Cabling for rigging

[AStein]

Hey there.

I found a couple other topics that described how to jury-rig an LX breakout to use as a hoist distro, but I can't quite get it to work. Simplified attempt attached.

 

I edited the electrical components inside the symbol definition to be SOCA-7. The hoist cable in the OIP of the hoist symbol is SOCA-7 and the cable on the cable tool is SOCA-7. I click the distro, then I click the hoist... And nothing. The distro, hoist and cable all act like they're not connected.

 

I know that rigging-related electrics are on the to-do list for this upcoming update I've been reading about, but I can't see why my workaround here is failing.

motor connection.vwx

[Stefan B.]

I have made it work for rigging. I can assist you, but not right now. I'll come back to you tomorrow or Monday.

 

But, how can you see that the objects are not connected?

[AStein]

@Stefan B.Thank you. No hurry.

 

In the OIP of the distro there's no connections to choose from.

[Stefan B.]

Ahh, I think that is just VW and how it is. Not sure the OIP gives any information. But try clicking the dropdowns in some cases show a list with one item with a x as a checkmark. I never really use the cable tool to plan other than cable needed for each hoist, distro and controller. If things really are connected is not important for me.

 

When you have a cable as active tool, does the hoists and distroes light up red when you hover them?

 

And have you tried to connect your system to a distributer? E.g. a 63A power outlet.

[AStein]

Normally, like with lights or when connecting two units it shows up on its circuit in the OIP, and yes, they do light up red when I use the cable tool. I van also tell they're not connected because the node doesn't attach to the object and move with it.

 

See, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place... I have a series of Google sheets with a bunch of javascript underneath that do a lot of organization for me. But now that I'm growing into a business that manages others, it's way too complicated and prone to human error. People hire me to draw their tours because I organize data better than the next guy. My system is good, but if I'm going to expect others to use it, it needs to be simpler. Like: my template and my boneyard, rather than complicated instructions and links to little apps I've made. 

 

Basically, I either need vectorworks to work or I need to spend a ton of time coding and building my own system. I have a 4-month-old and a two-year-old so... 

 

Given that vwx, has been making major steps to modernize itself in the past few years, I've decided to build out my system in vectorworks.... but it's so obtuse sometimes, like this cable thing. Rigging is always left mostly done...

[jcogdell]

@AStein
For the cables to be able to document what hoist they are connected with you need to add a consumer electrical component. once this is done the cable will display in its 'End' field the name of the connected hoist.
 

[AStein]

@jcogdellCopy, thanks Jesse. I'll give that a try tomorrow morning. 

[AStein]

@jcogdellAttempted file attached.

 

So, I went into the cable XML file and made some hoist cable. Changed the symbols on the distro to "consumer" Everything seems to match. I can get the "end" to lock onto the hoist, but it still doesn't like the distro. Thoughts?

Cable WIP.vwx

[jcogdell]

@AStein
Change the consumer components in the distro for output components and add the consumers into the hoist symbol.
What connector did you add to the cable connector xml?
As I don't have it at my end it seems to have defaulted back to camlock connectors for all the components

[AStein]

New File attached.

 

One step closer. If I drop a "power in" component on the hoist symbol definition then the distro recognizes it and shoots a cable over there and/or the cable tool acts like it should. But if I move the hoist, the cable node wont follow like it does with a lighting device. I have a lighting device on this file that uses my custom "hoist cable" to make sure it wasn't my distro or cable, but it seems to like them just fine, so I think we're down to troubleshooting the hoist now.

 

"Consumer" on the hoist doesn't seem to work, it likes the "power in" component.

 

I also tried converting the hoist symbol to a lighting device, but it didn't let me. 

Cable WIP.vwx

[Chris Burton]

Bumping Andy's post as I am also eager to find some sort of work-around for hoist distros.

[Chris Burton]

Anyone? 🙂

[Stefan B.]

Hey,

 

Workaround? You just need to make a distro with the proper connectors and make sure the hoists have the same.

 

It is a bit hassle to make custom connectors but just chose a standard CEE 16A 400v connector and you should be good.