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MattG

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Posts posted by MattG

  1. In my Document Preferences I uncheck the box that says create dimensions in dimension class because I generally have lots of "types" of dimensions and they are generally on different classes. I know I can use the same logic and have my new classes use at creation with the fill. I am just trying to figure out when I have nothing selected and my attribute fill set to white and then I create a dimension why it acts differently then other objects in not taking on that fill. Just more strange to me more then anything.

  2. Probably a easy one for someone, but I cannot seem to figure it out.

    In my starter template I have some custom dimension styles. No matter what I do though I cannot make the text appear with a fill without first dimensioning what I need to dimension then re-selecting the text and changing the fill.

    Anyone know how to do this?

    Thanks,

    Matt

  3. So say using spotlight as a example. There are a bunch of lights in the spotlight library in the ETC file for source 4 lekos. So many of the lekos have the same graphic body. What they have for a lot of it is a symbol called "body" that is used in various source 4 symbols. The only thing that changes is the symbol for each individual light that has the body symbol nested and the text to differentiate each symbol on top.

    Does that part make sense?

    So in my scenario I was hoping to do the same thing, but for lack of a better way of explaining it, have text that is linked to a record in the symbol that is nested in the other symbol. I know this probably won't work, but I am hoping someone has a good idea. The equivalent is having the part that in the source 4 "body" have text in it that is linked. But I know that this will not probably work.

    Reason being is the guys I work with want to see a different layout and I am looking for a way to get all the text that is linked to attributes across all my symbols to move and reformat together.

    Matt

  4. I have a symbol library of symbols that represent cable items in our lighting inventory. I have a sort of "default" symbol, that I use as a nested symbol in others to get consistent geometry. What we like to see is different colors in our symbols. I have a color border that I change from symbol to symbol that is something our guys like to see on drawings.

    However I made this library of 60 ish symbols with text linked to records and certain records already filled in based on the symbol. I now notice that I do not fully like the layout of the text and the format of the text.

    Two part question. Is there anyway of having the text that I linked in the symbol that is nested in the symbol with the color. Meaning once I change that text layout it will follow thru with all the symbols that have the color notation and still be able to go to the data tab in the OIP and enter the data needed. Secondly how can I can I reformat all the text with records assigned to them globally? Any ideas? I used to have this one font assigned to them that I don't like any more. Now I want to change them all and I did not use a text style as that was not a feature when I built most of these. I tried applying a new text style and it half worked it took the correct font but not the right size and it started acting a bit goofy.

    Matt

  5. I have a default template that I start most files from and I have preset label legends with a symbol we can call "symbol A" as the light that is used as the Lighting Instrument Layout Symbol. I am working on a file that I did not start and just editing. I want to import my label legends. I open my starter template and pull in the label legends and containers into the new file.

    So far so good. I assigned the labels to the fixtures in the new file. Because there are not any of the "symbol A" the layouts do not show a symbol to match the legends too and I am not able to choose a different Lighting Instrument to be the Layout Symbol. When they are applied to the fixtures in the file the layout is all sorts of wrong, and I cannot edit it.

    I use a number of different legends per file and I prefer to not have to recreate them in every file. Is there a way to work around this?

    Matt

  6. We just purchased a Roland printer to make labels on. This printer prints from a separate software Roland Versaworks. The machine has a cutter on it to allow for cutting out of prints and lettering and such. How it does this is in Adobe Illustrator you install a color swatch pallet they provide. Then anything with the cut contour color is removed.

    Is there a way to take that illustrator swatch pallet and make that a color pallet in Vectorworks. This way I can draw the cuts as a class in Vectorworks and eliminate dumping everything back into illustrator?

    Thanks,

    Matt

  7. I didn't want to do the convert to lines only because it then negates the very idea of viewports if I make any major changes.

    On the other note I am doing that and it does work as it should. The only bummer is that my drawing is semi detailed with a lot of things that intersect each other that is creating a lot of polygons.

    I am semi on the fence if I use that or just trace over the overall geometry or similar.

  8. I am trying to make placards for a set piece I made that will go on the set carts.

    I have a 3d drawing of my set and I made a sheet layer with the view I want. What I am is that someone out there knows how I might be able to go into the viewport annotation and use the paint bucket tool to select areas. I do not believe this is working like that which I did not expect, but I was hoping there might be a work around. I am hoping that I could do something like this to "hightlight" pieces that go on a certain cart and so forth.

    Any thought?

    Matt

  9. I know this has been covered before, but I am going to ask again. I am working on a detail drawing in 3D I have a large cylinder that had threads on it that I want to model in 3D. How could I do this? I know there are various tools like screws and things that show threads but this is a custom thing and I know the dimensions I am just curious how I could model the thread on the cylinder. Any suggestions?

