Pat Stanford

Actual only about 30-40 episodes. We renamed for each "season" (year). And even that was close to a full time job. But it was a lot of fun also. 😉

Darn, I hate it when @MullinRJ, @michaelk, and @Steven L. Shelley, know more about VW than I do. 😞

If this is 2D (and maybe even 3D), you can use the Fillet tool. Alternatively, do a 2-step process to make a "cutting shape". Since the positive arc is much easier to draw, Draw a slightly bigger than needed square or rectangle and draw the arc on top. Select both and Clip Surface. This will give you the "negative" shape you are looking for. Place this shape over your rafter and Clip Surface again (if you have more than one, you probably want to duplicate your "cutting shape" first so you don't have to recreate it). If you are in 3D, you can do basically the same thing, but after you make the negative shape, extrude it. You can make it way over length so it is easier to align with your 3D rafter. Then select the 3D cutting shape and the rafter and Subtract Solids. And there are probably several other easier ways that I am not thinking of right now. Ask again if these are not clear enough.

Sorry to toot my own horn, but.... I don't know of anything recent. A long time ago (2008-2009) Dan Jansenson and I did "The Podcad Podcast - News, Hints, and Opinion from the world of Vectorworks" We had interviews with a number of the notable members of the VW community including Dave Donley, Julian Carr, Francois Levy, Sam Jones, Robert Anderson, and a number of others. Some of the information is dated, some is still useful. Downloadable from http://podcad.tv/Home.html

Or here is another way. This will effectively give you a new worksheet function. Copy the script below and paste into a new blank Vectorscript in your drawing. Procedure StrCopy; {©2019 Patrick Stanford, pat@coviana.com} {Licenced under the LGPL license} {No warranty expressed or implied} {Named StrCopy as it has the same parameters as the VS Copy command} {Copies a portion of a string given the start position and lenght to copy} {Extra length is ignored if past the end of the source string} Var CellRef :string; StartRef, LengthRef:Integer; Begin CellRef:=WSScript_GetPrmStr(0); StartRef:=WSScript_GetPrmInt(1); LengthRef:=WSScript_GetPrmInt(2); WSScript_SetResStr(Copy(CellRef,StartRef,LengthRef)); End; Run(StrCopy); You can now enter a worksheet formula of =RunScript('StrCopy',A4,3,99) in cell C4 of your worksheet. This will copy just the numeric portion of the sheet name into column C as a string. Or use a formula of =Value(RunScript('StrCopy',A4,3,99) which will give you the numeric portion as an integer which you can then use to sort your table. Rather than make two worksheets, put the worksheet on a "dummy" layer and use viewports to put the two portions of the worksheet where you need them. If you decide you like this, I can tell you how to put the script into your user or workgroup folder and modify the formula so you don't have to keep the script in every file.

Another way around the problem is to make sure that all of the sheets use the same number of digits. Instead of A-99, A-100, use A-0099, A-0100. Then when you do the sort it will come out in the correct order.

Can you upload a file that shows this behavior for you? If we can replicate it we can probably get it fixed. It does not sound like the desired behavior. I think maybe the part I was not testing was the rotation of the viewport.

OK try the version in this file. I still think something is messing with your copy/paste from the forum into the script editor. This version is just copied and pasted from above into a new VW2019 file. Open the Resource Browser to see the Script Palette and run the script. If it does not provide the warning, them import the script into your file and see if it works properly there. Let me know. Classes to Worksheet.vwx

It appears that the actual entered dimensions of the windows are not identical, but that they round to the same display value. That would also be why you are not able to get them to Summarize as they are not the same at a computer level even though the are on a human level. Assuming you Height and Width columns are actually displaying the information from the Window Record (=window.height) and not the worksheet functions (=height), you should be able to enter the height or width in inches into a cell so you can copy it to the clipboard. You can then paste that into a multiple selection of other cells. If you were in Inches instead of Feet-Inches it would be easier and just be a copy/paste. Or temporarily change the cell formatting to Decimal to make the copy/paste easier and then format back.

After you do the Subtract Solids take a look at the object type in the OIP. It probably says it is a Solid Subtraction. Solids are 3D only objects. 3D only objects do not offer the ability to have different 2D (Top/Plan) and 3D displays and show as wireframe in Top/Plan. You have several options to work around this. Which one is right for you will depend on your desired final outcome and how your brain works. 1. Make a separate 2D object with the fill you want and combine it with the 3D as either a Group or a Symbol. If you may a Hybrid Symbol you will have full control over the 2D and 3D display. 2. Convert the Solid into an AutoHybrid. This will give you the separate 2D and 3D appearances. 3. Don't do the solid subtraction on the Deck. Rather check the Don't Show Deck option and use a slab object (which is already a hybrid object) to manually draw the deck. And there are probably several other good options also. Ask again if you need more help.

https://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/questions/764/app-to-convert-existing-image-files-to-vector-graphics http://www.imagaro.com Have not used any of them, but saw a demo of imagaroZ a long time ago at MacWorld and it looked very impressive.

