you need help in setting up the criteria formula.
  25. Based on trying to work out a bug report, it appears that this is directly related to the Place Worksheet on Drawing option. If you don't check that but rather go to the Resource Manager and place the worksheet on the drawing manually, you can Edit Report without a problem. At least a reasonable work around until they implement a fix.
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