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Symbols/devices not updating


nickMUGS

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Hey hey

I'm pretty sure this isn't a bug since what I have doesn't work in previous versions but I wanted to point out the disconnect with this process and using other workspaces.

 

I start by making a device and saving it to the database and as a symbol. Then I decided to move a socket and add a image to the device. I did this through the edit 3D symbol, made my changes, exit symbol and found that there were no updates to the existing placed devices. Placing a new device would have the changes and I could go about making new edits but again no updates to the existing placements. 

 

The whole practice of making/using symbols would be to make changes once and all new/existing objects would be referenced. At least this is how lighting devices, truss, etc works. Is this a bug or is the programming logic not implemented here? I really don't want to change all my existing devices one by one.

Cheers -Nick

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

@nickMUGS This is not a bug. It is designed that way. Devices act like groups not symbols. Think of symbols as rubber stamps to create devices.

 

We don't like the idea of an edit to a symbol causing unintended consequences in parts of your drawing that may not be visible to you right now. Instead, you can easily apply changes between devices using the eyedropper mode of the Device tool. It is a lot safer. And it correctly handles changes to sockets that may be connected etc.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Conrad

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Got it thanks. Ok I've been changing my work patterns for this. But I came across something else that seems relatable to this topic.

 

I've been making my schems on sheet layers for breakout rooms and then duplicating the sheet layers. The changing of sockets and connections are different from layer to layer however location data is getting changed all the same between layers. Ex. I change the "Room" text on a projector in room 101A, and then all the same projectors get that text too even though they are on different sheet layers. It seems like device labels are disconnected but location labels are somehow linked.

How can I associate a device per room?

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee
10 hours ago, nickMUGS said:

Got it thanks. Ok I've been changing my work patterns for this. But I came across something else that seems relatable to this topic.

 

I've been making my schems on sheet layers for breakout rooms and then duplicating the sheet layers. The changing of sockets and connections are different from layer to layer however location data is getting changed all the same between layers. Ex. I change the "Room" text on a projector in room 101A, and then all the same projectors get that text too even though they are on different sheet layers. It seems like device labels are disconnected but location labels are somehow linked.

How can I associate a device per room?

Hello @nickMUGS,

 

Let me see if I got this correctly. So you have devices with the same name in different layers and different rooms? In ConnectCAD devices with the same name are treated as the same device with its schematics spread across multiple layers for better schematic connectivity based on signal flow, etc. That is why we try to keep the location data of devices with the same name in sync.

 

Best Regards,

Nikolay Zhelyazkov

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

@nickMUGS Duplicate-modify is a classic ConnectCAD workflow but there's one crucial step afterwards - Rename. ConnectCAD can't figure out the difference between intentional and unintentional duplicates. I find that running Check Drawing is a good way to make sure you haven't left any loose ends.

 

Best

 

Conrad

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On 9/27/2022 at 3:29 AM, Conrad Preen said:

Instead, you can easily apply changes between devices using the eyedropper mode of the Device tool.

@Conrad Preen You just saved me many, many, hours mentioning this little nugget. I had no idea. I've been having to delete a symbol, add back the new one, rename the device, and reconnect traces on every layer I might have that device on. I did a test on this and it also carries over any added records that might be associated to the device or a socket.

 

Is there any documentation anywhere that acts as a shortcuts handbook that has these types of useful workflows?

 

Thanks,

Alex

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

@alexmootv Hi Alex,

 

glad to be of help! Our mission is to give designers access to meals, sleep and a social life !!!

 

Our Tech Pubs team do a very thorough job of documenting the features of ConnectCAD and Vectorworks in general. I think the problem is that there's a lot of it and it is quite a dense read. And let's face it you have to be a certain kind of person to want to spend your free time reading a nice thick manual ! The missing part of the puzzle as far as I'm concerned is the "how-to" section. I continue to press for this. Meanwhile, there's a lot of information on this forum but the search tools are frankly bad. Probably the best bet is to use Google and restrict the search to this site. Best offer for now.

 

Conrad

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  • 1 year later...

Stumbled on this while trying to find a way to update a large number of devices.

 

I can certainly see the logic of not updating the drawing indiscriminately - however, this process becomes quite tedious for large numbers of updates.

 

May I suggest adding marquee select capability to the paint bucket tool?  That is, with the tool selected clicking on a device updates the device - as it does now.  Clicking not on a device starts a rectangular select that, when released, updates every device inside (subject to the filter settings such as 'same devices').  This would be a huge time saver.

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee
On 12/2/2023 at 11:51 PM, mwalker_mw said:

Stumbled on this while trying to find a way to update a large number of devices.

 

I can certainly see the logic of not updating the drawing indiscriminately - however, this process becomes quite tedious for large numbers of updates.

 

May I suggest adding marquee select capability to the paint bucket tool?  That is, with the tool selected clicking on a device updates the device - as it does now.  Clicking not on a device starts a rectangular select that, when released, updates every device inside (subject to the filter settings such as 'same devices').  This would be a huge time saver.

Hello @mwalker_mw,

 

You can use the paint bucket with multiple selection it is just that you should have the selection done before using the device tool. You can use the select similar tool to select all visible devices to make this quicker.

 

Best Regards,

Nikolay Zhelyazkov

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