C. Andrew Dunning

Assuming you are meaning our version of the LED tool, there are several differences. Here are a few of the things that are unique to our version: 3D text blocks. Several additional text fields. Ability to collapse parts of the OIP. Inclusion of the Coverage Zone feature found in the other video tools. Display of secondary dimension units allowing users to display array dimensions in, for example, meters if drawing units are in feet and inches. Ability to build half-tiles. Ability to miter vertical edges of end tiles. Weight and power estimates automatically re-calculate as tile counts change. While the tools don't have a specific way to track that information, you could use the "Raster" or "Note" field for that. I hope that this answers some of your questions. Feel free to ask if you have more.

Click the "Simple 2D" or "Simple 3D" toggle.

The LED tool lets you input the horizontal and vertical pixel counts of a given panel and then the tool will calculate the overall counts. Is this what you're asking? No. The parts of the panels can be assigned to different Classes but the assignments will be the same for every panel.

Showing my cards a bit...this is a good example of a convention being created to address 1 specific need/request that ended up up with a parade of "...what abouts..." and, actually, more functionality than originally anticipated. MANY thanks to those of you who gave valuable input!

Happy September! Assuming you've seen the announcements regarding Vectorworks 2024® and are eager to dive in...this week we posted new builds for all of our tools. These builds insure compatibility with Vectorworks 2024® and include updated content files. In terms of new features, in addition to the recent enhancements in the VideoScreen tools, AudioBox 2 has now gotten some special attention: "Yoke Up" and "Yoke Down" have been replaced by a single "Yoke" option with a variable tilt angle. Yokes now attach to truss correctly and speaker, tilt, and rotation changes are made relative to that attachment point. (Speakers no longer jump away from trusses when you make adjustments!) Speaker Symbols can now take advantage of a new "part" system, allowing you to do things like use custom yoke and clamp geometry, define custom yoke pivot points, and designate custom dispersion origins. (Be sure to see the manual for more information.) These updates are for Vectorworks 2020© and newer. If you have purchased one of our tool sets or a Producer's Pack 3 license since January 1, 2023, applicable updates are available to you free-of-charge. E-mail me for a link, password, and and a key code. (As a user, you know the address...) Everyone else, see https://www.landrudesign.com/VWPlugIns.htm for more info.

Think of them as enhanced versions of those that ship as part of Spotlight. (For example, in our version of the LED tool, weights and wattages update for "flat" walls as tile counts change. Our version of the tool also allows for mitered end edges.) Regarding the Tiling Command, because it is pretty rudimentary and has some limitations, it isn't distributed as part of our stock packages. I do share it with our users who ask - as it is still pretty useful.

I build the given array a VS4-LED (the Landru Design version of the Spotlight tool) instance for each LED panel. I then use a Command I created that adjusts image scaling and shifting so that each panel displays a portion of the whole image: Building the array takes a few minutes and applying and adjusting the image takes seconds...

If you're getting TV errors w. AudioArray 2, that is a REAL mystery... 😉 If you can send me a demo file w. step-by-step actions that produce a repeatable error I'll see if I can figure out what is going on. W/o both, it is going to be incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to figure out what might be going on.

Pros: - HP is one element. Click once and drag (no Right-Click + "Select System Objects") and all attached elements follow along. - Click HP and general weight info is displayed in the OIP. (Helpful for getting basic "order-of-magnitude" estimates.) - One name for the entire HP and one embedded label - not different names for individual truss sections or need for Data Tags.

Truth!!!

Insert one of your objects into a blank file. Run the "Export Script" command ([File][Export][Export Script...]) In the dialog that opens, select a target location and enter a name for your script file. A text file will be created containing VectorScript code required to create the elements in your VW file. Hope that helps...

I see this from time-to-time but have mostly written it off to the fact that I've got several tools that are currently in "development" mode with parameters and variables evolving.

I can replicate this w. the Landru Design version...

Can you just rearrange the stacking order of the Design Layers? 100% my pleasure. Happy to be able to help.

I actually take strong exception to the "old style" label as this approach has its clear strengths. I teach both methods - along with pros and cons of each.

You already have what you're wanting if you use the Design Layer Referencing approach instead of ViewPort Referencing. By using the former, you have full control over Class and Design Layer visibilities - both, on-the-fly (and, leveraging Saved Views) and via Sheet Layer ViewPorts. The catch is that the Referenced file's Class list then gets added to your working file's - thus, one of the main "points" if using ViewPort Referencing.

