Truss count

[Carl Bonnevier]

Hello,

 

I am trying to make a truss count using the worksheets but can't seem to get it to act the way I want it to.

Basically I would like to create something that looks like this:

 

 

I can get a report that shows each truss by symbol name and which system it is part of (i.e. Count / Truss System / Name) but I can't group it together by system name and I havent even gotten to summarizing the total amount of each truss length/manufacturer.

Does anyone know of a way to make a report that looks like or functions like the google docs one i made manually (image)?

 

/Regards Carl

 

[Pat Stanford]

I think this could be developed using a Worksheet Database, but I don't use truss enough to know.

 

The database would need criteria to report every piece of truss separately.

 

I am assuming that the LX1 ... are the truss system and will be the same for each piece of truss in the system

 

The formula for each of the lengths would be something like:  =IF('truss'.'length'='3m', 1, 0). Change the record and field name as necessary. Also you will need to have an exact match of the length so if it is formatted as a number it would be just a 3 instead of '3m'.  Do the same for columns for the other lengths.

 

In the column with the truss system, click on the disclosure triangle and choose the SUMmarize option. 

In the columns with the lengths click on the disclosure triangle and choose the Sum Values option.

 

The totals will display in the database header row.  If you really want them at the bottom, you can use a simple formula like =B3 to take the value from the header row and put it where you want. There is an option in the Worksheet View menu to turn off the database headers if you don't want to see them in the final version. But leave them on until you get the worksheet working correctly.

 

Or if this does not make sense, post a file with some different truss systems and I will try and set it up for you.

 

HTH

[ASalien]

Hi Carl!

I tried to make you a quick example-file with a worksheet in it, that works well as a truss count: 

 

Take a look and let me know what you think or what would like different.

Truss count.vwx

[Carl Bonnevier]

Thanks for the help, I will try the file and to use Pats tips to see if I can make it how i want and get back to you.

[Nicholas Lazzaro]

Hello Pat, I wanted to piggy back off this discussion to describe an issue that I am having concerning Truss Counts and our team's collaborative workflow, where we have a dedicated rigging department with their own worksheets and our lighting department with their separate worksheets working single Project File drawing. 

Where we get into some issues, is when our Rigging department composes the rigging layer according to other departments plots, and the LX team converts their trusses to LX Positions in order for it collaborate with their sheets and Light wright.  When the Truss counts on the Rigging worksheets gets altered to LX positions the trusses in the LX Positions will not be read by the Truss Count Worksheet.  Please see below.   We have run into some situations where the Rigging team did not order enough truss, and have since gone back to counting by hand. 

 

 

 

Nick's Truss count.vwx

[Pat Stanford]

Can you post a file that has both Truss by itself and truss converted to Lighting Positions. I don't use Spotlight enough to trust I will do it the same way you are.

 

Also, just check the criteria of your database. Right now the Search Wtithin Plug-in Objects box is not checked. It may be that if you check that then you will get the count of the truss that has been converted to an LP also.

[Nicholas Lazzaro]

Thanks for the quick response Pat.  All I did was take @ASalien file and converted the DS truss to a LX Position via the Object info pallet and then recalculated the worksheet.  The other two runs of truss are not LX Positions to show the comparison you mentioned above.  

 

Here is a screen shot where I created a worksheet will all boxes check for Symbols, Plug-ins, and Parent Object ( with sub parts). 

 

 

Nick's Truss count 2.vwx

[Pat Stanford]

I don't know what we are doing differently.  I converted DX to a Hanging Position, changed the database Criteria to include In Plug-In option and I got all of the items. BUT, it not longer gets the Truss Position Name if it is inside a Hanging Position even though when I edit the Hanging Position, the truss seem to have the correct data.

 

@michaelk @Sam Jones Any ideas on Truss vs Hanging Positions and counting?

[Nicholas Lazzaro]

Hmm... Thanks Pat.  I will go back through my steps.   Question, when you created the hanging position did you select "Symbol" or "Geometry"? 

 

Thanks! 

[Pat Stanford]

I don't remember which I chose between Symbol and Geometry.  It was probably Geometery.

[Nicholas Lazzaro]

Pat, I  seem to be getting the counts on both Symbol and Geometry selection.  But like you stated, the Position name does not come through.  For data tags I will need to create one for Hanging Positions and one for regular truss systems.  

The other thing that I have come across is that the Trims of the Hanging position and the truss that makes up the hanging position do not reference each other.  Creating a Hanging position with a truss system that already has a z will translate that trim the hanging position but it will change the height of the truss system that makes up the hanging position to datum, which changes my worksheet references the Truss system.

 

Thanks! 

[Sam Jones]

2 hours ago, Pat Stanford said:

 @Sam Jones Any ideas on Truss vs Hanging Positions and counting?

 Lots, but it is unclear what kind of counting is desired. 

1. Do you want a total count of each truss length at each Hanging Position?  If so, using the In plug-ins check box, I'll you have to do is sort by Position, and you are done.

2. If you want the total of each length in the drawing, If so, using the In plug-ins check box, you have to delete the Position column, because the Position names are different which screws up summarizing, the Position column is not needed, since youa are wanting counts for the whole drawing.  Once you delete the Position column, summarize the Length column and sum the Count column.

3.  If you want to do both 1 and 2 in the same database, I don't know how to do that, but you could, just as you have put both of the above versions in the same worksheet.

 

For all of that, I use scripts to count truss pieces.

[Pat Stanford]

@Nicholas Lazzaro It appears that although the Hanging Position is using the Truss objects as part of the position, it is keeping your actual truss objects in a special repository and creating duplicate truss items that are actually being placed in the drawing and these items do not have the PositionName field filled in.

 

My guess is that this is Working As Designed (WAD) because you would have either a PositionName or a Hanging Position, but probably not both at once. Except that you do.  😞

 

Copy the text in the code block below.

Create a new Vectorscript in your file.  Palette name does not matter. Script name should be HP_of_included_truss. If you name it differently you will need to adjust the name used in the RunScript formula.

Edit the column A formula to read  =RunScript('HP_of_included_truss')

 

This script will return the Position Name of Truss Items and the Hanging Position Name of Hanging Positions.

 

The script will need to be copied into the file of any VW projects that try and call the script.

 

Procedure HP_of_included_truss;
{©2023  Pat Stanford - pat@coviana.com}
{licensed under the Boost Software License 1.0}
{https://github.com/boostorg/boost/blob/master/LICENSE_1_0.txt}
{TL/DR Use as you want, attribution for source, No warranty}

{In a worksheet database that returns truss items that are}
{placed on a layer and/or included in hanging positions}
{this scrip will return the Truss Position Name or the}
{hanging position name.}

{Usage in a database header row is =RunScript('HP_of_included_truss')}

VAR	H1, H2	:Handle;
	S1		:String;
	
BEGIN
	H1:=WSScript_GetObject;
	H2:=GetParent(H1);
	If GetTypeN(H2)=11 then 
		BEGIN
			H2:=GetParent(H2);
			S1:=GetRField(H2,'Light Position Obj','Position Name');
		End
	ELSE
		BEGIN
			S1:=GetRField(H1,'TrussItem','PositionName');
		End;
	WSScript_SetResStr(S1);
End;

Run(HP_of_included_truss);