Importing GDTF Files, Where am I going wrong?

[sdoconnell92]

Hello I am trying to use gdtf files in spotlight 2024 and am having trouble with importing them.

 

After importing the gdtf file when placing the fixture it shows a 2d picture of the fixture instead of the symbol in 2d or the wireframe or anything in 3d. 

In the gdtf editor I do get an error, shown in attached photo and I will paste it and the fixture gdtf name below.

 

Martin Professional@MAC Viper Profile.gdtf

 

Use of restricted symbol!
Valid symbols are: “ %=*+- <>_/:'`0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO PQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuv wxyz@#()”;

 

Which makes sense, just seems like I'm using an invalid symbol. It would be weird since this is a viper profile gdtf uploaded by Martin, but at least it seemed like something to follow. But all the characters it shows in the name above the error are listed as valid characters.

 

Any ideas what I could be messing up here?

[spettitt]

Use the lighting device tool to place a Viper symbol (not the GDTF) from the Vectorworks fixture library.

 

Then select it and in the Shape pane of the OIP, use the GDTF Fixture: drop down. Any GDTFs present in this file will be available for selection - one entry in the list for each mode in the GDTF. IIRC it'll be basic and extended for the Viper. Pick which one you need.

 

The fixture will then use the symbol geometry but inherit the mode name and footprint from the GDTF. Any MVR exports would take the GDTF as well. 

[sdoconnell92]

Ah, thank you. Is this the intended way to work with gdtf? Or will they be directly placeable in the future with the lighting tool?

[spettitt]

I don't know what the roadmap is and what Vectorworks and the GDTF developer have in store. But I would hope that GDTFs are not something that is inserted instead of a lighting device - since it would lose a lot of the functionality of the current lighting device symbols.

 

Rather, I think there is hope from some of us in the user base that it will just be easier to use GDTFs in their current way - rather than having to download, import and link them, they are somehow accessible more directly. Something like this is mentioned on the public roadmap here: https://www.vectorworks.net/en-US/public-roadmap

[designedAF]

I'll second that.  We just need a more efficient way to assign the GDTF's to the symbols in our respective libraries so the exporting to pre-vis process is faster.  I also hope there is a way to assign a default preferred mode to any given symbol, so that they are already assigned when inserted into a plot.  Finally, it would then be great if there is a work sheet or some way to edit the mode in a quick table setting for when you have a fixture using multiple modes depending on the channel range.