Issues with Set Layer Marionette Node

[Alex Talbot]

Hi All,

I've been having some inconsistencies with the 'Set Layer' command that I've been trying to sort out. I have a few marionette scripts set up to automatically build and place lighting FOH setups, placing platforms, and then placing lighting consoles and media servers based on dropdown commands in the OIP. For the lighting consoles, I have had no problem getting them onto my 'lighting' layer, though I've had to place the 'Set Layer' node before any modifications (rotate, move etc). However, for the FOH Symbol (a library symbol made up of several different symbols for stairs, deck, legs, etc), the symbol will not take the layer command, no matter where in the sequence it is placed.

 

I've had similar issues with another marionette script I have built to build stages - the set layer command does not seem to work anywhere I place it in the sequence.

 

Is this the correct usage of the command, and are there any workarounds to make this command work properly? Thanks in advance!

 

[Juliensv]

Uh Wassup Alex 😅

 

Are any of your symbols or component symbols named or classed the exact same as the layer you want to set them to?

There's a bug with the command that Node uses to get the layers, that means it will miss a given layer if there are any classes, resources or named objects with that name.

 

If that's not the issue, you may also try grouping all the objects, setting the layer to that group, then ungrouping.

[Alex Talbot]

3 minutes ago, Juliensv said:

Uh Wassup Alex 😅

 

Are any of your symbols or component symbols named or classed the exact same as the layer you want to set them to?

There's a bug with the command that Node uses to get the layers, that means it will miss a given layer if there are any classes, resources or named objects with that name.

 

If that's not the issue, you may also try grouping all the objects, setting the layer to that group, then ungrouping.

 

This bug seems to be where the issue is stemming from actually. The components of the FOH symbol are all in classes like "Staging-Steel Deck" or "Staging-Pipe" and the layer I'm trying to apply them to is called 'Staging.' When I switch the set layer to Lighting, Structure, etc the node works fine. (Oddly enough, it won't set the layer to "Audio" either, but it will do all of my other standard layers.)

 

Thanks for the insight here! Have you found any workaround to this bug?

[Marissa Farrell]

@Alex Talbot

Could you provide me with a simple file that demonstrates the issue? I can look into a solution for you.

[Alex Talbot]

5 hours ago, Marissa Farrell said:

@Alex Talbot

Could you provide me with a simple file that demonstrates the issue? I can look into a solution for you.

Hey @Marissa Farrell,

I've attached the file I've been working off of - it has two main marionette scripts, and both are having the same layering issue. Thanks!

Marionetting.vwx

[Pat Stanford]

This file is behaving very strangely for me.

 

Even though all of the Layers are at the same scale and Show/Snap/Modify Others is selected, when I choose a layer other than Default, all of the Marionette objects disappear from my view.

 

Also, when I am on the Default layer, I can select the nodes, but the handles to move the wires never show up.

 

From a Best Practices standpoint, have the same names for Layers and Classes, while possible, is probably not a good idea. Vectorworks really does not like having multiple objects with the same name.  Perhaps you can prefix or suffix the Layer and Class names with a symbol.

 

Hopefully Marissa will be of more help.

[Marissa Farrell]

@Alex Talbot

Was this file originally created in 2023 or did you bring it forward from an earlier version? I assume an earlier version since the preprocessor code is missing from a handful of nodes.
If so, do you have the earlier version of the file?

[Marissa Farrell]

17 hours ago, Pat Stanford said:

Also, when I am on the Default layer, I can select the nodes, but the handles to move the wires never show up.

Are you in Top/Plan? I'm able to see the handles, but Marionette requires you to be in this view in order for the handles to appear. Just want to make sure you're not experiencing something else.

[Marissa Farrell]

@Alex Talbot

 

In case you're interested in what's happening, you have folders in your resource manager that have the same name as your layers, and the script is finding those first. Since a symbol on the drawing area can't be placed in a resource folder, they're defaulting to be placed on the active layer. I'll have to look into a way to handle this, but as others have said earlier in this thread, it's better to try to reduce similar names of objects throughout the document.

[Marissa Farrell]

This Set Layer node should solve the issue.

 

I'm adding a bug to our tracking software and will work to get a fix in for a later service pack.

Set Layer 2023_MFarrell.vwx

[Pat Stanford]

3 hours ago, Marissa Farrell said:

Are you in Top/Plan? I'm able to see the handles, but Marionette requires you to be in this view in order for the handles to appear. Just want to make sure you're not experiencing something else.

I am not positive that I was in Top/Plan, but I think I was.

 

Today I am able to move the wires, but the handles are showing as thin black open squares instead of the blue handles I am used to.

 

[Alex Talbot]

8 hours ago, Marissa Farrell said:

This Set Layer node should solve the issue.

 

I'm adding a bug to our tracking software and will work to get a fix in for a later service pack.

Set Layer 2023_MFarrell.vwx 89.97 kB · 2 downloads

@Marissa FarrellThanks! This node works great. Can you provide me the internal bug tracking number? I like to notate any bugs I run into so I can quickly check them when new service packs are released. 

[Marissa Farrell]

VB-193780