Pat Stanford

It sounds like you are coming from another program, so perhaps there is a better way to do what you want. I think what you are calling components are called Symbols in Vectorworks. These are "definitions" of what an object should look like. Each one that is "placed" in the drawing becomes a "Symbol Instance". If you edit the "symbol" (or symbol definition" to change the way it looks, then every placed instance changes in the drawing. If I were you I would make the first module as a symbol and then then duplicate that to create the "run" you need. You can then select one or more of these and use the Replace... button in the Object Info Palette (OIP) to change it to a different symbol definition. This will work with symbol instances with identical or different definitions. If you don't already have a symbol def that has the new look you need you can use the Modify:Convert:Convert to Group to convert the selected symbol instance into a group. You can then edit that group and make a new symbol out of it. You then select the other instances you want changed and use the Replace function on them. You should probably also take a look at Records and Worksheets. That will allow you to "easily" pull data off the symbols for reporting purposes. Let us know if you need more help.

The scripts in the following threads (or something similar) might be what you are looking for. https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=113373#Post113373 https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=157918#Post157918 How many objects are you talking about? How many times will you need to do this operation?

In VW2015, 'Space'.'Area' and 'Space'.'Proposed Area' should give you the numerical values you are looking for. 'Space'.'11_Area' is defined as static text, so it can not be used in a math calculation. The script in the following thread will show you the field types for each of the fields of the selected object. https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=115054#Post115054

Take a look at the following thread for a script to change them. https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=32814&Number=204804#Post204804

Could you run a DSelectAll before selecting the items you want to label? Or do a GetType(GetParent) on each object. If the parent is not a layer then you know it is part of a group.

I have seen something similar before when I managed to get a dialog box open behind a drawing window. The program is locked until you close the dialog, but you can't see the dialog. I have also had a dialog open in a different Space (Mac term). Same result.

Along the same line, it would be nice to be able to use Shift-U to go backwards through the options just as Shift-Tab will take you backwards through a list on Mac.

Vectorworks Preferences : Session : Reset Saved Settings Unfortunately this will reset them all, not allow you to pick the ones to reset.

Document Preferences : Resolution : Design Layer Raster Rendering DPI?

Take a look at the following thread for a sample script of how to attach a record to an object and grab data from the object attributes to populate the record. https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=203171&Searchpage=1&Main=40740&Words=record&Search=true#Post203171 I agree with Hippothamus, if you can figure out a way to use the SPACE record directly rather than trying to use it in a database of symbols you would be much better off.

Check this thread for a set of scripts to switch objects (including those inside symbol definitions) to/from Layer/Screen plane. https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=32814&Number=204804#Post204804 Simple description of what Wes says above: Screen Plane objects are considered to be 2D in symbols. Layer Plane objects are 3D. It does not matter what type of object (line, poly, text, circle, etc.).

Is the space only a small portion of the symbol? Do you have other poly's in the symbol. When I did a simple test using a single space, i could use =AREA() on the symbol and get the area of the space back. If I added another poly into the symbol I then get the total area of the space and the poly. Can you attach a file with an example of one of your symbols? Are there going to be instances of the symbol containing a space that you don't want the area for? We can probably come up with a work around, but I don't think there is a way to directly do what you are looking for.

Jim, Do I need to submit a bug report on the beep? Pat

I don't know why, but for me it is beeping anytime you are in a text entry field. If you tab out of the data entry fields then hit enter or return it does not beep. If you are in a text entry field then it accepts and beeps. It does this in the Circle data entry screen also. I just went back to VW2014 and it does not beep. It also has a much more limited tab function in that it only tabs between the text entry fields. In VW2015 it tabs through all of the user accessible fields (class, layer, rotation, etc.) and also through the check boxes and buttons.

It is a chamfer problem. It appears that the 0.3mm setback is too big for the object. If you change it to 0.4 you get no chamfer at all. If you change it to 0.2 then it looks pretty good. Note that if you look at the objects in wireframe it is easier to see that there is a geometry problem.

