Data Tag Style for Wall Width: change precision

[Bill]

With Vectorworks 2022 I have about 10 data tag styles that are working. Now I want to create one that displays the wall width. I am close.

In the Define Tag Field window:

    Data Source :  Record Format
    Format Name :  #Wall Record#
    Field Name  :  #Width#

With this Tag Field Definition

    #Wall Record#.#Width#

Result : 0.458

My guess was that it was the number of feet. After a little searching I edited the definition

    #Wall Record#.#Width# * 12.0

Result : 5.500

I ignored the extra zeroes and added a quote mark at the end to indicate feet

    #Wall Record#.#Width# * 12'

Result : 5.4999960000000e00'

I inserted a space before the quote

    #Wall Record#.#Width# * 12 '

Result : 5.500 '

My last step was to remove the last 2 zeroes, i.e. have a precision of 1. However, in the Define Tag Field window, the Units, Precision and Show unit/mark fields are greyed out.

Question 1: What has to be added to the tag field definition to control the precision, in my case I want the result to be 5.5

I read the help here :https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2022/eng/VW2022_Guide/Annotation2/Creating data_tag_styles.htm?rhmapfs=true#CSH_2476

In the "Editing a data tag style" section, step 8 describes the "Current Tag Field Definition" and gives some examples but doesn't point to the "language reference".

Question 2: Where can I find the "language reference", i.e. the syntax for the expressions that can be entered in the Tag Field Definition area?

 

Thanks,
Bill

[Pat Stanford]

Are you aware that VW2022 has an explicit WallThickness function? Is there a reason you need to pull from the Wall Record instead?

 

If you really want to keep yours, try the last ## block below to give you the desired precision and unit marks.

 

[Bill]

Hi Pat,

Thanks for the pointer, I will switch to the WallThickness function.

In the Define Tag Field window, I am now paying more attention to the "Data Source" and "Function" fields.

I had picked the "Wall Record, Width" field because that is the first thing I saw when I created the data tag. My file started out as a v11.5 Vectorworks file. Maybe that is where the Wall Record was created and carried over when I converted to 2022. I won't spend any more time figuring that out.

Question: Where can I find the documentation on the syntax for the #doc dist_1_1#, etc?

Thanks,
Bill

[Pat Stanford]

The formatting field is not well documented.  Check out #8 in the Creating Data Tag Styles in the help.

 

https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2023/eng/VW2023_Guide/Annotation2/Creating data_tag_styles.htm?rhsearch=data tag&rhhlterm=data tag tags tagged

 

Make sure you click the Click to Show/Hide Parameters and read the section on Data Source, especially the last 3 or 4 paragraphs.

 

Basically, if VW "knows" that the value in the tag is a "Dimension" (length, area, volume), then it can automatically convert the unit and precision. That last text block is generated by the Units and Precision pull downs in the Data Tag Dynamic Text box.

 

 

In the example, doc is specifying document units, but it could be m (meters), mm (millimeters), fi (Feet/Inches), etc. 

dist specifies that it is a distance not an area or volume.

_1_1 specifies the number of decimal points.

 

I thought I use to have a better Description of what the fields do, but I can't find it.  Sorry.  Best option is to just change the Units and Precision settings and "Add to Definition" and see what is generated.

 

 

[Bill]

Par, thanks for the education.