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I'm dreaming of a space inventory


DianaK

Question

When I have a job that has a handful of spaces, I will create a worksheet for each space that reads off every symbol, and if possible, every entertainment plug-in object in that space to create a little worksheet that I can stick on a plate that shows a list of every item that rolls into that room.

 

Today I am looking at a job with over 300 rooms/spaces and I don't want 300 worksheets. I want to use a datatag, so if I have an add/update, I only have to edit the style once. In the past, I have used a workaround by turning every single object into a lighting symbol, and using an instrument summary, but that is not realistic for both of the conversion and unnecessary file bloat, and that it would still only work with the undesirable worksheet scenario.

 

I'm dreaming of a datatag  that connects to a space, and then lists  inventory of every symbol and plug-in object, including complicated entertainment plug-in objects, in that space. I just need the name of those objects and a total count for each type. I don't need every last drape, detail, etc.

 

Does something like this exist somewhere?  If not, then this is my request.

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You must have a gig at the Taj Mahal.

 

Are you currently using space objects for locations?  Or just geometry?

 

And are you currently using either of those as criteria in your worksheet?

 

My first thought would be to attach a record to each space object or whatever the room geometry is.  Then use a script to write the symbol names and PIO names to that record.  It might just be a long string.  But it would be possible capture that record field in a data tag.

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The only way I have been able to do this is via a Worksheet Script that basically compares every object in the drawing to every Space.  The person I sent it to said it was too slow (10s of minutes to recalculate) to be useful.

 

I think you will have a hard time getting a Data Tag to do this as Space (or Loc) is not a property of the object, so there is no way to optimize the search.

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I think there are probably several scripting solutions and which one is used would depend on the workflow.  Questions that would inform a solution are, but not exclusively

1. Is there a geometry that defines each space?  Space objects or polygons it doesn't matter.

2. Is there a name that is attached to that geometry either by record or the name field at the bottom of the OIP?  If not, can there be?

3. In the absence of the above, can all the objects you want to be attached to a space be selected, other than clicking on them one at a time?

 

I think data tags will breakdown under the weight of object numbers pretty quickly, but that would depend on the object numbers obviously.  Placing worksheets on the drawing performing the function you want the data tag to do would provide on the fly control of format and location, but there are a variety of display options that can be moved around if the heavy lifting is done by the script.

 

If you want to talk about it, let me know.  I'm sitting at my computer nursing a broken foot, toying with a script for a current user.

 

Sam

sjones@autoplotvw.com

on Pacific time.

Edited by Sam Jones
punctuation correction
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I don't have a Data Tag solve.  I did face a similar, albeit small situation where I had 40ish breakout rooms.  Sharing my workflow, and maybe one of the wizards above might see a scripting opportunity!

 

On my ground plan layer, I added named polygons on a layer called "zHide Floor Plan Boundaries".   I found that we had digital signage and queue lines that extended beyond the drawn floor plan, so separate poly's were necessary.

 

I made a worksheet that looked how I wanted of Spotlight elements (and square footage of queue lines).

 

image.thumb.png.a78d1557c30acb54aac1e2b5e00c0b34.png

 

 

 

I edited the database formula to include "LOC=A1".

 

 

image.thumb.png.b8b0365cb5a1424055d80e2d3b8eedff.png

 

Lastly I made a worksheet that listed the named objects on the ground plan boundary layer.  With 40 rooms, I could place a re-named copy of the worksheet on the drawing, and edit A1 to match the named polygon.

 

The upside is that you make one worksheet, and edit one cell, and that's all the work to make it specific for each space.  We also explored making the worksheet look alot like the vendor's estimate format, for easier error correction.

 

I do think that sounds terrible to do by hand at 300 rooms.  

 

Following this thread, because I have this show again this fall- and any improved workflow would be wonderful!

Edited by trevorgooch
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14 hours ago, michaelk said:

You must have a gig at the Taj Mahal.

 

Are you currently using space objects for locations?  Or just geometry?

 

And are you currently using either of those as criteria in your worksheet?

 

My first thought would be to attach a record to each space object or whatever the room geometry is.  Then use a script to write the symbol names and PIO names to that record.  It might just be a long string.  But it would be possible capture that record field in a data tag.

Locations.  I make them white with a barely perceptible grey border underlaying everything because I make them fast and loose under existing geometry on an always grey or invisible layer.  

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13 hours ago, Sam Jones said:

 

1. Is there a geometry that defines each space?  Space objects or polygons it doesn't matter.

2. Is there a name that is attached to that geometry either by record or the name field at the bottom of the OIP?  If not, can there be?

3. In the absence of the above, can all the objects you want to be attached to a space be selected, other than clicking on them one at a time?

 

 

 

If you want to talk about it, let me know.  I'm sitting at my computer nursing a broken foot, toying with a script for a current user.

 

  1. I use a space object (Event Design>Create spaces from polys) to defined the geometry. I can almost never use a paint bucket to create that space shape even though that would be ideal, so I usually just drop a dirty rectangle down and make it barely visible.
  2. I do name that space though, I think I use  Custom Space Name field as the partial workaround for space "Names" or something like that.
  3. I have found was worksheets that if you drop a symbol within the confines of a space they do become sufficiently affiliated to create a worksheet where the criteria is any object with a space name of whatever. I just can't create 300 worksheets and then keep up with edits for all of them.
  4. I would be interested in talking, I am pretty swamped, so I will reach out as soon as I get a chance, if I get a chance before I go OOO.
Edited by DianaK
clarification
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7 hours ago, trevorgooch said:

The upside is that you make one worksheet, and edit one cell, and that's all the work to make it specific for each space.  

