Myke

One last thing, this script looks like it works, I just need to refresh the view of the lights that are getting edited. Does vs.LDevice_Reset work like the Refresh Lighting Devices menu button? Thanks for the help. Cheers Here is the current version of the script for anyone interested: import vs import http.client import json instrumentType = None # fixtureMode = None # wattage = None # weight = None frameSize = None position = None purpose = None channel = None unitNumber = None universeAddress = None circuitNumber = None circuitName = None dmxLine = None dmxFootprint = None # deviceType = None color = None template1 = None template2 = None user1 = None user2 = None user3 = None user4 = None user5 = None user6 = None coordinates = None __UID = None __class = None layer = None def eachLight(h): # vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Wattage", wattage) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Postion", position) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Channel", channel) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Purpose", purpose) # vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Weight", weight) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Unit Number", unitNumber) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "UniverseAddress", universeAddress) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Circuit Number", circuitNumber) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Circuit Name", circuitName) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Inst Type", instrumentType) # vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Fixture Mode", instrMode) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "DMX Line", dmxLine) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "num channels", dmxFootprint) # vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Device Type", deviceType) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Color", color) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Gobo 1", template1) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Gobo 2", template2) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "User Field 1", user1) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "User Field 2", user2) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "User Field 3", user3) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "User Field 4", user4) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "User Field 5", user5) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "User Field 6", user6) vs.SetClass(h, __class) try: connection = http.client.HTTPConnection("localhost:8000") connection.request("GET", "/Test") response = connection.getresponse() rawData = response.read().decode('utf-8') lxdata = json.loads(rawData) isAvailable = True; connection.close() except Exception: print(Exception.__traceback__) isAvailable = False; if isAvailable: lights = [] #name, handle def get_lights(handle): name = vs.GetName(handle) lights.append([name,handle]) # I think c means criteria? criteria = "((PON='Lighting Device'))" vs.ForEachObject(get_lights, criteria) for light in lxdata: uid = light['__UID'] for light_name, handle in lights: if light_name == light['__UID']: for key, val, in light.items(): if key in globals(): globals()[key] = val # print(val) print(key) eachLight(handle) else: pass # print(instrumentType)

@DomC That definitely works and it's much faster that the original. I was actually going to test using another method. The idea was to create a lookup table on the app that imports the data from Vectorworks, it would track all of the changes and then send them to VW. The only information that would be contained is the UID and any fields that got changed. That would be the minimum amount of data to import into VW reducing the time complexity significantly. I'm still in the process of understanding your script but Im also very interested in merging both together to get something very performant. It looks something like this, basically I took your set of values and found them in the global scope to just loop over them. Unfortunately that means there are 3 loops nested inside of each other. I think I can get rid of the outer most one by removing the JSON name when I send it, but as for the loop over the keys and values I really want to know if there are ways I can condense the two if isAvailable: lights = [] #name, handle def get_lights(handle): name = vs.GetName(handle) lights.append([name,handle]) # I think c means criteria? criteria = "((PON='Lighting Device'))" vs.ForEachObject(get_lights, criteria) for light in lxdata["LightingDevices"]: uid = light['__UID'] for light_name, handle in lights: if light_name == uid: for key, val, in light.items(): if key in globals(): globals()[key] = val # print(val) print(key) eachLight(handle)

I might have figured out a couple of things. Json.loads() has a maximum so I am overfilling the buffer and will need to implement a stream of some kind. The other thing I've learned is that the math for the time is something like n^2 so it scales terribly. Basically I need to remove a loop, and parse as few parameters as possible. I do have some questions about updating objects with either vs.SetRField or vs.ForEachObject. - Where does the symbol UID come into play? If I only wanted to update one symbol I should use the UID generated to specifically point to it? - Are they're any other attributes that are mandatory to effectively update a symbol such as a Layer and Class. Thanks