    Matt

  10. Very true, didn't think about using the two way worksheet function. That may not be a bad idea.

    I get the idea and I understand why it is the way it is. However I wish there was a way to have say two types of fields in a record format. Ones that are always referenced and ones that are dependent on values after inertion. Kinda of like how title blocks work if you "S_NAME" or "P_NAME" you get if something effects all title blocks of individual instances. Same idea.

    I find this to be a huge problem if I replace when I want to items to keep the record value they just had.

    Either way maybe just a venting moment.

    Matt

  11. I am curious if anyone has a way to update symbols that are already in place in a drawing that have a record attached to them when the record has been changed for the symbol.

    I have Symbol "A" and it has a record to it. The symbols record needed to be amended so I go to the resource browser and update it by editing the symbol and the record attached to it. Then I go back and it still has the values in the fields that it previously had. I understand this is how it works, but is there a way around this?

    I know I could do a custom selection replace the symbols with something then replace them back with the right one and it updates, but that seems like a unneeded step.

    Any thought?

  12. Okay so using the file attached, sorry pdf only but you can see what I am talking about.

    We hang all these motors to the ceiling whatever that may be, however the RED ones are ones that do not ever actually go to the ceiling. This is say we have a truss the is picked up by 5 motors and there are 3 motors underneath that are used to pick up scenic pieces or other trusses or something along those lines.

    I uploaded a screen shot showing my record I have attached. I have a field labeled UP/DOWN. I want to exclude anything with a value of Motor Down from my report on the PDF on the side there. Sometimes I will have almost as many sub hung as points to the ceiling and it makes me have to scale down my report to a much smaller amount then I would like.

    As far as I know in regards to the classes it would not be relevant as items still count unless I exclude that class and know to put everything in that class. But I prefer to not have to deal with that portion of it.

    Thanks for any help.

    Matt

  13. I have a worksheet with databases I have created to denote where my rigging points are for stage set ups. Basically this is a X & Y center of certain sybmols that have a record attached to them.

    I have some that I would like to now show the X & Y for. Is there a way in my database header string to put a exclude if a record field value equals something? Basically I have this list showing what motors dimensions attach to the ceiling. I want that worksheet to show those motors and not the motors that do not attach to the ceiling. Both motors have the same record and that is useful because they are counted in other worksheets. I just want the ones listed as "down" to be excluded from a count.

    Any thoughts on that?

    Matt

  14. I am having some major issues. I have a scenic drawing for a project I received in AutoCAD and the set is almost entirely in 3D which is good. The geometry in AutoCAD is mostly 3D mesh objects. I prefer to work in Vectorworks, but for some reason when I import the AutoCAD file it comes in without any of the 3D Scenic geometry. It is not a referenced file or anything. In fact the entire set is one block. That block does not come in with the import. I have tried exploding the block prior to import and no luck.

    Can anyone help give me some ideas as to why this is happening? Is it a import issue or can vector works just not handle 3D Mesh geometry from AutoCAD?

    Matt

  15. I am sure this has been brought up many times, but does anyone know a good way to reduce the file size of a drawing that has a large quantity of polylines? In this case I have a 2D drawing of some artwork made in illustrator. I exported the illustrator file to a .dwg and imported it. When I opened it it would up looking good and correct. My issue is that the artworks was pretty detailed and I do not need that level of detail for my purposes. I am hoping there is a command that I do not know about that would allow me to reduce the polyline count/size.

    Anyone have a technique for this?

    Matt

  16. I have a line drawing of some sprocket assembly thing for lack of a better explanation. I need to show some images in said assembly. The assembly is all individual lines 1,784 to be exact. I have tried grabbing and composing, however most do not touch. I need to show some images inside of portions of the assembly. My images are not perfectly sized and edited and wont ever really be. I am hoping there is a way I can add a solid fill of my choosing to the assembly minus some area that are wanting the images. Is there any way short of ripping out my hair that I can apply a fill with out composing/making solids of the areas i don't want to see the images?

    I know in AutoCAD there is a hatch option for insertion that lets you select a point and it interpreted the area inside of the geometry. That is what I am looking for but I fear I am going to be out of luck.

    Any thought out there?

  17. I have a sheet layer that has a viewport of my drawing in top plan on it. I want to take a section of the view in the viewport. I select the viewport and create a section viewport and everything works out well.

    Now I want to move that section line say 3' one direction or another. How do I do that without recreating the section viewport as I have annotations and other things on it.

    matt

  18. That worked as explained. I know this is wishing a bunch but in a perfect world the geometry would be editable within the shell. Does that make sense? I have 6 flat surfaces that are all getting one texture. The surfaces move. I am hoping to have the texture mapped the way I set it up initially with the shell then be able to move piece one around a bit and take the mapping for where it lands on the mapped shell. I realize this is probably a pipe dream, but just thought I would share what I am trying to achieve.

    Thanks for the help with this appreciate it.

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