In the "__VS-ModData" Record "Type" must = "TV" for Television casing models. That same Record is also used by projectors and stands so that value is needed to differentiate between the different model types. I just tested this with the file you posted and things worked as-expected.

No. The tool requires a Hatch - though, you can change the Hatch definition if you wish.

The Coverage Zone feature lets the user see the theoretically "ideal" viewing area for a given screen based on the screen's height, width, or diagonal measurement. The "Near" and "Far" parameters are multipliers of one of those references. Different content (and a particular user) drives different references and multipliers. For example: IMAG: 8 x Width Detailed images (like spreadsheets and/or graphs: 5 x Width. Viewers within the given generated arc would (in-theory) be able to see clearly the given content type. So...if the arcs from a given screen don't cover an audience well for a given content type, I either need bigger screens or more of them. Different designers have different multipliers they like for given content types. Make sense? BTW...anyone reading this ever see a document that was floating around a few years ago that cited different ideal multipliers for different content? If so...and, if you have access to that document or know where one can find it, would you mind sharing? I saw it but have not been able to "re-find" it. I know what I like but would love to be able to point our users to standards that may exist.

See https://www.vectorworks.net/en-US/support/custom/vscript/example for examples of commands and objects. See "ScriptFunctionReference.html," found in "...Vectorworks 2024\VWHelp\Script Reference" for basic call information. See https://developer.vectorworks.net/index.php/Main_Page for more in-depth info on calls and other details. Ask questions here as other developers can be a wealth of information and tend to be more than willing to share.

Resurrecting an old thread as I found it when having Project Sharing / Dropbox issues. I've had pretty good success with P.S. via Dropbox...until today when demoing for a client. LONG delays in the Project file being available (10+ minutes) after Save/Commit. Project file disappearing from the Dropbox folder when Save/Commits done - and Working files getting disconnected from the Project file. Edits not being seen in Working files. Multiple requests for Admin. resets. All computers are running VW 2023. Only 4 users. Project file is 119MB. We tried: Connecting via a network other than the client's WAN. Creating new Working files. Creating a new/different Project file - on different computers. The demo is over but I'd like to get a handle on possible issues & fixes so a) I can update my client and b) we don't see a repeat. Thanks for any help...

FWIW, I've paid LOTS of "stupid tax" by making units assumptions early on...

@SamIWas, 2 things...: Be sure to include appropriate units markers in your code for any hard-coded dimensions. If you do that, VW will convert dimensions on-the-fly for you. As @MullinRJ recommended, you can use GetPrefReal(152) {Units Per Inch} to do things like converting given OIP dimensions to mm: IF ValidNumStr (GetRfield(PIOHANDLE,PIONAME,'DIMENSIONVALUE'),DIMENSIONVARIABLE) THEN BEGIN END; DIMENSIONinMM:= DIMENSIONVARIABLE*(25.4/GetPrefReal(152));

Greetings from Nashville, TN, USA!!! Earlier this month we posted new builds for all of the Landru Design versions of many of the Spotlight tools. These builds fix a few obscure bugs and add some small features. For example...: Resource Manager folders are created on-the-fly and Resources are automatically moved/inserted into them as things like Textures and Record formats are imported and/or generated. Several data fields have been added (more in some tools than others). With this have been appropriate adjustments to embedded text (2D & 3D) display. The Audio ToolSet tools' OIPs and dispersion geometry have been refined. SoftGoods 2 now has a "Traveler" toggle, affecting weight and panel count calculations for "open" curtains. The VideoScreen 4 projector tools' Multiple-Projector tag is now moveable and can use different alignments. VS4-LED now offers mitered left and right-end vertical edges (resulting in more seamless curved and "corner" arrays) and half-tiles. This update will likely be one of the last for Vectorworks 2019©. So...if you're one of our users who has been dragging your feet in terms of getting current, now might be the time... Many thanks to the folks who made suggestions and who helped steer the new features! Fee free to reach out w. questions...

As @Kevin Allen said, users of the Landru Design versions of the tools have access (by asking) to a VERY BASIC VideoTile Command. Here is a simple demo using 174 tiles: