Total weight of truss systems - Reports

[Cristiano Alves]

Good evening.
I want to get some clarification about calculating the total weight of truss systems.
I don't have Braceworks, but I would still like to get a report of the total weight of all my truss systems with lighting and video equipment hanging from them.
How can I make this type of report? Is there any video tutorial I can watch? (All the ones I found mention Braceworks).
Another question is:

• Do you consider the weights of the motors as a weight for the whole system?
• Is the weight of the truss system itself considered in the report?
• How can I consider the weight of the cable on all truss system weights?
• How can I consider the weights of the Slings considered in the report?
• How I can create a report with the total weight by LED screen?

 

Best Regards
Thank you for your help
Cristiano

[Scott C. Parker]

You can create a report for each truss system. A bit time consuming, but it's the way to go. When I was doing more show drafting, I used a third party plugin made by @Sam Jones which has a command to do this same thing. It gathers and reports weight of everything selected. Still, one truss system at a time, but wicked fast. I made a 30 second video a while back showing how it works. https://youtu.be/GD300L0gqVo

 

 

 

[Sam Jones]

For Sam Jones it is best to send an email to

sjones@autoplotvw.com

His website is www.autplotvw.com

[Cristiano Alves]

9 hours ago, Scott C. Parker said:

You can create a report for each truss system. A bit time consuming, but it's the way to go. When I was doing more show drafting, I used a third party plugin made by @Sam Jones which has a command to do this same thing. It gathers and reports weight of everything selected. Still, one truss system at a time, but wicked fast. I made a 30 second video a while back showing how it works. https://youtu.be/GD300L0gqVo

 

 

 

Hello @Scott C. Parker and @Sam Jones, fisrt of all thank you for help

I managed to create weight reports, however I want to be sure what they contain.

 

Any reason to use the @Sam Jones plugin and not the native vectorworks tool?
Sorry I'm very very new on paperwork on vectorworks.

 

 

But all of this workflow is strange for me, check the example below.

LED Screen vs Softgoods weight calculation:

Regarding weight calculations, for example:

In Softgoods we can select which measure we want to choose for the calculation: Linear Yard, Square Yard, Square Meter. Nor does the Linear Meter appear.

 

I find it strange how the weight of the LED Screen is calculated.

 

The values for the "Distributed Weight" are in kg/m (linear), and it doesn't let me choose for "Square Meter".
I don't understand how I can calculate the weight of several LED Sceeen with different heights, because in this case the Kg/m (linear) will be completely different.

Am I missing something here?

[Scott C. Parker]

7 hours ago, Cristiano Alves said:

Any reason to use the @Sam Jones plugin and not the native vectorworks tool?

Well, you would need to compare the two workflows and see which one works best for you. Sam's tools allows a free preview for a set period of time.

 

7 hours ago, Cristiano Alves said:

LED Screen vs Softgoods weight calculation:

Yes, they do differ. Tools in VW are developed over different timelines depending on user needs and software capabilities. The square footage of drapes came about after user suggestions that the tool take the published weight of soft goods, as listed on various drape company websites, and calculate the total weight based on the curtain finished sizes. @C. Andrew Dunning is the foremost expert on how this works.
Putting per panel weights into the LED screen tool has been suggested and is on our list of wishes for improvement.

When I need to calculate LED screen weights, I often add a distributed weight using the rigging load tool after I've figured out how much my LED wall weighs from an excel worksheet.

 

These are all great suggestions and we keep track. Keep them coming..

Best, Scott

 

[Sam Jones]

7 hours ago, Cristiano Alves said:

Any reason to use the @Sam Jones plugin and not the native vectorworks tool?

 

Nope.  If the VW tool works for you, you are good.  As Scott said, their is a fully functional trial period for the AutoPlot Tools, but there is a good chance that looking at the video Scott mentions will show you all you need to know.

 

[C. Andrew Dunning]

27 minutes ago, Scott C. Parker said:

Putting per panel weights into the LED screen tool has been suggested and is on our list of wishes for improvement.