Do your Class Options include one of the Snap options (Grey/Snap, Show/Snap, Show/Snap/Modify)? What snap options do you have on in the Snaps Pallet? I just tried a simple group consisting of a Line, Rectangle, and circle. I then made a Viewport on a sheet layer from it. When I edit the annotations, and have Snap to Object turned on in the Snaps Pallet, I can snap to all of the points inside the group. With Snap to Intersection turned on, I even get the intersection of objects in the group and objects in the Annotations. What are you doing differently?

Based on another email, it appears that the code is not being properly copied in some browsers. I have reformatted the code above to manually wrap the longest line. Open your browser window to a very wide width and copy ALL of the text in the code block above. Open a VW file. In the Resource Browser select the New Resource button at the bottom left. The Type will be Script. It will ask for a name for the new Script Pallet and then for the new Script. Once you enter the two named the Script Editor window will open. Make sure the language is set to VectorScript and then click in the text area and Paste the script from above. Clic the Gear icon at the top right of the window to compile the code. You should get a dialog box saying "Script Complied Successfully". If not, you did not properly copy the code. Be very careful with pasting the code into a word processor such as Microsoft Word first. It often adds invisible characters that will prevent the code from compiling. To run the script you double click on it's name in the script pallet. You could make it into a menu command but that involved learning about the PlugIn Editor and is more complicated. See the following post for the basics of how and why to use scripts.

What version of VW are you using? This script has been tested in VW2019. Did you copy everything in the script block (from the original Procedure to after the final semicolon after the Run(Classes_to_Worksheet);)? I just copied from above and pasted into a new script in a new file created from the Architect Imperial template and it runs fine for me. Let's see if we can figure this out.

Short answer, Yes, the Title Block tool and object changed significantly in VW2018/VW2019. You will need to learn about the new system to use it effectively. Better in many ways.

This will only work if the text is part of a Symbol. Create a custom record format with a text field. Create a block of text and make it a symbol. Edit the Symbol and select the text block. Choose Link Text To Record from the Modify menu. Choose your record and field. Create a worksheet. Select a row (I alway start at Row 3 in case I want to add headers later) and rich click on the row Header. Choose Database. From the Edit Criteria dialog box choose Record "YourRecord" is Present. You should end up with the same number of subrows as you have YourText symbol instances. In any column enter a formula of "=YourRecord.YourField" If you used spaces in either the Record or Field names, you will need to use single quotes around each name. Hit Enter. You should now see the text from each symbol instance. Click in the subrow (3.1, 3.2, etc) in the cell that has the data and edit the data. The changed data will show up on the drawing in place of the original text. Ask again if you need more clarity. Also check the Help for Link Text to Record, Worksheet Databases, and Records and Fields.

I don't think you can reference across files directly. http://app-help.vectorworks.net/2017/eng/VW2017_Guide/Worksheets/Referencing_Other_Worksheet_Cells.htm If you don't need to use the modern Viewport based referencing, you could try and use a Layer Link to bring an updatable version of the worksheet (on a layer) into the file and then you might be able to access the cells on a read only basis.

@JBenghiat is rarely wrong 😉 I think that sometimes both he and I go a little too fast in trying to help and sometimes answer a different question than is actually being asked. But if you are persistent we usually figure it out and some up with a working solution. If you don't care about seeing each line select in turn, you can delete the Message and Wait statements and move the RedrawAll statement to just before the last End statement and the script will run much faster.

@SarahSuperland Sorry, but I am just getting back to this. I don't understand your second point: "columns for individual lengths and totals for a given class" Are you asking for this to go horizontally instead of vertically? I understand a column for the length of each line. I don't understand the second column for the total. Unless you want a running total. The class and layer part are easy to do using the criteria for the database. Or you can enter a column with a formula of =C and then sort based on that column to pull all of the objects in each class together. If you still need help with this let me know and I will see what I can do.