For the number of lights, I would like it to scale near infinitely the current limit is 200 as far as I've tested. That's nowhere near enough. It does indeed loop for every light, but there is no change to the fields when above the 200 fixture limit. To solve this I could simply limit the loop so that it updates the first 200 fixtures and then the next 200 and so on. But that increases the time problem that Im having. The Json loads fine there is no issue with that its just that there isn't an update at all Hope this sheds some more light

Hello, I was using this script to import json data and update the lights on a plot, and it works. But very slowly VW is unresponsive since the script is still running. Is there a way to optimize this so that the performance is better. If im not mistaken the ForEach function should be similar to a standard for loop and shouldn't be that bad in terms of time. Also there seems to be an object limit that I've hit, were this script tries to run but then quits with nothing being updated. 200 looks like the limit anything above that and the script just quits. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks import vs import json import http.client instrType = "" instrMode = "" wattage = "" weight = "" #Added position = "" purpose = "" #Added channel = "" unitNumber = "" #Added universeAdress = "" circuitNumber = "" circuitName = "" uid = "" fixtureMode = "" dmxLine = "" dmxFootprint = "" deviceType = "" color = "" template1 = "" #Added template2 = "" #Added user1 = "" user2 = "" user3 = "" user4 = "" user5 = "" user6 = "" className = "" def eachLight(h): vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Wattage", wattage) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Postion", position) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Channel", channel) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Purpose", purpose) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Weight", weight) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Unit Number", unitNumber) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "UniverseAddress", universeAdress) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Circuit Number", circuitNumber) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Circuit Name", circuitName) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Inst Type", instrType) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Fixture Mode", instrMode) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "DMX Line", dmxLine) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "num channels", dmxFootprint) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Device Type", deviceType) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Color", color) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Gobo 1", template1) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Gobo 2", template2) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "User Field 1", user1) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "User Field 2", user2) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "User Field 3", user3) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "User Field 4", user4) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "User Field 5", user5) vs.SetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "User Field 6", user6) vs.SetClass(h, className) # Substitute open(path) for GET request with a json.load try: connection = http.client.HTTPConnection("localhost:29212") connection.request("GET", "/VectorworksGet") response = connection.getresponse() rawData = response.read().decode('utf-8') data = json.loads(rawData) isAvailable = True; connection.close() except Exception: print(Exception.__traceback__) isAvailable = False; if (isAvailable): for p in data['LightingDevices']: instrType = p['instrumentType'] instrMode = p['fixtureMode'] wattage = p['wattage'] weight = p['weight'] position = p['position'] purpose = p['purpose'] channel = p['channel'] unitNumber = p['unitNumber'] universeAdress = p['patch'] circuitNumber = p['circuitNumber'] circuitName = p['circuitName'] dmxLine = p['dmxLine'] dmxFootprint = p['dmxFootprint'] deviceType = p['deviceType'] color = p['color'] template1 = p['template1'] template2 = p['template2'] user1 = p['userField1'] user2 = p['userField2'] user3 = p['userField3'] user4 = p['userField4'] user5 = p['userField5'] user6 = p['userField6'] className = p["class"] uid = p['__UID'] criteria = "(N='" + uid + "')" vs.ForEachObject(eachLight, criteria)

Yes! This does run menu commands, apple script is surprisingly competent. I will need to make something similar in Windows, probably using PowerShell or similar. I'll add a similar template when that's good and ready. And for anyone who tries this out, I would first recommend removing the repeat syntax. The idea of this script is to have some automation of VW commands outside of the program, but it needs to constantly be checking if the app is open. @michaelk That was the same post that pushed me to automating my python scripts

Hullo, I want to make sure I understand this process properly, but VW uses a .vsm file type to represent plugin functionality in python and vectorscript. That reminds me of the SDK build where functionality was turned into a DLL to be read by Vectorworks. Is this a similar case Aside from that I've struggled to find the process of converting a working python script into that .vsm any help would be appreciated!

For anyone who is interested in similar functionality I have a base template as a starting point on run {input, parameters} repeat tell application "System Events" tell process "Vectorworks 2022" name of every menu of menu bar 1 click menu item "menuItem" of menu "menuBarItem" of menu bar 1 end tell end tell end repeat return input end run Cheers!