 

This feature is currently part of the Landru Design version of the tool.  Individual module/panel weights can be input, which the tool then uses to calculate, for example, an overall wall weight.  As you change panel counts, the weight updates.

 

[Mark Aceto]

1 hour ago, C. Andrew Dunning said:

 

This feature is currently part of the Landru Design version of the tool.  Individual module/panel weights can be input, which the tool then uses to calculate, for example, an overall wall weight.  As you change panel counts, the weight updates.

 

This is probably the number one reason why I use the Landru plugin instead of the stock plugin. Entering a total weight for a screen that will invariably be edited (whether array size / number of panels or a different product with different weights) is risking user error and, frankly, unsafe (not to mention, a complete pain in the butt). There are many other reasons but that is the dealbreaker for the stock tool for me. "Garbage in, garbage out."

 

[Mark Aceto]

9 hours ago, Cristiano Alves said:

Sorry I'm very very new on paperwork on vectorworks.

 

A time-saving workflow for the LED screen tool (and many other plugins): let's say you frequently use Roe CB5 tiles, so you're referencing the cut sheet spec's, and entering the data in the OIP. Save that plugin object to your user library as a red symbol. Then, on future projects, you just drag that red symbol from the Resource Manager to the design layer, and edit the array size as necessary (vs reinventing the wheel every time). That's possible because you can enter the weight, watts, etc for each individual tile.

 

Speaking of watts, the Landru tool calcs the total watts (from memory the stock tool does not).

 

Also, best in class built-in text display... 

 

BTW both developers are very responsive (or so I've heard 😜).

[Peter Neufeld.]

Hello,

I know it's not a report but the enclosed file has a data tag that dynamically shows all weights on a Hanging Position (has to be a HP). You don't need Braceworks for this.

 

Cheers,

Peter

1400546800_DataTagExamplev2023.vwx

[spettitt]

It's important to remember header and spreader bar weight as well as as the panel weight - these can be significant.

 

IMO any future revision to the LED wall tool should have the same level of product-awareness as the Speaker Array tool in Symbol mode. Header bars are analogous to bumps, panels analogous to speaker boxes.

 

Header bars also define the available pickup points for the wall - not accurate to assume a 12m wide wall is a 12m distributed load if the first pickups are 750mm inwards from the end of the wall.

[Mark Aceto]

11 hours ago, spettitt said:

IMO any future revision to the LED wall tool should have the same level of product-awareness as the Speaker Array tool in Symbol mode. Header bars are analogous to bumps, panels analogous to speaker boxes.

 

@C. Andrew Dunning I swear I didn't pay him to say this.

[Cristiano Alves]

On 2/26/2023 at 3:14 AM, Peter Neufeld. said:

Hello,

I know it's not a report but the enclosed file has a data tag that dynamically shows all weights on a Hanging Position (has to be a HP). You don't need Braceworks for this.

 

Cheers,

Peter

1400546800_DataTagExamplev2023.vwx 6.71 MB · 0 downloads

Thank you so much @Peter Neufeld.
This help me to understand better how work the DataTags.

I'm trying understand how you get some values:

 

Name:
For the name or Weight you use a Tag Field Defenition: #Light Position Obj#.#Position Name#
Why you get a "light" Position? This TAG don't work for a video truss?

Distnce from SL:

I dont understand how you calculate this.
Can you help me?

How can I import this example to my "personal library"?
 

Edited February 27, 2023 by Cristiano Alves

[Peter Neufeld.]

Hi Cristiano,

For many versions, Hanging Positions were called 'Light Position Objects' hence why that field is used. I suppose there is too much going on internally to change everything over so it is a remnant of history. If you are a relatively new user then I can understand that this wouldn't make sense. I hope it does now.

 

The field for the Setting Line is using this function:

 

 

Which just means Y = 0.

 

In order to use it in another file just import it like any resource.  Data Tags are very powerful and best explored starting with this first page in the Help.

 

Good luck!

Peter

 

PS This will only work for Hanging Positions.