Updating Created Light Symbols

[lalcaraz]

I used the Replace Instrument Command and changed a bunch of lights from 36dgr to 50dgr.

The symbols are my own and perform well but, even though the symbol changes, the Properties for the light did not

The Instrument Type still says it is a 36dgr, even though the symbol is now a 50dgr and I did a 'refresh instruments'

Any thoughts?

[lalcaraz]

Kevin

I just created a symbol and then inserted it as a Light, I did not do anything to asociate with its attributes

When I select the light the Properties box comes up like it is a light but I am not sure how to permanently associate things like Wattage and Type

How do I do that?

Thanks

Lonnie

lrafaela@aol.com

[kmoore1]

quote:

---

Originally posted by lalcaraz:

Kevin

I just created a symbol and then inserted it as a Light, I did not do anything to asociate with its attributes

When I select the light the Properties box comes up like it is a light but I am not sure how to permanently associate things like Wattage and Type

How do I do that?

Thanks

Lonnie

lrafaela@aol.com

---

You can import the light info record format from one of the SpotLight Symbol libraries. If you check out chapter 15 (pg 15-24) of the VectorWorks manual it will explain how to attach record data to a symbol. Once you've attached the record to your symbol, edit the symbol and fill out the defaults. Voila. Anytime you insert that symbol as an instrument it will have the correct attributes.

[lalcaraz]

Kevin

I tried this. I followed the instruction in the Help PDF. The last step is to Hit "OK" but there is no place to hit "OK" in the Data Tab.

I have already placed all the lights, so I wanted to change this globaly.

I dropped each type that I created into a corner of the drawing, after importing a light record, and then selected them 1 at a time and went to the data tab, selected light record, and put in the info.

I tried placing a new light after this was done but it did not come in with the info.

If I select the lights that I worked on, they still have the info in the Data tab but in the Shape tab the Values are not present and are present at all if I place a light from scratch

Does this make sense? and can you help?

Thanks

Lonnielrafaela @aol,com

[kmoore1]

quote:

---

Originally posted by lalcaraz:

I used the Replace Instrument Command and changed a bunch of lights from 36dgr to 50dgr.

The symbols are my own and perform well but, even though the symbol changes, the Properties for the light did not

The Instrument Type still says it is a 36dgr, even though the symbol is now a 50dgr and I did a 'refresh instruments'

Any thoughts?

---

It sounds like your 50deg unit might not have data attached to it. If you create a new 50deg unit using your symbol does all of its data come in correctly? (Wattage, inst type, frame size, etc)

[kmoore1]

quote:

---

Originally posted by lalcaraz:

Kevin

I dropped each type that I created into a corner of the drawing, after importing a light record, and then selected them 1 at a time and went to the data tab, selected light record, and put in the info.

I tried placing a new light after this was done but it did not come in with the info.

---

The symbols on your plot are "instances" of the master symbol definition which is a resource in your file. You need to edit the master symbol definition to have the record information and to have the correct data values.

Go to the resources palette and choose your symbol from the list. Click the edit button in the resources palette. You'll be asked what part of the symbol you wish to edit. Choose either "3d Component" or "2d Component".

Now you are editing the master definition of the symbol. Make sure you have nothing selected and go to the data pane of the Object info palette. Select the check box next to the Light info record and fill out the data as you have been doing to the symbols in the drawing. The importanrt part here is that you have nothing in the symbol selected when you do this so that it attaches the record to the symbol itself and not to some component inside your symbol.

Once you've done this you can use the replace symbol command to update your existing instruments with the new data information.

HTH

[ 12-21-2001: Message edited by: kmoore1 ]