Write Excel data to Lighting Device

[Company Call BV]

Hi All

 

With Excel referencing Vectorworks made a big step in my opinion. 

With that being done is it possible to import for example a CSV / Excel with patch data and link those columns to Lighting Device info?

 

 

Cheers

[spettitt]

Unsure on that, but I would be interested to know as well. I would think GDTF modes would be complicated to validate, which then influences the footprint parameter as well. Channels and Addresses would probably be more straightforward.

[jcogdell]

The issue here is how to ensure that the correct data in the excel sheet is linked to the correct lighting device.

We do support exporting and importing csv files with lighting data but this relies on using the hidden unique identifier (uid) for each lighting device instance in the design. Without this Spotlight doesn't know which lighting device is which.
In practice this means that the original csv data has to be created in Spotlight so that the correct uid data is included.

 

Where is the patch data coming from?
There maybe a possible workaround or solution available.

[JBenghiat]

I did some experimenting with this a few weeks ago, and there's no easy solution. If you have Lightwright, you can merge in CSV data, keying by channel, and then sync that data with Spotlight. LW handled a patch csv from Eos as expected, without any file cleaning.

[Company Call BV]

On 4/22/2024 at 4:44 PM, jcogdell said:

The issue here is how to ensure that the correct data in the excel sheet is linked to the correct lighting device.

We do support exporting and importing csv files with lighting data but this relies on using the hidden unique identifier (uid) for each lighting device instance in the design. Without this Spotlight doesn't know which lighting device is which.
In practice this means that the original csv data has to be created in Spotlight so that the correct uid data is included.

 

Where is the patch data coming from?
There maybe a possible workaround or solution available.

I do understand the issue regarding the correct data, but in the case of Spotlight you always add the Channel number / Unit number to your fixture. That would be the unique identifier for Vectorworks to match to. 

 

I create my patch in another software then Vectorworks as some of the modes are not correct or there is no GDTF fixture available etc. Atm I have to manual insert the patch in Vectorworks which can result in errors, with the new Excel referencing I was hoping to find a way to import a CSV / Excel and link it to an Lighting Device. 

[jcogdell]

13 minutes ago, Company Call BV said:

the Channel number / Unit number to your fixture. That would be the unique identifier for Vectorworks to match to.

The problem is that Spotlight doesn't use the channel number as the internal identifier since it can change based on design and user requirements, which would then break any connection (internal to Spotlight or external) to the any other linked data.

You can try using the worksheet criteria ='Lighting Device'.'UID' to access the UUID's and this may enable you to correctly map the data.

What software are you using to create the patch?
If it supports MVR this may provide another route to get the data in and sync it to the correct lights.

[Sam Jones]

10 hours ago, Company Call BV said:

I do understand the issue regarding the correct data, but in the case of Spotlight you always add the Channel number / Unit number to your fixture. That would be the unique identifier for Vectorworks to match to. 

Not really.  10 years ago I put 4 lights on separate circuits, 3 of which had the same unit number but different positions, on the same channel to make a path.  Happens rarely, but does happen.  Position and Unit Number would be unique, and would have the additional advantage of telling you where the fixture is.  That doesn't matter with this problem, but the use of channel numbers to identify fixtures drives me crazy.  Where the #$@&! is channel 203?  It's not coming on, and the programmer wants me to troubleshoot it.