I've run into this, although it strangely happened when I made modifications to my workspace. Inducing a "sleep-mode" seems to resolve the issue for me. I tend to just close the lid of my MacBook. That's just my experience however. Hope that helps!

Hello, I was wondering if there was a good way to trigger a Python script in VW using AppleScript? There are some scripts that can be "installed"? if im not mistaken. Is it possible to have VW run that command when the AppleScript ask it too? I got a bit interested in this kind of workflow when Pat Standford mentioned it. If the answer is yes, then my follow up question would be: do I need to use an installation script ie. install.py to add the functionality? Thanks

I'm a bit familiar I've been learning as I went this project. Using the example in the ForEachObject documentation I've gotten this far in terms of code. Do I now need to attach this to ModuleMain? I've attempted to follow the templates but I know that this doesn't quite work. REGISTER_Extension<DataExchange::TraverseFunction>( GROUPID_ExtensionVSFunctions, action, pInfo, ioData, cbp, reply ); To make things clear I am looking to 1) get / set all lighting devices. 2) place them in a list<lightingDevice> 3) Turn it into a Json String 4) Send over the network I can take care of 2-4 #1 is the most pressing. Thanks, class DataExchange{ // I've changed this to be static otherwise I can't refenence it in the (gSDK->ForEachObject( allSymbolDefs, MyCallBack, & data );) static void MyCallBack(Handle h, CallBackPtr cbp, void *env) { lightingDevice* pEnv = (lightingDevice*) env; } void TraverseFunction() { lightingDevice data; //I presume this fetches all defined symbols. I'm only interested in Lighting Devices is there something I can do or is there no need for concern? gSDK->ForEachObject( allSymbolDefs, MyCallBack, & data ); //Attempting to write to a file for inspection. Let me know if there is a better way ofstream MyFile("filename.txt"); // Write to the file MyFile << data.instrument_type; // Close the file MyFile.close(); } }; // Object to format the data with. struct lightingDevice { string instrument_type; string fixture_mode; string wattage; string position; string channel; string patch; string circuit_number; string circuit_name; ... };

Hi I am a newcomer to this and I was wondering if Library is still functional? Vectorworks hasn't changed that much since 2018 and I'm mainly working with symbol data. I would love to take some of my python scripts and turn them into plugins, how does that process work? Thanks

I am on Mac, but I'm looking to make things cross platform. Unfortunately the SDK seems like the simplest option given the constraints. And since I have the python script flushed out I should only need to create a class and create the same functionality in C++ That being said, what are the equivalent methods for these vs:functions: - vs.GetRField(h,"Lighting Device","Inst Type") - vs.GetName(h) - vs.GetClass(h) - vs.GetLName(vs.GetLayer(h)) - vs.GetSymLoc(h), - vs.GetSymRot(h), - vs.Count(lightingInstrumentCriteria) Also can I assume that the set methods are similar but need a method name change? ie VCOM::GetRField(h, "Lighting Device", "Inst Type") => VCOM::SetRField(...) I don't know if that's the correct syntax just an example Also I've been using these scripts for referencing: https://github.com/brageiversen/vectorworksPlugins/blob/main/ImportExport/ImportLightingInstrumentsJSON.py https://github.com/brageiversen/vectorworksPlugins/blob/main/ImportExport/ExportLightingInstrumentsJSON.py Thanks

That solves the Sending side, but I'm having a hard time figuring out the receive. Creating the script isn't an issue, but figuring out how to run it without user intervention is since it would be annoying to need to press a button each time you want to get your data. Can anything be done externally, where VW gets a message (localhost network) and that can be used to run a script? If not then I'll probably need to look into the SDK

Well that scraps the first plan I had. And I'm not quite ready to take the C++ red pill yet. Is is possible to execute a script with a button push? I believe we can make buttons in python my next idea is to execute a similar script with button pushes and keybindings. The idea would be every time a user saves this script runs. Thoughts?