Semi-automating image exports from sheet space

[unearthed]

To get my .pdf file size down I’ve always set out my images for a given sheet and then exported as a single image, then adjust size externally & reimport – as in this example using a plant palette. But how can I automate this more?

 

I’d like to hit a button and export everything within the coordinate space of the two highlit locus points (in encl. image) (ie using the export as image function). I almost always export .jpg, 300dpi (but sometimes I adjust that), at maximum quality setting.

 

I’m not a script writer but is this something that already exists, or could someone here write such a thing?

 

I always get width dimension of my sheetspace objects before entering dialog. I don’t use loci for anything else in sheetspace.

 

Mouse: File > Export > Image file; Export Image File dialog {Alt      f    x    i}

- Export area, defaults to random setting. {  m  }

- Dimensions, remembers its setting. {TAB is only access}

- Quality, remembers its setting. {TAB is only access}

- Format, remembers its settings. {TAB is only access}

- Print size, height & width always some random number. Units defaults to inches, so always have to reset to cm ). {TAB is only access}

Then press Draw Marquee

Draw marquee in sheetspace

Dialog returns with Save and one navigates to path and saves it

 

A lot of steps – 13 or so, some of it forcing mousing, and I do it at least twice a day. A button would be amazing, and save a lot of time and fiddling.

 

My musing - ignore for now

A script would probably start with checking that locus points existed in current sheet.

So can a script read/parse locus point positions as part of a process? Or do they need to be in a record? Or will a name suffice?

Edited March 20 by unearthed
spelling

[Ben Miura]

Is this the type of thing you're after? I had this made for me. Saves me multiple hours per project. It's totally adjustable as well. Has been a little bit cumbersome with '24 SP4.

[unearthed]

No, that's not how I use vectorworks

 

I don’t use many of VW’s landscape tools as they don’t work for how I think or want to display my landscapes -  so I don’t link images to symbols.

 

I constantly see people having ‘huge .pdf’ issues with, and there are several ways around that (and reasons for it). For some pages I assemble everything on the page and export just the raster info – then externally reduce file size, and reimport & place under the vectors, and I can usually get 7-8 sheets with a LOT of info and rich graphics at ~10Mb or less. A friend wrote me that script and likewise it saves me hours.

 

So my question is, is can a script be written to export an image from sheetspace, where there are two locus points in sheetspace that define the image bounding rectangle.

 

Your Generate Portfolio script essentially does that – although it only gets you as far a sheetspace*; sending linked images (from symbols) to sheetspace .

* does it reduce the file sizes as well? so you don’t end up exporting a huge image? My system means I can select my plant images at their high-res state, drag them onto my script and I get an image grid (and names file) back.

 

As an aside re grids of images and my workflow:

I make my image grid externally using a script in Imagemagick, that script also gives me file names as a .txt

Then I drop the file names into a worksheet,

and read those names into a separate worksheet which constitutes the image labels.

I show these on the page via two viewports, one containing the images, the other containing the labels.

[Ben Miura]

I think I understand what you're saying. I don't know much about scripts but I sort of know how mine works. In the Custom 3 field of the plant style I have the file name of that plant. When I run the script it searches for that .jpg file in a specific folder I have set up on Dropbox. All images that I save in Dropbox are high res.