This is pretty much what I normally do.  Though One time I did it and had to do an edit, which meant I had to do the same edit to all 26 rooms' worksheets.  Which taught me that I definitely don't want to do the separate duplicated worksheet system for this job!  

 

If only I could make a worksheet that was like a plug in object, or has a style.  I could have the entirety of the worksheet controlled by style, except for the one element that I wanted to be controlled by instance, which would be the criteria of Space Name (I found I use Custom Space Name field as the partial workaround for space "Names")

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40 minutes ago, Kevin Allen said:

Have you considered a graphic legend?

Videos for that are in my inbox labeled "watch what you get a free second"  I guess that time needs to be now.  I've seen Graphic Legend preview info, but not a deep nuts and bolts yet.  Glad to have a lesson if anyone has the time.  Do you know that it can be used to read off the contents of a Space?

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@DianaK if I understand the assignment, you'd like to slap a data tag on each space, and it will report the inventory (and auto update).

 

For example:

  • Space No. 299
  • 8x Folding Table 6'
  • 24x Painful Chair
  • 4x Lava lamp
  • 1x Corgi

Then, once the viewports are populated on the plates, Bob's your uncle.

 

If so, that sounds achievable (and a genius workflow; super efficient). It may involve a worksheet formula in the data tag.

 

I kind of want @michaelk to quickly script a PIO called Spacey... Yikes--maybe a less handsy name like... Roomie.

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I'm also thinking about a custom record format so you can divide and conquer onsite:

  • Assign names of who's responsible for each room
  • Possible prep stuff like case and truck packs... which truck you want first... 
  • Head counts for meals / food service?
  • Breakouts for everything from graphics to power... 

The Space tool is a good start but it's the Devil's plugin. Godspeed... 

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23 minutes ago, Lunar Waneshaft said:

@DianaK if I understand the assignment, you'd like to slap a data tag on each space, and it will report the inventory (and auto update).

 

For example:

  • Space No. 299
  • 8x Folding Table 6'
  • 24x Painful Chair
  • 4x Lava lamp
  • 1x Corgi

Then, once the viewports are populated on the plates, Bob's your uncle.

 

If so, that sounds achievable (and a genius workflow; super efficient). It may involve a worksheet formula in the data tag.

 

I kind of want @michaelk to quickly script a PIO called Spacey... Yikes--maybe a less handsy name like... Roomie.

Exactly correct, except it is usually 2x Corgis

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30 minutes ago, DianaK said:

Glad to have a lesson if anyone has the time.

Happy to help.as I recall, it was pretty straight forward, my issues were with the limitations of the report formatting. Everything I wanted to report HAD to be a symbol, but I make almost everything into a symbol.

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20 minutes ago, Lunar Waneshaft said:

I'm also thinking about a custom record format so you can divide and conquer onsite:

  • Assign names of who's responsible for each room
  • Possible prep stuff like case and truck packs... which truck you want first... 
  • Head counts for meals / food service?
  • Breakouts for everything from graphics to power... 

The Space tool is a good start but it's the Devil's plugin. Godspeed... 

Yes and no, because if you go down this road, including several things I currently track in schedule rather than layouts, then you have to move a metric F-ton of other schedule capabilities into VWX too, which I'm more than happy to discuss, but is definitely a major undertaking, to meet the capabilities of my current excel scheduling system.  Don't want to manage schedule info in two places.

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3 minutes ago, Kevin Allen said:

Happy to help.as I recall, it was pretty straight forward, my issues were with the limitations of the report formatting. Everything I wanted to report HAD to be a symbol, but I make almost everything into a symbol.

Which brings to mind the interesting fact that when I created this original worksheet to read spaces, I had to do one database that called symbols, and then below it another that read off certain plug-in objects in order to display the entertainment symbols.  I think I couldn't get them both in one because the columns needed to look for different fields to read out the same info.  I'm not totally done processing options, but that's where I landed before I ran out of time on that project.

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24 minutes ago, DianaK said:

Yes and no, because if you go down this road, including several things I currently track in schedule rather than layouts, then you have to move a metric F-ton of other schedule capabilities into VWX too, which I'm more than happy to discuss, but is definitely a major undertaking, to meet the capabilities of my current excel scheduling system.  Don't want to manage schedule info in two places.

 

Just thinking this through... 

 

There will prob be lots of rectangles that aren't spaces that you won't want the data tag to attach to, so after tinkering around, I'm thinking you want to filter the data tag and its criteria (and the master database worksheet) by a custom record:

  • Room No.
  • Room Name
  • (anything else you want to include here as you see fit)

I'm just not sure what the worksheet function is to count the symbol and plugin objects within the rectangle (LOC) is but the dudes up there should be able to help with that.

 

ScreenShot2023-05-23at12_59_42.thumb.png.bbd7f875746ab8248eeb734f6f278535.png

 

Edited by Lunar Waneshaft
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There is a script solution here, but a better definition of the workflow and functionality is required.  I'm just getting confused now.  I was thinking

1. collect and identify spaces

2. collect and identify a filtered set of object types in each of those spaces

3. list object totals in each space.  The list needs to be able to be formatted and the formatting should propagate across all lists

4. (maybe) provide some worksheet editing capabilities

 

I will watch from the sidelines now.

 

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1 hour ago, Lunar Waneshaft said:

There will prob be lots of rectangles that aren't spaces that you won't want the data tag to attach to, so after tinkering around, I'm thinking you want to filter the data tag and its criteria (and the master database worksheet) by a custom record:

  • Room No.
  • Room Name
  • (anything else you want to include here as you see fit)

Space Objects already carry that data, so shouldn't need a separate record.  It would be duplicative.

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