@tismacfan2 I thought I had sen the above reply a month ago. 😞 Here is a version of the script that seems to work in VW2019. Other changes are that the toggle cells to select the classes to show objects from are now formatted as Text so any entry will display the details. Also, the Database Headers are now turned off. Procedure Classes_to_Worksheet; {Make a worksheet listing all of the classes in a VW file} {Lists both used and unused classes} {The worksheet is named "Classes:"with and appended date} {April 12, 2019} {Modified to work around obsolete VS functions for formatting Worksheets} {Yellow check mark cells to select classes to detail are now formatted as text so data will execute.} {Datbase Headers are now turned off this can be changed in the SetObjectVariable Boolean (82) line.} {January 26, 2017} {Added code to display the Class Fill color in the ClassName column for the Class} {April 10, 2015} {Updated for formatting and to add database integration} {Set any of the yellow cells in column 1 to non-blank and the related} {database row at the bottom of the worksheet will show subrows for each item in that class} {Set the yellow cell back to blank (select, delete, enter/return, and the database subrows} {will disapper. The database rows show the Class, Layer and Object type for the related object} {October 13, 2010} {Updated to sort classes in alphabetical order prior to storing in worksheet} {As of VW2011, there is not way to get the display order of the classes in the Nav Palette} {October 14, 2008} {© 2019, 2017, 2010, 2008, Coviana, Inc - Pat Stanford pat@coviana.com} {Licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License} var H1, H2: Handle; N1: LongInt; ClassSort : Array[1..1024] of string; Formula : String; Result : Boolean; Font,Size,Style:Integer; R1,G1,B1,BGColor,FGColor: LongInt; FillPattern: Integer; Begin SetCursor(WatchC); H1:=CreateWS(Concat('Classes:',date(2,1)),(Classnum+2)*2,4); SetWSCellAlignment(H1,1,1,ClassNum+2,2,5); SetWSColumnWidth(H1,1,1,20); SetWSColumnWidth(H1,2,2,200); SetWSColumnWidth(H1,3,3,200); SetWSColumnWidth(H1,4,4,200); Result := WorksheetMergeCells(H1,1,1,1,3); GetWSCellTextFormat(H1,1,1,Font,Size,Style); SetWSCellTextFormat(H1,1,1,(ClassNum+2)*2,4,Font,14,Style); SetWSCellTextFormat(H1,1,1,1,1,Font,18,1); SetWSCellTextFormat(H1,2,1,2,4,Font,14,1); SetWSCellTextFormat(H1,Classnum+4,1,ClassNum+4,4,Font,14,1); SetWSCellBorders(H1,3,1,ClassNum+2,3,True,True,True,True,7); {SetWSCellOutlineBorder(H1,3,1,ClassNum+2,3,2,25,1); (*Commented out 4/12/19 Decprecated*) }SetWSCellBorders(H1,Classnum+5,1,(ClassNum+2)*2,4,True,True,True,True,7); {SetWSCellOutlineBorder(H1,Classnum+5,1,(ClassNum+2)*2,4,2,25,1); (*Commented out 4/12/19 Decprecated*) } SetWSCellFill(H1,3,1,ClassNum+2,1,1,5,0,1); SetWSCellFill(H1,ClassNum+5,1,(ClassNum+2)*2,1,1,1,0,1); For N1:= 1 to Classnum do ClassSort[N1]:=ClassList(N1); SortArray(ClassSort,ClassNum,1); For N1:= 1 to Classnum do Begin {*****************************} {Code in this block is used to set the WS Cell Format to match the Class Fill Color and Pattern} GetClFillFore(ClassSort[N1],R1,G1,B1); RGBToColorIndex(R1,G1,B1,FGColor); GetClFillBack(ClassSort[N1],R1,G1,B1); RGBToColorIndex(R1,G1,B1,BGColor); FillPattern:=GetClFPat(ClassSort[N1]); SetWSCellFill(H1,N1+2,2,N1+2,2,1,BGColor,FGColor,FillPattern); SetWSCellNumberFormat(H1,N1+2,1,N1+2,1,13,0,'',''); {Added 4/12/2019 Format cells as text} {This code can be deleted or commented out without effecting other script functionality} {*****************************} SetWSCellNumberFormat(H1,N1+2,2,N1+2,2,13,0,'',''); SetWSCellFormula(H1,N1+2,2,N1+2,2,Concat(ClassSort[N1])); Formula:=Concat('=Count(C=',CHR(39),Classsort[N1],CHR(39),')'); SetWSCellFormula(H1,N1+2,3,N1+2,3,Formula); Formula:=Concat('=Database(C=(IF(A',Num2Str(0,N1+2),'<>',CHR(39),CHR(39), ', B',Num2Str(0,N1+2),',',CHR(39),'PTS!@#$%^&',CHR(39),')))'); SetWSCellFormula(H1,ClassNum+4,2,ClassNum+4,2,'Class'); SetWSCellFormula(H1,ClassNum+4,3,ClassNum+4,3,'Layer'); SetWSCellFormula(H1,ClassNum+4,4,ClassNum+4,4,'Object Type'); SetWSCellFormula(H1,N1+ClassNum+4,0,N1+ClassNum+4,0,Formula); SetWSCellFormula(H1,N1+ClassNum+4,2,N1+ClassNum+4,2,'=C'); SetWSCellFormula(H1,N1+ClassNum+4,3,N1+ClassNum+4,3,'=L'); SetWSCellFormula(H1,N1+ClassNum+4,4,N1+ClassNum+4,4,'=T'); SetWSCellNumberFormat(H1,N1+2,2,N1+2,2,13,0,'',''); {Added 4/12/2019 Format cells as text} End; SetWSCellFormula(H1,1,1,1,1,Concat('Classes in File:',date(2,1))); SetWSCellFormula(H1,2,2,2,2,'Class Name'); SetWSCellFormula(H1,2,3,2,3,'# of Objects in Class'); RecalculateWS(H1); SetCursor(ArrowC); ClrMessage; ShowWS(H1,True); SetObjectVariableBoolean(H1,82,False); {Added 4/12/19 to hide database header rows.} End; Run(Classes_to_Worksheet);