Before you break out the scripting, check out and see if one of the bar code fonts that are available will work for your application. https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=bar+code+fonts

This is a placeholder to another thread. https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=204804Post204804 In VW2015 it was found that symbol definitions do not necessarily reset properly when the geometry is changed by Vectorscript. Ray Mullin found a work around of manually resetting the geometry and then the symbol definition. The need for the work around has been submitted as a bug. Hopefully this will not be required in future versions.

Ray Mullin has helped work out a workaround for the scripts. The problem appears to be the order that the "geometry" and "symbol header" get reset. If you manually reset the geometry before the header then all is OK. If done in the other order, then you get the weird results. Revised code for the two scripts follows: PROCEDURE Objs2LayerPlane; { © Petri Sakkinen 2010 } {Modifed 2014, Ray Mullin, Pat Stanford to work with VW2015} Procedure DoIt (H : Handle); Begin SetObjectVariableBoolean(H, 1160, FALSE); End; Function ResetDef(H :Handle) :Boolean; Begin ResetObject(H); End; BEGIN FOREACHOBJECT(DoIt, INSYMBOL & ALL); ForEachObjectinList(ResetDef, 0, 0, FSymDef); Sysbeep; END; RUN(Objs2LayerPlane); PROCEDURE Objs2ScreenPlane; { © Petri Sakkinen 2010 } {Modifed 2014, Ray Mullin, Pat Stanford to work with VW2015} Procedure DoIt (H : Handle); Begin SetObjectVariableBoolean(H, 1160, TRUE); End; Function ResetDef(H :Handle) :Boolean; Begin ResetObject(H); End; BEGIN ForEachObject(DoIt, INSYMBOL); ForEachObjectinList(ResetDef, 0, 0, FSymDef); ForEachObject(DoIt, ALL); Sysbeep; END; RUN(Objs2ScreenPlane);

Petri's scripts do seem to work, but at least inside symbols the symbol definition does not update until you edit the symbol. In fact the first time you edit the symbol you won't be able to access the modified objects. Just edit and exit the symbol and you should be OK. If you need to make other changes, just edit it again and all should be well. Inside symbols now does not offer the Layer Plane option. You now can set the objects inside symbols to Screen Plane, Symbol Definition or Working Plane. Horst, can you please get this information to Petri since I don't think he follows here any more. Pat

Thanks for the thanks Wes. For anyone interested in how/why to use the PIO Fields script, it is also posted in the Vectorscript Share forum: https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=108487#Post115054 That link is directly to the version of the script included in Wes's file. The rest of the thread could be of interest also. Note that the script only works on selected objects, not on doors/windows inserted in walls.

Have you used those seating styles in previous versions of VW? If so, did you update the files to the VW2014 file format? Just open the old files and then save them into 2014 and try again. If that does not work, I don't know where to get alternative seating styles.

Check out the User Interactive section of the Vectorscript function reference. Depending on how you want the script to operate, the TrackObject, GetPtL, GetPt, GetMouse and/or MouseDown function all offer some ability to get a point on the screen. Actually since you are working with Nurbs, you probably want to look at GetPt3D or GetPtL3d. You probably want to start with GetPtL as this one call will get you the X/Y coordinates of two points. I hope this is a starting point for you. Pat

I hope Peter can help us out, but I don't think what you are asking for is possible. As far as I know, there is not option to make components in a symbol definition take on the class of the symbol which is what you need. In some cases where having all of the symbol instances change together is acceptable, you could put duplicates of the object in the symbol definition one with Class A the other with Class B. Then you could change the class visibility to get the one you needed. It would be very nice to be able to have objects use the symbol definition class information. Peter, am I forgetting something? Pat

While VW has no limit on the number of lights, I believe that OpenGL has a limit of 8. If you need more than that you will need to use one of the Renderworks rendering modes. Others do far more in lighting that I do and can speak better, but a drawing with 6000+ individual lights is probably going to render VERRRRRRRRY slowly.

Better is to import the DWG into a blank file and then copy/paste the title block into your drawing. Or reference it in instead of copy/paste. Importing a DWG/DXF into an existing file can result in changes that you don't want to other parts of the drawing. One of the most common is changes to the dash styles.