Hi Pascal, VW2019 broke the script. I will try and find some time to fix it. There are deprecated (no longer supported) vectorscript procedures in the script and the changes to the Worksheets in 2019 also seem to be a problem. The script runs great in VW2017 though 😉

As to your Question 5. Accessing data from a different worksheet in the same file: Prepend the cell to reference with the worksheet name. The quote marks shown below are only required if there are spaces in the worksheet name. ='Worksheet-1':B10

I finally had some time to play with this. It does not look like what you are trying to do is going to be easy. The Energos label contains a very strange array of data containing information about each of the objects that make up the overall Energos model. The length of this array appears to change depending on how many objects are included in the model. So to get the information from the Energos Label about the objects, you have to manually enter the formula for each object in the array. The information that appears to be stored for each object is: [0] Object From the Drawing 'EnergyLabel'.'Document.farrBuildingElements.fOriginalObject0' Text [0] Is Modified 'EnergyLabel'.'Document.farrBuildingElements.fModified0' Text [0] Sort Index 'EnergyLabel'.'Document.farrBuildingElements.fSortIndex0' Text [0] Include 'EnergyLabel'.'Document.farrBuildingElements.fInclude0' Text [0] Type 'EnergyLabel'.'Document.farrBuildingElements.fType0' Text [0] Orientation 'EnergyLabel'.'Document.farrBuildingElements.fOrientation.fOrientation0' Text [0] Inclination 'EnergyLabel'.'Document.farrBuildingElements.fOrientation.fInclination0' Text [0] Name 'EnergyLabel'.'Document.farrBuildingElements.fName0' Text [0] Area 'EnergyLabel'.'Document.farrBuildingElements.fArea0' Text [0] Area Adjustment 'EnergyLabel'.'Document.farrBuildingElements.fAreaAdjustment0' Text [0] UValue 'EnergyLabel'.'Document.farrBuildingElements.fUValue0' Text The number at the end increments for each different object. All of the formulas return TEXT type data. The fOriginalObject appears to be a textual representation of the Handle to the original object. So if you want to access the data (for display purposes, not a 2-way worksheet), you could probably write a script that would read through the Energy Label record and then store the data into a custom record attached to the original objects. You would have to covert the text respresentaion of the Handle into a LongInt to be able to find the original object. You could then do a database of the objects with the custom record to report the data. You would have to rerun the script any time you made a change to the Energos model to update the data. Once you have the data identified with the individual objects you should be able to report on those objects any way you want in a worksheet. Once column for Orientation and once for =Area. Sum on Orientation and you should get the total area. It appears doable, but not likely to be fun to program or deal with.

It will depend on how long your roof is. Alan described the easiest way to do it. Over a 10 meter horizontal run, the difference in the clearance under the roof will be about 500mm.

Take a look at this version. It selects all of the lines in the file with the same LineStyle as the first selected object on the layer. procedure test; var Line_Index : longint; LineStyleName : String; ListID: longint; ListItems: LongInt; Procedure Do_This (H1 : handle); Begin SetSelect(H1); RedrawAll; Message (GetLSN (h1), ' ', Line_Index); Wait(1); End; begin ClrMessage; Line_Index := GetLSN (FSActLayer); LineStyleName :=GetDashLineTypeName(Line_Index); DSelectAll; ForEachObject (Do_This, ((T = Line) & (LT = LineStyleName))); end; run (test); I had to do some digging to realize the GetDashLineTypeName was the key to getting the LineStyleName so the criteria will work properly.